An alarming analysis of a growing but silent epidemic in the U.S.; a deeply reported look at how the founders of PayPal defined the modern world; and a new book from Stacey Abrams that all startup founders and small-business owners should read.
Here is a selection of new books being published this month.
Dignity in a Digital Age: Making Tech Work for All of Us by Ro Khanna
Available February 1
Even with the advent of 5G networks, internet access is not created equal. And that gap has only been exacerbated since the onset of the pandemic as so much of our work and life has moved online, a problem especially compounded for anyone trying to learn or teach remotely right now. Congressman Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) argues democratizing access to tech can strengthen both the economy and our social fabric with a road map to bridging the geographic and digital divides.
Wanderess: The Unearth Women Guide to Traveling Smart, Safe, and Solo by Nikki Vargas and Elise Fitzsimmons
Available February 1
Despite the recent Omicron surge that hit during the holiday season—one of the busiest and most lucrative times of the year for the travel industry—Americans clearly want to travel again after being cooped up for more than a year before vaccines were widely available in the United States. And not everyone wants to wait around for someone else to join them. Nikki Vargas and Elise Fitzsimmons, cofounders of Unearth Women, an online publication and resource for female travelers, offer guidance for solo travelers—from suggesting volunteer opportunities abroad to soothing travel anxieties—with specific advice for members of the LGBTQ+ community, women of color, and even new mothers.
There Are No Accidents: The Deadly Rise of Injury and Disaster—Who Profits and Who Pays the Price by Jessie Singer
Available February 15
Accidents, by definition, are unintentional. But in America, someone always has to pay for the consequences, and the way the U.S. health insurance industry operates these days, the person who has to pay is usually the victim. Author Jessie Singer suggests that there is actually an epidemic of accidents in the U.S., from bike collisions to house fires, and the epidemic is only getting worse. And sadly, predictably, race, gender, and social class often leave many Americans more vulnerable than others.
Level Up: Rise Above the Hidden Forces Holding Your Business Back by Stacey Abrams and Lara Hodgson with Heather Cabot
Available February 22
In her latest work, among many projects right now, voting rights advocate and New York Times bestselling author Stacey Abrams writes with her Now Corp cofounder Lara Hodgson about the brutal truths of starting your own company that might not always be fun or even interesting to discuss, from managing cash flow to recognizing when growth is actually a bad thing. (Read an excerpt here.)
The Founders: The Story of PayPal and the Entrepreneurs Who Shaped Silicon Valley by Jimmy Soni
Available February 22
In what could be the definitive report on the origins of PayPal, Jimmy Soni, former managing editor of The Huffington Post, takes a hard look at the company’s founding team—which included now-household names Elon Musk, Peter Thiel, Reid Hoffman, and Max Levchin—and where they have gone since founding the digital payments service, spreading their influence to Tesla, Facebook, YouTube, SpaceX, Yelp, Palantir, LinkedIn, Pinterest, and Airbnb, among others.
Dive into stories from Fortune’s print edition:
- Crypto traders anonymous: A new addiction takes hold for many as cryptocurrency goes mainstream
- How Toyota kept making cars when the chips were down
- Ethereum risks it all on going green
- NFTy 50: The most influential builders, creatives, and influencers in the NFT world
- The war to charge your electric car is powering up
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