# Books in the Box V

- Show: [Oxide and Friends](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends)
- Published: 2025-10-31
- Length: 1h 20m
- Episode: 30
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v
- Listen: https://share.transistor.fm/s/d065e481

## Summary

Hosts Bryan Cantrill and Adam Leventhal, founders of Oxide Computer Company, are joined by guests Oliver Herman, Tom Lyon, and Dan McDonald for 'Books in the Box V,' a segment dedicated to book recommendations and anti-recommendations. The group discusses technical and historical texts including 'Open Circuits,' 'Slingshot,' and 'Chip War,' while strongly advising against reading 'If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies' by citing Molly White's scathing review. The conversation also covers business histories like 'Fumbling the Future' and 'The Big Short,' alongside fiction such as 'The Mouse Driver Chronicles' and 'Snow Crash.'

## Chapters

- [0:00](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v#t=0) Introduction: College Counseling and Road Trips
- [6:32](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v#t=392) Rules and Previous Recommendations: Mouse Driver Chronicles
- [17:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v#t=1075) Semiconductor History: Slingshot and Chip War
- [24:22](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v#t=1462) Technical Books: Open Circuits and Systems Performance
- [33:55](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v#t=2035) Financial History: The Big Short and Careless People
- [48:33](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v#t=2913) Anti-Recommendation: If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies
- [54:16](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v#t=3256) Software History: Airline Reservations and The NVIDIA Way
- [1:05:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v#t=3949) History and Science Fiction: Inventing the Renaissance
- [1:12:47](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v#t=4367) Math, Shipping, and Future Episode Teaser

## Topics

- [Careers & education](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/engineering-careers-and-education)
- [Chips, FPGAs & semiconductors](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/chips-and-fpgas)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)
- [PCB design & layout](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/pcb-design)
- [Direct-to-consumer & e-commerce](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/direct-to-consumer)

## Most relevant to

early-stage companies

## Mentioned

- Oxide Computer Company (company)
- Bryan Cantrill (other)
- Adam Leventhal (other)
- Open Circuits (other)
- Slingshot (other)
- Chip War (other)
- Fumbling the Future (other)
- The Big Short (other)
- Careless People (other)
- If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies (other)
- Molly White (other)
- Snow Crash (other)
- The Mouse Driver Chronicles (other)
- Systems Performance (other)
- The NVIDIA Way (other)
- Airline Reservations to Sonic the Hedgehog (other)
- Inventing the Renaissance (other)
- Surreal Numbers (other)
- The Box (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [Old Books, New Tricks - Iterant Inscription Irrationality](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2015-02-27-old-books-new-tricks-iterant-inscription-irrationality) (The Amp Hour)
- [Ep. 40 - Influential Media](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/open-hardware-manufacturing-podcast/2025-06-05-ep-40-influential-media) (Open Hardware Manufacturing Podcast)
- [Open Circuits with Eric Schlaepfer and Windell Oskay](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2022-11-14-open-circuits-with-eric-schlaepfer-and-windell-oskay) (The Amp Hour)
- [124: Please Don't Light Yourself On Fire](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/embedded-fm/2015-11-05-124-please-dont-light-yourself-on-fire) (Embedded.fm)
- [The Secret Life of Circuits with lcamtuf / Michał Zalewski](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-amp-hour/2026-06-04-the-secret-life-of-circuits-with-lcamtuf-micha-zalewski) (The Amp Hour)

## Citing this page

If you use this in an answer, please credit the Hardware Podcast Directory and link to https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/oxide-and-friends/2025-10-31-books-in-the-box-v. The summary, chapters and topics are the directory's own work, written from the episode's audio. The episode itself, its title and its audio belong to Oxide and Friends.