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Chris Fralic

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Chris Fralic has been a Partner at First Round since 2006. He has focused on a number of the firm’s investments in areas such as advertising and marketing technology, social/mobile, eCommerce/travel, connected devices and gaming.
46 books on the list
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Burn Rate book cover
Burn Rate
Launching a Startup and Losing My Mind
Andy Dunn - 2022-05-10
Goodreads Rating
This gripping memoir follows the co-founder of a successful menswear startup as he struggles with bipolar disorder and the pressures of entrepreneurship. With intimate prose and radical honesty, the author shares his experience navigating the cut-throat world of Silicon Valley while also managing his mental health. This book is a revealing look into the prevalence of mental illness in the startup community and a challenge to participate in the ongoing conversation about creativity, performance, and disorder.
Chris Fralic
2022-12-14T16:43:44.000Z
The best books I read this year - all are highly recommended      source
No Red Lights book cover
No Red Lights
Reflections on Life, 50 Years in Venture Capital, and Never Driving Alone
Alan J. Patricof - 2022-05-03
Goodreads Rating
Discover the fascinating history of venture capital and entrepreneurial growth in the last 50 years. Follow the journey of a pioneering figure in the industry as he shares behind-the-scenes insights on his investments in companies such as Apple, AOL, and Venmo. Learn what qualities he looks for in companies and how he helped to shape the landscape of modern business.
Chris Fralic
2022-12-14T16:43:44.000Z
The best books I read this year - all are highly recommended      source
Freezing Order book cover
Freezing Order
A True Story of Money Laundering, Murder, and Surviving Vladimir Putin's Wrath
Bill Browder - 2022-04-12
Goodreads Rating
A thrilling exposé of Vladimir Putin's campaign to steal and launder billions of dollars, and the man who dared to stand in his way. Following his bestseller Red Notice, author Bill Browder chronicles his mission to bring justice for his young lawyer who was killed in a Moscow jail. Browder uncovers Putin's involvement in a $230 million tax refund scheme, leading to a dangerous battle that includes honey traps, murder, and even Russia's intervention in the 2016 US presidential election. Freezing Order is a stunning account of one man's crusade against corruption and the lengths Putin will go to protect his fortune.
Chris Fralic
2022-12-14T16:43:44.000Z
The best books I read this year - all are highly recommended      source
Whole Earth book cover
Whole Earth
The Many Lives of Stewart Brand
John Markoff - 2022-03-22
Goodreads Rating
Explore the fascinating life of iconic visionary Stewart Brand, from his involvement with the counterculture and creation of the influential Whole Earth Catalog, to his commitment to environmentalism and pragmatic embrace of technology. Written by technology and society chronicler John Markoff, this biography delves into Brand's contradictions and powerful influence on California culture and the wider world. With his emphasis on direct power and planetary consciousness, Brand's story is one that will inspire readers to reimagine how we live on this planet.
Chris Fralic
2022-12-14T16:43:44.000Z
The best books I read this year - all are highly recommended      source
The Power of Regret book cover
The Power of Regret
How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward
Daniel H. Pink - 2022-02-01
Goodreads Rating
Unlock the transformative power of regret with a new book from the bestselling author of When and Drive. Everyone experiences regret, and it's actually an essential part of being human, according to Daniel H. Pink. In The Power of Regret, Pink provides insight into how this misunderstood emotion can help us make better decisions, achieve success in work and school, and find more meaning in our lives. Drawing on research in social psychology, neuroscience, and biology, this book debunks common misconceptions about regret and offers practical ways to embrace it as a positive force. Packed with real stories and actionable takeaways, The Power of Regret is a must-read for anyone looking to live a richer and more engaged life.
Chris Fralic
2022-12-14T16:43:44.000Z
The best books I read this year - all are highly recommended      source
Recommended by
Steven Johnson
Dilla Time book cover
Dilla Time
The Life and Afterlife of J Dilla, the Hip-Hop Producer Who Reinvented Rhythm
Dan Charnas - 2022-02-01
Goodreads Rating
Explore the fascinating world of J Dilla, a musical genius who revolutionized popular music in the twenty-first century. Equal parts biography, musicology, and cultural history, Dilla Time delves into the life and legacy of the Grammy-nominated hip-hop producer who influenced superstars like Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. Discover how J Dilla created a new kind of musical time-feel on a drum machine, and how he continues to be revered by jazz and rap icons today. Written by Dan Charnas, this visual experience is a unique and enjoyable way to learn to “see” and feel rhythm, culled from over 150 interviews with the people who kept J Dilla’s ideas alive.
Chris Fralic
2022-12-14T16:43:44.000Z
The best books I read this year - all are highly recommended      source
The Chancellor book cover
The Chancellor
The Remarkable Odyssey of Angela Merkel
Kati Marton - 2021-10-26
Goodreads Rating
Explore the remarkable rise and political brilliance of the world's most elusive woman in this captivating and timely biography. From a Soviet-controlled East Germany upbringing to becoming the unofficial leader of the West, Angela Merkel's political genius lies in talking with adversaries, negotiating without compromising her moral convictions, and enacting bold changes during crises. Discover how she has confronted Russian aggression, provided homes for refugees, unified Europe, and survived extraordinary challenges, while remaining a role model for gaining and keeping power with integrity. This great morality tale shows the difference an exceptional leader can make for the greater good of a country and the world.
Chris Fralic
2022-12-14T16:43:44.000Z
The best books I read this year - all are highly recommended      source
Recommended by
Gbenga Sesan
Music Is History book cover
Music Is History
Questlove - 2021-10-19
Goodreads Rating
Discover the hidden connections between music and American history with Questlove’s Music Is History. From the blaxploitation era to disco, Questlove examines how music shapes culture and identity. Using personal memories and pop culture references, Music Is History offers a unique and insightful look at America over the past fifty years.
Chris Fralic
2022-12-14T16:43:44.000Z
The best books I read this year - all are highly recommended      source
This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends book cover
This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends
The Cyberweapons Arms Race
Nicole Perlroth - 2021-02-09
Goodreads Rating
Discover the untold story of the cyberweapons market in this chilling exposé by a leading cybersecurity reporter. Follow the journey of zero day, a coveted tool in the spy's arsenal with the power to dismantle safety controls, alter elections, and create chaos. Delve into the United States government's dominant hoarder of zero days and how they lost control, placing this powerful tool in the hands of hostile nations and mercenaries who will stop at nothing. Written like a thrilling reference, This Is How They Tell Me the World Ends is a cautionary tale that we all must heed to bring the global cyber arms race to heel.
Chris Fralic
2022-12-14T16:43:44.000Z
The best books I read this year - all are highly recommended      source
How We Got to Now book cover
How We Got to Now
Six Innovations That Made the Modern World
Steven Johnson - 2014-09-30
Goodreads Rating
Uncover the riveting stories behind everyday objects in this illustrated history of innovation from the New York Times–bestselling author. Steven Johnson takes readers on a journey from air-conditioning's role in large-scale human migration, to how pendulum clocks helped trigger the industrial revolution, and how clean water made computer chip manufacturing possible. The book is full of surprising anecdotes of brilliant mistakes and accidental genius that shaped modern life as we know it. Accompanied by a six-part TV series, How We Got to Now is a must-read for anyone interested in the hidden networks that created the modern world.
Chris Fralic
2022-12-14T16:43:44.000Z
The best books I read this year - all are highly recommended      source
Recommended by
Ben Carlson
Adrift by Scott Galloway
The Metaverse by Matthew Ball
The Nineties by Chuck Klosterman
New York, New York, New York by Thomas Dyja
Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
Remain in Love by Chris Frantz
The Kill Chain by Christian Brose
Let the People Pick the President by Jesse Wegman
The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis
Talking to Strangers by Malcolm Gladwell
VC by Tom Nicholas
Secrets of Sand Hill Road by Scott Kupor
Success Is in Your Sphere by Zvi Band
The Twenty-Six Words That Created the Internet by Jeff Kosseff
Walk This Way by Geoff Edgers
The Messy Middle by Scott Belsky
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
After On by Rob Reid
The Upstarts by Brad Stone
Whiplash by Joi Ito
The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore
The Revolt of The Public and the Crisis of Authority in the New Millennium by Martin Gurri
The Everything Store by Brad Stone
What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith
Debt by David Graeber
The Billionaire Who Wasn't by Conor O'Clery
The Ancient City by Numa Denis Fustel De Coulanges
The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett
Up from Slavery by Booker T. Washington
Avatars by Bruce Damer
Sam Walton by Sam Walton
Unsafe at Any Speed by Ralph Nader
The Big Store by Donald R. Katz
The Power Broker by Robert A. Caro