Raise a glass, Mr. Musk — we've already journeyed to the distant stars through reading | *Ichigo Ichie* · Yunqi Capital Book Recommendations

" — Right now, it is slowing down with extraordinary efficiency in the upper atmosphere of Mars, a magnificent display of force and grace. Like some great gray beast, it moves through the midnight silence of the cosmic deep; passing the eternal moon, it hurls itself by gravity into the measureless void."

— Ray Bradbury, The Rocket Chronicles

Even as the "exploding champagne" celebrations began, SpaceX announced it would attempt another launch of its fully reusable Super Heavy rocket in just a few months.

Unconstrained imagination, faith in the power of innovation, and active commitment to technological progress — this concentrated force of spirit has propelled humanity toward new frontiers time and again.

Beneath the rapid iteration of emerging technologies, tech investment too is arriving at a new threshold. And the more turbulent the waters, the more measured our steps must be: reading, thinking, reflecting, practicing.

We believe that reading the shifts in global格局, tracing the cycles of history, and seeking constancy amid change will strengthen our fundamental capacity to embrace the unknown.

Only with something to hold onto can we journey far and steady. As World Book Day returns, we share Yunqi Capital's annual reading list, hoping these selections might accompany you in exploring the edges of the world.

(Surprise at the end )

01. Big Country, Big City

📚 Author | Lu Ming

📖 Recommended by | Enterprise Software Team

The concentration of population is an inevitable outcome of industrial upgrading, and major cities, beyond being engines and centers of development for large nations, serve as crucial regulators maintaining overall equilibrium. This book restates economic common sense in accessible language. The author combines rigorous theoretical logic with profound humanistic care, examining through in-depth research and field investigation the challenges and opportunities in China's urbanization process, as well as the balance between macro-level development efficiency and individual rights and public interests.

02. The Hard Thing About Hard Things

📚 Author | Ben Horowitz

📖 Recommended by | Enterprise Software Team

The author of this book is Ben Horowitz, founder of a16z, with extensive experience in entrepreneurship, management, and investing. Drawing from his own entrepreneurial journey, Horowitz covers lessons and insights on company founding, operations, talent selection, corporate culture, sales, and the relationship between CEOs and boards. For venture investors, this book provides crucial information on how to evaluate and invest in startups.

03. Warren Buffett's CEOs

📚 Author | Robert P. Miles

📖 Recommended by | Industrial Supply Chain Technology Team

Integrity, independent thinking, doers rather than financiers, trusting the right people — while the book's attribution of corporate success may seem somewhat simplistic, there is no denying that CEOs possessing these qualities and capabilities are decisive factors in leading companies to success. For venture investors, this book offers important perspectives on enterprise management and leadership, helping them better evaluate a company's management team.

04. Money Game

📚 Author | Weijian Shan

📖 Recommended by | Frontier Technology Team

This is an accessible popular economics read. Against the backdrop of the 1990s Asian Financial Crisis, Korea First Bank faced an existential crisis. To secure IMF assistance, the bank needed to bring in foreign investors with advanced management expertise. Weijian Shan led the Newbridge Capital team in this transaction, turning Korea First Bank around within five years and executing a successful exit. This cross-border acquisition involved government-business relations, commercial competition, national sentiment, media dynamics, and more. The book meticulously documents every detail and the team's responses — a rare and invaluable case study in M&A practice worth revisiting repeatedly.

05. One Man's View of the World

📚 Author | Lee Kuan Yew

📖 Recommended by | Advanced Manufacturing Team

This political collection records Singapore's founding father Lee Kuan Yew's long-standing deep insights and reflections on economics, politics, society, diplomacy, and more. The author shares his thoughts and approaches to governance and international affairs in an accessible manner, demonstrating his exceptional leadership and intellectual capacity. The book suits not only readers interested in Singapore and Asian politics, but also those seeking deeper understanding of leadership and political philosophy. Profound in thought and imbued with the author's strong patriotism and pursuit of truth, it is an indispensable reference for understanding modern Singapore's history, politics, economy, and culture, as well as Southeast Asian political issues.

06. China's Real Experience in Eight Crises

📚 Author | Wen Tiejun, et al.

📖 Recommended by | Industrial Supply Chain Technology Team

Eight Crises examines eight periodic crises since 1949 from the perspective of the urban-rural dual structure. As a steadfast advocate for agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, Wen Tiejun highlights the countryside's contributions in resolving crises — serving as reservoir and regulator across labor, demand, and capital to achieve "soft landings." Though an economics work, the book draws extensively on period photographs, macro data, and historical documents, making it engaging and accessible. Worth reading leisurely over tea with friends.

07. Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking

📚 Author | Leonard Mlodinow

📖 Recommended by | Frontier Technology Team

This book explores the relationship between emotion and decision-making. Emotion is one important variable affecting decisions, yet people can minimize its impact by controlling their emotions, establishing fair decision-making processes, and appropriately expressing and processing feelings. This is a highly valuable book for anyone seeking to improve their decision-making and leadership capabilities.

08. Thinking in Grayscale

📚 Author | Xie Menggong

📖 Recommended by | Advanced Manufacturing Team

Investing, like life, offers no standard answers; neither can be effectively navigated through simple binary frameworks. If you hope to precisely identify the grayscale between black and white and uncover its infinite value, letting Thinking in Grayscale accompany you through a mental mine-sweeping and course-correction is a solid choice.

09. Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended On It

📚 Author | Chris Voss / Tahl Raz

📖 Recommended by | Operations Team

How do you face an exceptionally difficult negotiation? Chris Voss, the "special forces operator" of the negotiation world, distills a lifetime of "conversations paid for with life" in Never Split the Difference. From a psychological perspective, the book dissects the essence and principles of negotiation, proposing nine techniques for taking control of conversations — gradually guiding your counterpart to reveal true needs, lower defenses, and ultimately reach agreement and resolve crisis. Beyond negotiation, it covers all aspects of human communication: body language, tone, pronoun usage, and more, perfectly applicable to business negotiations, interpersonal relations, and every communication scenario. Whether you're a workplace newcomer or a veteran facing complex negotiations, this is a book not to be missed.

10. Counselling for Toads: A Psychological Adventure

📚 Author | Robert de Board

📖 Recommended by | Operations Team

This illustrated novel is brief, readable in just two to three hours. The author skillfully weaves foundational psychological knowledge and theory into Toad's ten in-depth counseling sessions, allowing readers to grasp these concepts without barriers and gain momentum for further action. In depicting Toad's gradual confrontation with pain, acceptance of self, and commitment to change, the narrative maintains sincere care for the protagonist's psychological transformation — perhaps one reason this book has remained a bestseller for over two decades.

11. Siddhartha

📚 Author | Hermann Hesse

📖 Recommended by | Operations Team

Siddhartha is a literary masterpiece rich in philosophy and Buddhist thought, telling the story of Prince Siddhartha leaving home to seek wisdom through study and practice. It fully portrays the protagonist's journey from worldly glory and wealth through ascetic torment to final enlightenment upon hearing nature's voice. Through one person's passage from "self" to "Self," from small self to great self and unity with heaven and earth, the work expresses inquiry into life's meaning, human weaknesses and nobility, and the relationship between self and spiritual realm. The work also incorporates elements of traditional Chinese culture, such as respect and reverence for nature and deep probing of human nature. As Siddhartha states in the book, wisdom cannot be shared; it can only be discovered and experienced. May everyone who reads Siddhartha's story find their own insights and begin experiencing their own life.

12.

"Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!"

📚 Author | Richard Feynman

📖 Recommended by | Yunqi ✖️ Gao Shan Science Classics

Mr. Feynman studied theoretical physics and the connection between quantum mechanics and the world; he also observed ants (no conclusions), explored art (pure hobby), played bongo drums (couldn't read sheet music), and danced often (simply for joy). This Nobel laureate shows us how a life that maximally permits curiosity — maintaining focus and finding passion — nourishes our spiritual world.

Vast as the sea of books, I am but a traveler.

Going forward, we will partner with Gao Shan Academy to launch the Yunqi Bookmark column, recommending each Sunday a selected gem from the Gao Shan Science Classics 100. We look forward to embarking on this wonderful journey of knowledge with you.

On World Book Day, Gao Shan Academy will hold a first-anniversary classics reading event at Shanghai's Xujiahui Library. Academician Han Qide, Professor Wu Guosheng, Dr. Zhang Wenhong, and host Jiang Changjian will be present in person to interpret classics. We look forward to meeting fellow reading enthusiasts.

Livestream:

Search "Gao Shan Science Classics" on Douyin, enter the profile, and reserve the livestream~

Yunqi Interaction We welcome your book recommendations. We will select the 3 commenters with the most likes to receive a "Yunqi Mystery Book Box."