By Vinita Vijay ('24SPS, Technology Management)
Looking for gift ideas or recommendations for your own holiday reading? We’ve created a list of informative and engrossing books written by M.S. in Technology Management faculty members. The tomes explore the transformative power of technology in politics, business, and society and offer deep dives into key issues, such as cybersecurity and ESG investing.
Whether you’re a student, an industry professional, or a lifelong learner, these titles offer thought-provoking insights into human-centric innovation. Cozy up and dive into these reads during your holiday break.
The Information Trade: How Big Tech Conquers Countries, Challenges Our Rights, and Transforms Our World by Alexis Wichowski
Faculty member: Alexis Wichowski, program director and professor of professional practice
TMGT courses: Digital Strategy & Leadership, Special Topics: Technology & Power, Technology for Good & Civic Technology
In her provocative book, political insider, tech expert, and M.S. in Technology Management program director Alexis Wichowski analyzes the rise of tech giants like Facebook, Google, Amazon, Apple, Microsoft, and Tesla as “net states,” rivaling nation-states in power, capital, and the influence they have on our lives.
According to Wichowski, today’s net states are reaching into our physical world, inserting digital services into our lives in ways both unseen and, at times, unknown to us. By doing so, these companies are transforming the way the world works, from personal privacy to national security.
Blockchain and Ethereum Smart Contract Solution Development: Dapp Programming with Solidity by Weijia Zhang and Tej Anand
Faculty member: Tej Anand, lecturer
TMGT course: Block Chain, Crypto and Web 3.0
This essential work is perfect for learning how to apply blockchain technology. Weijia Zhang and Tej Anand provide an overview of the basics of blockchain technology, covering both theory and practice. They explain the architectural components of blockchain and blockchain business applications, and they offer use cases. Readers get hands-on guidance for programming smart contract solutions using both public and enterprise Ethereum blockchains to build decentralized applications.
Transparency in ESG and the Circular Economy: Capturing Opportunities through Data by Christina Dolan and Diana Barrero Zalles
Faculty member: Cristina Dolan, lecturer
TMGT courses: Block Chain, Crypto and Web 3.0, Technology Management Capstone
In this book, Cristina Dolan and Diana Barrero Zalles offer a holistic, data-driven approach to environmental, social, and governance (ESG) principles, and to the integrity with which decisions are made and implemented, ultimately defining corporate culture. Throughout the book, Dolan and Zalles discuss the role of emerging technologies in managing ESG data and how to provide a better understanding through transparency and accountability.
Why Me Right Now?: From Dreams to Disruption, Unveiling the Extraordinary Journeys of 7 LatinTech Start-up Entrepreneurs by Christy Fernandez-Cull
Faculty member: Christy Fernandez-Cull, lecturer
TMGT courses: The Technology Edge, Technology Foundations, Technology as a System
Why Me, Right Now? follows the journey of seven Latin tech entrepreneurs, including Christy Fernandez-Cull, who dared to dream big and earned their place in the Tampa Bay Wave accelerator program. The authors paint a vivid picture of the entrepreneurial spirit in Latin communities and provide unique insights on how to build resilient leadership skills and disruptive thinking.
Design Sprint: A Practical Guidebook for Building Great Digital Products by Trace Wax, Richard Banfield, and C. Todd Lombardo
Faculty member: Trace Wax, lecturer
TMGT courses: Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence for Technology Leaders, Technology Foundations
More than 500 new apps are launched every day. In this book, Trace Wax, Richard Banfield, and C. Todd Lombardo explore what it takes to build a successful digital product in a highly competitive marketplace. They provide a practical guide to establishing user-centric design processes that reduce the risk of failure and accelerate product launches. At the core of this product development approach are design sprints, a process that enables the team to prototype and test a digital product idea within a week.
The Change Maker’s Playbook: How to Seek, Seed and Scale Innovation in Any Company by Amy J. Radin
Faculty member: Amy J. Radin, lecturer
TMGT course: Strategic Advocacy
Based on her experience as a Fortune 100 chief marketing and innovation officer, advisor, and investor, Amy J. Radin developed a three-pronged framework to help leaders identify the big ideas that best address customer needs and deliver innovative results in today’s complex and rapidly changing world.
By splitting innovation progress into three stages—seeking, seeding, and scaling—Radin offers an intuitive framework and concrete actions to turn ideas into products and solutions that deliver short- and long-term value for organizations.
Cases on Entrepreneurship and Diversity, Chapter 16: Doubling Down in Gentrifying Brooklyn, New York City, USA by Katja Schroeder, Eda Sanchez-Persampieri, and Vincent Vazzana
Faculty member: Katja Schroeder, associate program director and senior lecturer
TMGT courses: Executive Seminar, Independent Study in Technology, Special Topics: Global Entrepreneurship, Special Topics: Social Entrepreneurship, Special Topics: Technology Marketing, Technology Management Capstone
Chapter 16 of Cases on Entrepreneurship and Diversity follows the ups and downs of two BIPOC entrepreneurs who bring investors on board to expand their hospitality business to multiple locations in New York City. The case study discusses the hurdles of scaling place-based businesses in gentrifying neighborhoods, including the lack of access to financing and business-skills training, as well as the implications of overexpansion and conflicting investor interests.
Cybersecurity All-in-One for Dummies by Joseph Steinberg
Faculty member: Joseph Steinberg, lecturer
TMGT course: Cybersecurity
This book is a one-stop resource for all things cybersecurity at home and at work, covering personal security, business security, cloud security, security testing, and security awareness. Steinberg explains how to lock down computers, devices, and systems; test security systems to find holes and vulnerabilities before hackers do; and create a culture of cybersecurity awareness in organizations.
About the Program
Columbia University’s Master of Science in Technology Management is a hands-on technology leadership development program designed to train professionals for equal fluency in tech fundamentals, business operations, and ethical leadership.
The fall 2025 application priority deadline for the Technology Management program is February 15. The final deadline is June 1. Learn more about the program here.
