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Fred Wilson

Venture investor and Flatiron Partners founder

A venture investor who founded Flatiron Partners and invests through Union Square Ventures. His original reading posts recommend history and books about perseverance.

Recommendations sourcedBooks by kept separateBooks about kept separate

Investing Technology

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0About

3Recommended books

Books Fred Wilson recommends, documented so far

Each book appears once; every source record and quote remains linked to its evidence and the canonical book profile.

History Biography

First Friends: The Powerful, Unsung (And Unelected) People Who Shaped Our Presidents

by Gary Ginsberg

Documented citation: Fred Wilson recommends First Friends to readers interested in history and the American presidency.

Documented citation · Recommended

Evidence details

First Friends

This source documents the book relationship, but the displayed text is a catalog summary rather than a verbatim quote.

AVC / Fred Wilson · 2021-07-06 · accessed 2026-10-01

article · Own reading recommendation

Own post reports reading an advance copy and explicitly urges interested readers to read it. His friendship with the author is disclosed in the source.

Open source

Bookshop.orgAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

History Economics

Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History’s First Global Manhunt

by Steven Johnson · 2020

Documented citation: Fred Wilson recommends Enemy of All Mankind after reading it for the USV book club.

Documented citation · Recommended

Evidence details

Enemy Of All Mankind

This source documents the book relationship, but the displayed text is a catalog summary rather than a verbatim quote.

AVC / Fred Wilson · 2020-06-16 · accessed 2026-10-01

article · Own reading recommendation

Own positive reader-facing book post, not the comment section. His connection to the author as a former portfolio-company founder is disclosed in the source.

Open source

Bookshop.orgAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details

Psychology Business

Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance

by Angela Duckworth · 2016

Documented citation: Fred Wilson recommends Grit to people who hire, manage, build companies or invest.

Documented citation · Recommended

Evidence details

Grit

This source documents the book relationship, but the displayed text is a catalog summary rather than a verbatim quote.

AVC / Fred Wilson · 2017-05-15 · accessed 2026-10-01

article · Own reading recommendation

Own explicit instruction to readers after the author spoke at a CEO summit; not a claim that Wilson completed the book or that its research conclusions were independently validated.

Open source

Bookshop.orgAffiliate disclosure: We may earn a commission when you buy through some links. Recommendations are included because of the source, not because of the retailer. Details