The winners of the fifth edition of the INfluencia Book Prize 2024 are…

This is already the fifth edition of the INfluencia* book prize. The battle, this year, like in previous years, was tough. The jurors** worked a lot, first each on their own this summer during their vacations to establish the shortlist and its 6 books, which they all examined together on October 18. The goal: “ reward works on communication, trends, society which will advance our thinking, helping us to better understand current phenomena, upheavals, the numerous challenges and issues of our society. And which will force us to question the world in which we live “, explain Isabelle Musnikco-president of the jury. “ Works that we would really like to share and recommend to others “. So, drum roll. We open the envelopes. And the winners are…

Prix ​​INfluence

« Spy, lie, destroy. How cyberspace became a battlefield », par Martin Untersinger (Grasset), who receives the Prix ​​INfluence. The pitch of this unprecedented dive into the bowels of a world war, silent, dangerous and obviously deadly: “ Berkeley, 1987, Clifford Stoll discovers an incredible web of hackers who have penetrated the computer systems of the American army. Iran, 2010, a computer shuts down, and the Stuxnet virus takes remote control of dozens of centrifuges and… destroys them. France, 2012, a Chinese cyber espionage campaign contaminates the highest places of power through the sending of almost perfect emails. A few years later, the Pegasus software was discovered on the secure laptops of our greatest leaders… Martin Untersinger reveals to us the great history of cyber and its little secrets, and gives us the keys to understanding the boundaries of cyberspace, as vague as its legal framework ».

Favorite for “Mary Sidney aka Shakespeare”

The jurors also gave a Favorite Prize has ” Mary Sidney aka Shakespeare. Was Shakespeare's work written by a woman? », d’Aurore Evain (Editions Talents Hauts). What if the plays of Britain's most famous playwright were actually the work of a woman? This is the question to which the author, researcher and director Aurore Evain, based on the research of the American Robin P. Williamsanswers in an investigation as documented as it is captivating. From disturbing clues to convincing cross-references, it demonstrates that, although it is perhaps quite improbable that William Shakespeare wrote the thirty-six pieces attributed to him, it is on the other hand entirely likely that Mary Sidney, Countess of Pembrokeborn in the 16th century, near of Elizabeth I and one of the most brilliant minds of his time is the true author.

Two books that read like thrillers

Our jurors were almost unanimous. Let's give the floor to a few of them. For the co-president of the jury, Elisabeth Cialdella, “Reading “Spy, lie, destroy” means diving into one of the most sensitive digital issues “computer security” and its impacts. Even if the work concerns the political, strategic and military dimensions, it is also a subject now at the heart of our respective activities. The jury also particularly appreciated the fact that this work can speak to as many people as possible, the effect of an investigation that reads like a novel! ». Laurence Bonicalzi BridierCEO and co-founder of YourArt speaks of a “ big crush pour “Spy, lie, destroy” which is exciting, disturbing, edifying, full of scoops and written like a thriller ». Anne-Cécile Thomann, what CEO Edelman France adds: “ it is a fascinating story, fantastically well written, popularizing the complex subject of cyber and highlighting the urgency of the message conveyed by the author, which provides real reflection and which challenges. »

Another “detective novel” crowned by our jurors, the book « Mary Sidneyalias Shakespeare « : « it is a captivating literary and cultural thriller that gives voice and light to a forgotten female figure of the Renaissance, while touching on the erasure of female creators for the benefit of the men around them, in history and popular memory », comments Elisabeth Lavillefounder and director ofUtopias. Pierre-Hubert Meilhac, Vice-president, Head of PR & Influence, Ogilvy approved : ” I was “excited” by this book. In addition to the research work, it is also in the way of restoring it and taking us on board that Aurore Evain's tour de force lies. Storytelling makes studying approachable and keeps you engaged; we feel that the author is a playwright since she creates a play to recreate her research. Beyond the subject of the study, it is above all a true feminist and engaged political essay ».

“Can we still eat bananas? » receives the INfluencia The Good prize

As for the price INfluence The Goodit was attributed to: “ Can we still eat bananas? “, of Mike Berners-Lee (editions The Walking Tree), adaptation of an English bestseller in a completely revised and updated version. We talk about baguette and TGV, and the figures correspond to the French carbon footprint. Eating bananas, watching videos, buying sneakers or flying – all these activities have a carbon footprint. And strangely, our intuition is not always correct: certain actions that seem bad are actually inconsequential, while others are more harmful than we think. Mike Berners-Lee is a professor at Lancaster University in the United Kingdom, and a pioneer in carbon quantification. He is also the author of “ There is no planet B “, that the Financial Times called it a “manual for transforming humanity”.

« For this The Good book prize, we have chosen a read that gets people talking! “, explain Elisabeth Cialdella, The promise is strong: the carbon footprint of everything. Its translation for the reader, a quantified but not guilt-inducing dive into the impact in our everyday lives, personal but also professional. For the jury, a landmark work to put in many hands and on coffee tables!« . Pour Elizabeth Laville this book is “ an educational and non-moralizing essay, which invites us to take action on everything that structures our daily carbon footprint, often going against the grain of received ideas, with data to support it and without blabla ». Remy Oudghirigeneral director of Sociovision add: one day perhaps not so far away, we will discuss the carbon scores of our activities just as we discuss today the prices in euros of the goods or services we purchase. A new language will be born, symbolizing our entry into the post-carbon world. In this evolution, the well-documented and pleasantly written book by Mike Berners-Lee will have constituted an important stage of acculturation. It transmits a solid carbon culture to its readers who can thus inform their choices in complete transparency and take a firmer step forward in the transition towards a sustainable world. »

See you next year for the sixth prize. Until then, authors and publishing houses, don't forget to send us your nuggets now.

*Remember that last year the Prix ​​INfluence had crowned two books tied: “Decode. A counter-history of digital”, by Charleyne Biondi (Bouquins editions) and “Data democracy”, by Thomas Jamet, Florian Freyssenet, Lionel Dos Santos de Sousa (Diateino editions). and the INfluencia The Good prize, that of Audrey Boehly for “Last Limits”, (editions Rue de l’Echiquier). A special Jury Prize was awarded to “Brands yesterday today, tomorrow” by Marc Drillech (FYP Editions).