J.P. MORGAN

Summer Reading List 2024

J.P. Morgan Summer Reading List 2024

As we celebrate the 25 years of the J.P. Morgan Summer Reading List, we proudly present a collection of books to reflect upon, inspire, and propel us forward.

Explore the selections

How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection

by Charles Duhigg

Sharing the latest research on what makes conversations effective, Charles Duhigg reveals how we can level up our communications and make stronger connections. Whether it’s a divided jury room or the way a CIA officer recruits a foreign agent, Duhigg uses examples to illustrate how we can deliver effective messages by recognizing and tapping into the three layers of every conversation—practical, emotional and social. Taking us from the writers’ room of one of television’s most successful sitcoms to the couches of in-demand marriage counselors, Duhigg shows us that we all have supercommunicators inside of us.

“To communicate with someone, we must connect with them.”

– Charles Duhigg

How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

by Jonathan Haidt

Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt lays out urgent facts—and issues a clear call to action—to focus attention on the global epidemic of teen mental illness. Haidt identifies the pervasive use of smartphones and over a dozen other mechanisms as having contributed to the “great rewiring of childhood.” Arguing that these technologies have had a profound negative effect on children’s social and neurological development, he explores what can be done to reverse the significant rise in sleep deprivation, fragmented attention, loneliness, addiction and social comparison. Importantly, Haidt calls for collective action and outlines steps that we all must take to end this epidemic.

“The Anxious Generation is a book about how to reclaim human life for human beings in all generations.”

– Jonathan Haidt

Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys

by Phaidon

Celebrating selections from the world-class art collection of musical and cultural icons Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz (Kasseem Dean), Giants highlights 100 works by nearly 40 multigenerational Black American, African and African diasporic artists. Curated by the Brooklyn Museum for its first-ever major exhibition, the Dean Collection features works by legendary as well as emerging artists, including Gordon Parks, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Lorna Simpson, Odili Donald Odita and Kennedy Yanko. Giants also includes exclusive conversations between Swizz Beatz, Alicia Keys and curator Kimberli Gant, in addition to interviews with 10 of the renowned artists featured.

"As artists ourselves, we have a deep concern for fellow living artists and ensuring they receive fair recognition for their work."

– Alicia Keys

How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing)

by Salman Khan

Salman Khan, the visionary behind the nonprofit Khan Academy, explores how AI is set to transform learning both in education and the workplace. Demonstrating how AI will not replace human interaction, but rather enhance it with tools to encourage creativity and problem solving, he shows how AI can adapt to each student’s individual pace and identify strengths and areas of improvement. Outlining how emerging technologies can create a more accessible education system—Khan offers practical implications for administrators, counselors and hiring managers, as well as thoughtful insights on how we all can use AI in an increasingly digital world.

“Let’s use AI to create a new golden age for humanity, a time that will make today look like a dark age.”

– Salman Khan

The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest

by Fawn Weaver

Entrepreneur Fawn Weaver reveals the untold story of one of America’s most iconic whiskey brands. Set in Lynchburg, Tennessee, Love & Whiskey follows Weaver’s quest to discover the life of Nearest Green, a 19th century African American distiller who played a pivotal role in developing Jack Daniel’s whiskey. Navigating through layers of history to unlock the truth about Green’s contributions to the spirit industry and his friendship with Daniel, Weaver uncovers a story that connects generations. Her findings inspire a new path forward, with Weaver spearheading the creation of Uncle Nearest Premium Whiskey as a way to honor and celebrate Green’s legacy for generations to come.

"My time researching Nearest has taught me that we can't change the past. But we can build something successful to pass on to the generation coming after us."

- Fawn Weaver

How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest-Growing Sport

by Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg

In The Formula, Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg from The Wall Street Journal tell the riveting story of how Formula 1’s fearless reinvention led to its breakthrough in America. With fast cars, engineering geniuses, driver rivalries and glamorous settings, The Formula details how F1’s “sudden” arrival in the United States was actually decades in the making. With unfettered access to F1’s most legendary teams and icons, from Ferrari to Mercedes, Robinson and Clegg give readers a thrilling look inside the drivers, corporations, cars and risks that have defined the world’s fastest-growing sport.

“Far from anomalous, F1’s present success is merely the latest iteration of the sport’s powerful, entrenched philosophy that rewards evolution and experimentation above all else.”

- Joshua Robinson and Jonathan Clegg

Pioneering Hosts of the New Chic

by Melinda Stevens, Issy von Simson and Tabitha Joyce

A fascinating exploration curated by Melinda Stevens, Issy von Simson and Tabitha Joyce, Secret Stays introduces 22 hidden gems that reflect the dynamic evolution of modern travel. Highlighting captivating properties and the people who own them—from a secluded Croatian monastery to a Japanese machiya townhome—this coffee table book from Assouline, the luxury brand on culture, reveals one-of-a-kind experiences that stem from a revived belief in genuine, bespoke hospitality. Through stunning photographs and compelling narratives, Secret Stays takes a fresh look at the diverse and ever-evolving face of travel today.

“Here is history, storytelling, fortunes won and lost, layers to experience.”

- Melinda Stevens

How a Peruvian Adventure Inspired the Sweet Success of a Family Chocolate Business

by Adam Pearson

In Finding Fortunato, Adam Pearson takes us on a journey into the northern Peruvian jungle with the inspirational story of the entrepreneurial family who struck gold and discovered the legendary Nacional white cacao bean—previously thought to be extinct. Realizing their success was predicated on disrupting a traditional, unethical supply chain to instead trade directly with local Peruvian farmers, the family pioneered Fortunato Chocolate, a company that would come to be described as the “Rolex of chocolate.”

“I believe that in my dad’s and my DNA are the building blocks of small-town food entrepreneurs. In our hearts and genes, we are pie-and-coffee men.”

- Adam Pearson

A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing

by Laura Mae Martin

Every day, tens of thousands of Google employees, from interns to C-suite executives, rely on an executive productivity advisor—Laura Mae Martin—to make the most of their time. In Uptime , Martin provides easy-to-follow steps to boost productivity, prevent burnout and achieve a better work-life balance. Whether you face an avalanche of emails, an overloaded calendar or a difficult meeting to lead, Martin’s strategic approach lays out concrete steps to help you manage time efficiently, focus on priorities, and maintain effective systems and routines.

“Uptime doesn’t happen by mistake, it happens by design.”

- Laura Mae Martin

The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles

by Jake Gyllenhaal and Greta Caruso

A whimsical and heartwarming picture book by Academy Award and Tony Award nominee Jake Gyllenhaal and his childhood best friend Greta Caruso, The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles celebrates the unique, fun-filled role aunts and uncles play in children’s lives. Humorously exploring the call to adventure that being an aunt or uncle can bring—from flexible bedtimes to activities with a “healthy dose of danger”—this book paints a loving portrait of these special relationships.

"The Secret Society Aunts & Uncles is a madcap, magical adventure into the heart of what it means to have an aunt or uncle—how we learn to keep each other close and how we find love in the simplest things."

The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World’s Greatest Challenge

by Gary White and Matt Damon

In celebration of the 225th anniversary of JPMorgan Chase’s earliest predecessor—the Manhattan Company, which was founded as a water works company—we are proud to spotlight The Worth of Water by Gary White and Matt Damon. These two unlikely allies, with a shared mission to end the global water crisis, take readers on a journey to empower communities and families with tools to address their potable water shortages. Outlining their trial-and-error approach to finding a workable solution, White and Damon demonstrate how the water crisis is solvable through collective action.

Descriptive audio

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

Hi. I'm Darin Oduyoye. And welcome to the 2024 JPMorgan summer reading list series. This year marks the 225th anniversary of JPMorgan Chase's earliest predecessor, The Manhattan Company, founded in 1799 to bring fresh water to New York City after a yellow fever epidemic. And so to celebrate this anniversary, we are proud to present the book The Worth of Water, written by innovative, civil, and environmental engineer Gary White and acclaimed actor, film producer, and screenwriter Matt Damon. Both are here today to talk to us about all things water and about their book. Matt and Gary, welcome.

Thank you.

Thanks. It's great to be here.

Before we get into how the two of you got connected, there are so many fascinating stats in this book. Can you just level set for people, how big is this water crisis?

It's mind-boggling, actually. There are 2.2 billion people on the planet who are not able to access a safe drink of water consistently. And that is about one out of four people, which is-- again, it's the first hurdle we have to clear when we talk about this because people can't believe it. If you grew up in the West, you've probably never really been thirsty, let alone considered that you would have to organize your entire day around trying to find a safe water source.

I started thinking about how I could get involved, how I could make a difference. And I very quickly learned that this is a vastly complex issue. And so I wanted to partner with the very best person that I could in the space. And when that person wouldn't take my call, I ended up with Gary.

[LAUGHTER]

Actually, that's interesting. So when did you actually meet Matt, Gary?

The first time we met was actually at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2008. And Matt had created an organization called H2O Africa. And I'd co-founded Water Partners. But it just seemed like there was so much in common with what we were doing. And we brought, I think, some complementary skill sets to this issue, the engineering side, of course, and then Matt being able--

Gary has three engineering degrees. And I can do monologues.

[LAUGHTER]

We complement each other perfectly.

[LAUGHTER]

Well, it's no secret that you were able to bring a lot of attention and still do. And along the course of the whole-- how many years has it been now-- 15, 16-- this guy has become literally one of the world's water experts. And then so we just merged the two organizations.

One of the things that was so interesting about this book and flowed so well was the fact that it came from two different points of view and you put it up front. How did that decision come to be?

It just seemed like the most sensible way to do the book and to have it feel conversational. We come from two totally different places. And so we wanted the book to reflect those journeys. And I should also say we did do the book on tape. So if you don't want to read it, we will read it to you if you want to go on a long drive, the dulcet tones of Gary White's voice.

[LAUGHTER]

Riveting. Riveting-- will make any road trip better.

You guys started out with the goal of wanting to tackle the global water crisis in your lifetime.

Yes, that was our mission statement.

How do you do that?

Step by step.

[LAUGHTER]

But one of the key innovations that Gary had was Gary had spent his adult life in these communities. And he understood that people in these communities were already paying for water, sometimes many times more than the middle and upper class were paying for them because they weren't connected to the infrastructure.

And so Gary's innovation, which was so brilliant, was to take the ideas of-- that Muhammad Yunus pioneered with microfinance and apply it to the water sector. And it's borne out-- these loans pay back at over 98%.

The other thing that, Gary, you mentioned was in order to solve for this, you had to engineer your way out of it. What do you mean by that?

As an engineer, you're taught to break down a problem and analyze it and try to figure out how to build the right solution. And for me, it moved beyond traditional engineering into, really, financial engineering. And the only way you can get there is by looking to philanthropic capital to leverage market capital.

And so that's the case with water credit. And now with these loans that Matt was talking about, more than 60 million people have gotten access to water through finance, through small loans. That's over $5.5 billion that have churned through our partner network of about 140 partners around the world that actually make these loans in partnership with us. And so you can see if we can create that financial plumbing that can tap into the capital markets, that can scale to an enormous degree.

So for those people who want to be a part of what you're doing, how can they get involved?

We've got on-ramps for everybody. On the donor side, we need your donor dollars to de-risk a loan portfolio so that we can really scale this. But we also have-- for a conscientious investor, we have competitive returns, but also a massive social impact that you can really quantify because if you're investing with water equity, you know exactly all these lives that you're going to touch. And you can count it in the millions of people.

This problem is solvable, and not theoretically, not hypothetically. So we've known how to make water safe for over 100 years. And so if you can combine that compassion with the enlightened self-interest if you're an investor to come into this, then it has a lot of opportunity.

Well, we all enjoyed the book at JPMorgan. We're thrilled to feature it as our 2024 anniversary spotlight. Thank you for the great work that you guys are doing. And we look forward to sharing this book with all of our clients around the world.

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thanks.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

(SPEECH)

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

(DESCRIPTION)

Text: J.P. Morgan. Summer reading list 2024.

(SPEECH)

(DESCRIPTION)

A document header reads, Queries to the superintendent of the Manhattan Water Works and his answers thereto.

(SPEECH)

And so to celebrate this anniversary, we are proud to present the book The Worth of Water, written by innovative, civil, and environmental engineer Gary White and acclaimed actor, film producer, and screenwriter Matt Damon.

(DESCRIPTION)

The two authors smile in a photo within the book. Text: A wonderful friendship.

(SPEECH)

Both are here today to talk to us about all things water and about their book. Matt and Gary, welcome.

Thank you.

Thanks. It's great to be here.

Before we get into how the two of you got connected, there are so many fascinating stats in this book. Can you just level set for people, how big is this water crisis?

It's mind-boggling, actually. There are 2.2 billion people on the planet who are not able to access a safe drink of water consistently.

(DESCRIPTION)

A Black woman fills a jug with water from a pipe.

(SPEECH)

And that is about one out of four people, which is-- again, it's the first hurdle we have to clear when we talk about this because people can't believe it. If you grew up in the West, you've probably never really been thirsty, let alone considered that you would have to organize your entire day around trying to find a safe water source.

(DESCRIPTION)

A Black woman carries a jug under her arm as she walks barefoot on a sandy street. Another woman carries a large water jug on her back.

(SPEECH)

[LAUGHTER]

Actually, that's interesting. So when did you actually meet Matt, Gary?

The first time we met was actually at the Clinton Global Initiative in 2008. And Matt had created an organization called H2O Africa. And I'd co-founded Water Partners.

(DESCRIPTION)

Photos in the book depict Matt at the podium of the Clinton Global initiative, Matt shakes President Clinton's hand, Gary sits with an African Woman by a water spout.

(SPEECH)

But it just seemed like there was so much in common with what we were doing. And we brought, I think, some complementary skill sets to this issue, the engineering side, of course, and then Matt being able--

Gary has three engineering degrees. And I can do monologues.

[LAUGHTER]

We complement each other perfectly.

[LAUGHTER]

(DESCRIPTION)

Matt and Gary walk together within a small crowd in an African village.

(SPEECH)

And then so we just merged the two organizations.

One of the things that was so interesting about this book and flowed so well was the fact that it came from two different points of view and you put it up front. How did that decision come to be?

[LAUGHTER]

Riveting. Riveting-- will make any road trip better.

You guys started out with the goal of wanting to tackle the global water crisis in your lifetime.

Yes, that was our mission statement.

How do you do that?

Step by step.

[LAUGHTER]

But one of the key innovations that Gary had was Gary had spent his adult life in these communities.

(DESCRIPTION)

Grainy photos of Gary with people in rural village communities.

(SPEECH)

And he understood that people in these communities were already paying for water, sometimes many times more than the middle and upper class were paying for them because they weren't connected to the infrastructure.

The other thing that, Gary, you mentioned was in order to solve for this, you had to engineer your way out of it. What do you mean by that?

And so that's the case with water credit. And now with these loans that Matt was talking about, more than 60 million people have gotten access to water through finance, through small loans. That's

(DESCRIPTION)

Two women sit together, one holding paper money and the other writing amounts on a note pad.

(SPEECH)

over $5.5 billion that have churned through our partner network of about 140 partners around the world that actually make these loans in partnership with us.

(DESCRIPTION)

A woman washes cloth in a plastic basin with a young child wrapped on her back. A woman with a bindi grins up at us as she catches clear water in her hands from a spout.

(SPEECH)

And so you can see if we can create that financial plumbing that can tap into the capital markets, that can scale to an enormous degree.

(DESCRIPTION)

Matt and Gary sit in a group of adults and children of color.

(SPEECH)

So for those people who want to be a part of what you're doing, how can they get involved?

(DESCRIPTION)

A woman pumps a lever as water spouts inter her plastic jug.

(SPEECH)

(DESCRIPTION)

School children wash their hands under a row of water spouts over sink basins.

(SPEECH)

Thank you.

Thank you very much.

Thanks.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

(DESCRIPTION)

Text: Summer reading list 2024. J.P. Morgan dot com slash reading list. Hashtag S.R.L. 2024. Icons: Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn. J.P. Morgan.

Exclusive interview with Matt Damon and Gary White

As part of J.P. Morgan’s 2024 Summer Reading List Interview Series, acclaimed actor, screenwriter and film producer Matt Damon and water expert and engineer Gary White sit down with AWM Chief Communications Officer Darin Oduyoye to discuss their book The Worth of Water, how they co-founded Water.org and WaterEquity, and their mission to solve the global water crisis.

3 VIDEOS

HISTORY IN THE MAKING
Celebrating 25 Years

The J.P. Morgan Summer Reading List celebrates 25 years this summer. What began as a novel way to extend the dialogue with clients over the summer months has now become an annual tradition that clients and colleagues across the firm look forward to every year.

“As the world has experienced many radical shifts, we’ve chronicled these changes via books that feature leaders, innovative thinking, and enticing cultural happenings.” – Darin Oduyoye, Chief Communications Officer of J.P. Morgan Asset and Wealth Management.

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Summer Reading List 2024

J.P. Morgan Summer Reading List 2024

A drop of inspiration can unleash a wave of new ideas

Supercommunicators

How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection

The Anxious Generation

How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness

Giants

Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys

Brave New Words

How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing)

Love & Whiskey

The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest

The Formula

How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest-Growing Sport

Secret Stays

Pioneering Hosts of the New Chic

Finding Fortunato

How a Peruvian Adventure Inspired the Sweet Success of a Family Chocolate Business

Uptime

A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing

The Secret Society of Aunts & Uncles

Anniversary Spotlight

The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World’s Greatest Challenge

Exclusive interview with Matt Damon and Gary White

Contact us to discuss how we can help you experience the full possibility of your wealth.

Contact us to discuss how we can help you experience the full possibility of your wealth.