J.P. Morgan Summer reading list 2026
Summer is a time to step back, recharge and reconnect
In that reset, perspective sharpens, ideas take shape and clarity emerges with a renewed sense of energy and momentum.
How Great Ideas Happen
The Hidden Steps Behind Breakthrough Success
Cognitive scientist George Newman reframes creativity as discovery—not a lightning strike, but a skill you can practice. Drawing on research from psychology and innovation, he shows how the best creators work more like archaeologists: scanning widely, digging with intention and refining what they find. Vivid examples bring the method to life, from Jackson Pollock's "drip" paintings shaped by patterns in nature to Korean filmmakers' genre creation from remixing influences into something new. The result is a repeatable framework for finding better ideas at work and in life.
The Infinity Machine
Demis Hassabis, DeepMind, and the Quest for Superintelligence
Follow Demis Hassabis's unlikely path, from North London chess prodigy and teenage coder to leader of Google's most ambitious AI efforts, in a deeply reported account with rare access. Drawing on hours of interviews with Hassabis, Mallaby captures frontier AI's high-stakes reality—talent wars, soaring compute costs and the pull of discovery. Vivid scenes show breakthroughs in biology and cognition reshaping power in tech and beyond. The result is both a character-driven biography and a portrait of a field moving to the center of global attention.
AI for Good
How Real People Are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things That Matter
AI for Good offers a refreshing, real-world look at how artificial intelligence is already helping people solve everyday challenges. Drawing on stories from initiatives like Operation Warp Speed, Josh Tyrangiel shows AI at its best: a powerful tool that helps teams make sense of complex data and deliver results. From government services and healthcare to classrooms and community support, the book follows teachers, doctors and public servants using AI to enhance human judgment and improve outcomes. Clear-eyed about the hard work of change, AI for Good delivers an optimistic, actionable roadmap for putting AI to work—responsibly and with impact—right now.
America
The Imagination of a Nation
Framed as a sweeping tribute to the American experiment tied to the 250th anniversary of the United States, America: The Imagination of a Nation traces how the nation's ideas became icons through dream, myth, frontier, culture, style and global influence. It spans founding touchstones like Benjamin Franklin and the Declaration of Independence and enduring symbols such as the flag and the Statue of Liberty. Along the way, it offers vivid vignettes—from the cowboy myth and Route 66 to Coca-Cola, Hollywood, Levi's and the moon landing—showing how American identity has been invented, challenged and remade across generations.
Crisis Engineering
Time-Tested Tools for Turning Chaos into Clarity
When systems fail and playbooks break down, Crisis Engineering offers a practical field guide to leading through high-stakes chaos. Crisis-response experts Marina Nitze, Matthew Weaver and Mikey Dickerson of Layer Aleph draw on decades of work across industry and government to lay out a hands-on framework for stabilizing situations and driving durable recovery. Using real-world stories—from the HealthCare.gov rescue to wildfire response and pandemic logistics—they show how crises unfold, why instinctive leadership moves can backfire and how to regain clarity fast. With tools like the "five signals of a crisis," this book helps leaders stand up an effective crisis response when it matters most.
The Coming Storm
Power, Conflict and Warnings from History
Yale historian Odd Arne Westad uses the run-up to World War I as a warning for today's geopolitics, arguing that familiar patterns—rising powers, anxious empires and misread signals—can turn local crises into global conflict. He revisits 1914 to highlight preventable errors like rigid alliances, rushed mobilization and ambiguity that left too little room for diplomacy. Westad then maps those dynamics onto modern flashpoints, showing how contested borders and great-power competition can escalate quickly. The book closes with practical policy ideas aimed at reducing the risk of catastrophic miscalculation.
Mattering
The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose
Award-winning journalist Jennifer Wallace argues that "mattering"—feeling valued and having the chance to add value—is a core human need. Blending research with real stories, she shows what happens when that need goes unmet and how it can be rebuilt. Wallace introduces the "mattering core," a practical framework focused on recognizing your impact, being relied on (but not too much), feeling prioritized and being truly known. With actionable takeaways, Mattering offers a blueprint for building cultures where people feel seen, supported and purposeful at home, work and in their communities.
Coachable
How the Greatest Performers Reach Their Highest Potential
After decades covering elite sports, NBA analyst Ric Bucher set out to answer what truly separates the best from the rest. In conversations with champions Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Diana Taurasi, Brandi Chastain and Stephen Curry, one theme kept surfacing: coachability as the quiet X factor behind sustained greatness. Built around Bucher's "10 Truths of Coachability," the book pairs practical takeaways with behind-the-scenes stories from legends and the coaches who shaped them, including Gregg Popovich, Steve Kerr and Coach K. Here's a playbook for business leaders looking to improve performance, build culture and lead under pressure.
The Stimulated Mind
Future-Proof Your Brain from Dementia and Stay Sharp at Any Age
Neuroscientist and physician Dr. Tommy Wood—also a Formula 1 sports performance coach focused on lifelong brain health—challenges the idea that cognitive decline is inevitable. He introduces "headroom," the mental capacity you can build and protect over time, and explains why everyday focus problems and rising dementia risk deserve the same attention we give heart health. Grounded in Wood's research and real-world performance coaching, the book maps practical levers you can maneuver to keep the brain adaptable. The Stimulated Mind offers a clear, actionable playbook for staying sharp now and supporting long-term cognitive longevity for decades.
Light and Thread
Nobel Prize–winning author Han Kang's first English-language nonfiction is a luminous collection that includes her Nobel Lecture. Blending essays, poems, photographs and diary fragments, she explores how creative work and everyday life shape purpose and meaning. At its center is her north-facing courtyard garden, sustained by reflected sunlight as she moves mirrors through the day—an image of tending what matters when light feels scarce. Intimate and meditative, Light and Thread reflects on finding meaning, and light, after darkness.
Irreplaceable
60 of Humanity's Most Treasured Places
From Angkor Wat and Babylon to Easter Island and the hidden gardens of Beijing's Forbidden City, this lavishly illustrated volume highlights 60 landmark sites across centuries and continents. Produced by the World Monuments Fund, it pairs striking photography with sharp essays on what's at stake as climate change, conflict, financial strain and overtourism threaten irreplaceable places. The result is a "museum without walls"—and a compelling call to protect the world's shared cultural legacy.
Keith Haring in 3D
A fresh, immersive look at Keith Haring that highlights a less-discussed part of his legacy: the bold three-dimensional work he made far beyond the page and subway wall. From painted objects and everyday surfaces—cars, vases and even appliances—to collaborations spanning fashion, performance and music, the breadth of work shows how Haring turned the world into a canvas. Published alongside a major exhibition at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the book pairs curator and scholar essays with 350+ striking illustrations and archival photographs that capture Haring's collaborative spirit and enduring cultural reach.
Squeeze Me
Lemon Recipes & Art
Celebrated chef Ruthie Rogers, founder of London's River Café, teams up with iconic contemporary artist Ed Ruscha, who tends a lemon grove at his Los Angeles home, for a bright, collectible ode to the lemon. Across 50 inventive recipes, Rogers turns citrus into the main event, from risotto al limone and vibrant salads to a showstopping lemon tart. The result is a cookbook that's as practical as it is joyful, designed for cooks who want big flavor without fuss. Ruscha's original images, created for this project, elevate each page, making the everyday lemon feel like art.
We Are the World (Cup)
A Personal History of the World's Greatest Sporting Event
Roger Bennett—#1 New York Times bestselling author and the creator of Men in Blazers—delivers a joyous, deeply personal history of the World Cup from the late 1970s through 2022. Blending reporting with fandom, he shows how the tournament fuses geopolitics, pop culture and national identity into unforgettable "where-were-you" moments, from sudden upsets to single plays that redefine careers. Bennett also traces soccer's rise in the United States, from a 1970s/1980s afterthought to a modern obsession, and how Men in Blazers helped fuel that surge. Big-hearted, funny and sharp, the book's spirit captures how the World Cup feels like the world's greatest shared story.
J.P. Morgan NextList 2026
Summer Series
An extension of our annual NextList, these new experiences offer a continued inside look into what’s “next” across arts, culture and more.
NEW YORK, NY
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York)
Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York) bursts with laughter, escapism and charm. The story follows two wedding guests: Dougal, an endlessly optimistic Brit visiting New York City for the marriage of the father he’s never met, and Robin, the bride’s sharp, no-nonsense sister. As they journey across the city, their differing perspectives give way to something unexpected. Fresh, funny and full of heart, this original musical is both a love letter to New York and a celebration of the joy in human connection.
BÅSTAD, SWEDEN
The Aurora
The Aurora is a groundbreaking automotive concours and lifestyle event, bringing together some of the world’s most exceptional cars in a celebration of culture, design and craftsmanship. Set in Båstad on Sweden’s west coast, often referred to as the Swedish Riviera, the event showcases over 500 cars across the weekend. At its heart is the Dual-Concours, where 68 cars compete across a Classic Car and Hypercar Concours, with entries from Europe, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, the Middle East and Australia. Blending engines, luxury, elegance and high-energy excitement, The Aurora is a must-see summer experience.
FONDATION LOUIS VUITTON
Calder. Rêver en équilibre
“Calder. Rêver en équilibre” at the Fondation Louis Vuitton marks both the centenary of Alexander Calder’s arrival in France and the 50th anniversary of his death. In collaboration with the Calder Foundation and major international lenders, the exhibition brings together nearly 300 works (mobiles, stabiles, wire pieces, paintings, drawings, jewelry), encompassing roughly 50 years of the artist’s work. From the Cirque Calder performances to monumental sculptures, this comprehensive retrospective illuminates Calder’s bold imagination and vibrant experimentalism. A can’t-miss exhibition that will leave visitors “dreaming in balance.”
Alexander Calder, Dispersed Objects with Brass Gong, 1948. © 2026 Calder Foundation, New York/ADAGP, Paris 2026
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