An annual tradition, now in its 24th year
We’re proud to present the J.P. Morgan Summer Reading List 2023
A collection of books selected to spark curiosity, inspire new
perspectives and unlock potential.
Navigate the list by clicking the arrow icons, using the arrow keys
on your keyboard, or selecting a cover from the overview.
Good Power
Leading Positive Change in Our Lives, Work, and World
The former IBM CEO shares her pioneering path from a difficult
childhood to becoming one of the world’s most influential
business leaders. With candor and wisdom, Ginni Rometty recounts
her life and career milestones—personal challenges, critical
decisions and passionate advocacy—all while redefining power as
a way to drive meaningful change. From protecting trans workers
to hiring employees with unconventional career paths, Rometty’s
“memoir with purpose” offers a blueprint for using “good power”
to inspire teams, advance careers and companies, and to build a
better world.
We don’t need to accept the status quo as fate. Instead, with this type of power, we can rise up against obstacles we face with grace and grit.”
Money Machine
A Trailblazing American Venture in China
In this fascinating tale of an American firm’s success in China,
Weijian Shan delivers the compelling story of one of the most
significant deals in private equity history: the first foreign
acquisition of a Chinese national bank. In this firsthand
account from the chief architect of the deal,
Money Machine
offers a peek behind the curtain of the process, including the
complex negotiations between private equity executives and
Chinese regulators, and the challenges of returning the bank to
profitability. Tracing the deal from inception to victorious
conclusion, Shan reveals insights into China’s capital system,
how to thrive in a foreign culture and how private equity firms
can add real value to companies.
This is a book about a bank deal, about how it happened, and the reverberations is sent across China and the world of high finance.”
Reflections of a Vintner
Stories and Seasonal Wisdom from a Lifetime in Napa Valley
This iconic, award-winning vintner recounts the lessons learned
and friendships forged during his nearly 50-year journey through
the burgeoning wine industry of Napa Valley. Detailing
experiences from the mid-70s, when there were fewer than 50
wineries, to the present, with over 800, Tor Kenward shares his
insights on the region’s evolution into a world-class wine
destination. Weaving in anecdotes of his friendships with
legends of the food and wine scene, including Julia Child, André
Tchelistcheff and Andy Beckstoffer, Kenward offers an
entertaining, inside look into the fascinating and complex world
of wine.
Like a pinball guided by chance encounters, I ended up in a foreign land: Napa Valley. The first leg of this vintner’s odyssey. A glass half full helped the journey.”
Think Like a Horse
Lessons in Life, Leadership, and Empathy from an Unconventional Cowboy
Each year, Fortune 500 executives, celebrities, professional
coaches and Supreme Court justices flock to “horse whisperer”
and leadership expert Grant Golliher’s Wyoming ranch to learn
his approach to horse training. Horse whispering may sound like
magic, but Golliher demonstrates how his method is as
fundamental and ageless as the relationship between horses, the
people who ride them, and the beauty of the West. Golliher
distills his hard-won horse sense into invaluable lessons about
communication, boundaries, fairness, trust and respect—lessons
we can use to better understand our common humanity and unlock
untapped potential in our careers and lives.
These days, I mount my horses in a more conventional manner. But the basic principles I employed with those mules—trust, patience, firmness, kindness, and respect—are still the foundation of my life’s work.”
Radically Human
How New Technology Is Transforming Business and Shaping Our Future
As new AI-powered technologies such as the metaverse and natural
language processing are rapidly advancing—with human behaviors
and intelligence informing the design of new machines—all
companies must be technology companies to compete. Accenture
technology leaders Paul R. Daugherty and H. James Wilson address
this intersection of technology and human ingenuity in Radically
Human, which outlines how companies across industries are
tapping into technology to reshape the very nature of
innovation. With examples across a variety of industries,
Daugherty and Wilson offer a framework for value creation and
more human-centered, trust-based and sustainable organizations.
Companies that fully embrace their newfound power to reimagine everything from their talent to data, architecture, and strategy will lead the way in business performance and to a future that works better for everyone.”
The Women of Rothschild
The Untold Story of the World’s Most Famous Dynasty
As Jewish women in a Christian society and a patriarchal family,
the Rothschild women have often been outsiders—overlooked in
their family’s iconic legacy. Natalie Livingstone pulls back the
curtain of the family’s storied history to reveal how these
women forged their own distinct dynasty—becoming influential
hostesses and diplomats, advising prime ministers, advocating
for social reform and even trading on the stock exchange. From
London’s East End to the Eastern seaboard of the United States
and beyond, Livingstone traces the extraordinary lives of the
dynamic Rothschild women, shining a light on how their visions
and persistence shaped history.
The Rothschild women tell a history of art, culture, politics and money in Europe as seen by people who were in the room but who themselves often went unseen.”
The Tree Book
The Stories, Science, and History of Trees
Discover the beauty and mystery of the world of trees—from
ancient oaks and great redwoods to lush banyans and magnificent
cedars—in this immersive visual guide. Combining the scientific,
ecological importance of trees with a wider look at their
history, symbolism and mythology, The Tree Book reveals
the enduring significance of these fascinating organisms in
human history and culture. With a comprehensive look into trees’
anatomy and uses, as well as their necessity in preserving the
earth’s diverse ecosystems, DK offers a new kind of guide to
understanding this important canopy of life.
The ecological balance of our planet and all its flora and fauna depend on our ability to protect, restore, and value the true worth of life-giving trees.”
Abstract Expressionists: The Women
Although the Abstract Expressionist movement has become
synonymous with Jackson Pollock and Mark Rothko, many are
unfamiliar with the works of Perle Fine, Helen Frankenthaler and
Joan Mitchell—women who studied at the same schools, exhibited
at the same galleries, and were part of the same social scene as
the men. Abstract Expressionists: The Women features
these bold innovators, whose time in the art history spotlight
has finally come. Surveying more than 50 paintings, collages and
sculptures from the Levett Collection, an unparalleled private
collection of women Abstract Expressionists, scholars Ellen G.
Landau and Joan M. Marter explore the vital role women have
played in the iconic movement.
It immediately became clear that these women were as interesting and vibrant in character as they were in their amazing art, and that they managed to elbow their way through extreme social and financial headwinds to become equally some of the greatest artists of the period.”
- Christian Levett, The Levett Collection
Smart Brevity
The Power of Saying More with Less
Axios journalists and co-founders teach readers how to say more
with less in virtually any format in this guide to effective,
efficient communication. A modern take on Strunk and White’s The
Elements of Style, Smart Brevity breaks down how to prioritize
essential news and information, and to deliver it in a concise
and visual format. In a digital age in which we are constantly
inundated with news and information, Jim VandeHei, Mike Allen
and Roy Schwartz share tips for breaking through the noise and
getting our messages across with impact.
Smart Brevity is a new way to think about creating, sharing and consuming information in our cluttered, clanging digital world.”
A Library
In this lyrical picture book, world-renowned poet,
New York Times bestselling author and Coretta Scott
King Honor winner Nikki Giovanni collaborates with artist and
illustrator Erin K. Robinson to share an ode to the library as a
magic place that inspires imagination and exploration. This
vibrant read-aloud can be enjoyed by book lovers of all ages,
and is a well-deserved tribute to librarians who provide a
welcome home away from home.
Amazing
Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire Us All
Inclusivity takes center stage in
Amazing: Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Who Inspire
Us All. Crafted by Olympic ice dancing medalist siblings Maia and
Alex Shibutani, this children’s picture book explores 36
inspirational Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, such as
disabled hero Daniel Inouye, immigrant astronaut Kalpana Chawla,
world-renowned chef David Chang, and Olympic gold medalist
Sunisa Lee. With quick biographies written with journalist Dane
Liu, Amazing celebrates the lives of achievers who have helped
shape our world while paving the way for future generations of
Asian Americans to make lasting change.
Facing Our Futures
How foresight, futures design and strategy creates prosperity and growth
Our future-inspired selection, as chosen by the next generation of J.P. Morgan Client Advisors, recognizes the importance of preparing for the future. In Facing Our Futures, futurist and researcher Nikolas Badminton shows how innovation can help organizations restructure to mitigate risk and locate opportunity. Even though businesses, organizations, and society are all subject to unforeseeable events, Badminton makes the case that we can develop the skills and outlook to prepare for whatever challenges the future holds.
We are never going to be short of challenging situations to grapple with and consider, and of positive possibilities for our futures. Remember, imagination is our superpower.”
