BBH Investor Services summer reading list

August 10, 2026
  • Investor Services
Innovation starts with curiosity. Check out the books our experts recommend this summer.

Power and Progress: Our 1000-Year Struggle over Technology & Prosperity

By: Daron Acemoglu
Simon Johnson

A good read because it challenges the assumption that technology breakthroughs automatically translate into stronger productivity, higher living standards, and faster economic growth – a timely reminder that AI’s economic promise may not be what it can do, but who ultimately benefits.

God’s Formula: The Einstein Enigma

By: Jose Rodrugues
Dos Santos

More than a thriller, it’s a thought-provoking intellectual adventure through physics, philosophy, history, religion, and the origins of the universe.

The Tiger: A True Story of Vengeance and Survival

By: John Vaillant

Non-fiction that feels like fiction. Man-eating tiger in Siberia book that you can't put down! You get to learn about post-communist Russia, conflict between humans and Siberian tigers, and much more. Beautifully written.

The Bluest Eye

By: Toni Morrison

Set in post-Great Depression Ohio, the novel follows Pecola Breedlove, an eleven-year-old girl who endures abuse and confronts internalized racism shaped by the era’s beauty standards and social norms.

1929: Inside the Greatest Crash in Wall Street History and How it Shattered a Nation

By: Andrew Ross Sorkin

A deeply researched account of the financial excesses of the 1920s leading to the Stock Market Crash and ultimately the Great Depression. An important financial history lesson.

The Expectation Effect: How Your Mindset Can Transform Your Life

By: David Robson

A wealth of science-based case studies support the argument that your expectations don’t just predict your experiences in every aspect of your life, they ultimately create it.

History Matters

By: David McCullough

A collection of essays and speeches by David over his long career discussing his most passionate subject, history. A terrific read in this semi-quincentennial year. It reminds the reader how complex politics and events have always been but why learning from the past is the only way to improve the present.

Imposture

By: Aurelie Jean

The book is an essential manual of intellectual resistance for navigating the informational chaos of our times. Aurelie currently serves as President at Infra, a deep tech AI startup revolutionizing preventive women’s health.

 

All the Difference: Six Leadership Actions to Bridge Perspectives, Strengthen Teams, and Create Value

By: Susan MacKenty Brady
Stuart B Kilman
Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Leslie C. Smith

Want to cultivate a thriving team or organization? This unflinchingly honest playbook offers leaders a guide for transforming landmines of “difference” – perspectives, communication styles, and cultural norms – from a potential value drain into better thinking, stronger collaboration, and measurable value.

The River of Doubt: Theodore Roosevelt’s Darkest Journey

By: Candice Millard

A captivating true story of exploration and endurance, illustrating how resilience, leadership, and determination can prevail in the face of extraordinary adversity.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life

By: Anne Lamott

This book is for people who work with words and is an antidote to the AI era. It's about the process of writing, the love of it, the self-criticism and perfection that get in the way, and how to push through to a solid third draft.

Unreasonable Hospitality:
The Remarkable Power of Giving People More than they Expect

By: Will Guidara

A memoir-meets-playbook on giving people more than they expect, drawn from his time transforming Eleven Madison Park into the number one restaurant in the world. A great read for anyone who leads people or serves clients.

Innovation or Elimination: Winning in a World of Constant Change

By: Itai Green

This pragmatic playbook makes a compelling case for organizations to build an external innovation ecosystem that helps identify new technologies, business models, and solutions faster than they could on their own.

The Nightingale

By: Kristin Hannah

A fiction novel set in WWII that takes the reader through survival, love, and freedom while highlighting women’s resiliency and the hidden and profound impact of war on women.

The Splendid and The Vile

By: Erik Larson

Larson’s first-hand account pulls you into the room with Churchill and his cabinet during the Blitz, making it feel immediate and personal.

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