Want something more than the latest romance, mystery or cookbook for your beach read? J.P. Morgan has assembled a collection of 16 “groundbreaking titles from visionary founders, esteemed economists and influential thought leaders” for its 26th annual Summer Reading List.
This year’s lineup of suggested books is J.P Morgan’s most expansive and comprehensive to date, the financial services firm said in a news release.
“Our 2025 Summer Reading List is a celebration of curiosity’s boundless power,” said Darin Oduyoye, Chief Communications Officer of J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management. “This year’s selections challenge us to think and explore boldly. With topics ranging from personal values to innovative frontiers such as AI, electric vehicles and the universe’s wonders — this list is designed to inspire growth and forward-thinking.”
This year’s list for the first time includes an Economic Spotlight, which offers insights from Kenneth Rogoff, an economist and Harvard University professor who explores the history and future of the U.S. dollar and its significant impact on the global financial landscape.
J.P. Morgan is continuing another feature it introduced last November, NextList 2025, which focuses on the first museum dedicated to AI arts and digital ecosystems, a Tony-nominated musical and a global sailing championship.
The two lists were curated from hundreds of nonfiction titles and experiences submitted by J.P. Morgan Client Advisors from around the world. Each was evaluated and chosen for its timeliness, quality and appeal to the firm’s global client base.
The 2025 Summer Reading List selections are:
Life in Three Dimensions: How Curiosity, Exploration, and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life
By Shigehiro Oishi, Ph.D.
Psychologist Shigehiro Oishi says measuring a good life by happiness and meaning isn’t enough. Oishi adds a third dimension: psychological richness, which prioritizes curiosity, spontaneity and diverse experiences. Oishi makes the case for an adventure-filled life, citing examples from psychological studies, books and films, personal acquaintances, his own family, and famous innovators like Steve Jobs.
Becoming You: The Proven Method for Crafting Your Authentic Life and Career
By Suzy Welch
Suzy Welch, director of NYU Stern’s Initiative on Purpose and Flourishing, shows how to discover your true self and build a fulfilling career. Welch, who teaches a popular NYU class, gives a step-by-step guide to finding your purpose in today’s hectic society. She relates compelling stories from students and her own career arc from crime reporter to tech entrepreneur, in this warm and witty how-to for living authentically and meaningfully.
Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working
By Dan Heath
Dan Heath, a bestselling author and podcast host, shows how to break free from long-established work habits while maximizing minimal resources. Heath reveals “leverage points” that allow small efforts to yield big results, enabling progress toward top goals. Citing examples from vastly different workplaces, Heath presents strategies to speed change, eliminate waste and improve motivation.
The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward
By Melinda French Gates
Times of transition can be profound moments of change, but they are often confusing or scary. In her latest book, Melinda French Gates offers practical advice for navigating these changes. Commenting on her own transitions, from parenthood to leaving the Gates Foundation, French Gates says we must embrace uncertainty, cast aside perfectionism and support others in crisis.
Iron Hope: Lessons Learned from Conquering the Impossible
By James Lawrence
Famed endurance athlete James “Iron Cowboy” Lawrence reveals his techniques for mental toughness. Having completed 50 full-distance triathlons in 50 states in 50 days, Lawrence says his secret is not just physical strength, but an indomitable mindset. Lawrence writes that by keeping small promises and building momentum, you can develop the mental fortitude to turn any goal into reality.
The Tell: A Memoir
By Amy Griffin
Amy Griffin, founder and managing partner of the investment firm G9 Ventures, reveals that during a lifetime of running — from Amarillo, Texas, to the University of Virginia to the streets of New York — she was unknowingly fleeing a hidden secret. When asked by her daughter, “Where are you, Mom?” she began a journey that uncovered a buried childhood trauma. Through therapy and a return to her hometown in Texas, Griffin uncovered the power of embracing our true selves to deepen connections with others.
Coming of Age: How Technology and Entrepreneurship are Changing the Face of MENA
By Noor Sweid
Noor Sweid, the founder and managing partner of Global Ventures, explains the emergence of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) as a tech and entrepreneurship hub. MENA has the largest population of young digital natives and is set to shake up the global order. Coming of Age reviews 25 years of entrepreneurial evolution, focusing on transformative ventures in fields including fintech, healthtech and agritech. Sweid interviews 35 groundbreaking founders to showcase MENA’s rise as a global market force driven by its innovative young people.
The Technological Republic: Hard Power, Soft Belief, and the Future of the West
By Alexander C. Karp and Nicholas W. Zamiska
Alexander C. Karp, co-founder and CEO of Palantir, and Nicholas W. Zamiska, an executive with the firm, explore the challenges of the West’s technological landscape. The book presents strategies for the software industry to deal with urgent challenges amid rapid technological changes and AI advances. Drawing on insights from their Palantir experience, the authors urge ambitious innovation and bold thinking to maintain a competitive edge. Anyone interested in the intersection of technology, politics and society will find their views relevant.
Inevitable: Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to Electric Vehicles
By Mike Colias
Veteran Wall Street Journal automotive reporter Mike Colias details the electric vehicle revolution, examining the transformational shift reshaping the $2 trillion automotive industry and making waves across the global economy. Visiting Detroit, Japan, Germany and China, Colias focuses on the effects of this transformation on economies and lives, from executives strategizing to compete against Tesla to family dealerships deciding whether to sell EVs.
Raising AI: An Essential Guide to Parenting Our Future
By De Kai
De Kai, the pioneer of translation AIs such as Google, Yahoo and Bing translate, lays out how the widespread use of AI impacts our world and culture and how it can empower the future. Raising AI asks us to consider its ethical implications and our active role in this shift, and calls for a future where humanity and AI coexist in harmony. The book is a must-read for anyone who wants to engage with the AI revolution responsibly through a new framework for navigating the technology’s influence.
MirrorMirror: The Reflective Surface in Contemporary Art
By Michael Petry
Michael Petry, director of London’s Museum of Contemporary Art, explains how mirrors have inspired art throughout history, from Van Eyck’s Arnolfini Portrait to Velázquez’s The Rokeby Venus. Featuring over 150 artists, MirrorMirror then shows how contemporary artists are exploring mirrors as objects of transformation, magic and power. Alongside analyses of works, Petry explores the impact of selfies and how smartphones are modern-day mirrors to the self.
The Fricks Collect: An American Family and the Evolution of Taste in the Gilded Age
By Ian Wardropper
Frick Collection director Ian Wardropper relates a story of ambition, wealth and patronage, chronicling how industrialist Henry Clay Frick and his daughter, Helen, built one of America’s finest art collections. In a collaboration with top dealers and decorators, this illustrated volume reveals the interiors of the Frick family’s Pittsburgh and New York homes, offering insights into the Gilded Age’s artistic legacy and the influence of the Frick Collection, which recently reopened after a years-long renovation.
Mars: Photographs from the NASA Archives
By Nikki Giovanni, James L. Green, Emily Lakdawalla, Rob Manning and Margaret A. Weitekamp
What would a visit to Mars look like? This book provides a glimpse of the Red Planet through six decades of NASA photographs, revealing landscapes both alien and familiar. From the close-ups taken by Mariner 4 in 1965 to sweeping panoramas captured by rovers, the collection includes scenes from ancient riverbeds to towering volcanoes. NASA experts, scientists and cultural figures supplement the images with essays and commentary.
Living with Flowers
By Aerin Lauder
Aerin Lauder, the legendary hostess, style icon, granddaughter of Estée Lauder and daughter of Jo Carole Lauder, shares creative ideas for incorporating flowers into daily life, from simple kitchen arrangements to elegant floral wallpapers. From a bouquet of daisies to welcome dinner guests to a single stem to brighten a workday, Living with Flowers shows how flowers can enliven spaces and bring joy.
The Values Compass: What 101 Countries Teach Us About Purpose, Life, and Leadership
By Dr. Mandeep Rai
Broadcast journalist Dr. Mandeep Rai takes us to 101 countries to demonstrate how national core values shape personal beliefs and guide individual decisions. Rai shows the profound impact of different values, from Moroccan compromise to Armenian survival and American entrepreneurship. The 2025 edition includes a new introduction. The Values Compass serves as a guide to understanding our own values, lets us see ourselves through a global lens, and inspires us to navigate life with purpose and intention.
Economic Spotlight: Our Dollar, Your Problem: An Insider’s View of the Seven Turbulent Decades of Global Finance, and the Road Ahead
By Kenneth Rogoff
In his latest book, Kenneth Rogoff offers a timely review of the global rise of the U.S. dollar and questions its future stability. As the Maurits C. Boas Professor of Economics at Harvard University and former Chief Economist at the International Monetary Fund, Rogoff reviews 70 years of global finance, focusing on the dollar’s dominance over the Japanese yen, Soviet ruble, and euro, while addressing current challenges from cryptocurrencies, the Chinese yuan, political instability and more. Rogoff shows how the United States’ outsized power could lead to financial instability both abroad and at home.
