Video Player is loading.
J.P. Morgan Summer Reading List 2024
A drop of inspiration can unleash a wave of new ideas
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.
Supercommunicators
How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection
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
The Anxious Generation
How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness
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
Giants
Art from the Dean Collection of Swizz Beatz and Alicia Keys
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
Brave New Words
How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That’s a Good Thing)
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
Love & Whiskey
The Remarkable True Story of Jack Daniel, His Master Distiller Nearest Green, and the Improbable Rise of Uncle Nearest
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
The Formula
How Rogues, Geniuses, and Speed Freaks Reengineered F1 into the World’s Fastest-Growing Sport
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
Secret Stays
Pioneering Hosts of the New Chic
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
Finding Fortunato
How a Peruvian Adventure Inspired the Sweet Success of a Family Chocolate Business
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
Uptime
A Practical Guide to Personal Productivity and Wellbeing
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
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."
Anniversary Spotlight
The Worth of Water: Our Story of Chasing Solutions to the World’s Greatest Challenge
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.
Video Player is loading.
Descriptive audio
Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz reveal vision behind Giants
Cultural icons Alicia Keys and Swizz Beatz sit down with Chelsea Crowder-Luke to discuss their book, Giants, a collection highlighting works by nearly 40 multigenerational Black American, African, and Black diasporic arti...
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.
