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Book]📚 Summer recap & Reading List 2025: Leadership, AI, Sustainability & Resilience

Summer is often when we see the world more clearly — here are the books that sharpened mine in 2025. What is yours?

Book]📚 Summer recap & Reading List 2025: Leadership, AI, Sustainability & Resilience
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Summer Reading 2025 Leadership AI Sustainability Resilience
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Hi All,

I hope you had a wonderful summer. Mine was spent between Seoul, London, and the South of France — a season of conversations, contrasts and reflection. I reconnected with friends and colleagues from Wall Street, diplomacy, architecture, finance, sustainability, and academia (King’s College, Oxbridge, Yale, Stanford, and Sweden, where some have been teaching for over 20 years in political science and communications). I am not name dropping here - I wanted to convey the message on the significance of what is to follow. Our discussions often began with family realities — aging parents, childcare, balancing work and life — and, almost inevitably, shifted to AI.

What struck me most was the stark contrast between South Korea, the US and Europe. For 22 years I’ve been visiting my parents in Seoul, but this summer felt different: AI was no longer a niche topic, it was everywhere — in classrooms, YouTube, offices, even daily errands. The conversation had moved from “should we use AI?” to “how do we optimize prompts for accuracy and productivity, and which platform do you prefer?” The government is intent on making every citizen AI-enabled, offering free ChatGPT training to people of all ages. I joined my parents, both in their 70s, at one of these sessions. They walked away inspired, concerned, and newly empowered — finally able to access tools that once felt beyond their reach.

At the same time, I was hearing stories from the US and South Korea about young graduates struggling to find work, and even a top South Korean law firm deciding not to hire new analysts after seeing interns matched — or surpassed — by ChatGPT. These shifts made me reflect not only on technology, but also on resilience. I’ve been drawing inspiration from role models who scaled Everest, mentors across finance, government, the UN, technology, and spirituality, and from thinkers who dedicate their lives to clarity and enlightenment.

This summer, I leaned into books that stretched my perspective across leadership, AI, finance, psychology, sustainability, and narrative history. I’ve grouped my recommendations by theme so you can pick what’s most relevant to your journey — whether you’re a CEO, investor, policy-maker, or fellow student and seeker.

What did you read this summer? I’d love to hear your recommendations.

💰Section 1: Economics, Sustainability & Systems Thinking

BookSummaryEJ’s Reflective Takeaway
How Countries Go Broke (Dalio, 2025)A framework for understanding debt cycles and the structural indicators of economic decline.15 years in global markets have shown me that resilience is built by recognizing these macro shifts early. Understanding debt dynamics is essential for long-term capital preservation.
King Dollar (Blustein, 2025)An exploration of the technical "plumbing" and geopolitical trust that maintains USD dominance.A thoughtful reminder that despite the rise of multipolarity, global finance is still anchored by institutional trust in the USD. It highlights the importance of infrastructure in currency power.
Net Positive (Polman & Winston, 2021)A manifesto for companies to prosper by solving world problems rather than creating them.My work in Sustainable Investing aligns with this view: long-term profitability is increasingly tied to how a business manages its broader social and environmental impact.
The Overstory (Powers, 2018)A narrative exploration of forest ecosystems and the deep interconnectedness of life.This beautifully illustrates "Systems Thinking." In impact investing, true value is found in understanding the delicate networks that connect all our assets and decisions.
The Hidden Life of Trees (Wohlleben, 2015)A study of how trees communicate and share resources within a forest network.It offers a fascinating perspective on collaborative resilience. It mirrors the way sustainable networks share risk and resource for long-term survival.

🤖Section 2: AI, Technology & The Future

BookSummaryEJ’s Reflective Takeaway
The Thinking Machine (Witt, 2024)The story of Nvidia’s GPU revolution and how compute has become the governor of the AI economy.A grounding perspective on the physical constraints of technology. I’ve found that the most sustainable growth often lies at this intersection of innovation and hardware infrastructure.
The Technological Republic (Karp & Zamiska, 2023)An argument for re-aligning technological purpose with civic duty and national security.It highlights that tech is no longer an isolated sector; it is a fundamental part of our security fabric. Value is found where innovation meets public purpose.
AI 2041 (Lee & Qiufan, 2021)Speculative scenarios paired with technical analysis on how AI might reshape global workflows.This encourages looking past the initial hype to the "second-order effects"—the fundamental restructuring of traditional industries and valuation models.
The AI-Driven Leader (Woods, 2024)A guide to integrating AI as a thought partner for high-level strategic decision-making.It offers practical ways to leverage AI to enhance strategic clarity. I view AI not as a replacement, but as a tool to amplify human judgment.
The Singularity Is Nearer (Kurzweil, 2024)A look at accelerating returns in human-AI integration and the future of intelligence.While speculative, it prompts us to imagine the scale of change ahead. It’s an invitation to stay curious about the rapid evolution of human potential.

💡Section 3: Leadership, Communication & Inclusive Cultures

BookSummaryEJ’s Reflective Takeaway
Say It Well (Szuplat, 2024)Lessons in authentic persuasion and the power of narrative to align stakeholders toward a shared goal.Effective leadership often comes down to the ability to simplify the complex. Building a shared story is essential for turning strategy into collective action.
Empathy Economics (Ullmann, 2022)The story of Janet Yellen, illustrating how technical rigor and empathy combine for significant policy impact.A thoughtful reminder that technical excellence is most effective when paired with human insight. Resilience under pressure often stems from a culture of mutual respect.
Nonviolent Communication (Rosenberg, 1999)A framework for empathetic dialogue focused on observation, feelings, needs, and requests.An invaluable tool for navigating complex negotiations. It has helped me approach conflict with a focus on solution-oriented compassion.
The Authority Gap (Sieghart, 2021)An analysis of why women’s authority is often undervalued and how to bridge that systemic gap.A sobering yet necessary look at systemic bias. It serves as a reminder that inclusive leadership is a conscious, ongoing practice for investors and policy-makers alike.
The Confidence Code (Kay & Shipman, 2014)Research on the relationship between confidence and professional opportunity for women.It resonated with my own journey in global finance. It highlights that confidence is not just an innate trait, but a skill cultivated through action and resilience.
How Will You Measure Your Life? (Christensen, 2012)Applying management theories to finding meaning and purpose in one's career and personal life.A grounding framework for defining success beyond professional metrics. It helps ensure that one's daily actions remain aligned with long-term purpose.

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