Your 2026 summer reading list

Faculty and staff across the Warrington College of Business selected their recommendations for books to read this summer. See their selections and why you should read each in the list below.

The Lever of Riches: Technological Creativity and Economic Progress | Joel Mokyr

In this fascinating book, Nobel Prize winner Joel Mokyr takes readers on a historical journey to understand how technological innovation shapes economic and social progress, while sharpening their ability to think critically about the forces influencing prosperity, organizations, and the future.

–  Liangfei Qiu, PricewaterhouseCoopers ISOM Professor

The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact | Chip Heath & Dan Heath

How can you combine surprise, delight, effectiveness, and impact to create better experiences for those around you? In the Power of Moments, the Heath Brothers highlight four elements that make moments memorable: elevation, insight, pride and connection. They also provide excellent examples of organizations and individuals who create lasting impressions and positive experiences. A favorite example? Guests rarely forget the Popsicle Hotline: a red phone that sits poolside at the Magic Castle Hotel in Los Angeles. Guaranteed to bring joy and delight, along with a cool poolside popsicle.

– Adam Herman, Assistant Dean and Director, MBA Programs

The Next RenAIssance: AI and the Expansion of Human Potential | Zack Kass

Students and alumni will gain a practical and approachable perspective on how AI is changing the way we work, learn, and build careers. What I appreciated most about this book is that it is not really about the technology itself. Instead, it encourages readers to think about the uniquely human skills that will continue to matter, including adaptability, critical thinking, relationship building, and lifelong learning. Zack Kass offers an optimistic view of the future while challenging readers to consider how they can position themselves to thrive in a world where AI is becoming part of everyday life.

– Amber Bollinger, Director, Career Readiness Curriculum, Heavener School of Business

Statistics Done Wrong: The Woefully Complete Guide | Alex Reinhart

This is a relatively short, and almost painless (in terms of knowledge required) guide to all the sciences that use statistical analysis incorrectly, and the consequences thereof. While the book is written by a physicist, the examples come from many other areas. Some of the more chilling ones unfortunately involve medical research, but it does highlight the reasons why we should not believe all the headlines we see daily, such as the typical “eating X will increase your risk of cancer by Y%.”

– Rob Stein, Assistant Clinical Professor

Jolted: Why We Quit, When to Stay, and Why it Matters | Anthony Klotz

Anthony does a wonderful job of synthesizing rigorous research across different areas of business management and organizational psychology to deliver easy-to-digest insights into how we all make career decisions. Using real-world examples and vivid illustrations, he explains why and how unexpected “jolts” in our work and non-work lives can dramatically affect our career paths. These events may seem jarring and unique for us, but researchers have been studying them for decades, including the benefits and (often extreme) consequences of various responses. It is an ideal book for preparing to navigate an uncertain work future. Which, frankly, is just about everyone at this moment in time.

– Brian Swider, Christopher and Yeniley Winfrey Professor of Business

Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman | Yvon Chouinard

In this 10th anniversary edition, Yvon Chouinard—legendary climber, businessman, environmentalist, and founder of Patagonia, Inc.—shares the persistence and courage that have gone into being head of one of the most respected and environmentally responsible companies on earth.

From his youth as the son of a French Canadian handyman to the thrilling, ambitious climbing expeditions that inspired his innovative designs for the sport’s equipment, Let My People Go Surfing is the story of a man who brought doing good and having grand adventures into the heart of his business life-a book that will deeply affect entrepreneurs and outdoor enthusiasts alike.

– Jamie Kraft, Director, Entrepreneurship and Innovation Center

American Turnaround: Reinventing AT&T and GM and the Way We Do Business in the USA | Edward Whitacre 

I’ve read several books this year on captains of industry – Vanderbilt, Morgan, Rockefeller, and Carnegie – but found this book by Ed Whitacre to be particularly applicable for today’s business leaders. Whitacre began his career hammering fence posts and measuring telephone lines for Southwestern Bell, a subsidiary of the old Bell System. He learned that people—not hardware—made the business and rose fast. I met him briefly in his early career and found him unusually focused, not on plans and technologies, but on the people around him.

The telecom industry was overly regulated and strategically adrift when Whitacre became CEO of Southwestern Bell in 1990. But he had the right team, and they learned how to be successful, eventually purchasing three other former Bell Companies, Cingular Wireless, and their former parent company, AT&T—all struggling—and adopting the AT&T name.

The negotiations between Steve Jobs and AT&T to develop the iPhone says much about how legacy companies can embrace new concepts. Jobs approached AT&T around 2005, passionate that the current generation of smartphones was completely wrong, but unable to describe what he had in mind. Jobs’s vision remained vague through several discussions, but Whitacre decided to bet on Jobs’s abilities and AT&T’s adaptability. AT&T provided Apple with the money and network that it needed and, perhaps more importantly, kept its fingers out of the iPhone development. The iPhone launched in 2007. No one in AT&T ever saw an iPhone until it was finished.

After Whitacre retired, Obama’s team approached him about becoming CEO of General Motors, which the government had just rescued from financial ruin. Whitacre agreed. He didn’t know anything about cars, but he knew about managing people. He saw a company whose matrix management was rudderless, draining people’s energy and obstructing their talents. He erased it, giving people authority to make decisions and holding them accountable for challenging deadlines. Just as important, he coached his team into choosing their own vision for the company. And before the team thought itself ready, he handed the company back to them. The team had to step up. Which it did.

– Mark Jamison, Director and Gerald Gunter Professor, Public Utility Research Center

Draft No. 4: On the Writing Process | John McPhee

By reading this book, business students will gain a deeper understanding of how clear thinking leads to clear communication. In Draft No. 4, John McPhee explores the craft of writing, but the lessons extend far beyond the page. Through his reflections on structure, revision, observation, and storytelling, students will learn how to organize complex ideas, communicate with greater precision, and develop the habits of attention and discipline that are essential for effective leadership. Whether preparing a presentation, writing a recommendation, crafting a strategy, or communicating with a team, the ability to express ideas clearly remains one of the most valuable professional skills. This book offers a masterclass in how that skill is developed.

This is more than a book about writing… Draft No. 4 is a book about thinking. Students will learn how to better organize ideas, communicate with clarity, and approach their work with greater intentionality and craftsmanship. In a world increasingly shaped by AI, the ability to communicate effectively remains a durable competitive advantage.

The most successful leaders are the people who can organize ideas, communicate clearly, and persuade others to act – skills that matter in every business function and every stage of a career.

– Houston Bailey, Associate Director, Business Career Services

American Made: What Happens to People When Work Disappears | Farah Stockman

A fuller picture of workers (low and high in the corporate structure) in the aftermath of a closing of a company in a small town. It provides the perspective of the individual losing a good paying job to the world of outsourcing and the subsequent shrinking of the middle class.

– Larry DiMatteo, Huber Hurst Professor

Community Effects of Leadership Development Education: Citizen Empowerment for Civic Engagement | Kenneth Pigg, Stephen Gasteyer, Kenneth Martin, Godwin Apaliyah, Kari Keating

This book covers the impacts of leadership development on community change, problem solving, and civic engagement. The book offers a peer reviewed investigation into Community Leadership Development organizations (CLDs) and how they benefit the participants and the community. The information in this book is helpful when attempting to understand community reactions to legislation or company decisions. It also provides a better understanding why individuals choose to get involved or abstain from acting on issues in their communities.

Though this book focuses on civic engagement and community building in the traditional sense, the information translates well into engaging and developing leaders in all forms of communities (i.e. workplace, social network, education) and helping them become impactful and effective.

– Heath Davis, Assistant Director, Data Management, MBA Programs