Reading is more than a pastime. It’s also a good way to make sense of change, challenge the status quo, and evolve with purpose. Every year, McKinsey curates a list of must-read books recommended by editors in chief, executives, founders, and McKinsey leaders to help inspire fresh ideas and spark growth across industries. This year’s list includes business reads for:
- generalists working in a specialists’ world
- changemakers guiding teams through 21st-century uncertainty
- new-to-the-job CEOs looking for practical advice
- economists curious about the future of global finance
Explore all 11 business books to learn what’s resonating with global thought leaders, and, if your business is ready to take action on more growth opportunities, learn more about McKinsey’s industry expertise, capabilities, and tech alliances to help your organization think bigger and build faster.
The Psychology of Money: Timeless Lessons on Wealth, Greed, and Happiness by Morgan Housel
Recommended by: Maya Horgan Famodu, Founder and partner, Ingressive Capital; Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World by David Epstein
Recommended by: Malcolm Gladwell, Author; host, Revisionist History podcast
There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift by Kevin Evers
Recommended by: Ellen Desmarais, Co-president, Harvard Business Publishing
The Unaccountability Machine: Why Big Systems Make Terrible Decisions—and How the World Lost Its Mind by Dan Davies
Recommended by: Paul Hudson, CEO, Sanofi
Inevitable: Inside the Messy, Unstoppable Transition to Electric Vehicles by Mike Colias
Recommended by: Jamie Heller, Editor in chief, Business Insider
Leading Through Disruption: A Changemaker’s Guide to Twenty-First Century Leadership by Andrew N. Liveris
Recommended by: Zubaida Bai, CEO and president, Grameen Foundation; Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum
Red Helicopter—a Parable for Our Times: Lead Change with Kindness (Plus a Little Math) by James Rhee
Recommended by: Cristina Mancini, CEO, Black Girls Code
The New Lunar Society: An Enlightenment Guide to the Next Industrial Revolution by David A. Mindell
Recommended by: Amy Brand, Director and publisher, MIT Press
Our Dollar, Your Problem: An Insider’s View of Seven Turbulent Decades of Global Finance, and the Road Ahead by Kenneth Rogoff
Recommended by: Glenn Hubbard, Russell L. Carson Professor of Finance and Economics and dean emeritus, Columbia Business School, Columbia University
The Book on Rental Property Investing: How to Create Wealth with Intelligent Buy & Hold Real Estate Investing by Brandon Turner
Recommended by: Maya Horgan Famodu, Founder and partner, Ingressive Capital; Young Global Leader, World Economic Forum
A CEO for All Seasons: Mastering the Cycles of Leadership by Carolyn Dewar, Kurt Strovink, Scott Keller, and Vikram Malhotra
Recommended by: Raju Narisetti, Partner and leader of McKinsey Global Publishing, McKinsey