Every year, McKinsey Global Publishing invites a wide range of global leaders to share the books that have resonated with them—or ones they can’t wait to read. This year’s list spans 90-plus titles and reflects a shared appetite for meaning, progress, and human connection. Among those titles, five publishing houses stand out for their strong representation:
- Penguin Random House (36 books)
- Simon & Schuster (9 books)
- Hachette Book Group (8 books)
- HarperCollins Publishers (8 books)
- Macmillan Publishers (6 books)
Explore a standout book from each of these publishers, then check out “What to read next: McKinsey’s 2025 annual book recommendations” for other contributions from 45 global executives, editors in chief, and McKinsey leaders, including Global Managing Partner Bob Sternfels.
The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness by Jonathan Haidt (Penguin Press/Penguin Random House)
Recommended by: Cristina Junqueira, Cofounder and chief growth officer, Nubank, Brazil
Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams by Matthew Walker (Scribner/Simon & Schuster)
Recommended by: Alan Schnitzer, Chairman and CEO, The Travelers Companies
Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky (Orbit/Hachette Book Group)
Recommended by: Patrick Awuah, Founder and president, Ashesi University
Book and Dagger: How Scholars and Librarians Became the Unlikely Spies of World War II by Elyse Graham (Ecco/HarperCollins Publishers)
Recommended by: Christopher Eisgruber, President, Princeton University; author of Terms of Respect: How Colleges Get Free Speech Right
Olga Dies Dreaming by Xochitl Gonzalez (Flatiron Books/Macmillan Publishers)
Recommended by: John King Jr., Chancellor, SUNY; former US Secretary of Education; author of Teacher by Teacher: The People Who Change Our Lives