NFTs, Greek myths, Hayao Miyazaki

With summer around the corner, the wealthy are preparing their lists of elevating beach reads. And this year, their Goyard tote bags are likely to be filled with books about innovation, technology and Greek gods.

J.P. Morgan Private Bank on Tuesday announced its 23rd annual Summer Reading List, which has become the seasonal “it list” of literary status symbols for the ultra-wealthy.

The bank, whose clients typically have $10 million or more, sorts through hundreds of recommendations from client advisors for nonfiction books and narrows it down to 10 titles. The selection is based on “timeliness, quality and global appeal to the firm’s global client base.”

Of course, most of the uber-wealthy will be staring at their stock screens all summer. But book-wise, they’re looking to learn more about tech, the planet and the past.

“This year’s list spans terrain and time and seeks to double-click on themes our advisors are hearing most in their client conversations this year, including sustainability, leadership and business transformation, technological innovation, expansion of cultural perspectives, and philanthropic support for important global causes,” said Darin Oduyoye, chief communications officer of J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management.

The list has also added a new tech twist this year – books in the metaverse. The J.P. Morgan Onyx lounge in Decentraland will include a virtual library exhibit, where visitors can make an avatar, view interviews with authors and answer trivia questions with a “scholarly owl.”

The list is, as always, as varied as the rich themselves. But it’s a useful barometer of the titles and topics you’ll likely see this summer on the beaches of the Hamptons, the mountains of Aspen and the other hot-spots of the elite. Here’s the list, via J.P. Morgan Private Bank:

“CEO Excellence: The Six Mindsets That Distinguish the Best Leaders from the Rest” by Carolyn Dewar, Scott Keller and Vikram Malhotra: McKinsey & Company senior partners offer a look at how some of the most well-respected CEOs do their jobs. Drawing from 25 years of research and interviews with top corporate leaders — including chiefs at Netflix, J.P. Morgan Chase, General Motors and Sony — Dewar, Keller and Malhotra show that while the role of CEO is unique to each organization, the best CEOs think and adapt in surprisingly similar ways across industries.  

“Race for Tomorrow: Survival, Innovation and Profit on the Front Lines of the Climate Crisis” by Simon Mundy: In this journey through 26 countries and six continents, Financial Times reporter Simon Mundy travels to the frontlines of the climate crisis. By telling the stories of those he meets — from a scientist building a home for engineered mammoths in northeast Siberia to the entrepreneurs chasing breakthroughs in electric and fusion power — Mundy demonstrates how climate change is displacing communities, disrupting global businesses and inspiring a new wave of innovation.

“Being Present: Commanding Attention at Work (and at Home) by Managing Your Social Presence” by Jeanine W. Turner: Synthesizing 15 years of research, interviews and experience from teaching students and executives, Georgetown professor Jeanine W. Turner offers a framework to navigate our social presence — the feeling of being connected within a conversation or interaction — and to communicate more effectively and intentionally with our family, friends and colleagues.

“The Comprehensive Guide to NFTs, Digital Artwork, Blockchain Technology” by Marc Beckman: What exactly are NFT’s, and what will their impact be on our world? Marc Beckman, founder of the NFT digital artwork platform Truesy, delves into the foundations of NFT technology, making the subject clear and comprehensible. Beckman explores how NFTs are poised to change fashion, sports, fine art, social justice and more, and how entrepreneurs can position themselves for success in tomorrow’s NFT-driven world.

“The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward” by Daniel H. Pink: Author Daniel H. Pink rejects the idea of “no regrets” – instead, challenging us to accept regrets as fundamental, and to reckon with them in creative ways to help us live more fulfilling lives. Drawing on research in psychology, neuroscience, economics and biology, Pink argues that we can transform regrets into positive forces by reframing our thinking.

“Fixed.: How to Perfect the Fine Art of Problem Solving” by Amy E. Herman: While heading education at The Frick Collection in New York City, lawyer and art historian Amy E. Herman developed her “Art of Perception” seminar to improve the observational and communication skills of medical students solving intractable problems. Since then, she has led sessions internationally for leaders and professionals at the FBI, French National Police, Interpol and many more organizations for which failure is catastrophic. Using art to challenge our default thinking, Herman encourages us to open our minds to see possibilities we may otherwise overlook.

“Hayao Miyazaki” by Jessica Niebel, Daniel Kothenschulte and Pete Docter: An illustrated journey through the cinematic worlds of the renowned Japanese filmmaker, “Hayao Miyazaki” celebrates the artistic vision and themes of Miyazaki’s animated films, which include the Oscar-winning “Spirited Away.” Published by the Academy Museum of Motion Pictures in Los Angeles in collaboration with Studio Ghibli in Tokyo, the book offers insight into the animator’s creative process and masterful storytelling techniques.

“As We Rise: Photography from the Black Atlantic” by the Wedge Collection (Preface by Teju Cole/Introduction by Dr. Mark Sealy/Interviewed by Liz Ikiriko): Selected from Dr. Kenneth Montague’s Wedge Collection in Toronto — a Black-owned collection dedicated to artists of African descent — “As We Rise” provides a timely exploration of Black identity. Through a compilation of over 100 photographs by Black artists from Canada, the Caribbean, Great Britain, the United States, South America and throughout the African continent, the volume examines the multilayered aspects of Black life through themes of community, identity and power, all while exploring ideas of agency, beauty, self-representation and more.

“Between the Mountain and the Sky: A Mother’s Story of Love, Loss, Healing, and Hope” by Maggie Doyne: Maggie Doyne, American philanthropist and founder of the BlinkNow Foundation, tells the inspiring tale of her journey from carefree New Jersey teen to caretaker of more than 50 Nepalese children. Inspired on a trip to the country during a gap year before college, Doyne invests her life savings to buy land and open a children’s home. “Between the Mountain and the Sky” shares all the love, loss, healing and hope she experiences opening the home, and eventually a women’s center and school.

“Greek Myths” by Gustav Schwab: A collection of 47 tales from German writer Gustav Schwab’s seminal anthology, Taschen’s “Greek Myths” reimagines the fascinating world of Greek mythology for modern times. Through these legendary tales of gods and all-too-human heroes, Schwab’s updated stories reveal all the feats, furies and foibles of the human condition — from the courage of Perseus and ambition of Icarus to Midas’ greed.