Hello and welcome to Modern CEO! I’m Stephanie Mehta, CEO and chief content officer of Mansueto Ventures. Each week this newsletter explores inclusive approaches to leadership drawn from conversations with executives and entrepreneurs, and from the pages of Inc. and Fast Company. If you received this newsletter from a friend, you can sign up to get it yourself every Monday morning.
A few weeks ago, I published part of my summer reading list. I asked readers and CEOs to respond with their own picks, and they delivered. Here are a few that stand out, in their own words:
Jay Chandan, chairman and CEO, Gorilla Technology Group
Peak Performance Trading and Investing by Bruce Bower
This is a powerful read that strips away the noise and gets to the essence of how elite thinking drives consistent outperformance. Bower distills decades of experience into pragmatic frameworks that are just as relevant in the boardroom as on the trading floor. His insights go well beyond markets; they offer clarity under pressure and sharpen decision-making across any high-stakes environment.
Kathy Crosby, president and CEO, Truth Initiative
Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
As someone who’s spent years advocating for children in foster care and adoption, this book is both heartbreaking and affirming. Barbara Kingsolver gives voice to the kids too often left out of the national conversation—resilient, overlooked, and deserving of so much more. This story haunts you because it’s not just fiction—it’s the truth for too many.
Mary Ellen Iskenderian, president and CEO, Women’s World Banking
Fintech Feminists: Increasing Inclusion, Redefining Innovation, and Changing the Future for Women Around the World by Nicole Casperson
Through compelling storytelling and rigorous insight, Nicole Casperson shines a powerful light on the women transforming fintech and, in doing so, reshaping the global economy. This is essential reading for anyone committed to building a more equitable and resilient financial system for women everywhere.
Richard Kopelman, CEO, Aprio Advisory Group
The Curiosity Muscle by Diana Kander and Andy Fromm
This book is a powerful reminder of how curiosity fuels progress. Kander and Fromm offer a clear, practical framework that helps teams adapt in fast-changing environments and unlocks their full potential. Their insights have inspired me to think bigger about how curiosity drives growth, avoids stagnation, and keeps us evolving. It’s a timely and energizing read for anyone committed to building a culture of forward momentum and continuous learning.
Philip Krim, cofounder and CEO, Montauk Climate
The World for Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth’s Resources by Javier Blas and Jack Farchy
This book exposes the history behind the behemoths that dominate today’s markets around commodities, power, precious metals, and others. Studying how we got here helps inform me on where we are heading.
Andrew McMahon, chair and CEO, Guardian Life Insurance Company of America
Co-Intelligence: Living and Working with AI by Ethan Mollick
I found Co-Intelligence invaluable for its practical insights on how we can all collaborate with AI. The book reinforces Guardian’s vision of using AI to enhance how we serve customers and policyholders, make decisions, and scale our impact.
Anthony Scaramucci, founder and managing partner, SkyBridge Capital
Frank Sinatra Has a Cold and Other Essays by Gay Talese
Gay Talese released a fantastic new book, A Town Without Time, in late 2024, that is absolutely worth reading, but I recommend you start with some of his older material, Frank Sinatra Has a Cold and Other Essays. Talese is credited by Tom Wolfe with the creation of a new form of rich nonfiction writing called “New Journalism.” As long-form journalism recedes in the face of soundbite-driven social media, I encourage readers to dig into work from the greatest storyteller of a generation.
Mike Tiedemann, CEO, AlTi Tiedemann Global
Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World by Liaquat Ahamed
This Pulitzer Prize winner offers a rare perspective on the history of the 1920s and the four central bankers that drove the decisions that, while well intended, ultimately led to the Great Depression. There are lessons in this book that rhyme with the world we are living in today, (e.g., currencies, inflation, trade tensions, and crypto). I found it an incredible perspective to gain about a critical time in history.
Hepsen Uzcan, Americas CEO, DWS Group
Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well by Amy Edmondson
In my view, this book captures the challenges between managing innovation, regulatory, and market complexities while navigating through the organizational cultural implications, highlighting the importance of psychological safety we need to foster where failures will be embraced. Fail fast to recover faster.
Austin C. Willis, CEO, Willis Lease Finance
Mind Hacking Happiness, Volumes 1 and 2, by Sean Webb
The first volume was a validation of something that I’ve known for a while . . . if you don’t let too many things attach to your “self” map, you are less apt to get upset or frustrated when those things are attacked or criticized (i.e., Don’t let your identity become intertwined with a sports team. That way, when one loses or is criticized, you don’t find yourself getting angry.) The second volume took the concepts to a new level and discussed how mindfulness, science, and religion all interact: Specifically, how the pursuit of enlightenment is foundational to nearly all religions, although enlightenment goes by many names, and how different types of science interact with religion.
Keep building the list
Whether it’s summer or any other time of year, I’m always interested in your favorite reads—the books you’re choosing to keep learning, or simply for entertainment. Feel free to share them with me by sending an email to stephaniemehta@mansueto.com.
Read more: must-read books for leaders
Modern CEO’s 2025 summer reading list
100 books every CEO and founder should read
4 best ways leaders can boost their reading
