by Scott Ronalds

It’s sure to be a hot summer, what with the Rio Olympics, British Referendum, and run-up to the U.S. election.

If it’s all not enough drama, excitement, mystery and heartbreak for you, look no further than our 3rd Annual Summer Reading List. As usual, we’ve got a little bit of everything this year, from business to the history of humankind to game changers. Without further ado:

The Silo Effect, by Gillian Tett. Tom recommends this book from his favourite journalist (Tett writes for the Financial Times). It examines how our tendency to create functional departments (“silos”) holds back our work. Tett highlights examples we can all relate to about how silos can damage big organizations, including the Bank of England, Sony and the Chicago police, and how they can be overcome.

Sapiens, by Yuval Noah Harari. Our COO (Neil) really likes this book about the history of humankind. It explores how our species has survived and prospered, how we came to believe in gods, and how we’ve bounded ourselves to schedules and consumerism. It raises the question of whether as humans, we’re truly happier today than we were 10,000 years ago, in spite of the societal progress we’ve made. Deep stuff.

Elon Musk, by Ashlee Vance. This is my pick. It’s an inside look at the life and times of Elon Musk, the man behind the game-changing companies PayPal, Tesla and SpaceX (he’s also the chairman of SolarCity). Although his story is not yet complete – Musk is only in his mid-forties and still going strong – Vance covers his accomplishments, challenges and battles to date in an entertaining read. Did you know that Musk is part Canadian and attended Queen’s University?

Circling the Sun, by Paula McLain. This is our Investor Specialist Lori’s choice for a great beach read. Set in colonial Africa, it has everything you want – scandal, seduction, and adventure. SPF 60 for this one.

Selling the Invisible, by Harry Beckwith. David (our Toronto office) recommends this New York Times bestseller. It’s a field guide to modern marketing that was originally published in 1997 but is still very relevant today. A wonderful collection of quick, blog-like reads, the book is all about thinking differently when it comes to marketing and selling services.

Creativity, Inc., by Ed Catmull. Salman, our Portfolio Manager, suggests this book about creativity in business. It’s written by the co-founder of Pixar Animation Studios (Toy Story, Finding Nemo, The Incredibles) and looks at the inner-workings of the company and how an upstart’s desire to innovate led to a totally new experience for moviegoers. The author also discusses the ideals and techniques that have made Pixar so successful.

The Desire Map, by Danielle LaPorte. Sher (our Client Service/Executive Assistant) wanted this one on the list. Goal-setting gets a makeover in this ‘guide to creating goals with soul.’ In Sher’s words, “For me, it turned the process of setting goals on its head.”

If nothing on our list piques your interest, consider revisiting a masterpiece from Orwell, Twain, Buffett or Bradley. And if you’ve come across a read you can’t stop talking about, do share.