Summer Reading List 2026

"Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." — Harry S. Truman

There's something about summer that makes space for reading. The pace slows down a little. The days stretch out. And if you're lucky, you find a book that earns a permanent spot on the shelf.

This year's list comes from across our team and, like our clients, we read broadly. There's AI and accountability, history and heartbreak, epistolary fiction and the quiet power of a morning walk. A few will make you think differently about money. At least one will make you think differently about everything else. Something here has your name on it.

Empire of AI, by Karen Hao Recommended by Eric Arthrell, Vice President Business Services, Purpose Unlimited

Eric calls this one exceptional, and it's easy to see why. Hao traces the founding of OpenAI, the split that created Anthropic, and the staggering human and environmental cost of building the infrastructure behind modern AI. It's a bit of a reckoning with how these companies were built and by whom. Written in early 2025, some of the technology has already moved on, but as a historical account of the people and decisions that shaped this industry, Eric says it's a must-read.

The Mountains Sing, by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai Recommended by Chris Stephenson, Investor Specialist, Steadyhand

Chris describes this as heart-wrenching, and that feels exactly right. The novel follows the Tran family across generations of Vietnamese history, from land reform to the American War and its aftermath. It's the kind of book that opens a door you didn't know was closed. The author wrote it, in her own words, as "a desperate call for peace and for humans to love other human beings more." Chris says it delivered on every page.

The Correspondent, by Virginia Evans Recommended by our founder, Tom Bradley

Our founder, Tom Bradley, mostly reads non-fiction but this year recommended a book off his wife’s reading list. Her friend recommended ‘The Correspondent’ by Virginia Evans saying, “The book is written in an unusual style, strictly letters and correspondence… but this adds to the brilliance of character development. A compelling and rewarding read!” Tom wholeheartedly agrees, although he might be a little biased given his history of letter writing to clients and investors.

Theo of Golden, by Allen Levi Recommended by Lori Norman, Investor Specialist, Steadyhand — best enjoyed on Audible

Lori chose this one because its message felt timely: slow down, connect with people, and actually listen. In a year when AI and social media have crowded out so much quiet, Theo of Golden is a gentle reminder that kindness and goodness are still very much out there. The narrator's voice, Lori says, is the kind you can sink right into, like he's sitting beside you on your morning walk. This is a book for your ears, not just your eyes.

The Art of Spending Money, by Morgan Housel Recommended by Dave Nugent, Chief Product Officer, Purpose Unlimited

Dave's pick is the follow-up to Housel's The Psychology of Money, in which the focus shifts from how we build wealth to how we actually use it. Housel argues that spending well is more psychology than math, shaped by comparison, identity, and expectations more than by spreadsheets. He draws a sharp line between being rich (having money) and being wealthy (having control over what money does to who you are), and makes the case that the real return on money is independence, not status.

The Slight Edge, by Jeff Olson Recommended by Kim Kwong, VP, Business Transformation and Strategy, Advisor Solutions by Purpose

The premise of this book is a simple but powerful case: the small things you do every day, the things that barely seem to matter in the moment, are the things that determine where you end up. Jeff Olson calls it the Slight Edge. Consistent small actions, compounded over time, produce results that look like overnight success from the outside but are anything but. The flip side is equally true. The habits that quietly work against you are just as invisible, until suddenly they're not. For Kim, whose work is all about building better outcomes one process at a time, this one hit close to home. It's not a finance book, but anyone who believes in the long game will recognize the logic immediately.

Happy reading. And as always, if something on this list sparks a conversation about your own plans, financial or otherwise, we're here.