Preface

JPMorgan’s annual summer reading list has become a seasonal touchstone for affluent readers and family offices seeking thoughtful, stimulating books for beachside leisure or quiet study. Compiled from recommendations by J.P. Morgan client advisors worldwide, the list offers insight into the topics occupying the minds of high-net-worth clients. This year’s selection reflects pressing interests—most notably artificial intelligence, leadership and performance, brain health, and the complexities of generational wealth transition. The purpose of this article is to summarize the list’s themes, explain why certain titles resonate with wealthy readers, and provide context for how these books align with the priorities of families, advisors, and investors.

Lazy bag

The 2024 JPMorgan summer list spotlights AI and its practical impacts, books on cognitive performance and longevity, leadership lessons from elite athletes, and works that address family succession and purpose. Curated by client advisors, the list captures both intellectual trends and the personal priorities of wealthy households looking for readable, actionable titles.

Main Body

The JPMorgan Summer Reading List, assembled annually from recommendations by the firm’s client advisors, functions as more than a set of pleasant suggestions for summer downtime. It is a barometer of topics that matter to clients managing substantial wealth—issues such as technological disruption, healthspan, leadership, and the transfer of values and assets across generations. The 2024 edition contains fourteen titles that collectively reflect these preoccupations.

Artificial intelligence is the most prominent theme this year. Two books on AI lead the list, signaling its centrality to strategic thinking among investors and wealthy families. Sebastian Mallaby’s The Infinity Machine profiles Google DeepMind co-founder Demis Hassabis and the competitive race to achieve major AI breakthroughs. It speaks to questions of innovation leadership, corporate strategy, and the societal implications of rapidly advancing technologies. Josh Tyrangiel’s AI for Good, by contrast, focuses on how AI is already being applied to solve everyday problems—practical case studies that appeal to readers seeking both the promise and the real-world impact of new tools. For affluent readers who invest in technology or whose businesses will be affected by AI, these books provide context and cautionary insight.

Leadership, performance, and cognitive resilience comprise another cluster of interest. George Newman’s How Great Ideas Happen examines the mental habits and environmental conditions that foster discovery and creativity—useful for entrepreneurs, executives, and family leaders intent on cultivating innovative cultures. Dr. Tommy Wood’s The Stimulated Mind offers science-based strategies to keep the brain adaptable and focused, addressing longevity not just in lifespan but in mental acuity. These works reflect a trend among wealthy readers: an emphasis on sustaining peak performance across long careers and extended lifespans.

Sports and leadership intersect in titles that draw lessons from elite athletes. Ric Bucher’s Coachable compiles conversations with high-profile figures—Michael Jordan, Tom Brady, Diana Taurasi—and distills lessons about discipline, preparation, and psychological resilience. For family offices and investors increasingly active in sports-related ventures or passionate about athlete-driven leadership lessons, such books offer both inspiration and applied management lessons.

Another important strand of the list concerns generational transition and legacy. As many family offices manage the transfer of substantial wealth to younger generations, literature that addresses purpose, identity, and leadership succession has gained traction. Jennifer Breheny Wallace’s Mattering is singled out for resonating with next-generation family leaders because it examines how rising decision-makers define meaning and pursue purpose amid wealth and responsibility. These topics are practical and emotional: families must navigate not only legal and financial aspects of succession but also questions of values, engagement, and identity that determine whether a transition succeeds.

Beyond these dominant themes, the list offers variety—books on longevity, cultural figures, and even culinary subjects that together reflect the diverse interests of high-net-worth readers. The inclusion of works on art, recipes, and lifestyle balance demonstrates that the wealthy seek enrichment across intellectual and practical domains, not solely in finance or technology.

What makes JPMorgan’s list influential is its curation method. Client advisors, who are in close dialogue with families and individual clients, provide recommendations grounded in firsthand awareness of client concerns. This bottom-up approach helps the list reflect what is top of mind: practical guidance on emerging risks and opportunities, ways to maintain personal and organizational performance, and materials that help families negotiate succession and purpose.

For advisors, investors, and family leaders, the reading list functions as both a resource and a conversation starter. Titles on AI can inform boardroom discussions about strategy and risk, books on the mind and performance can guide wellness and talent development programs, and works about succession and mattering can catalyze family meetings about values and roles. In short, the list crystallizes content that is at once timely and applicable.

In conclusion, JPMorgan’s 2024 summer selection mirrors the shifting priorities of the wealthy: a keen interest in how technology like AI reshapes opportunity, a focus on sustaining cognitive and physical performance, and a deep engagement with the interpersonal and identity-focused challenges of passing wealth and leadership to the next generation. Whether chosen for leisure or strategic insight, the books offer wealthy readers a mix of visionary thinking and practical advice suited to the complexities of contemporary wealth management.

Key Insights Table