What We’re Reading This Summer
When I confessed on LinkedIn that I don’t read business books cover to cover anymore, I didn’t expect the flood of thoughtful replies from leaders across our network. Turns out, I’m not alone!
From audiobooks, to ChatGPT summaries, to the occasional deep dive, leaders in the VACEOs network are reading differently—and often, reading far beyond traditional business topics.
So what are we reading this summer? Here’s what I heard.
Business & Leadership Books (That Actually Deliver)
- Reset by Dan Heath
Recommended by Sarah Milston, who also endorsed:- Who Better Than You and Dreaming Big by Will Packer
- Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
- The AI-Driven Leader by Geoff Woods
Brittany Toler urges a full read, saying it’s one of the few worth going beyond a summary—ideal for leaders who want to “think forward.” - The Great Game of Business by Jack Stack
Peter Norman calls this “a master class in open-book management” that turns KPIs into a team sport. - The Next Conversation by Jefferson Fisher
Peter Norman also praised this one for its practical insights on navigating tough conversations. Kristin Harrison recommended Fisher’s Instagram. - 10X is Easier Than 2X by Dan Sullivan
Mentioned by Christopher Jones, this is a popular pick this year for those scaling ambitiously. - Slow Productivity by Cal Newport & Hidden Potential by Adam Grant
Aaron Lee found both of these worth a deep dive. - Good to Great and Traction
Bryan Sklar shared that these two books have had the most impact on his business. - The Heart of Business by Hubert Joly
Henry Clifford recommended this, as well as the others below, but only on Audible.
Not Reading—Listening or Summarizing
- Henry Clifford listens exclusively via Audible, saying “No Audible, no book.” His 2025 listens include:
- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
- Let My People Go Surfing by Yvon Chouinard
- Todd Mawyer and others are using ChatGPT and Blinkist to quickly extract business book insights.
- Beth Jacobs adds: “Blinkist dives a little deeper than ChatGPT and still lets you skip around.”
Fiction, Essays & The Inner Life
Many leaders are choosing novels, cultural commentary, and poetry over business books. The humanities for leaders of humans, right?
- James Burke put it plainly: “Novels, plays, literature about humanity… all the lessons are there.”
- Chauncey Jenkins recommended In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki, calling it “a masterclass in vision and identity” that challenges Western modernism.
- Bryant Harrison shared a wide-ranging list, including
- The Art of Gathering by Priya Parker
- Anam Cara and The Inner Landscape by John O’Donohue
- I Will Teach You to Be Rich by Ramit Sethi
- Nicole Mason is inspired by God Is At Work, by Ken Eldred, who built numerous businesses.
- Kim Moss reads a ton of fiction and recommends Remarkably Bright Creatures, by Shelby Van Pelt and Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow, by Gabrielle Zevin.
- Laurie Head is reading A Virginia Odyssey: Culture, Community, and Trust by John Thomas.
I Read . . . But
A few final takeaways from the comments:
- Keith Hartman compared most business books to “modern medicine shows”—formulaic and better served in outline form.
- Nick Serfass said – Couldn’t agree more! I’m interested in stories, not lists, steps, or sound bytes.
- Jennifer Tompkins shared a great list of book summary tools at ISBNDB.com.
- Rick Whittington uses ChatGPT to generate summaries and then listens to them podcast-style.
- David Wren and Kelly All find more value in history, fiction, and narrative storytelling than step-by-step business advice.
Your Summer Reading Strategy
Whether you’re lounging at the river or knocking out chapters between meetings, here’s a winning approach:
- Pick one business book to skim deeply or summarize.
- Add one novel, memoir, or cultural essay for balance.
- Try an audiobook on your next drive or walk.
- Use AI summaries to preview before committing.
It turns out, you’re not alone if you can’t finish another 300-page book about habits or frameworks. This summer, read what gives you energy, broadens your perspective, and—if you’re lucky—actually entertains you.
What’s on your summer reading list? Let’s keep the conversation going.
VACEOs Executive Director Scot McRoberts used ChatGPT to summarize comments from his Linkedin post and elsewhere for this blog post.
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