What the Ultrarich Are Reading: A Glimpse at Their Bookshelves

Want a peek into the mind of the ultrarich? Check out their summer reading list.

For 26 years, J.P. Morgan has been providing a summer reading list for its clients all over the world. This year’s list focuses on curiosity.

“Our 2025 Summer Reading List is a celebration of curiosity’s boundless power,” said Darin Oduyoye, chief communications officer of J.P. Morgan Asset and Wealth Management. “This year’s selections challenge us to think and explore boldly. With topics ranging from personal values to innovative frontiers such as AI, electric vehicles, and the universe’s wonders, this list is designed to inspire growth and forward-thinking.”

Key Takeaways

• Examining the annual summer reading list from J.P. Morgan offers some insight into the minds of the very wealthy.
• The theme of the 2025 reading list is curiosity, and it features books covering topics such as artificial intelligence (AI) and electric cars.
• Psychology, a memoir, reflective art, and flowers are also topics of this year’s summer reading list from J.P. Morgan.

Summer Reading List

Here are the 16 nonfiction books that the very wealthy will be reading this summer, according to J.P Morgan.

• “Life in Three Dimensions”: Psychologist Shigehiro Oishi explores how psychological richness, including traits such as curiosity and exploration, can result in personal growth.
• “Becoming You”: Suzy Welch offers tips on building a career and discovering your true self.
• “Reset”: Dan Heath wants to show you how to make needed changes at work.
• “The Next Day”: Melinda French Gates offers advice on managing life’s transitions.
• “Iron Hope”: Endurance athlete James Lawrence offers readers advice on building mental fortitude.
• “The Tell: A Memoir”: Amy Griffin, founder of investment firm G9 Ventures, recounts the story of her life from Texas to Virginia to New York.
• “Coming of Age”: Noor Sweid explores how the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) grew as a technology hub.
• “The Technological Republic”: Authors Alexander C. Karp and Nicholas W. Zamiska, both of Palantir, examine the tech landscape of the West.
• “Inevitable”: Author Mike Collins assesses the electric car industry.
• “Raising AI”: Author De Kai looks at ways AI can improve the future.
• “MirrorMirror”: Michael Petry, director of the Museum of Contemporary Art in London, explores how artists use reflective surfaces in their creations.
• “The Fricks Collect”: Ian Wardropper, director of the Frick Collection, examines how Henry Clay and his daughter Helen built an art collection.
• “Mars: Photographs from the NASA Archives”: This book by Nikki Giovanni, James L. Green, Emily Lakdawalla, Rob Manning, and Margaret A. Weitekamp showcases 60 years of photography of the planet Mars.
• “Living With Flowers”: Aerin Lauder, granddaughter of Estée Lauder, shows readers how to bring flowers into their daily lives.
• “The Values Compass”: Author Mandeep Rai explores the core values of 101 countries.
• “Our Dollar, Your Problem”: Kenneth Rogoff examines 70 years of global finance and the rise of the U.S. dollar.

The Bottom Line

To understand the very wealthy, take a look at what they are reading. The annual summer reading list from J.P. Morgan allows us to do just that. This year’s list of 16 nonfiction books covers topics such as career building and discovering your true self, making changes at work, managing transitions, developing mental fortitude, and examining NASA photographs of Mars.