There’s nothing quite like a good book. The very best both entertain us and teach us about life, helping us become better versions of ourselves for the people who need us most.

If you’re traveling this summer and need to pass the time until you reach your destination – or if you’re out getting some sun, waiting for your tan to settle in – you may be tempted to flip on a movie or podcast, but we’d advise the only screen you reach for is sunscreen.

Your phone or tablet won’t take it personally, we promise.

We’ve asked our members to share a few of their favorite books (and one blog, if you insist on picking up your phone) to help you level up while you recharge, so you return better than ever.

Here are their picks:

Our Towns: A 100,000-Mile Journey into the Heart of America

by James Fallows and Deborah Fallows

“Our Towns” chronicles the authors’ cross-country journey by small plane to dissect how small American towns are handling the civic and societal issues of our time. We became intrigued after JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon gifted a copy to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani earlier this year.

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Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley’s Bill Campbell

by Eric Schmidt, Jonathan Rosenberg, and Alan Eagle

Written by a trio of Google alums, including the tech giant’s former CEO (Schmidt) and SVP (Rosenberg), “Trillion Dollar Coach” sketches the foundation of an honest, noble leader from values rooted in compassion and nurturing strong relationships.

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The Comfort Crisis: Embrace Discomfort to Reclaim Your Wild, Happy, Healthy Self

by Michael Easter

This book is a powerful reminder that actively seeking personal and professional challenge is key to making sure we are improving, growing, and maximizing our impact. We have to seek out challenge because life gravitates to reduced friction, but that path leads to atrophy.

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Construction Physics

from Brian Potter, supported by the Institute for Progress 

Construction Physics is technically a Substack newsletter/blog, not a book, but it offers data-focused insights into pressing construction technology issues to improve industry productivity and reduce project costs. New essays are typically published every few days.

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10 to 25: The Science of Motiviating Young People

by David Yeager

Your Gen Z employees are unlike any generation that came before them, so leaders need to be more conscientious about understanding their perspectives and find unique ways to motivate them. This book gives great insight into how today’s young people think and how to approach conversations that promote growth.

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