May 28, 2019

NEW YORK — J.P. Morgan today announced selections for the firm’s 20th anniversary edition of its annual Summer Reading List. Featuring 10 inspiring nonfiction titles ranging from current events and leadership to global gourmet and travel, this is the most diverse collection of topics and authors since its inception.

“Every year, our teams look forward to curating summer reading collections that offer clients distinctive opportunities to explore new worlds, new tastes and new ideas,” said Darin Oduyoye, Chief Communications Officer for J.P. Morgan Asset & Wealth Management. Now – two decades in – we continue that tradition hoping to spark curiosity and conversation with an eclectic mix of books meant to educate, motivate and inspire.”

The annual summer list was launched in 2000 and has grown each year to reflect cultural shifts and interests of the firm’s client base. Advisors from J.P. Morgan offices around the globe submitted and reviewed hundreds of titles to ultimately curate the 20th anniversary list of 10 books.

To explore this anniversary list and celebrate past years, visit jpmorgan.com/readinglist2019. The 10 titles selected for the 2019 J.P. Morgan Summer Reading List are:

Out of the Gobi: My Story of China and America, by Weijian Shan. At a time when two of the world’s largest and most influential nations—China and the United States—face off in a delicate and tense economic showdown, one man’s journey sheds a revealing light on both countries and their current interactions. Weijian Shan shares his inspirational first-hand account of overcoming immense hardship during the Cultural Revolution in China, as well as his journey become the ultimate American dream success story. Through a deeply detailed and insightful narrative, Shan offers a unique view of his homeland and the country he now calls home.

The Age of Living Machines: How Biology Will Build the Next Technology Revolution, by Susan Hockfield.As our global population surges, climate change and new extremes loom, healthcare costs rise, countries and communities worldwide face unprecedented challenges. World-renowned neuroscientist Susan Hockfield asserts the next generation of technological advances to address these issues will be rooted heavily on biology. From bionic limbs to computer engineered agriculture, new biology-rich innovations offer an exciting glimpse at our future.

Hilma af Klint: Paintings for the Future, by Tracey Bashkoff. A visionary artist whose work predates some of the more recognizable trailblazers of the abstract movement, Hilma af Klint created graphic, high-impact paintings and works on paper that offered a uniquely spiritual and esoteric take on art. Perhaps aware that her pieces were not of her time, the artist stipulated that the entirety of her life’s work should remain unseen by the public for 20 years following her death in 1944. Accompanying the artist’s first major exhibition in the United States at the Guggenheim Museum, this catalogue delves into the thematic evolution of her artistry, the influences within her life, and the impact she has had on modern art—ensuring the artist and her work are a secret no more.

The Moment of Lift: How Empowering Women Changes the World, by Melinda Gates. As the modern world increasingly shifts toward gender equality, women still face critical challenges that are continue to impact society. Melinda Gates, one of the most inspiring and influential philanthropists of our time, shares the stories of the remarkable women she has encountered from around the globe. Gates eloquently weaves key lessons with inspiring anecdotes of women overcoming pressing challenges. The book is a reminder of both the power of story and the need for change, and proof that when women succeed, we all succeed.

Literary Places (Inspired Traveller’s Guide), by Sarah Baxter and Amy Grimes. Reading often transports us to new worlds and unexplored places—that is part of the magic of a memorable book and its charming illustrations. In Literary Places, travel journalist Sarah Baxter takes us on a journey to locales around the world through some of the most celebrated and emotionally impactful oeuvres of modern history. From the labyrinth of markets and mosques of medieval Cairo in Naguib Mafouz’s Palace Walk to the sun-drenched plains of Don Quixote’s La Mancha, the tangled streets of Victor Hugo’s Paris to the moody sites of New York City in J.D. Salinger’s Catcher in the Rye, Baxter offers a distinctive and informative guide through time, geography, and the human experience with our surroundings.

The Prosperity Paradox: How Innovation Can Lift Nations Out of Poverty, by Clayton Christensen, Efosa Ojomo and Karen Dillon. Co-authors Clayton Christensen, Efosa Ojomo and Karen Dillon tackle one of the world’s most enduring and intractable issues: Poverty. Despite seemingly altruistic intentions of development and billions of dollars of resources, many countries on the receiving end of aid from the developed world have, in fact, become even poorer. Addressing the multitude of factors for this frustrating contradiction, Christensen, Ojomo, and Dillon offer an alternative route to sustainable development, using innovative proven models from around the world.

My Mexico City Kitchen: Recipes and Convictions, by Gabriela Camara. Celebrated restaurateur and chef Gabriela Camara has helped transform the food scene in Mexico City with her modern, fresh take. Her acclaimed restaurants—Contramar in Mexico City and Cala in San Francisco—have become wildly popular, a testament to her creativity. In My Mexico City Kitchen, Camara presents the stories and “how to” for some of her most delectable dishes, seamlessly blending the expected (enchiladas and tacos) with the imaginative (savory corn pudding and tuna puff pastries) for global gourmets.

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, by David Epstein. Specialization from an early age in athletics, music, art and science is often touted as the key to becoming an elite master of industry. David Epstein’s research turns this theory on its head. In Range, he shares the secrets of how generalists are succeeding at every age. His work spotlights the fact that it is not necessarily when we start, but more often how starts, failures and restarts fuel our agility, determination and ultimate success. ”Don’t feel behind” is this author’s advice—and with deep insights at the point of where sport, science and technology cross, it’s advice worth following.

D-Day Girls: The Spies Who Armed the Resistance, Sabotaged the Nazis, and Helped Win World War II, by Sarah Rose. Before the invasion of Normandy signaled a turning point in World War II, Allied forces faced a seemingly unstoppable Germany. The situation demanded unprecedented action on the part of the Special Operations Executive—a move to recruit women as spies. Thirty-nine women would go on to serve in a program of sabotage, disruption and espionage that would pave the way for an Allied victory at D-Day. As we approach the 75th anniversary of this historic day, Sarah Rose has rigorously researched their stories and pointed a much-needed spotlight on some of the unsung heroines of the war. Her gripping accounts evoke the drama and action of a spy-novel—except they’re all true.

Atlas Obscura: Explorer’s Guide for the World’s Most Adventurous Kid, by Dylan Thuras and Rosemary Mosco. Spanning 47 countries and all seven continents, Atlas Obscura is an illustrated guide to some of the most magical and strange places known to man—all with an eye to the young explorer. Glowing caves, massive tree houses, an ice cream shop with 900 flavors and more will captivate and charm readers young and old. This globe-trekking guide is a perfect blend of consumable facts, illuminating history, geography and culture—seasoned with a sense of fun and excitement. Bon voyage!