2026 Summer Reading List: Books That Shaped Careers and Belong in Your Beach Bag

Margaret Heckler was the only woman elected to Congress in 1966, championed groundbreaking legislation to allow women to apply for credit in their own name, served in President Reagan’s cabinet and as U.S. Ambassador to Ireland. Her daughter-in-law, Kimberly, is a dear friend of more than 15 years who meticulously researched this tribute to a great American woman.

Allen and I became friends while he was at UGA Law School and I was an undergrad. This moving story of intentional kindness is Allen’s first novel and has soared to the top of bestseller lists. I also recommend his first book, The Last Sweet Mile, a tribute to his older brother’s life and battle with terminal brain cancer. 

This self-published novel makes a fun beach read. Jon Richards is the pen name of my friend and former neighbor, John Matheny, who brings insights from his long career in banking and financial services to tell a gripping story that leaves you wanting more. 

This book got me interested in the mechanics and nuance of investing. 

The “what” and “how” are important, but the “why” is critical to understand, whether I’m building a portfolio or understanding what drives a client. 

This taught me that the best way to understand, discuss, or debate is through questions, and that the more I know, the more I realize I don’t know very much. Humility is important. 

I read Malcolm Gladwell’s Outliers at a pivotal point in my career, as I was taking on new roles within Cambridge, from compliance to technology and many areas in between. Its core message, that success and expertise can be built through a willingness to learn new concepts and create systems around them, gave me the confidence to step into unfamiliar areas and continue growing throughout my career. I still apply that mindset today, especially as I explore how artificial intelligence will impact our industry and the way we work. 

I am a big Jim Collins fan and especially appreciate the data-driven approach he takes in How the Mighty Fall to identify the key stages of organizational decline. At a time of continued disruption across our industry, the idea of organizational longevity has become increasingly important to our firm. Understanding the patterns that cause organizations to lose momentum, and being intentional about avoiding them, is critical to sustaining long-term success. The book also provides valuable perspective on why many large organizations, both within and outside of our industry, have struggled to successfully navigate periods of significant transformation. 

A long, long time ago, I read Who Moved My Cheese? by Spencer Johnson, which gave me the courage to leave my job and strike out on my own as a financial advisor. More recently, an impactful read is Morgan Housel’s The Psychology of Money. His observations are clearly written, easily understood and strike at the very essence of the discipline we are trying to convey to our clients.

Recently, I read The Women by Kristin Hannah. While historical fiction, it addresses topics of war that are all too real: patriotism, friendship, trauma, sacrifice, and family. I recommend it highly as we embark upon our summer reading adventures.

This framework applies to all facets of life. I’ve always believed that being fully engaged in what you’re doing leads to greater control and lower stress. 

I enjoy taking a break from business books and weaving fiction into my reading list. I appreciated the shift away from his traditional historical themes and found this book’s focus on human consciousness especially interesting.

The dysfunctions of a team are all interconnected. I strongly believe that teams must operate as a cohesive unit to achieve collective success.