Summer Reading Recommendations: From Finance to Fiction

Summer is traditionally synonymous with leisure time, vacations and kicking back with a good book. But which one?  

We surveyed some FSI members to get their recommendations. While the genres ranged from biographies to behavioral psychology to fantasy, they all had a common thread – they were all personal and professional favorites. Here are the choices: 

Christine Byrne, Partner and Wealth Advisor, Back Cove Financial 

Professional pick: The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel is a well-written exploration of why money is such a difficult topic for so many. The common perception is that financial advisors only discuss investments with clients, but we spend most of our time listening to their needs and goals and having empathetic conversations. Money touches every aspect of our lives, and this book delivers some wonderful examples to consider.

Personal favorite: Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. This beautifully written novel allows the reader to dive into a different world but is accompanied by familiar characters. I wanted to read it before the movie was released. The book was a great escape and stayed with me for quite some time after I finished the last page.

Bruce W. Robson, CFP^®, AIF^® Co-Founder, Comprehensive Financial Solutions 

Professional pick: The Ensemble Practice: A Team-Based Approach to Building a Superior Wealth Management Firm by Philip Palaveev. I have returned to this book frequently in the past decade as it presents a thoughtful approach to enhancing the client experience, growing business and attracting talent. The author is an industry consultant who relied on his own research to provide a guide on how to create a team-based service model. It also showed me how to retire on my own terms while comfortably transitioning my clients. 

Personal pick: Cleopatra, A Life by Stacy Schiff. History. Intrigue. Politics. Economics. Gender conflict. This book has it all. Written by a Pulitzer Prize-winning biographer, Schiff delves into the factual and mythical aspects of Cleopatra’s life to illustrate how she became such a legend and titan in world history. 

Leigh McCluskey, Senior Vice President of Talent Acquisition, Advisor Group 

Professional pick: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain. This was a recent recommendation and an inspirational read. I consider myself to be introverted despite being in the very extroverted role of talent acquisition. The author was able to outline the roles of introverts and extroverts in a powerful manner that allowed me to understand my family, friends and colleagues better.

Personal pick: Mistborn: Era One by Brandon Sanderson. I’m a fan of sci-fi/fantasy, so this trilogy set in a dystopian empire catered to my fondness for that genre. I’ve heard the author combined his love for heist movies like Ocean’s Eleven and the premise of triumphant villains to create the underlying themes for Mistborn. The result is a fun read that’s perfect for the summer months.

Adam Malamed, Chief Executive Officer, Sanctuary Wealth

Professional and personal pick: Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant. Although this is viewed as a business book, the messages within touch on many aspects of my professional and personal endeavors. The author explains how to “embrace the joy of being wrong” by rethinking your opinions and those held by others. 

Dale Brown, President and CEO, FSI 

Personal favorite: Friends, Lovers and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir by Matthew Perry. This book provides a candid, unvarnished look at the actor’s childhood and journey to being a star of one of the most successful sitcoms of its time. It does not shy from his battle with addiction and recovery, which is what made it a particularly relevant read because those issues are also part of my family’s story.