Summer Reading List 2025

Summer’s winding down, and I’ve been fortunate to get through some excellent books over the past few months. I generally listen to audiobooks when riding bikes, doing long drives, or yard work. This summer I’ve been fortunate enough to do quite a bit of both, and have been able to enjoy some great books in the process. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s been on my reading list, along with why each one caught my attention.

Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World

by Mark Kurlansky

Kurlansky tells the surprising story of how a single species of fish shaped world history. From Viking expeditions to medieval trade routes, from the colonization of America to modern environmental collapse, cod has been at the center of it all. The book spans a thousand years and four continents, exploring how this humble fish influenced European colonialism, trade wars, and even the founding of New England. It’s microhistory at its finest, taking something seemingly mundane and showing how it’s been pivotal to major historical events.

I love this kind of book, where we just go way way into the deep end on some overly specific thing. If you’ve spent any time with me in the past 2 months you’ll know this book because I shoehorn cod facts and trivia into every conversation now.

On Character

by General Stanley McChrystal

After a career of service, retired four-star general McChrystal reflects on who we really are and who we choose to become. He argues that character isn’t inherited or automatic, it’s built through a succession of choices, both mundane and momentous.

McChrystal distills it to a simple equation: Character = Convictions × Discipline.

Without substantive beliefs or the will to act on them, character becomes valueless. Part memoir, part philosophical exploration, the book examines how our choices reveal our capacity for virtue and offers a roadmap for personal growth and integrity.

As a parent of a toddler this one really struck me. It’s pretty unavoidable with a young kid, you’re going to give some thought to what kind of person you hope to raise, and reflect on your own life in the process. I found this book as a prescient study of that condition.

The Gambling Man

by Lionel Barber

Former Financial Times editor Lionel Barber tells the wild story of Masayoshi Son, the founder of SoftBank and one of the world’s most consequential (yet least known) investors. Born in a Korean-Japanese family on the edge of a shanty town, Son overcame discrimination to build a tech empire worth over $1 trillion.

From his prescient early investment in Alibaba to the spectacular highs and lows of the $100 billion Vision Fund, including Uber, DoorDash, and the WeWork debacle. This biography captures the dizzying world of twenty-first-century venture capitalism through the lens of its biggest gambler.

Whatever you think of the guy or his investments, this is one of the fascinating characters of the past couple of decades, it’s borderline magical realism.

How to Build a Car

by Adrian Newey

The autobiography of Formula 1’s most successful car designer offers a unique window into 36 years at the pinnacle of motorsport. Newey, who’s designed championship-winning cars for Williams, McLaren, and Red Bull, tells his story through the prism of the cars he’s created and the legendary drivers he’s worked with, from Ayrton Senna to Max Verstappen.

Part memoir, part technical manual, it explains in accessible detail how an F1 car actually works while chronicling the evolution of the sport from the ground-effect era to today’s hybrid monsters.

Any autobiography of someone who was one of the very best at what they do is good, and this is no exception.