Three business books stand out as reading rates lag
Fortune’s Diane Brady recommended recent books on AI, corporate integrity and garbage work as about 40% of Americans skipped books last year.
By Sofia Marchetti · World Affairs Correspondent
2 min read
About 40% of Americans did not read a single book last year, according to Fortune’s CEO Daily newsletter. Against that backdrop, Fortune Executive Editorial Director Diane Brady highlighted three recent business books she said are worth making time for this summer.
Brady wrote that the business-book category can be uneven, with some authors seeking a speaking platform or a chance to shape their own public record. Still, she said conversations with leaders have shown her that a strong book can change how executives think.
The three books Brady picked
Brady’s first recommendation was AI For Good: How Real People are Using Artificial Intelligence to Fix Things that Matter by Josh Tyrangiel, a former colleague of hers. She described the book as a closely reported look at artificial intelligence’s practical promise.
According to Brady, Tyrangiel told her he wanted the book to move past both excitement and fear surrounding AI. She said the examples he examines include efforts tied to sepsis, vaccine distribution and large-scale personalized tutoring.
Brady framed the book as a way to study AI uses from entrepreneurs focused on concrete problems rather than grand forecasts. She contrasted that approach with tech figures who talk about living on Mars or predicting the loss of 80% of jobs.
Her second pick was Incorruptible: Why Good Companies Go Bad and How Great Companies Stay Great by Eric Ries. Brady wrote that she first picked up the book after attending a launch event at The Dakota, a New York building she had wanted to see.
Brady said she expected a study of corporate failure and found some of that in the book. She wrote that Ries also treats corruption as a problem of systems and structure rather than only personal ethics, offering ideas for how companies can preserve trust and mission.
The third recommendation was Trash: A Garbageman’s Story by Simon Paré-Poupart. Brady wrote that the memoir has been compared with Anthony Bourdain’s Kitchen Confidential.
Brady described Paré-Poupart as a sociologist of physical labor who studies consumption through garbage collection. She said the book mixes humor, candor and a short length, making it a fit for summer reading.
Brady also noted that her own summer list includes speculative fiction, true crime and a divisive book about “trad wife” time travel. But her focus in CEO Daily was on recent business books she believes can reward readers who might otherwise skip the category.
This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.