What Our Coaches Are Reading This Summer (Spoiler: It’s Good)

Whether you’re reading from a hammock, a gate-side seat at the airport, or between Zoom calls, this is the season for slowing down—and maybe, digging in.

We asked our coaches & consultants to share the books they’re recommending and returning to this season—and they delivered.  A wonderfully wide-ranging collection of insightful, uplifting, quirky, and quietly life-changing reads—handpicked with leaders (and real humans) in mind.

Let’s get to the full list!

Professional & Personal Growth

• The Big Leap – Gay Hendricks
  Move past limiting beliefs into your Zone of Genius.
• Atomic Habits – James Clear
  Break stuck patterns and create lasting behavioral change.
• How Women Rise – Marshall Goldsmith & Sally Helgesen
  Career-limiting habits—especially for women—and how to change them.
• Immunity to Change – Robert Kegan & Lisa Laskow Lahey
  Surface the hidden commitments that hold you back.
• Likeable Badass – Alison Fragale
  Balance leadership strength with approachability.
• Simple Habits for Complex Times – Jennifer Garvey Berger
  Navigate ambiguity with strategic habits.
• Changing on the Job (2nd Ed.) – Jennifer Garvey Berger
  Develop as a person to grow as a leader.
• Navigating Polarities – Brian Emerson & Kelly Lewis
  Lead through tension and paradox using both/and thinking.
• The Friction Project – Bob Sutton & Huggy Rao
  Reduce or use friction to improve performance.
• Political Savvy – Joel R. DeLuca
  Navigate organizational politics with clarity and ethics.

Identity, Inclusion & Cultural Insight

• Your Unique Cultural Lens – Enrique J. Zaldivar
  Discover how your culture influences how you lead.
• NeuroTribes – Steve Silberman
  A compelling look at neurodiversity and rethinking autism.
• A Pair of Wings – Carole Hopson
  Inspired by the real-life story of pioneering pilot Bessie Coleman.
• Emergent Strategy – adrienne maree brown
  Social transformation inspired by nature, Black feminism, and science fiction.

Mindset, Identity & Self-Compassion

• The Courage to Be Disliked – Fumitake Koga
  Break free from people-pleasing and unlock inner freedom.
• The French Art of Not Giving a Sh*t – Fabrice Midal
  Embrace a less anxious, more honest way of living.
• The Gifts of Imperfection – Brené Brown
  Cultivate worthiness, connection, and courage.

Attention, Mindfulness & Neuroscience

• Peak Mind – Amishi Jha
  Train your attention like a muscle.
• The Master and His Emissary – Iain McGilchrist
  How the divided brain shapes our world.
• Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives – David Eagleman
  Brief stories that stretch your brain and open your heart.

Contemplation, Meaning & Deep Time

• Everyday Habits for Transforming Systems – Adam Kahane
  Change systems by changing yourself.
• Perseverance – Meg Wheatley
  Encouragement for long-term work in chaotic times.
• Mastering the Core Teachings of the Buddha – Daniel Ingram
  Deep insight into high-level meditation practice.
• Mindfulness in Plain English – Bhante Henepola Gunaratana
  A classic, practical guide to meditation.
• The Fourth Turning is Here – Neil Howe
  A sweeping look at American generational cycles.

Fiction & Escapism with Depth

• Before the Coffee Gets Cold – Toshikazu Kawaguchi
  Poignant, quirky stories about time travel and regret.
• Demon Copperhead – Barbara Kingsolver
  A powerful reimagining of David Copperfield in Appalachia.
• Fourth Wing – Rebecca Yarros
  Dragons, resilience, and emotional courage in fantasy form.
• Hamnet – Maggie O’Farrell
  Shakespeare’s family, grief, and poetic prose.
• Careless People – Sarah Wynn-Williams
  Sharp, fast-paced fiction in modern Silicon Valley.
• Trust – Hernan Diaz
  Unravel wealth, myth, and storytelling.
• The Final Empire – Brandon Sanderson
  An epic fantasy world with stunning logic and detail.
• The Name of the Wind – Patrick Rothfuss
  A lyrical, sweeping coming-of-age story.
• The Color of Magic – Terry Pratchett
  Smart, satirical fantasy about life, death, and leadership.

Surprising Systems & Everyday Wonders

• Frostbite – Nicola Twilley
  A cool history of refrigeration and its surprising impacts.
• Braiding Sweetgrass – Robin Wall Kimmerer
  Where Indigenous wisdom meets scientific insight.
• The Heart of Laser-Focused Coaching – Marion Franklin
  Practical techniques for transformational coaching.

Connection, Creativity & Contribution

• How to Know a Person – David Brooks
  Be someone who helps others feel truly seen.
• Embrace Your Inner Peaches – Alan Heymann
  A delightfully illustrated take on authentic leadership.
• My Friends – Fredrik Backman
  The transformative power of friendship.
• A Swim in a Pond in the Rain – George Saunders
  What great stories teach us about being human.
• Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Love
  A curated selection of King’s writings on love and justice.

 

Until your next great read,
The Sparks Group Team