Summer Reading Picks for Business Leaders from UMD Smith Experts

COLLEGE PARK, Md., May 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The annual Summer Reading List for Business Leaders from the University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business features faculty picks on investing, neuroscience, human connection, and more, including a novel inspired by a radio show-turned TV series.

A Brief History of Intelligence: Evolution, AI, and the Five Breakthroughs that Made Our Brains by Max Bennett: "I loved it because it provides an evolutionary view of what human intelligence means, which allows us to then reflect on the implications of AI." —Cecilia Bustamante, associate professor of finance.

The Profiteers: How Business Privatizes Profits and Socializes Costs by Christopher Marquis: "The book takes a clear-eyed look at how many businesses still prioritize short-term profits at the expense of society and the environment. With sharp analysis and global examples, it reveals how costs are often shifted onto communities while gains remain privatized. The book challenges us to rethink corporate responsibility— not as a side initiative, but as a structural necessity for sustainable value creation. This is a compelling call for leaders to align profit with purpose and help build systems that work for everyone." —Nima Farshchi, executive director of the Office of Experiential Learning and director of the Center for Social Value Creation.

Hospital, Heal Thyself: One Brilliant Mathematician's Proven Plan for Saving Hospitals, Many Lives, and Billions of Dollars by Mark Taylor: "If you want to know what is possible with respect to hospital operations management, 'Hospital, Heal Thyself' is a good book to read. It is largely about the impact that one man, Eugene Litvak, has had on healthcare operations." —Bruce Golden, France-Merrick Chair in Management Science. 

The Certainty Trap: Why We Need to Question Ourselves More—and How We Can Judge Others Less by Ilana Redstone: "This book is foundational to understanding how to restore civility across our communities. It helps us understand how disagreement does not mean that those we disagree with are bad people." —Brent Goldfarb, Dean's Professor of Entrepreneurship, and academic director of the Dingman-Lamone Center for Entrepreneurship.

Misbelief: What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things by Dan Ariely: "In his recent book, renowned researcher Dan Ariely uses his personal experience of being a target to discuss the factors that lead individuals to believe irrational things. These factors— emotional, cognitive, social, and personal— may drive individuals to believe outlandish concepts and start acting on their misbeliefs. It is important to recognize these human limitations and help build tools to protect us from them."—Progyan Basu, clinical professor of accounting and information assurance.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: "Sometimes you just need a dash of the absurd to remind you how weird and wonderful the universe can be. Think Monty Python in space, soaked in existential nonsense and British wit. The Earth is casually demolished, a depressed robot hates everything, and the answer to the meaning of life is 42." —Terrence O'Brien, visiting assistant clinical professor of finance.

The Fed and the Flu: Parsing Pandemic Economic Shocks by David Kotok, Michael Englund, Tristan Erwin and Elizabeth Sweet: "In this book, the authors examine how the Federal Reserve responds to economic shocks caused by pandemics, like the Spanish Flu of 1918 and the more recent COVID-19 pandemic. As a former Federal Reserve employee and a professor of banking, I found the analysis of the crises and the government's response fascinating. The authors look back to see how leaders in Ancient Greece and Rome tried to address the devastating impact of disease on their economies. Having learned from responses to past pandemics, the Fed responded to COVID-19 by reducing interest rates, setting up emergency lending and relaxing some bank regulations to encourage banks to lend to stimulate the economy." —Elinda Kiss, professor emerita of finance.

Richer, Wiser, Happier: How the World's Greatest Investors Win in Markets and Life: by William Green: "This book provides investment advice that relies on themes that have been expressed by Warren Buffett, including emphasizing the importance of long-term time horizons, patience, and discipline. Temperament is more important than IQ. Investors should not panic when the market has sharp declines, nor be euphoric when new highs are achieved. The author presents insights from interviews with some of the world's most successful investors like Charlie Munger, Howard Marks, Joel Greenblatt, Mohnish Pabrai, and Bill Miller." —David Kass, clinical professor of finance.

May Contain Lies: How Stories, Statistics and Studies Exploit Our Biases – And What We Can Do About It by Alex Edmans: "We now have more information at our fingertips than ever before. Unfortunately, we are also inundated by a tsunami of misinformation. What are we to believe? How do we tell fact from fiction? With well-chosen and colorful stories, Edmans describes the many kinds of errors we fall prey to and how to avoid them. This is a non-technical book that's very pleasant and easy to read." —Kislaya Prasad, research professor and academic director of the Center for Global Business.

Small Giants: Companies That Choose to Be Great Instead of Big by Bo Burlingham "A wonderful book about belief systems and how bringing in personal beliefs and values can positively affect the success and impact of businesses." —Emanuel Zur, Associate Dean of Master of Science Programs.

The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America's Shining Women by Kate Moore: "This is a true story about young women who suffered from radium poisoning while working in luminous watch-dial factories in the early 20th century. The women were told to 'lip, dip, paint' to shape the brush tips with their lips, unknowingly ingesting radium. They developed horrific illnesses like jaw necrosis or radium jaw. This led to a landmark court case in 1928. Their legal battles laid the foundation for modern workplace safety laws and corporate accountability." —Jeff Lawrence, adjunct professor of marketing.

Doctored: Fraud, Arrogance and Tragedy in the Quest to Cure Alzheimer's by Charles Piller: "A fascinating and shocking look at the research behind medical innovations, and why it is so important to get the science right." —David Waguespack, associate professor of management and organization.

Alchemy: The Magic of Original Thinking in a World of Mind-Numbing Conformity by Rory Sutherland: "Sometimes the opposite of a good idea is still a good idea. This book fills in the lines of a narrative that we have been trained to think is the only story. While reducing risk is important, that mentality does not allow for creative, innovative, or original ideas. I love this book because it solidifies the creative and innovative mindset in a business environment." —Justín Reyna, associate clinical professor of logistics, business and public policy.

Path Lit by Lightning: The Life of Jim Thorpe by David Maraniss: "In my formative years, I was the quintessential nerd. The bulk of my free time was spent reading books, listening to all genres of music and having heady conversations with my circle of friends. However, in third grade, I ventured outside of my comfort zone. I tried my hand at basketball. From the onset, I was awful— I couldn't rebound, shoot or even properly dribble the ball. In time, my skills would markedly improve, but I knew in my heart that I would never become Jim Thorpe. This exalted son of the Sac and Fox nation was, without question, one of the greatest athletes to grace this world. Embodying the Olympic mantra Citius (faster), Altius (higher), Fortius (stronger)— Jim Thorpe can stake his claim in the annals of competition by winning gold in both the pentathlon and decathlon at the 1912 Olympic Games in Stockholm." —Hank Boyd, clinical professor of marketing.

The 5 Types of Wealth: A Transformative Guide to Design Your Dream Life by Sahil Bloom: "Bloom's work transcends conventional financial literacy by articulating a multidimensional framework of wealth that encompasses relational, physical, emotional, temporal, and fiscal capital. Drawing from behavioral economics, personal development literature and systems thinking, he proposes a more holistic and sustainable metric of human success. This volume invites interdisciplinary dialogue on how we quantify value, well-being and legacy in contemporary society. Forget the tired trope of chasing money— Bloom redefines wealth with a modern philosopher's clarity and an entrepreneur's punch." —Roy Thomason, management and organization lecturer.

Superagency: What Could Possibly Go Right with Our AI Future by Reid Hoffman and Greg Beato: "I like the book because Hoffman is granular rather than using an overly broad brush." —Anil Gupta, Michael D. Dingman Chair in Strategy and Entrepreneurship.

Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders and the Rise of Social Engineering by Malcolm Gladwell: "Malcolm Gladwell is such a skilled writer and storyteller that I had to read it, if only to study his distinctive, conversational style. As for the theses he presents, they're thought-provoking and worth discussing, even if not entirely sustainable. At the very least, he always jolts me from the stupor of assuming that traditional explanations of how the world works can't be challenged." —Sam Handwerger, accounting and information assurance lecturer.

Contact: Greg Muraski, [email protected]

SOURCE University of Maryland's Robert H. Smith School of Business