We still know what you’re reading this summer
Gwendolyn Bounds

Gwendolyn Bounds

Chief Content Officer, Consumer Reports

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World
by David Epstein

This superb, scientifically backed narrative made me a more clear-eyed problem solver and a more strategic athlete.

Freedom
 by Sebastian Junger

I interviewed Junger while working at the Wall Street Journal and remain struck by his ability to find what is extraordinary in the ordinary. Through his journey walking railroad lines, Junger claws the word “freedom” back from politicization and reexamines in a succinct 147 pages about what it means to be human.

Parable of the Sower and Parable of the Talents
 by Octavia E. Butler

These dystopian classics feel like must-reads or rereads coming out of the events of 2020.

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OTHER MEDIA

Kevin Merida
Los Angeles Times

Sally Buzbee
Washington Post

Gwendolyn Bounds
Consumer Reports

Adrienne LaFrance
Atlantic

Anup Kaphle
Rest of World

Danielle Belton
HuffPost

S. Mitra Kalita
URL Media

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Other 2021 reading lists you might want to explore

McKinsey Global Publishing’s top 25 picks

Summer books of 2021: Business (Financial Times)

Summer is coming. Bring a book. (New York Times)

Barack Obama: My summer 2021 lists (Medium)

The Harvard Business School faculty summer reader 2021 (Harvard Business School)

The books of summer (Wall Street Journal)

Summer reading: The 50 hottest new books everyone should read (Guardian)

Summer reading: 10 of the best art books of the past year (Christie’s)

5 ideas for summer reading (Bill Gates)

Summer reads 2021: What are Princeton professors reading—and listening to—this summer? (Princeton University)

What politicos are reading this summer (Politico)

Summer reading book list (reading adventures for babies, kids, and teens) (New York Public Library)

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Acknowledgments

It takes a village to curate amazing lists from this rather busy group of leaders from all over the world. We would like to thank Kris Coratti, Chantal De Soto, Rimjhim Dey, Melanie Newman, Joellen Perry, and Jayne Rosefield for their help.

Within McKinsey Global Publishing, Eleni Kostopoulos led the effort to make this year’s list come alive, with collaboration and support from Mike Borruso, Nancy Cohn, Victor Cuevas, Torea Frey, Mary Halpin, Drew Holzfeind, Kathleen O'Leary, LaShon Malone, Philip Mathew, Janet Michaud, Kanika Punwani, Sarah Thuerk, Duane Tomaszewski, Petra Vincent, and Nathan Wilson.

And thank you to our contributors and their organizations for providing McKinsey Global Publishing with their photographs and permission to use them.

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