13 books to add to your summer reading list
Looking for something to read under a tree in the park? On the beach? On vacation?
Look no further than these 13 recommendations from social impact professionals and experts across the country. A mix of fiction and nonfiction, these may not be your typical beach reads, but each is engrossing and transporting in its own way.
We asked these 13 changemakers for one book they think anyone interested in social change should pick up this summer — and to tell us why they loved it. Here’s what they said:
Pleasure Activism: The Politics of Feeling Good by adrienne maree brown
“If there is one thing that I know, it’s that hope is a much more sustainable motivator than despair. However, social impact sectors continue to be weighed down by scarcity mindsets, individualism, and burnout. These are all symptoms of white supremacy, colonialism, and patriarchy. These oppressive systems keep finding ways to outlive us. It is critical that we build social movements that will outlive them. adrienne maree brown sets out to answer a fundamental question in her book: How do we make social justice the most pleasurable human experience? In our answers, the way to not just make it through, but make it better will be revealed. Happy reading!” – Tyler Boyce, Executive Director, Enchante Network
Chop Suey Nation by Ann Hui
“To make you both crave delicious eats and be more thoughtful about Canada’s relationship with Chinese-Canadian immigrants and Chinese culture in Canada, [I recommend] the wonderful Chop Suey Nation by Ann Hui. It’s also wonderful to read if you’re traveling to small towns this summer.” – Amanda Munday, Founder and CEO, the Workaround
What Works: Gender Equality by Design by Iris Bohnet
“What Works was one of the first books I read when creating DirectHer Network and one I still refer back to regularly for data-proven solutions to help bake gender equity into organizational design. If you are interested in worlds of data, organizational design, human behaviour and gender equity, this is one to consider!” – Chantel Cabaj, President, DirectHer Network
Pride Against Prejudice: Transforming Attitudes to Disability by Jenny Morris
“[This book] was written in 1991 but is just relevant today. It’s a persuasive passionate argument for disabled people’s presence in society, set against the backdrop of ableism we face on a daily basis.” – Michelle Hewitt, Co-Chair, Disability Without Poverty
The Once and Future World: Nature As It Was, As It Is, As It Could Be by J.B. MacKinnon
“I love this book because it changes the way we see nature, our relationship to the natural world and to ourselves. MacKinnon weaves together a portrait of a long forgotten past, where oceans were abundant, forests thrived and ecosystems were diverse — to remind us what we must fight for in hopes of one day returning to that natural abundance in the future.” – Maia Wikler, Future of Good Editorial Fellow on Climate Change and Human Health
Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing by Pete Davis
“I really enjoyed Pete Davis’ Dedicated: The Case for Commitment in an Age of Infinite Browsing. I found Pete putting to words many thoughts that were rattling around my brain that I hadn’t yet fully formulated myself. Pete introduces the two cultures of Infinite Browsing Mode (think scrolling Netflix or swiping Tinder) and the Counterculture of Commitment (think 895 episodes of Mr. Rogers or Mrs. Gatley, his piano teacher – the point being that we don’t need celebrity to be dedicated). Unpacking the tensions between these two cultures, Pete introduces us to archetypes of Citizens, Patriots, Builders, Stewards, Artisans, and Companions to imagine our own commitments through. Ultimately, for anyone committed to social change we must commit to being Solid People in a Liquid World as he coins it. ‘Gardening, like commitment, requires a certain level of rootedness. You have to tend to plants consistently — you can’t chaotically bop in and out of gardening. And if you need to take a break from your plants, the only way to do so without killing them is to build community — to invite others to join you in your garden.’” – Jake Stika, Founder, Next Gen Men
Namayut: A Pathway to Reconciliation by Chief Robert Joseph
“Namayut means we are all one. This concept isn’t just necessary for Indigenous reconciliation, but it also has the power to heal the divisiveness that colonization and patriarchy has caused worldwide. I think it’s the healing message we’ve all been searching for since the pandemic forged us into a shared global experience. I believe Namayut can unite us into a future where our children will be proud of the consequences of our actions.” – Jace Meyer, Founder, COYA Productions
The End of Average by Todd Rose
“The End of Average reframes the way we think [about] differences. Author Todd Rose, Director of the Mind, Brain, and Education Program at Harvard, helps us understand how the concept of average, intended to capture the broadest set of needs and preferences, does the opposite. When we try and reduce complexity to an average, we lose the richness of what makes us unique. The average person does not exist. As a result, we end up designing products, services, and institutions serving a hypothetical average person that does not exist. It’s time to change that. Just as the plural of anecdote is not data, we cannot find meaning in the average of individuals. It’s time to change the way we think about people, embrace what makes each of us unique, and design with a one size fits one approach. The End of Average is a great introductory book for anyone looking to learn more about the biases in our systems and how to start changing it.” – Alwar Pillai, CEO, Fable
Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
“Johann Hari’s groundbreaking Stolen Focus is thoroughly researched and is a compelling deep dive into the breakdown of humankind’s ability to pay attention. It is one of the most profound books I’ve read this year and it’s completely flipped my understanding of how distracted our world has become. Every changemaker should read it this summer — without reaching for their phone while doing it.” – Vinod Rajasekaran, Publisher and CEO, Future of Good
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi
“This captivating book was a recent read of my family’s book club. The main character Gifty, a PhD candidate in neuroscience, shares her experience and family dynamics navigating mental illness, addiction, migration, science, religion, and relationships. It was a profound telling of how we all hold multiple worldviews that can be conflicted, even within us, and of course with those we interact with and love. I’d recommend this book to help probe your own self reflections. Where are you holding on to ideas and belief that you can let go of? Where can you open your mind and experience to new ways of knowing and being? Transcendent Kingdom is a beautifully written invitation to explore yourself through the lives of others. It’s the kind of book that you read slowly toward the end because you’re not prepared to say goodbye.” – Rebecca Darwent, Co-Founder, Foundation for Black Communities
Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
“I have always been a big reader — I love a thoughtful idea, a story you can get lost in, a new perspective to learn. For me, the pandemic shifted my reading. At first, in a positive way: more time at home led to more books read. About ten months ago, it shifted again: I wasn’t able to focus long enough to get into a book, I wasn’t interested in most books or in finding the time to become interested. Earlier this spring, I was given a copy of Scarborough, and it brought my love of reading back to life. It’s a story about community, about love, heartbreak and hope. The dedication was enough to draw me in completely: ‘…Wherever you are, I hope you are safe and know I loved you enough to write this book.’” – Andrea Dicks, President, Community Foundations of Canada
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
“Wonderful novel weaving explorations on autocracy, immigration, sexual orientation and gender identity.” – Lyric Thompson, Senior Director, Policy and Advocacy, International Center for Research on Women
Popisho by Leone Ross
“Popisho feels like disappearing squarely into a different world (doesn’t that sound nice right about now?) while learning deep truths about our own. The setting of this magic realism novel, where each person is born with their own particular magic and people eat butterflies out of the sky, is inspired by the author’s Jamaican homeland, and it deftly weaves in themes of class conflict, addiction, gendered violence, and more. My favourite book of 2022 so far.” – Kylie Adair, Editor, Future of Good
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