CFO Summer Reading List: Ten Great Books Worth Reading in 2026

2026 is already at its midpoint, and it is shaping up to be a year full of uncertainty. Rapid shifts in trade policy, ever-changing technology, and ongoing geopolitical conflicts are forcing companies to constantly re-evaluate and revise their strategic plans, and the frequency of these adjustments seems to be accelerating. For CFOs and financial leaders, the pressure shows no signs of easing.

For this very reason, now might be a good time to pause and recharge—ideally, with a beach, time with friends and family, and a good book. With that in mind, CFO Dive has curated a list of ten books we believe are worth reading this summer.

The following book list includes both personal reading recommendations from our editorial team and valuable suggestions from some CFO Dive readers. We've aimed for broad coverage, ranging from the gender data gap affecting women's daily lives, to a macro-level examination of AI's impact, and even the whimsical idea of a robot butler going on an adventure.

We hope you get the chance to sit down with one of these books. If you have any thoughts after reading, feel free to connect with me on LinkedIn. Happy reading!

Nonfiction

Invisible Women: Exposing Data Bias in a World Designed for Men By Caroline Criado Perez

This book was published in 2019, before the dawn of the generative AI era. In it, Perez sharply reveals what happens when data gaps are not only left unfilled but are entrenched in everyday life. She focuses on the so-called "gender data gap," examining how the failure to include information about women has profound and lasting impacts on everything from safety equipment design to economic health assessments. She warns that as the world becomes increasingly reliant on systems and technologies supported by datasets that fail to account for women and their contributions, these impacts will only become more pronounced.

In this data-rich work, Perez points out the flaws in the widely used indicator of national economic health—Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GDP does not account for the contribution of unpaid labor such as housework and childcare, an omission she argues distorts our understanding of labor itself and the overall economy. For example, looking back at 2012, the value of unpaid childcare in the United States alone was approximately $3.2 trillion, equivalent to about 20% of the country's GDP.

The Responsible Company: How Yvon Chouinard Founded Patagonia, Built Wealth, and Ultimately Gave It All Away By David Gelles

The list of founders who have built billion-dollar companies from scratch is short, and those who then donated most of their wealth afterward are even rarer. This book traces the journey of the outdoor brand Patagonia and its unique founder, Yvon Chouinard, telling how this pioneering climber turned a box of homemade pitons and climbing gear into one of the world's most iconic outdoor clothing brands, and ultimately gave away his fortune.

Gelles, a climate reporter for The New York Times, analyzes how Chouinard's "dirtbag" ethos shaped a corporate culture as unique as its founder. Patagonia often prioritizes the needs and passions of its employees—for example, by offering pioneering on-site childcare and donating a portion of profits to fight climate change. The book also details how Chouinard's love of nature led him to make risky business decisions—such as discontinuing the company's best-selling product due to environmental harm—and how this love ultimately led to his now-famous decision to transfer ownership of the company to a trust designed to continuously combat climate change.

The Story of Money: A Human History By David McWilliams

Many of us spend at least part of each day—and if you're a CFO, perhaps most of the day—thinking about money and its impact on our daily lives. But in this history of money spanning from Silk Road trade to Wall Street, economist David McWilliams examines how the history of money has always been deeply intertwined with human history. Tracing back through time, from the early creation of currency to modern money, McWilliams explores how money can inspire innovation and also drive brutal behavior, often leaving lasting marks on society and the lives of ordinary people.

Our Dollar, Your Problem By Kenneth Rogoff

The dollar has long dominated the monetary system, but the path to the top was fraught with obstacles. Economist Kenneth Rogoff argues that luck played a significant role. He suggests that with rising inflation, growing discontent within the global system, and increasing challenges from the yuan and cryptocurrencies, the era of the "almighty dollar" may be under threat. In this 2025 book, the co-author of This Time Is Different explores how the dollar climbed to the top of the monetary food chain and how new challenges and changes in the global economic landscape could shake its dominance.

The Big Boys: Money, Power, and Corruption in the American Food Industry By Austin Frerick

This book was recommended by Maura Weber Sadovi, a senior editor at CFO Dive. As the debut work of Austin Frerick, an expert on agriculture and antitrust policy, this book focuses on eight giants in the food industry, examining how they built their empires by acquiring smaller independent competitors. The book explores the impact of this corporate consolidation on the food industry and points out how untangling this complex web could benefit both end consumers and businesses.

Blood in the Machine: The Origins of the Rebellion Against Big Tech By Brian Merchant

The rise of artificial intelligence has led many to compare it to other technological developments in history that completely changed how humans live and work, such as the internet or the printing press. Throughout history, some have embraced new technologies from the start, while others—often dismissed as "Luddites"—have chosen to resist. But who exactly were the Luddites? What were they originally fighting for? More importantly, what can their story teach us at a time when big tech developments are putting some jobs at risk? These are the questions Brian Merchant, who calls himself a "Luddite," attempts to answer in this 2023 book.

Superagency By Greg Beato and Reid Hoffman

AI has its critics, but it also has its enthusiasts. This book, recommended by Tom Hood of AICPA, explores the optimistic side of the AI boom—imagining a future where technology helps enhance human potential. Co-authored by LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman and tech writer Greg Beato, the book paints a picture of AI creating personalized learning plans for children or being used to research diseases like cancer. It argues that such a future is not far off, and readers should embrace technology, learning to combine it with human creativity to build a world where AI is a force for positive change.

Fiction

Service Model By Adrian Tchaikovsky

As generative AI takes center stage, some might dream of a future where sentient machines and robots cater to every human need—but as Service Model shows, that future can quickly turn dark and gritty. The story follows Charles, a robot butler, who leaves the estate of his (self-)murdered master to explore a world where humans seem scarce, and the machines people relied on for food, delivery, information, and maintenance have been left to fend for themselves. What happens to machines built to serve humans when there are no humans left? As Charles ventures deeper into this broken world, he must quickly find answers.

From the author of The Martian:Project Hail Mary By Andy Weir

In this sci-fi adventure, we meet Ryland Grace: a high school science teacher who wakes up on a spaceship light-years from Earth with no memory and completely alone. We follow Grace as he pieces together his memories, gradually understanding the life-or-death mission that brought him into space—and how an unexpected ally helps him save the entire planet he left behind.

The Memory Republic By Mahmoud El Said

The crew of the spaceship "Safina" has two main missions. One: generation after generation must keep the ship running to complete the 400-year journey to their new home. Two: each generation must protect the ancestors preserved in cryogenic sleep until the ship reaches its destination, where they can begin new lives. However, when a series of events begins to disrupt the harmony aboard the Safina, the course of its voyage may be changed forever.