McKinsey Global Publishing’s annual reading list is back, featuring compelling recommendations from a diverse group of leaders across the world. Our contributors have nearly 100 books for you to choose from.

While AI can summarize a book for you, the sustained act of reading and becoming immersed in the author’s ideas is how we reinforce the skills and traits that make us uniquely human: empathy, critical thinking, and creativity. It also helps us understand not only where we are but also how we got there—and where we might be headed.

That spirit is at the heart of McKinsey’s 2026 book recommendations, curated by Mike Borruso, director of audience development and innovation for McKinsey Global Publishing. More than 50 contributors from seven regions of the world gravitated toward books about leadership, human development, resilience, and adaptation. Together, these selections tell a story about how people and institutions navigate uncertainty, respond to change, and emerge stronger. Threaded through these stories is a belief that progress begins not with certainty but with curiosity and the courage to adapt.

Spanning genres from business and AI to history, politics, memoir, and fiction, this year’s selections reflect a desire to look beyond immediate headlines and uncover deeper patterns. Many contributors chose books that explore how nations rise and fall, how institutions evolve, and how decisions made decades ago continue to shape the present. The collection reflects a global worldview that is deeply interconnected. So find a recommendation that resonates, read it, share it, and enjoy the journey.

NEW THIS YEAR: Experience an easier way to save and share your reading list—and scroll down for our new video feature. Enjoy!

HEAR WHAT SOME OF OUR CONTRIBUTORS HAVE TO SAY

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REVISIT PREVIOUS YEARS’ READING LISTS

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What to read next: McKinsey’s 2024 annual book recommendations
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Looking for your next book? Each year, McKinsey seeks out the best books in business, technology, workplace culture, and more. Here’s our 2024 list, recommended by CEOs, founders, editors in chief, and other global leaders.
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2023 summer reading guide
McKinsey’s annual book list from leaders and editors is back—and once again offers compelling picks that reflect the times.

Comments and opinions expressed by contributors are their own and do not represent or reflect the opinions, policies, or positions of McKinsey & Company or have its endorsement. McKinsey & Company does not benefit from third-party books you may choose to buy based on these recommendations.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

It takes a village to gather selections from leaders around the world—and a community of readers to carry them forward. We wish to especially thank Astha Rajvanshi, Chandra McQueen, Diya Kumar, Jacqueline Brassey, Lucas Lim, Mark Fortier, Max Moreno, Norbert Beatty, Rimjhim Dey, Robert Christie, and Thomas Farrar for their help.

Special thanks to McKinsey Global Publishing and Marketing colleagues Charlie Matthes, Diane Rice, Drew Holzfeind, Eleni Kostopoulos, Eliza Cooper, Elizabeth Newman, Emily Adeyanju, Feifei Sun, Ishan Gaurav, Janet Michaud, Joanna Pachner, Kanika Punwani, Katie Shearer, Kristi Essick, LaShon Malone, Mary Gayen, Michael Greenberg, Nancy Cohn, Philip Mathew, Ron Nurwisah, Sarah Thuerk, Sean Conrad, Shantell Huggins, and Stephen Landau for making this list come alive.

And thank you to all the contributors and their organizations for providing McKinsey Global Publishing and Marketing with official photos of the contributors, which are used here with their explicit permission for inclusion in this annual McKinsey & Company curation.

We hope you have enjoyed our annual reading list. Please let us know how we could make it even more useful for you: Drop us a note at NewIdeas@McKinsey.com.