John Coleman recently wrote on the Harvard Business Review website that one of his favorite regular activities is participating in a book club called Six Pillars, hosted by a friend named Stan. Stan initiated the group several years ago to convene friends, diversify his own reading habits and make new connections. Six Pillars is so named because each year Coleman and his cohorts read six books in six key disciplines. The group meets every two months, Stan hosts and cooks dinner, and for two hours the group of 10 to 12 people discusses the book they have read.

Reading is an essential component of leadership development, according to Coleman, who is co-author of the book Passion & Purpose: Stories from the Best and Brightest Young Business Leaders. At Harvard Business Review he has argued the benefits of reading extensively, that broad and deep reading habits can sharpen intelligence, make you a better communicator, and improve emotional intelligence, among others. For business leaders, the most potent reading extends beyond explicitly “business” books to include histories, biographies, novels and even poetry. The best lists of “must read” books by leaders in business are often incredibly diverse, says Coleman.

So we put Coleman’s thesis to the test by asking private wealth industry leaders: What are you reading and why? Here is what they had to say.

J.R. Thacker, president, Center Street Securities

Outside of the usual industry periodicals, I am reading TED Talks by Chris Anderson, a great book detailing how the best presenters engage their audiences. I am also working my way through a more technical and less enjoyable read of a book on estate planning and trusts, not exactly exciting but still important information. I just finished rereading The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware, a very interesting compilation of stories written by a hospice nurse that is more inspiring and uplifting than the title would suggest.

Max Winthrop, CEO, Winthrop Wealth Management

Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein. My current reading theme for the last year has been in the realm of behavioral psychology. I am deeply interested in how people make decisions and the mental mechanisms and motivation that drive certain choices and outcomes. We are in the business of risk; the more familiar we can become with a client’s thought process, the better we can serve them and their families. Psychological awareness, if harnessed properly, is one of the most powerful tools we have as humans.

Brian DeLucia, managing partner, Arrivato, LLC

Principles: Life and Work by Ray Dalio. I often read books written by a diverse assortment of business leaders to gain insights and fundamentals pursuant to how they built their businesses, lead people and approach real-life scenarios that happen in the everyday world. This has given me a real-world Ph.D. that has shaped my growth by applying sound leadership principles that have allowed people and businesses within my circles to reach their next level.

Barbara Denham, senior economist, Reis Inc.

I’m reading Debora Spar’s nonfiction book called Wonder Women: Sex, Power, and the Quest for Perfection. My teenage son gave it to me for Christmas. It documents the evolution of women’s role in the workplace and describes the many challenges working moms especially face in work and life. Spar raised three kids while teaching at Harvard Business School and serving as president of Barnard College. As a working mother of three, I can relate to much of what she writes and hope that other women read it, especially those just graduating from college.

Bryan Mick, president and CEO, Mick Law P.C.

I read legal opinions, financial publications and financial underwriting models all day. Therefore, in my spare time I want to detach from the industry and generally read James Patterson, John Grisham, Michael Connelly, et al. However, I am currently reading American Buffalo: In Search of a Lost Icon by Steven Rinella. I chose this tome as I have been fascinated by buffalo from my childhood and am planning to start a buffalo ranch in the next three years. Rinella provides an excellent history of the relationship between bison and man on the North American continent from the Pleistocene epoch forward, which alternates with his personal quest to track and shoot a buffalo via a lottery tag in the Alaskan wilderness.

Brian Gerson, head of private credit, FS Investment Corp.

Seeking Wisdom: From Darwin to Munger by Peter Bevelin. I am a big fan of nonfiction, particularly anything that can improve my skills as a manager, investor and decision maker. Seeking Wisdom provides a great overview of the lessons and thought processes of legendary investor Charlie Munger and his approach to using multidisciplinary models to guide clear thinking. The book focuses on how our thoughts are influenced, why we make misjudgments, and contains tools to improve our thinking. Ultimately, the most important lesson of this book is: If you can avoid common mistakes, you will end up way ahead of the game.

Aaron Rosen, co-portfolio manager, senior vice president, LCM Investment Management

We all have too much professional reading to get to already, so from a non-professional standpoint, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil DeGrasse Tyson. NDT is one of the great scientific minds of our generation, and I think is as talented at both captivating and keeping our ever-
shortening attention spans as anyone since Carl Sagan. An intensive subject matter simplified into explanations that you can wrap your head around without having to read it six times over, with a strong dose of humbling relativity as to just how incomprehensibly large the universe and its inner workings are.

From a professional standpoint, The Undoing Project by Michael Lewis. Lewis always does a great job keeping what can often be tedious subject matters interesting by wrapping a story around the nitty-gritty, and this is no different. Behavior finance, or the innate biases we all have, is a fascinating topic, and one that continues to prove itself intrinsically relevant in understanding how to manage against them in our own decision making. Can’t be understated how important it is to being great at what we do.

Brian Zeiger, managing director, Hall Capital Partners

The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough. I just picked up this book again, 20 years after reading it the first time. I have always been a fan of historical fiction and interested in ancient Rome. This is the first novel in a deeply researched, seven-book series, which spans the years of the late republic (Gaius Marius, Julius Caesar, Pompey) through the early empire (Augustus). Regardless of your own political leanings, it’s fascinating to draw parallels between today’s fast-paced political news cycle and a period 2,000 years ago of even greater upheaval.

Zack Henry, managing director, Mintz Group

Although of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip with David Foster Wallace by David Lipsky. I’m a big fan of DFW, but at this phase in life I just don’t have the time to get through the 1,079 pages of Infinite Jest. So I try to consume snack-sized portions of his writing and experience, which makes my current reading a nice fit. In general, I’m a fan of eloquent fiction because it represents a break from the 1,079 business and management advice books I “should” be reading, and it fuels my appetite for creativity.

Rosemarie Thurston, partner, Alston & Bird

Setting the Table, by Danny Meyer. Having a New York City office near clients affords me the pleasure of dining at some fantastic restaurants. Danny Meyer launched many of my favorites, from Eleven Madison Park to Shake Shack. I read his book to learn how he became one of the world’s most successful restaurateurs, and came away with some client service lessons that transcend the hospitality sector. Meyer’s philosophy that each diner “needs to believe that they’re the only one in the world that matters” translates in my practice to a passion for excellent client-focused legal services and adding value to each client’s business.