by Scott Ronalds

Summer is just around the corner. As a Vancouverite, it can’t come soon enough. If your plans include a little decompression and R&R (you deserve it), you’ll want a cold beverage and a good read close at hand. We can’t help you with the beverage part (although I’m dying to try a Steady Hand Farmhouse Ale*), but we’ve got your literature needs covered with our 4th annual Summer Reading List.

This year’s list is particularly diverse, from talking trees to the origins of Uber and Airbnb to insider trading.

Black Edge, by Sheelah Kolhatkar. Tom recommends this “true-life story of billionaire trader Steven Cohen, the rise and fall of his hedge fund, SAC Capital, and the largest insider trading investigation in history.” The book has a Michael Lewis feel to it (The Big Short; Moneyball) and is a real page turner. Given the fact that it exposes the ugly side of Wall Street, it’s a contrarian pick by someone who lives and breathes steady, long-term investing.

The 100-Year Life, by Lynda Gratton & Andrew Scott. Our COO (Neil) wanted this one on the list. It’s about the challenges and choices we need to make in order to turn longer life expectancy into a gift and not a curse. There’s a lot in the book related to financially surviving an extended retirement, but Neil found the chapters around the stages of life, re-creating ourselves for second careers during retirement, and keeping relationships strong over the long haul the most thought provoking.

Into the Wild, by Jon Krakauer. Lori’s pick is an oldie but a goodie. Into the Wild tells the story of Christopher McCandless, a likable young American who sheds his identity and conventional life and hitchhikes across the continent to end up in Alaska and sadly meet his demise in the wilderness. The book was later adapted into a movie directed by Sean Penn. Lori also recommends Into Thin Air, also written by Krakauer.

The Upstarts, by Brad Stone. This is my pick. It’s a look at how Uber and Airbnb are changing the world. A decade ago, the idea of summoning a stranger on your phone to pick you up in his car and take you where you want, or checking in to a stranger’s empty home for the weekend and sleeping in her bed, seemed far fetched. Today, millions of people do it every day. The Upstarts tells the story of how the young entrepreneurs behind these companies conceived their businesses, built their brands and navigated the many roadblocks in their way.

The Hidden Life of Trees, by Peter Wohlleben. Salman, our Portfolio Manager, recommends this book in which Wohlleben, a German forester, draws on research and his own experiences to describe how trees communicate and support each other and why some live hundreds of years while others only a few decades. To be sure, this book will change the way you see your surroundings on your next hike.

Mid-life Magic, by Lorraine Clemes. Evan, our Toronto-based Investor Specialist, wanted this book about transitioning into the next chapter in our lives on the list. It’s about planning for the future and dealing with major changes or uncertainty that can change our plans. “With a new baby on the way and the purchase of a new house, I’m doing a lot of changes myself,” notes Evan.

Lapham’s Quarterly, Travel Issue. This one, Chris’ pick, is a little out of the box. Latham’s Quarterly is a literary magazine that examines a topic of current interest or concern by drawing on lessons of the past. Chris recommends this issue because in his words, “travel is a little harder with two young kids so now I’m a pretty talented armchair traveller ... turn on the TV for the kids and indulge in faraway lands.”

*No affiliation to Steadyhand Investment Funds.