Reading Recommendations

In this season of gift giving, we are contemplating how to be generous, how to show care and, yet, how to not buy into the consumerism that so easily takes over this time of year. We are not only invited to go all in on existing as a consumer, we are encouraged to do it as a form of citizenship. But we believe that our climate and our communities need to us to be generous and show care in other ways rather than just contribute to the ever growing landfills of the earth. But, if you are inclined to get "something", we believe that reading and books are a great thing to get and receive! Or if you just have some extra time to relax and read this season, and you love learning like we do, then you might enjoy these suggestions for yourself.

Over the past few years, we have been heavily influenced by various books and articles that have significantly shaped our thinking. Below is a list of some that have been particularly influential to us. It is tough to choose just a few, but these were some that were top of mind.

Article: The Towering Problem of Externality Denying Capitalism by Duncan Austin 

This piece destroys the fantasy that we can fix the climate crisis while clinging to current financial return expectations. Austin exposes how "market rate" returns are mathematically impossible without offloading costs onto the environment and society. It is a foundational text for understanding why tinkering with ESG is merely rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.

Book: End Times: Elites, Counter-Elites, and the Path of Political Disintegration by Peter Turchin

Turchin uses historical data to prove that the massive wealth gap we see today is a structural predictor of political disintegration. It validates our thesis that inequality isn't just unfair; it is a powder keg that threatens the stability of the entire system. This is why we must shift from extraction to shared prosperity before the cycle breaks us.

Book: Vulture Capitalism: Corporate Crimes, Backdoor Bailouts, and the Death of Freedom by Grace Blakeley

Blakeley dismantles the myth of the "free market," showing how corporate giants and private equity firms rig the system to socialize losses while privatizing gains. It is a searing indictment of the planning that happens behind closed doors to strip assets from communities. This book is essential for understanding why we must build countervailing power through ownership.

Book: The Value of a Whale: On the Illusions of Green Capitalism by Adrienne Buller

This is a critical takedown of the idea that we can financialize nature to save it. Buller argues that pricing carbon and offsetting emissions are just new frontiers for commodification rather than actual solutions to the climate crisis. It reinforces our belief that we need a fundamental shift in economic logic, not just a "green" price tag on extraction.

Report: Boats for a Rising Tide: How Philanthropy Can Narrow the Racial Wealth Gap by Devin Murphy, Zach Slobig, Christian Celeste Tate, Alina Clarke, & Logan Botts

This report provides the concrete evidence needed to move from "equality" talk to equity action, showing how philanthropy typically widens the racial wealth gap rather than closing it. It offers a roadmap for moving capital to Black-led organizations and communities as a lever for systemic repair. It’s a practical guide for rewiring finance to serve those historically excluded.

Overview of What is a Wellbeing Economy? by Wellbeing Economy Alliance

This overview moves us beyond the GDP-obsessed dogma that values transaction over transformation. It articulates a vision where the economy serves human and ecological needs by default, rather than as an afterthought. It is the blueprint for the world we are trying to build with patient, productive capital.

Book: #futuregen: Lessons from a Small Country by Jane Davidson

This is the story of how Wales legally bound its government to prioritize the long-term well-being of future generations over short-term political wins. It proves that systemic legislative change is possible and that we can design governance structures that enforce stewardship. It is a powerful example of moving from short-term extraction to long-term resilience.

Summary of Doughnut Economics by Doughnut Economics Action Lab (or if you are more ambitious you can read Kate Raworth's book)

Kate Raworth’s framework completely reframes the goal of economics from endless growth to thriving in balance. It provides the visual and intellectual compass for operating within planetary boundaries while meeting essential human needs. If you want to understand the "safe and just space" our capital must build, start here.

Book: Citizens: Why The Key to Fixing Everything is All of Us by Jon Alexander

Alexander argues we must stop treating people as mere consumers (to be sold to) and start treating them as citizens (to be engaged with). It informs our belief that solutions must be community-led and that ownership creates agency. This shift from transaction to participation is vital for fixing our broken systems.

Book: Nexus: A Brief History of Information Networks from the Stone Age to AI by Yuval Noah Harari

Harari explores how information networks have historically shaped power, warning us of the authoritarian potential of AI if left in the hands of a few. It underscores the urgency of our fight against the concentration of power and the need for democratic oversight of the technologies that define our reality. It is a wake-up call to decentralize control before it's too late.

Book: The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Kimmerer offers an antidote to the scarcity mindset of capitalism, using the natural world to teach us about abundance, gifting, and reciprocity. It challenges us to rethink wealth not as what we hoard, but as what we share. This is the spiritual and practical foundation for the "Just Future" we are investing in.

If you are wanting to get up to speed on the harms from social media, we would recommend: The Facebook Files in the WSJ, Careless People by Sarah Wynn-Williams, or Kelly Stonelake's Substack Overturned