Continuing the tradition of summer reading, finews.asia presents some of the top book recommendations by leading bankers in the region.
Asia has long been a leading reader in the world. The three top countries by time spent reading were all in the region, according to 2016 data from the NOP WorldCultureScore Index, with India leading at nearly 11 hours per week, followed by Thailand (9 hours and 24 minutes) and China (8 hours).
Last month, finews.asia presented its editorial team’s choice of books for this season. Continuing the tradition of summer reading, we present some of the top book recommendations by leading bankers in the region… and beyond.
Teresa Lee, head of Greater China, Hong Kong branch, Bank of Singapore
«Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life» by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles
What is the book about:
Drawing on scientific studies and real-world examples, the authors explore the Japanese philosophy of Ikigai («the reason for being»). Ikigai enables individuals to discover their true talents, passions and activities that bring them joy, guiding them towards a life filled with meaning and purpose. The book also provides practical tools to help individuals discover their own ikigai.
Why I recommend it:
The book offers a unique perspective on happiness and longevity, ranging from the importance of having strong social ties to the benefits of finding balance through physical activities and creative pursuits. In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of everyday life – we’re always rushing, always trying to get more done and be more productive. This book is a reminder to evaluate what really matters in all that chaos, and that the happiest people may not necessarily be the ones who achieve the most.
Lemuel Lee, head of wealth management Hong Kong, BNP Paribas
«Why We Sleep» by Matthew Walker
What is the book about:
«Why We Sleep» is a knowledgeable and insightful book covering one of the most important part of our everyday life – sleep. It provides a revolutionary exploration of sleep, how we can harness sleep to improve every aspect of our physical and mental well-being, and actionable steps towards getting a better night’s sleep every night.
Why I recommend this book:
Well-being is always a topic close to my heart and this book covered the one of the most important contributors to strong well-being. It highlights the impact of sleep on the human body with facts and evidence which should send anyone early to bed. A key takeaway message would be to get seven to nine hours of continual sleep each night, which will make significant differences to our brain, emotions, and health, helping us lead a cleverer, happier and healthier life.
Stefanie Holtze-Jen, CIO of APAC and head of discretionary portfolio management APAC, Deutsche Bank IPB
«Has China won» by Kishore Mahbubani
Why I recommend this book:
During these mid-year CIO roadshows, I had the pleasure to share the stage with Professor Kishore Mahbubani, which is one of the rare opportunities to also meet the author of a book in person. His book «Has China won?» is an essential read to put perspective to today’s geopolitical setup, that impacts economic outcomes and thus market reactions. Kishore describes the modern US-China relations as the 21st century’s greatest geopolitical contest. With 2024 being an election year for the US and Taiwan it’s a great time reading his book, giving an additional «international affairs» compass to evaluate actions and outcomes.
Omar Shokur, CEO, Asia, Indosuez Wealth Management
What the book is about:
This book from award winning psychologist Ethan Kross offers practical advice about how we can harness the positive power of our inner voice, while better managing the negative part of it, in order to have more productive and satisfying relationships and lives, both at work and outside of work.
Why I recommend it:
I’m a mathematician by training and so I instinctively use logic, facts and figures in my leadership style and decision making. This book challenges me to look more closely into cultivating and honing my inner voice, to turn it from a critic to a coach, so that alongside with what’s measurable and quantifiable, I’m learning to make more thoughtful and holistic decisions when it comes to leading my teams.
Yee Chin Lit, head South East Asia, Julius Baer
«Jerusalem – The Biography» by Simon Sebag Montefiore
What is the book about:
The book is a vivid, gripping and thought-provoking study of Jerusalem, which is better understood with deeper context of its 3,000-year history. An excellent primer on the origins and histories of the three Abrahamic faiths, it helps to put the region’s religious, political and ethnic rivalries into a good perspective.
Why I recommend it:
It came highly recommended by a good friend, and it presents a deeper and factual historical understanding of Jerusalem.
Beat Wittmann, founder and CEO, Porta Advisors
«The Politics of Cultural Despair» by Fritz Stern
What the book is about:
The freedom-loving thinker, German-born American historian and Professor at New York’s Columbia University, Fritz Stern, wrote the pathbreaking classic «The Politics of Cultural Despair». Its focus is on the origins of European cultural pessimism and it analyses the dangers and challenges our democratic and capitalistic societies and economies are facing.
Why I recommend it:
We live through polarizing cultural wars and societal transformations. This eminently positive-outlook book is a must-read for anyone fighting for our democratic freedoms and social market economic system.
Zeno Staub, CEO, Vontobel
«The Right to Heresy: Castellio Against Calvin» by Stefan Zweig
What the book is about:
I want to recommend an excellent book that I recently read. It is not a new publication. In fact, the novel was written around 90 years ago but nevertheless remains very relevant in today’s world. I am referring to «The Right to Heresy: Castellio against Calvin» by Stefan Zweig. The German author wrote the book in 1936 while living in exile in London. His books were banned in Germany.
In essence, the novel is a call for political reason and human tolerance, as well as discussing the line between freedom and authority, which cannot be avoided by any population at any time or by any thinking person, as Zweig writes in the introduction. «Freedom is not possible without authority - otherwise it would turn into chaos and authority is not possible without freedom (otherwise it would turn into tyranny)». Taking the example of the dispute between Calvin and the humanist Castellio, Zweig advocates tolerance for different opinions.
Why I recommend it:
After all: «No matter what the idea, each and every one of them is no longer an ideality from the moment it resorts to terror in order to uniformize and regulate other convictions and, instead, becomes brutality. Even the purest truth, when imposed on others by force, becomes a sin against the spirit.»
Castellio remains a tragic hero in this context. He fights the fight of «the mosquito against the elephant». And since each individual fights their own battle and since their strengths are not combined, the individual that is better organized prevails (at least in the beginning). In short, this is a book that gives us food for thought but, since we now know the long-term outcome, is also a source of optimism and motivation.
Tom Naratil, C-suite executive leader and former top UBS executive
What the book is about:
Washington journalist moves to Kansas and meets a new neighbor who is more than a century old. Charlie White shared his life story with David von Drehle including train-hopping across the US in the 1920s, serving in World War II, practicing medicine with innovative anesthesia techniques in the 1940s and living through the technological changes from the invention of radio to the iPhone.
Why I recommend it:
Von Drehle wrote «The Book of Charlie» as a gift to his children from White's lessons in life. We all get the chance to benefit from that gift.
