2021 DEAN’S CIRCLE SUMMER READING LIST FEATURING RECOMMENDATIONS FROM MIT SLOAN DEANS
EMPEROR OF ALL MALADIES: A BIOGRAPHY OF CANCER BY SIDDHARTHA MUKHERJEE
HOW ADAM SMITH CAN CHANGE YOUR LIFE: AN UNEXPECTED GUIDE TO HUMAN NATURE AND HAPPINESS BY RUSS ROBERTS
ANTI-INTELLECTUALISM IN AMERICAN LIFE BY RICHARD HOFTSTADTER
Recommended by Dimitris Bertsimas Associate Dean for Business Analytics
Recommended by Jake Cohen Senior Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Master’s Programs
Recommended by Michael A. Cusumano Deputy Dean
“A history of cancer, Emperor of All Maladies has changed my perspective on cancer and my approach to it. It combines the scientific and the human perspectives in a way that I found inspiring. It is my favorite book of the last five years.”
“This book is an interesting window into the mind of Adam Smith. Most people know this ‘father of economics’ for his second book, An Inquiry Into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations, published in 1776. How Adam Smith Can Change Your Life is an examination of his first book, The Theory of Moral Sentiments, published in 1759.”
“Recently, I re-read the 1963 book Anti-Intellectualism in American Life, winner of the 1964 Pulitzer Prize for nonfiction. It helps explain why so many Americans have long harbored a distrust of intellectuals, science, and rational thought, from the days of the Salem Witch Trials to Senator Joseph McCarthy and, by extension, to the present.”
THERE THERE BY TOMMY ORANGE
ON JUNETEENTH BY ANNETTE GORDON-REED
UNCHARTED: HOW TO NAVIGATE THE FUTURE BY MARGARET HEFFERNAN
Recommended by Bill Garrett Senior Associate Dean and Chief Administrative Officer
Recommended by Kathy Hawkes Associate Dean, External Relations and Global Programs
Recommended by Fiona Murray Associate Dean for Innovation and Inclusion
“There There is an award-winning, multigenerational story about the Indigenous experience and contemporary life. As a resident of Southeast Massachusetts surrounded by the cultural and political history of Native communities, the book especially resonated with me. It is an American story and a global story of great importance to everyone.”
“As I seek opportunities to continue learning, I found On Juneteenth by Pulitzer Prize-winning historian Annette Gordon-Reed informative and thought-provoking. It challenged me to think critically about the notion of equality during various moments in American history.”
“Uncharted focuses on how to understand and navigate uncertainty, a skill that is relevant to any organizational setting and leadership role. It is full of real-world examples, fascinating insights into working with stakeholders to explore different perspectives, and thought-provoking ways of understanding future possibilities.”
THE SOURCE OF SELF-REGARD: SELECTED ESSAYS, SPEECHES, AND MEDITATIONS BY TONI MORRISON
WHAT STARS ARE MADE OF: THE LIFE OF CECILIA PAYNE-GAPOSCHKIN BY DONOVAN MOORE
OUR MAGNIFICENT BASTARD TONGUE: THE UNTOLD HISTORY OF ENGLISH BY JOHN MCWHORTER
Recommended by Ray Reagans Associate Dean for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
Recommended by Dean David Schmittlein John C Head III Dean
Recommended by Ezra W. Zuckerman Sivan Associate Dean for Teaching and Learning
“I recommend The Source of Self-Regard by Toni Morrison. Toni Morrison was one of our best social scientists. I read her work for insight and inspiration.”
“The last book I read was What Stars Are Made Of, by Donovan Moore, an MIT Sloan alumnus and writer whose career kept him close to Boston for a time. The book details scientist Cecilia Payne-Gaposchkin’s life and work and the obstacles she faced from the scientific establishment as a woman in the field.”
“The topic is fascinating—how English grammar evolved to have the unique features that it has today. And McWhorter’s ideas are both deeply insightful and well-substantiated. Plus, he is a splendidly entertaining writer of non-fiction.”