As the pace of change continues to accelerate, the summer offers a welcome opportunity to step back, switch off and perhaps enjoy more leisurely pursuits. Whether it's books, podcasts or live music and films, we asked Members of Criticaleye’s global Community what’s been occupying their minds during the sun-filled (and parched) summer months.
 

Common topics include the implications of AI and climate change, as well as other important issues shaping the world – and leadership – today, with lighter recommendations spanning from Spider-Man and Ted Lasso to the music of David Bowie and Edward Elgar.
 

Here’s what caught their attention:

 

Rob Hornby, co-CEO, AlixPartners:

If, like me, you have been a little overexposed to narratives about AI and would like a short break from our algorithmic creations, I have pulled together a selection of readings and songs that I hope will provide an antidote. It is working for me.

 

My first recommendation is Bill Bryson’s book The Body: A Guide for Occupants. Bryson brings his much-loved wit to the one thing we all possess, but very few of us understand. AGI [Artificial General Intelligence] discussions often gloss over human embodiment, but this remarkable book will leave you marvelling at our inexhaustibly fascinating physical selves.

 

Second is Magnifica Humanitas by Pope Leo XIV. If you can’t face the full 60,000 words, there is an infographic version that captures the main points. It is not a prerequisite to be Catholic or a subscriber to any other religion to appreciate the thoughtful challenge it presents to our rapidly evolving world. Sometimes the most vivid critiques come from an unexpected quarter.

 

Third is The Creative Act: A Way of Being by the pioneering, genre-defying and immensely influential music producer Rick Rubin. Rubin argues that creativity is not a rare talent possessed by the few but a way of engaging the world open to all of us. The book itself is calming and meditative.

 

As far as a summer soundtrack goes, a couple of songs come to mind. Heroes by [David] Bowie is an always welcome celebration of the ability of normal people to be special in the moment. And, as a committed indie music fan, it should be difficult to recommend Beautiful by Christina Aguilera, but it isn't – I love the song and its sentiment. Listen, and feel better about the world.

 

Some may be speculating that Claude is conscious, or that ChatGPT is taking matters into its own hands, but after this list, I think you will observe that AI has a very long way to go before it approaches our gloriously messy, embodied, intricate, unexplainable humanity.

 

Enjoy your summer.

 

Francesca Ecsery, NED, Haffner Energy and Board Mentor, Criticaleye:

I’m part of a ‘Women on Boards’ book club, where we choose a range of books and then try to figure out a corporate governance angle to it, which can be very interesting. 

The latest one that we've read, which is quite simply amazing, is The New Age of Sexism from Laura Bates. It's not a DEI book. It's all about AI, algorithms, technology and how all of that can unintentionally reinforce bias. So it's such a great prompt for Boards overseeing any digital transformation because if you're not careful, it can build in bias.

We read Empire of Pain [by Patrick Radden Keefe], which is about the OxyContin crisis in the USA and how sales targets got into it, and how the Sackler family were shoring up the company as opposed to reinvesting the profits because there was no governance.

I mainly look for books that challenge my assumptions. The books that I remember are not those that necessarily give me the answers, but those that leave me with better questions to take back to my Boardroom conversations. Rebecca Henderson’s book Reimagining Capitalism for me was transformational, because she comes up with a hypothesis which I think is worth considering.

There’s a bunch of podcasts that I listen to regularly to keep my finger on the pulse - The Rest Is Politics, The News Agents and the [BBC] Newscast. I don't see my role as a NED as predicting the future, but I do have a responsibility to understand the context in which I'm operating. They help me join the dots between politics, regulation, geopolitics and some of the decisions we need to make.

Finally, I just rewatched a film that I really like: Avatar. I like what it represents, and it's just such a beautiful film. I think Avatar was a step change, both in terms of higher purpose messages as well as visual execution.

 

Bruce Heppenstall, CEO, Infinis:

I have been consciously not reading my usual fare of autobiographies and history – so I’m in the middle of Juice by Tim Winton. It’s set in the future in a post globally overheated world and, after the summer we have had across the world and with more to come with the El Niño next year, it brings home the consequences of not addressing man-made climate change fast enough. 

Think Mad Max but with electricity! The ‘juice’ of the title is power, and the need for it drives everything with fairly grim consequences for individuals. Not an entirely happy read but thought provoking and really well written.

Linking what is happening with the climate and where it all ends up – I was in Bordeaux at the end of July when the forest fires were at their worst there and it really brought home how close and tangible the effects of climate change now are. But still, I flew there and didn’t change anything I did around fossil fuel emissions whilst travelling there and back.  It has made me think – what will I change and when? 

I managed to go to see a BBC Proms concert in July – one of my bucket list things to do and it was amazing – so [Edward] Elgar’s First [Symphony] is my ‘tune’ of the summer. For anyone who has not been to the Royal Albert Hall for a classical concert, I recommend it – get a glass of champagne and just let the music take you away.

 

Michael Crompton, General Manager, Asia, Criticaleye:

My summer reading and listening haven't been especially virtuous! Rather than diving into leadership books, I've recently followed leisure pursuits that have prompted some reflections.

One book that stayed with me was A Short Stay in Hell by Steven L. Peck. It's a short novella, but it explores surprisingly big questions about time, meaning and what makes a life well lived. I found it a useful reminder that, amid careers and busy schedules, it's relationships and experiences that give our lives lasting value.

I've been following The Rest Is Politics podcast. It was originally recommended to me by one of our Hong Kong-based Board Mentors, and it has become a great way of staying connected to British current affairs while living and working in Hong Kong. Hosted by Rory Stewart and Alastair Campbell, it combines insight, debate and genuine curiosity about the complex issues shaping politics and society.

I've been committed to the Marvel Universe since picking up my first Spider-Man comic book at the age of 11 and I have just watched Spider-Man: No Way Home. Beyond the action and special effects, what struck me was its message about friendship, belonging and our need not to face life's challenges alone. Meaningful human connections are needed more than ever as we continue into a world of tech innovation and artificial intelligence.

 

Phil Gilbert, Director of Net Zero Delivery, E.ON Next:

I am reading Supremacy by Parmy Olson. It is a fascinating and accessible look at the race to develop artificial intelligence (and the power), particularly through the stories of OpenAI and DeepMind. It does a good job of explaining the technology while focusing on the people, ambitions and business decisions behind it. 

It’s interesting looking at the tension between the original idealistic goals of AI research and the growing influence of money, competition and powerful technology companies, and it raises important questions about AI safety and control of such powerful technology – topical to recent news!

In terms of podcasts, BBC Radio 4’s When it Hits the Fan is a great listen (short episodes) on how organisations deal with things as they go wrong, how they navigate it and come out of the other side, for the better or worse (and everything in between!). 

If I had to describe my summer in one song, film or book, I think it would be more of a boxset such as Ted Lasso. It's a great watch and light-hearted with a huge amount packed in, so it feels like a good summer holiday, family time watch.
 

Jacob Ambrose Willson, Senior Editor, Criticaleye