Another Summer Reading List for Curious Minds.
The ReadyMade Company's Second Annual Idea Flow Book Club Summer Reading List.
Joan Didion famously wrote, "I don't know what I think until I write it down." In our current moment of competing narratives and information overload, I often find myself saying: "I don't know what I think until I read it through." That's because there is something deeply grounding about sustained engagement with complex ideas, especially when those ideas help us make sense of the world we live in.
Today, so much feels broken or unstable, from social media algorithms to economic systems to basic institutional trust. Understanding how these things actually work becomes essential. Maybe some systems are working exactly as designed, just not for the outcomes we expected (or were sold). Maybe some have been manipulated or captured. Maybe some are genuinely broken. But we can't really know which is which without understanding the underlying mechanics.
This year's collection focuses on understanding the systems that shape us and our world. What unites these eight books is their shared exploration of how things actually work versus how they're supposed to work, and how individuals are attempting to navigate, influence, and sometimes transform the structures around them.
These eight books won't provide easy answers, and some even contradict each other, which is exactly the point. They will give you frameworks for thinking more clearly about the systems that shape our daily lives, from AI development and government bureaucracy to how we tell stories about the past and our own creative processes and decision-making patterns. Systems thinking requires the kind of intellectual curiosity that engages with competing perspectives, rather than just confirming what we already believe. In times like these, that approach feels essential.
But before we get into it, what’s the Idea Flow Book Club? It’s our book club for professionals in the creative and innovation industries who thrive on cross-pollinating ideas. Every month (more or less), we explore thought-provoking works that span multiple disciplines, from science and technology to philosophy, design, and the arts.
The Idea Flow Summer 2025 Reading List:
Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart by Nicholas Carr
The author of The Shallows continues his exploration of technology's unintended consequences by arguing that our fundamental assumption about communication—that more is always better—is fundamentally wrong. He makes the case that as communication becomes more mechanized and efficient, it breeds confusion rather than understanding, revealing how messaging apps strip nuance from conversation and social media platforms exploit psychological vulnerabilities.The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI, and the Race to Invent the Future by Keach Hagey
Based on over 200 interviews, this biography traces how Sam Altman went from a failed startup founder to the most prominent figure in AI. Hagey reveals the personal dynamics behind OpenAI's dramatic growth, including new details about Altman's controversial firing and swift reinstatement, and his complicated relationships with collaborators.Empire of AI by Karen Hao
Hao argues that the pursuit of artificial superintelligence has become like a modern-day colonial world order, with AI companies seizing and extracting precious resources to feed their vision. Moving beyond Silicon Valley's typical narrative, she reveals the global costs of AI development through extensive fieldwork across multiple continents, exposing the hidden human and environmental toll of the technology revolution.Who is Government?: The Untold Story of Public Service by Michael Lewis
Lewis explores the unsung public servants who actually make government work, revealing how individuals navigate massive bureaucratic systems to serve the public good and keep essential services running.Abundance by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson
Why can't we build enough housing, infrastructure, or clean energy despite having the resources? Klein and Thompson examine how yesterday's solutions became today's problems, and propose a path toward a politics of abundance that actually builds the future we need.Melting Point: Family, Memory, and the Search for a Promised Land by Rachel Cockerell
All narratives inevitably filter the past through the present, shaping what gets preserved and what disappears. When Cockerell discovered her great-grandfather had helped relocate thousands of Russian Jews to Galveston, Texas—a history completely absent from family lore—she realized that any attempt to narrate her family’s story would distort it. Her solution was radical: erase her own voice entirely and let primary sources speak, creating a genre-bending work composed only of historical documents and interviews.The Creativity Choice: The Science of Making Decisions to Turn Ideas into Action by Dr. Zorana Ivcevic Pringle
What separates people who turn ideas into action from those who don't? Dr. Pringle uses neuroscience research to identify the decision-making patterns that either support or sabotage creative ambitions.How Do You Choose?: A Human Design Guide to What's Best for You at Work, in Love, and in Life by Erin Claire Jones
This is a summer reading list, after all, so we've made space for something a little unconventional. Human Design is having a moment. It’s a system that combines astrology, chakras, and quantum physics, and has captivated everyone from creative professionals to tech entrepreneurs. Jones uses these principles to help readers understand their unique decision-making patterns and optimize choices across all areas of life, promising to reveal whether you're designed to trust your gut, wait for clarity, or follow a completely different internal compass.
Have suggestions for next year's list? We'd love to hear what's captured your imagination, challenged your thinking, or proved impossible to put down. Email your recommendations to ideaflow@readymadeco.com.
Want to join our monthly discussions? Learn more about the Idea Flow Book Club and how to participate by reaching out to ideaflow@readymadeco.com.
Have a great summer and happy reading!
Curious about last year's list? Check out our inaugural Summer Reading List for Curious Minds, which featured everything from Nick Bostrom's Deep Utopia to George Saunders' A Swim in a Pond in the Rain.