Westpac economists share their summer reading recommendations

Marina Gainulina
03:30pm December 16 2024

Summer holidays are often an ideal time to catch up on some reading, ideally by the beach (Getty)

If one of your new year's resolutions is to read more books but don’t know where to start, you’ve come to the right place. 

With the summer holidays on our doorstep, we asked Westpac's economics team for their top reads. Don't fear - they were tasked with selecting one brainier, economics-adjacent recommendation, and a lighter, more easy-reading choice.

Whether you're looking to brush up on your global economics or are after a fun beach read, we think there's something for everyone on this summer reading list.

Illiana Jain, Senior Associate, Economics:

1. Going Infinite by Michael Lewis 
Really insightful take into the FTX scandal. I enjoyed the focus on the relationships between the characters and how their unique personalities led to the downfall of the company.

2. Invisible Women by Caroline Criado Perez (+1 up-vote from Luci Ellis)
A great take on how we collect, analyse and deploy data that can contribute to existing inequalities leading to suboptimal economic outcomes for everyone in the economy. Perez highlights the importance of looking at data and academic literature through a gender lens to ensure policymaking benefits all, not just those contributing to measurable GDP (which can understate the overall output in the economy).

3. The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
An easy read about the life of a powerful female protagonist. It explores some big themes around relationships in an engaging way. Could not put it down!

Elliot Clarke, Executive Director, Economics:

4. Fooled by Randomness by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Provides great insight into the wide array of possible outcomes at each and every point in time, and how our experiences combine to make us who we are. A great (and timely) reminder that there are always many known and unknown risks in the world and, whether for an economy, company or individual, ‘success’ requires an ability to adapt and respond to change.

5. Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
Follows Will and the Eleven Madison Park team’s pursuit of excellence in gastronomy and service, recognised by being named the world’s best restaurant in 2017 and attaining three Michelin stars. An amazing view into a great restaurant’s life and, more broadly, excellence in service industries. 
 

So many books, so little time (Getty)

Luci Ellis, Chief Economist

6. Making Sense of Chaos by J Doyne Farmer
I recently enjoyed reading this one. It’s important to be alert to developments adjacent to your own field. Farmer’s book is an accessible introduction to agent-based modelling, which has some promise for certain applications. 

7. Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention by Johann Hari 
I don't get a lot of time to read non-work-related stuff but this is a great one if you feel like you’re being pulled in several different directions and are struggling to focus. Hari’s book is a welcome mixture of wake-up call, compassionate explanation and collection of tips to get back some control over your attention. 

Matthew Hassan, Senior Economist

8. When the Dust Settles by Lucy Easthope 
Aside from the fascinating accounts, what I liked most about this was the personality and sense of care that shines through. Separately, I haven’t read it myself but plan to as it’s been very highly recommended: Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman. 

9. Inside Story by Martin Amis 
A great holiday read – this is a ‘novelised’ and very self-aware memoir with lots of diversions. Cormac McCarthy’s The Passenger and Stella Maris companion novels are also extraordinary but maybe a bit heavy going. The prose soars and the dialogue in The Passenger is very funny. It also includes a reference to Grothendieck who I had not previously heard of but was probably the most important mathematician of the last century and has the wildest life story.

Jameson Coombs, Economist 

10. Superforecasting: The Art and Science of Prediction by Dan Gardner & Philip E. Tetlock
This book details the findings of the Good Judgement Project, which seeks to identify qualities and characteristics which consistently produce superior forecasting abilities and develops strategies and systems for overcoming cognitive biases. Forecasts are not limited to economics but to forecasting questions across the political, economic and social spectrum. The research finds that harnessing a blend of statistics, psychology, training, and various levels of interaction between individual forecasters consistently produces the best results.

11. The Silk Roads: A New History of the World by Peter Frankopan
A refreshing look at history through the lens of the Eastern hemisphere rather than the West. This book has been around for almost a decade now and has no shortage of accolades. But it’s a great reminder that the world we live in today represents such a small part of human history and provides an engaging account of a much larger slice of human civilisation.

Marina Gainulina

Marina Gainulina (she/her) is a Content Producer for Westpac Wire. Graduating with a Bachelor of Communications & Media (Journalism) degree, Marina has spent a decade as a lifestyle journalist and luxury marketer, crafting commercial and editorial content for global brands including Tiffany & Co., Hugo Boss, NIVEA and GRAZIA.

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