Book Recommendations for 2025

1. On Higher Ground (How Businesses can do the Right thing in a turbulent world) by Alison Taylor?

I’ve long been a fan of Alison Taylor . As a business leadership professor at NYU Stern, her posts on LinkedIn have always provided sharp, unvarnished clarity on topics ranging from corporate strategy, sustainability, risk, and responsibility. She has a remarkable ability to simplify complex topics, get to the root of the issue and is never afraid of calling out bullshit!

In Higher Ground, Taylor attempts to help leaders build better businesses in the 21st century—a time marked by difficult business environments, heightened social challenges, and contradictory demands from diverse stakeholders. All this means that “When the ground is shifting, neither higher walls nor a faster pace will help. It’s time to seek firmer footing.”???

The book is a thoughtful guide to navigating these tensions and has a ton of practical advice on doing the right things. What I found particularly impactful was Taylor’s blueprint for transformation: staying grounded in what your organization truly can and cannot do, focusing on topics that are most material to you, setting the right social and environmental priorities, and fostering a culture strongly rooted in human rights.

A must-read for leaders and organizations looking to build strong businesses in this new Brittle, Anxious, Non-linear and Incomprehensible (BANI) world.?

2.?Hidden Potential?by Adam Grant

This book was a game-changer for me—it even inspired me to start my own coaching journey focusing on high performing individuals working on climate action. Adam Grant’s ability to glean profound insights on achievement, creativity, and human potential is unparalleled. He continues to be one of the highest ranked professors at Wharton and also has written numerous best selling books.

Hidden Potential is divided into three sections - i) How specific character "skills" catapult us to greater heights, ii) how you can create structures or frameworks to sustain your progress and iii) how as a leader you can build systems that unlock potential in your organization or community.?

What resonated deeply was his challenge to conventional views on talent and success. Grant emphasizes repeatedly that we often focus only on achievement & milestones without considering the distance covered, overlooking the extraordinary growth stories behind the numbers. Grant also reframes 'character' not as a static or inborn trait but as a learned ability to live by your principles—a quality that underpins the success of great leaders and thinkers.

He also reminds us that growth requires courage, especially in uncertain times. True potential is unlocked when we step into the ring before we’re ready, actively seek discomfort, and embrace ambiguity. This book is both inspiring and deeply practical—a must-read for anyone invested in growth, be it personal or professional.?

3. Climate Capitalism by Akshat Rathi?

?This is a riveting and optimistic take on how we can reinvent humanity's relationship with the planet. The book begins with the bold premise:?It’s now cheaper to save the world than destroy it.?

Rathi explores how technology, policy, and people—interconnected with politics and financial returns—are driving faster climate transitions. From the rise of EVs in China and solar power in India to Denmark’s energy transformation after the 1970s Oil Shock, the book highlights how visionary leadership, innovation, and entrepreneurs are enabling profound change. He also provides access to the thinking of a variety of leaders from both the private & public sectors.

A must-read for anyone interested in the intersection of economics, innovation, and climate action.?

4. The Golden Road?by William Dalrymple

Nearly 2000 years back, Roman historian Pliny the Elder described India as the sink of the world's gold and lamented how Romans were keen only on acquiring beautiful products that were made in India. (For historical reference, India's trade with the Egyptian & Roman Empires was just not restricted to spices but also included value added products).?

This is the starting premise of a remarkable and must read book by historian William Dalrymple. Dalrymple's starting premise that for a remarkable 1500??year period, India shaped art, mathematics, science, and culture over a vast 'Indosphere' stretching from Rome to Indonesia and touching over half the world's population. Dalrymple's belief is that maritime trade route even preceded the overland Silk Road that connected China to Europe by several centuries.??

As a history buff, I was captivated by Dalrymple’s vivid narrative that brings this underexplored period to life. While India's influence on culture, handicrafts and spices are well known, Dalrymple also traces the influence of India on scientific thinking of the time. It’s deeply unfortunate—that such a transformative era remains absent from much of our modern discourse.

History is complex and Indian history doubly so but this book serves as a reminder of India’s profound impact on the world stage, which deserves far greater recognition in contemporary conversations (both within India and outside).?

?5. Hidden Life of Trees (What they feel and how they communicate) by Peter Wohlleben

This book has more than 15,000 reviews on Amazon and has been recommended by both the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal!??Hidden Life of Trees was nothing short of magical for me. Peter Wohlleben’s vivid storytelling made me feel closer to nature, evoking a profound sense of wonder and joy. It reminded me of why I am so passionate about working on environmental sustainability — our planet is alive in ways we often overlook.??

Wohlleben opens a window into the secret lives of trees bases on his more than 20 year experience of managing forests in Germany. He reveals how trees, communicate, nurture one another, and form deeply interconnected communities through the “Wood Wide Web.” What struck me most was how trees are not isolated beings but part of a thriving ecosystem that collaborates and supports its members—a powerful metaphor for humanity’s relationship with nature. Wohlleben also surmises that trees feel emotions including pain, grief and even anxiety.?

This book reignited my sense of awe for the natural world and deepened my resolve to protect it. A must-read for anyone who loves natures, seeking creative inspiration or pursuing any nature based solution to solve for the climate crisis.

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