A selection of what is on our reading and listening lists, helping our team understand some of the greatest drivers behind our complex world.
| Books | |
|---|---|
 | The Code Breaker, Walter Isaacson This follows the career of Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues in their discovery of CRISPR, a gene editing tool that has the potential to transform healthcare. CRISPR’s major breakthrough was seen in the novel RNA vaccines used to defend against Covid, but it has the potential to do so much more including curing genetic diseases, fending off viruses and possibly to treat certain cancers. The team won the Nobel Prize on the back of this discovery, but it has also led to a moral conundrum about whether it is appropriate for mankind to edit our DNA and take evolution into our own hands. Edward Lloyd, Senior Investment Manager, MPS |
 | The Golden Spruce – A True Story of Myth, Madness, and Greed, John Vaillant The felling of a celebrated giant golden spruce tree in British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands takes on a potent symbolism in this probing study of an unprecedented act of eco-vandalism. In a land of virtually infinite natural resources, a deep-reaching account of the clash between wilderness values, the voracious logging industry, white settlers, and First Nations people. Ian Craik, Senior VP |
 | Chip War: The Fight for the World’s Most Critical Technology, Chris Miller Starting in the 1960s, this book explains how semiconductors have developed through the decades and which companies have driven innovation. Highly topical given today’s market. Marcus Hill, Investment Manager |
 | The Coming Wave: AI, Power and the Twenty-First Century’s Greatest Dilemma, Mustafa Suleyman Thought-provoking book on the opportunities and risks of AI from one of the technology’s leading lights. Suleyman makes a compelling case for the urgent requirement of a regulatory framework which is being listened to by businesses and policymakers alike. Ben Gilbert, Senior Associate Partner |
 | The Girl with the Louding Voice, Abi Daré This fictional novel is set in a small town near Lagos, Nigeria and touches on many real and disturbing themes around sexism, poverty, child labour and child marriage. It tells the story of a teenage Nigerian girl, Adunni, whose life is riddled with hardship and many challenges due to being forced to marry at a young age, exploitive treatment from her employer and poor access and funds for female education in the country. However, determined to face up to the dire challenges, she finds her way, and importantly her voice, in education which frees her from her oppressions. The book highlights the importance of providing access to education to all children and how some less developed countries are significantly behind the curve in offering and funding education in women. Charlotte Bostock, Senior Investment Manager |
 | What I Learned Losing a Million Dollars, Jim Paul and Brendan Moynihan It takes a look at different investment strategies with a view to understanding any similarities. The conclusion being: there are many approaches to making money, but the similarity among successful investors is that they have a plan for what to do when they are losing. Tom Wildgoose, Senior Portfolio Manager |
| Podcasts | |
|---|---|
 | The Rachman Review Really good podcast where Gideon Rachman, Chief Foreign Affairs Columnist at the Financial Times) discusses global political issues. Henrietta Coldman, Investment Manager |
 | Behind the Balance Sheet Only 25 episodes so far, but the guest line-up has been brilliant. I have listened to the 2nd episode with Stuart Roden, former chairman of Lansdowne Partners, over and over again. For rugby fans, the 14th episode with Clive Woodward is free coaching that would cost you thousands of pounds if you invited him to talk at a conference. Colm Harney, Global Equity Analyst and Portfolio Manager |