Summer is in the air, bringing longer days, a change of pace and, for many, a chance to relax and recharge their batteries. And what better way to recharge than losing yourself in a good book?

So whether you are at the beach, off on holiday or still hard at work, here are 36 books — fiction and non-fiction, and recommended by Apolitical’s diverse membership of public servants and professionals working closely with government — that will keep you hooked for the sunny days ahead. We've included titles our members have suggested and are talking about, covering important — and sometimes controversial — topics.

1. Me and White Supremacy, Layla F. Saad

With the current momentum behind the Black Lives Matter movement, and general push for people to engage actively in anti-racism, we as public servants should be at the forefront of evaluating our biases. We must be able to truly and fairly represent our communities, and we cannot do this if we are not actively aware of our racism. This book demands the reader take a deep dive into the racist views they hold, subconsciously, and actively consider them such that they can fight against racism.

—Kester Sleeman, Graduate Management Trainee, Black Country Transport

2. Sand Talk, Tyson Yunkaporta

This book is a unique, sometimes challenging, and fascinating exploration of complexity and systems from an Indigenous knowledge perspective. It challenges some of core assumptions around how we think, frame problems, and design solutions, services or interventions.

—Thea Snow, Assistant Director, Centre for Public Impact

3. Nature's Best Hope, Douglas A. Tallamy

Thanks to the pandemic, many more people across the world are working at home and spending more time in their yards and local parks. Doug, near the end of his career but still determined there is hope, suggests concrete actions to improve our local environment, and give insects and birds a fighting chance for survival. If we all take some small actions, our collective impact might make the difference between survival and extinction. Get the book, or check out his talks on Youtube.

—Kathy Mortimer, Policy Officer, Agriculture and Agrifood Canada

4. Why I'm no longer talking to White People About Race, Reni Eddo-Lodge

I recommend this because there has been a lot of discussion about Race in the past few weeks now and this book explores everything from eradicated black history to the inextricable link between class and race. It will help public servants to understand the issues affecting their colleagues from a BAME background and how we can tackle systemic racism in our societies.

—Bernadette Thompson, Deputy Director Inclusion, Wellbeing and Engagement, Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government

5. Invisible Women, Caroline Criado-Perez

This is a must for anyone involved in data gathering and data management; it eloquently warns of the political, economic and medical dangers of not segregating data by gender and argues for a more inclusive approach in all areas, including that of public service.

—Anonymous Submission, Criminal Intelligence Analyst, Scotland Police

6. Nine Lies About Work: A Freethinking Leader's Guide to the Real World, Ashley Goodall and Marcus Buckingham

This is a book full of concepts that I keep coming back to in my every day work. The "Lies" help me understand why some choices are better than others and how I can help steer my teams in the right direction.

—Jen Bodnarchuk, Senior Data Scientist, City of Winnipeg

7. Automating Inequality: How High Tech Tools Profile, Police and Punish the Poor, Virginia Eubanks

The book reveals how several algorithmic systems affect people subject to these systems. From automating eligibility of welfare support or matching deserving homeless people with available houses, Eubanks lays out the consequences of opaque IT systems. With increasing digitisation especially seen in the light of the societal lockdowns due to COVID-19 the demand for efficiency and streamlined decisions, public servants should reflect about automation of public services. Yes, we live in a digital age, yet algorithm systems affect us all, but they do not affect us equally, and public servants relying on algorithm decision support when making these crucial decisions about people’s lives need to be aware of technology's shape and how it affects their work.

—Asbjørn Ammitzbøll Flügge, PhD Fellow, University of Copenhagen

8. Public Policy Writing that Matters, David Chrisinger

Full of helpful hints and concise advice on how to write policies, inspired by Strunk & White's style guide.

—Deborah Bontempo, Policy & Practice Analyst, Community Living BC

9. Digital Transformation at Scale, Andrew Greenway and Ben Terrett

"Digital Transformation at Scale" is a pragmatic book about how the Gov.uk started developing digital capabilities and what other governments can learn from them.

—Eduardo Spanó, Innovation Specialist, Alliance for Innovation and Sustainability

10. Great Policy Successes, Mallory Compton and Paul 't Hart

Why read this book? Because it might just help you to find the key to success.

—Christiaan Thissen, Policy Advisor, Netherlands Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment

11. Creative Thinker's Toolkit, Gerard Puccio

This is an audiobook with some excellent tools and mindsets for thinking more creatively.

—Scott Edwards , Business Analyst and Innovation Facilitator

12. Smarter New York City, André Corrêa d’Almeida

Public servants should read this book as it provides a framework to understand how to continue leveraging a city's strengths to better position itself to address intersecting issues. This book describes the drivers and constraints behind urban innovation, including leadership and organisation; networks and interagency collaboration; institutional context; technology and real-time data collection; responsiveness and decision making; and results and impact. Ultimately, it provides guidelines for how innovation takes place in the public sector. While all case studies are rooted in New York City, the lessons from this book are universally applicable and relevant as cities worldwide address the pressing need for stronger tech and data frameworks, particularly in the wake of COVID-19.

—Tara Das, Smarter NYC Project Assistant, Columbia SIPA

13. Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates

You should have read Ta-Nehisi Coates' Between the World and Me by now, but if you haven't it's not too late. It's heartbreaking and beautifully written.

—Jordana Globerman, Innovation Advisor, Government of Canada

14. Humankind, Rutger Bregman

This book is really a breath of fresh air amidst all the negativity and plight happening around the world. Bregman eloquently fact-bust all the preconceived notions we have on the evil nature of human beings and emphasises on the positive values of human lives and how we act/react even in the time of adversities. He even takes readers on a journey of reevaluating the popular stories/experiments that have been skewing popular conception about human nature. A must read to all policy makers so we can design policies around the expected positive values so humankind can react positively towards it.

—Muhammad S. Adzhar, Special Officer to Secretary General, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation

15. Start-Up Nation: The Story of Israel’s Economic Miracle, Dan Senor and Saul Singer

This is a book about how innovation and technology came to define the Israel we know today – a successful nation despite the huge and many threats it faces in a conflict-ridden region. Read with the desire to implement the lessons contained can be an answer to some of the world pressing problems chief among them unemployment- especially in the African context. Critically it shows how a leadership that is ambitious and unconventional can take a country to greater heights within a "short period of time."

—Morena Monganja, Shaper, Global Shapers Community, Gaborone Hub

16. American Dirt, Jeanine Cummins

This book brings the perspective of a refugee to the forefront. Although fiction it brings to heart how quickly life changes and how one finds themselves in unfathomable situations.

—Luz Marina Nunez, Senior Immigration Officer, DN

17. The Fifth Risk, Michael Lewis

A simple to read book on why the federal public service is critical to the wellbeing of a nation. It is based on the US but can easily be interpreted towards other bureaucracies.

—Michael, Senior Officer, Global Affairs Canada

18. People, Power, and Profits: Progressive Capitalism for an Age of Discontent, Joseph Stiglitz

"People, Power, and Profits" is a springboard for ideas for how to address the current inequality that is causing crises in American society.

—Ashley Thorvaldson, Senior Analyst, Government of Canada

19. Doughnut Economics, Kate Raworth

The covid crisis has shown, 1) how much our system needs to keep working on ensuring social and medical wellbeing for its citizens, and, simultaneously, that 2) we must rethink our economies, which, stuck in a paradigm of growth, have led to the sanitary and environmental crisis — which are intrinsically linked. Raworth's doughnut model helps public servants visualise these goals with her eloquent image and thought provoking book.

—Antoine Bakewell, Public Policy, PSL University

20. The Practice of Adaptive Leadership, Alexander Grashow, Marty Linsky, and Ronald Heifetz

This has been one of the most transformative books for my own work life. It helps public servants (and all forms of leaders) identify the critical differences between technical and adaptive challenges. Then, in very clear terms, explains the necessary work and strategies for solving messy adaptive challenges, which exist in abundance for the average public servant (at least from my own observation).

—Dylan Lenzen, Sustainability Specialist, City of Flagstaff, Arizona

21. White Fragility, Robin DiAngelo

It's a thought-provoking introduction for white people to consider how their lives shape, and have been shaped, by systemic racism. It also touches on the role white people can play to dismantle systemic racism in their country.

—Cameron Christensen, Investment Analyst, ISED

22. The Book of Gutsy Women, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton

Learn more about women (within civil service and without) who worked against the odds to make a difference in government, climate activism, science, etc.

—Kulani Abendroth-Dias, UNIDIR Officer and PhD Candidate, Graduate Institute in Geneva

23. Turn the Ship Around, David Marquet

Hierarchical organisations have a tendency to undermine the agency of people who work in the organisation. Top down decision making often results in the passivity of staff, and paralysis in the absence of leaders to make decisions. This book focuses on how leaders can move from the "leader-follower" model used in most organisations to the "leader-leader" model by delegating control to "where the information lives" - at the working level. The book follows David Marquet's experience as Captain of one of the worst performing submarines in the US fleet. The book details his work to reprogram the ship's processes and empower his crew. Given the intensely hierarchical nature of the military, many of the lessons of the book are directly applicable to the public service, and show that agency is possible even in these challenging conditions.

—Pete Massie, Senior Advisor, Government of Canada

24. Milk and Honey, Rupi Kaur

This is a book collated through poetry about abuse, loss, pain and femininity but above all it is about female empowerment and the strength of womanhood.

—Sidrah Pervez, Fast Stream and Early Talent, Cabinet Office

25. Capital and Ideology, Thomas Piketty

An excellent book that challenges the reader to rethink politics, ideology, and economics. Not a light read, but a valuable one.

—Katherine MacGregor, Science Policy Analyst, AAFC-STB

26. Good Strategy, Bad Strategy: The Difference and Why It Matters, Richard P. Rumelt

Sharp, insightful advice on how to slice away the bureaucratic word salad of fluff and incoherence that passes for so much strategy, and get to the crux of what's real, consequential and actionable. I've bought this book for dozens of fellow public servants over the years. It literally altered the trajectory of my career.

—Tony Pesklevits, Strategic Advisor, BC Wildfire Service

27. From the Ashes, Jesse Thistle

Interesting, deep and resilient read about a former addict//homeless man. The author recounts his experience growing up Metis and how the family dynamics that shaped him led him down a dark path. The book does have a good ending but it's worth the read to understand the journey & how the author got to where he is today. It's truly remarkable.

—Lea Leonard, Communications Advisor, Ministry of Infrastructure

28. A Mind Spread Out on the Ground, Alicia Elliot

This biography includes a collection of essays describing lived experiences of a Haudenosaunee woman in Ontario, including poverty, mental health, racism, and classism. This book will give public servants a more nuanced understanding of these issues in Canada and hopefully support the development of more inclusive policy.

—Kendra, Policy Analyst, Indigenous Services Canada

29. Creating Places for Happy Humans: Theory and Design in the Social Age, Martin Butcher

I recommend this book not just because I wrote it, but also because it will help public servants understand more about our current liminal situation, and how we might get to somewhere we'd prefer to be.

—Martin Butcher, Program Manager, Engagement Dpt. of Environment Land Water & Planning

30. Radical Help, Hillary Cottam

An insightful book on how the British welfare state needs to change to meet the needs of the public. It is based on Cottam and her team's experience of working on local projects and the impact they had.

—Wyn Jones, Workforce Transformation Lead, Health Education England

31. The Visual Display of Quantitative Information****, Edward Tufte

Are you looking for a summer read that will make you better at your job, while offering your mind the occasional outing to an art gallery? Get your hands on a copy of Edward Tufte’s classic The Visual Display of Quantitative Information. His foundational work on data graphics emphasises simple principles for excellence and integrity. The richly illustrated book will help you evaluate the multitude of graphs and charts that fill your screen. It will also help you use charts more effectively when it is your turn to present data. Some of the examples—including the famous map used to identify the source of cholera in 1850s London, a cancer atlas, and a space-time representation of Los Angeles air pollution—focus on public health topics that remain especially timely today. Others, like a graphical representation of the history of the Italian post office and illustrations of the movements of starfish, seahorses, and geckos, bring an aesthetic sense to this educational staycation.

—Jennifer Miller, PhD in Public Policy, University of North Carolina

32. The Value of Everything, Maria Mazzucato

This book can help us as public servants understand the extractive nature of the economy and stimulate our thinking around how governments can play a different role in creating public value through co-creation and shaping of markets, to redefine value and how it is measured.

—Ruth Toomey, Director, Public Service Commission

33. When the Body Says No, Dr. Gabor Mate

This book offers a very informative and engaging approach, based on evidence, about the roots of stress and the implications of it. Dr Mate masterfully balances science with story telling in a genuine and helpful view of body, mind and culture.

—Juanita Jara, Director of Strategic Policy, Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions

34. The Guardians, John Grisham

I recommend John Grisham's The Guardians, a thriller depicting a compelling team of litigators saving innocents from death row, and intertwines the systemic injustices, corruption and gaming of the US's judicial system, especially for applying corporal punishment.

—Cory Schlievert, Senior Strategist, Nova Scotia Department of Health & Wellness

35. Future Leader, Jacob Morgan

Public servants need their leaders to step up their leadership game, both now and into the future. Jacob covers 9 areas that leaders should be aiming to cover if they want to remain relevant in the years to come.

—Rochelle Janssens

36. Upstream: How to Solve Problems Before they Happen, Dan Heath

The book offers an alternative and collaborative way of solving problems. I believe the public sector could really benefit from taking a proactive and collaborative approach to tackling issues.

—Sherine Osbourne, Business Expertise Senior Consultant, ESDC

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