With the summer solstice behind us, we're officially soaking up the season's joys! Whether you're off on an exciting vacation or simply savouring the long sunsets, a fresh read is the perfect companion to brighten your days.

To help you escape from the summer heat, we’ve gathered recommendations from the Apolitical community to curate a few reads for your summer vacation.

In a year shaped by elections, fiscal constraints and the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence, 2025 has been defined by missions, efficiency and the pursuit of impact. These books reflect the major forces reshaping public service today, covering themes ranging from productivity and leadership to infrastructure, technology and energy.

We’d love to hear your suggestions too! Drop your thoughts in the comments section below. ⬇️

And if you’re inspired to review any of these titles — or any other book that has piqued your interest—consider sharing your thoughts by publishing an article on Apolitical.

Don’t forget to spread the word by sharing this list with your colleagues! Happy reading!

Abundance: How We Build a Better Future, by Ezra Klein and Derek Thompson

“Klein and Thompson’s case studies are described with the clarity, accessibility and rigour that characterises their policy journalism, in the New York Times and the Atlantic respectively…In everything from planning regimes that block badly needed housing and solar farms, to the ossified processes for writing federal regulations and hiring civil servants, they see systems attuned to the harms of action and not its benefits, and convincingly argue that the rewards of reform are immense.” — The Guardian

Solving Public Problems: A Practical Guide to Fix Our Government and Change Our World, by Beth Simone Noveck

“Solving Public Problems takes the Design Thinking paradigm from Stanford’s D School (and many others) and shows how it has been (and must be) applied to public and governmental innovation across America and abroad… [It] requires us to think about “the design of government” in ever broader terms – not only must we look at the advantages of “bottom up” conceptualisation of what needs to be done, but also the stove-piped structure of today’s governmental categories of available assistance.” — Apolitical

Human Compatible: Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control, by Stuart Russell

“In Human Compatible, Russell returns to the question and this time does not hold back. The result is surely the most important book on AI this year… Creating machines that surpass our intelligence would be the biggest event in human history. It may also be the last, he warns. Here he makes the convincing case that how we choose to control AI is 'possibly the most important question facing humanity'.” — The Guardian

Failed State: Why Nothing Works and How We Fix It, by Sam Freedman

“It was once said that to be born British was to have won the lottery in life. Failed State suggests that, relative to being born in neighbouring countries, it is now somewhat of a misfortune.” — The Times Literary Supplement

Energy and AI, from the International Energy Agency (IEA)

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence (AI) raises critical questions about its impact on the energy sector, particularly regarding its heavy reliance on electricity for data centres and its potential to transform industry operations. This report from the IEA leverages new global and regional modelling, alongside stakeholder consultations, to project AI's electricity consumption over the next decade and identify the supporting energy sources. It examines the implications of AI adoption for energy security, emissions reduction, innovation, and cost-effectiveness, emphasising the need for strategic planning in this rapidly evolving landscape.

I Didn't Do The Thing Today: Letting Go of Productivity Guilt, by Madeleine Dore

“After five years of searching for the secret to productivity, Madeleine Dore discovered there isn’t one… For anyone who has ever felt the pressure to do more, be more, achieve more, this antidote to our doing-obsession is the permission slip we all need to find our own way.” — Murdoch Books

How to Be an Inclusive Leader: Your Role in Creating Cultures of Belonging Where Everyone Can Thrive, by Jennifer Brown

“This resource encourages readers to consider all aspects of inclusion, even the less obvious ones. Brown asserts that one need not be in a position of power to make a difference; anyone can advocate for what’s right, though it won’t always be easy.” — Library Journal

The Trusted Leader: Building the Relationships That Make Government Work, edited by Terry Newell, Grant Reeher, Peter Ronayne

“While many studies of government reform focus on new policies and programs, these public managers—building relationships built on trust—are the real drivers behind many successful reforms… With new research and lessons from the first two years of the Obama administration, chapters focus on the concrete ways in which leaders build effective relationships and trust, while also improving themselves, their organisations, and those they coach. Surveying agencies both horizontally and vertically, The Trusted Leader also addresses how public managers can collaborate with political appointees and the legislative branch, while still engaging with citizens to create quality customer experiences.” — SAGE Publications

Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference, by Rutger Bregman

“Is it time for us to redefine what we mean by career success? Rutger Bregman thinks so, and his new book, Moral Ambition, makes a brisk and persuasive case for ditching “mind-numbing, pointless, or just plain harmful jobs” and doing something more meaningful instead…In this optimist’s manifesto, moral ambition is about devoting “your working life to the great challenges of our time, whether that’s climate change or corruption, gross inequality or the next pandemic”.” — Financial Times

Deep Work: Rules for Focused Success in a Distracted World, by Cal Newport

“[Newport] includes texting, social media and “the shiny tangle of infotainment sites like BuzzFeed and Reddit” in the category of things that disrupt our attention spans. To defeat these enemies, Newport suggests a variety of tactics meant to slice out distractions and “wring every last drop of value out of your current intellectual ­capacity.” This promise is highly appealing for people in my exact category of intelligence, which is: just smart enough to know that we fall far short of how smart we’d wish to be.” — The New York Times

Policy brain switched on? Here are a few must-read reports

AI 2027

Published by the non-profit AI Futures Project, this report presents a striking scenario in which, by 2027, artificial intelligence surpasses human intelligence, leading to the emergence of artificial superintelligence (ASI).

Government at a Glance 2025

This year, the OECD's report highlights three essential focus areas: the need for governments to enhance citizen engagement, bolster trust through accountability, and improve service delivery — all while navigating fiscal constraints and advancing the green transition.

The Global Risks Report 2025

Drawing insights from over 900 global experts, the 20th edition of the Global Risks Report identifies the world’s most pressing challenges, ranging from geopolitical tensions to environmental disruptions, while calling for renewed international cooperation, innovation, and resilience to transform shared risks into collective opportunities.

Sustainable Development Report 2025

This update offers a clear insight into SDG progress over the past year, highlighting regional gains, particularly in East and South Asia, while emphasising the urgent need for systemic policy shifts and stronger multilateral coordination to bridge implementation gaps and meet the 2030 targets.

Global Assessment Report 2025

In an era where the uninsurable is rapidly expanding, this report calls for a reframing of disaster risk reduction, presenting it not merely as a cost but as a strategic investment that can foster economic stability, ease humanitarian pressures, and generate lasting public value through proactive resilience planning.

And, finally

Summer is the perfect season to escape into a good novel — one that helps you leave the world of work behind and step into an entirely different reality. Few books do this better than Kaliane Bradley’s The Ministry of Time, a dazzling story that bends time and imagination, with a focus on the work of a public servant. If you’re craving a true journey into the past, why not revisit classics like Jane Eyre or Great Expectations— timeless works that continue to make us reflect on history, society, and the human condition.

Done reading? Make sure to share your own summer reading recommendations by leaving a comment below ⬇️

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