Join us in reading favorite & recommended books from climate leaders!

Katie Kouchakji, Resident Bookworm, IETA

American War, by Omar El Akkad
The year is 2074, and the US has banned fossil fuels in response to rising sea levels. Breakaway states (Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, aka The Mag) quit in response and the Second Civil War breaks out. This is the backdrop to a story about refugees, shifting geopolitics, and radicalization – and one which feels believable.

The Library Book, by Susan Orlean
Part mystery, part love letter to libraries, this book tells the story of the 1986 fire at the LA Central Library (was it arson?) in alternating chapters with an exploration of the role libraries play in society now. If you’d told me that a book about libraries would make me cry, I’d never have believed you, and yet there I was, bawling at the end, reflecting on my childhood and I realised that my beloved late mom is responsible for my lifelong love of reading and writing, thanks to our old library.

Moisés Moreno-Rivera, Assistant Secretary for Equity and Environmental Justice, California Natural Resources Agency

Climate Change from the Streets: How Conflict and Collaboration Strengthen the Environmental Justice Movement, by Dr. Michael Méndez
Environmental justice is the crossroads of public health and racial justice and Dr. Méndez captures this intersection in California quite eloquently while also providing recommendations for us all.

Eduardo Piquero, CEO, MexiCO2

Value(s): Building a Better World for All, Mark Carney
I loved the book because it describes the four major crises we are facing (financial, health, climate change and the technology revolution) and how they are related and sets tangible action plans for leaders, companies and countries.

Stakeholder Capitalism, Klaus Schwab
A brief description on how stakeholders made the difference and put climate change (and some other ESG issue) on the top agenda of listed corporations. I think this is particularly important in our developing economies.