2024 Point72 Fall Reading List

Denis Dancanet, President of Cubist Systematic Strategies: I really enjoy Michael Crichton’s carefully researched, plausible, near-future sci-fi and have been looking for something similar. I found Daniel Suarez’s two-book series, “Delta-v” and “Critical Mass.” Delta-v means the change in velocity needed to perform a maneuver in space. This implies acceleration, which means expending energy, a scarce resource. When that’s the title of the book series, you know what you’re in for. There is asteroid mining, novel engineering, and the establishment of a space-based economy. And, naturally, there is a new cryptocurrency backed by space resources.

Gavin O’Connor, Chief Operating Officer: I enjoyed reading “The Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War,” by Ben Macintyre, which is set at the tail-end of the Cold War and tells the story of Oleg Gordievsky, a high-level KGB agent who crossed over to work with MI6 in Great Britain. It’s a very quick read, especially if you enjoy history and current events.

Ariel Speicher, Chief Human Resources Officer: While I am slightly late to the longevity party, I would recommend Michael Roizen’s “The Great Age Reboot.” Written by the Chief Wellness Officer at the Cleveland Clinic, the book explores how advances in medicine will make living past 100 more common (think ‘90 is the new 40’). Roizen posits the societal and individual implications of living much longer and provides a comprehensive guide on how to achieve better physical, mental, and financial health. What I particularly enjoy about Roizen’s work is the range of topics he covers, from the benefits of specific vitamins, the importance of relationships and exercise, to the merits and risks associated with cosmetic procedures. His recommendations are not only achievable and attainable – they are also presented in a straightforward and concrete manner, making them easy to put into practice.

Marc Desmidt, Head of Asia Pacific: I recently finished “Empire of Booze” by Henry Jeffreys, which tells a highly illuminating and often surprising history of Britain through true stories of how the world’s favorite alcoholic drinks came to be. For example, rum and India pale ale became legendary for their ability to withstand the hot journeys from Britain to its burgeoning overseas territories. The book includes drink recommendations throughout, and is a fascinating read for those interested in the history of the drinks they enjoy!

Laura Sterner, Global Head of Capital Development and Investor Relations: I would recommend “The Anxious Generation,” a fascinating read on how generations have been re-programmed by technology, especially smartphones and social media. The book isn’t about giving up technology but learning how to optimize the use of technology at different ages – whether you are a parent focused on bringing up a mentally healthier generation, in your 20s or 30s and still trying to find balance between being online or offline, or if you’re interested in the impact of technological platform shifts on mental health. It is a great reminder that we can change things but it takes a collective team and collective action.

Will Tovey, Head of UK: I recently re-read “Rising from the Ashes,” the autobiography of cricket legend Graham Thorpe. Graham was one of the best batsmen in world cricket for more than a decade, playing for England between 1993 and 2005. He was known as a rebel and a non-conformist who split opinion throughout his career. The book gives insight into how the most elite sportspeople handle the pressures of a long career at the top, the volatility of performance highs and lows, and dealing with challenging situations in the public eye. He published the book soon after retiring from cricket in 2005 but in the years since he suffered from significant mental health issues. Graham took his own life in August, leaving behind a young family. Re-reading the book in light of this event brings a different context to the pressures he faced – and reinforces the importance of addressing mental health in today’s society.

Rafa Lopez-Espinosa, Chief Operating Officer, International; Head of Warsaw & Paris: I’d recommend “The Venture Mindset,” which was written by one of my former professors at Stanford. It explains how VCs think by outlining a series of principles – including how to get big wins, encourage dissents and debate, identify emerging trends, concentrate investments, embrace uncertainty, cultivate ecosystems and culture, and align incentives. It’s a really fascinating read.

Gina DiMento, Deputy Chief Compliance Officer of Point72: I recently enjoyed “My Trajectory” by Alessandro Benetton. While the book is categorized as an autobiography, Benetton explores the life lessons he’s learned over the years, and the impact they’ve had on his professional path to success. The book reminds the reader that the choices one makes throughout their lifetime do not necessarily define who they are, but contribute to who they become, how we learn and grow, and how failures can evolve into future successes. One quote in the book resonated deeply with me: “For any change to be able to occur, we must first create the conditions for disruption.”

Jaimi Goodfriend, Head of Investment Professional Development, Point72 Academy Director: I recently advised our summer interns to listen to “Getting Better by Being Wrong with Annie Duke,” a podcast episode hosted by The Knowledge Project. I found this really influential when I first heard the episode several years ago. It teaches the listener how to create mental models that will help them cut through the noise and make the best decisions – in other words, not letting the hubris get in the way.

Matt Dowd, Head of Market Intelligence: I recently finished “Just the Good Stuff,” by Jim VandeHei, co-founder of news outlets Axios and Politico and co-author of “Smart Brevity,” a guide to communicating effectively by prioritizing what’s essential, giving context, and delivering it in a concise and visual format. “Just the Good Stuff” is a candid, no-nonsense collection of valuable lessons on career, leadership, and life that VandeHei learned, often the hard way.  As you might expect, the book is written in the “Smart Brevity” style – packing a great deal of content into short, focused, easily digestible chapters.

Sri Chandrasekar, Managing Partner at Point72 Ventures: My favorite book this year was “Hoop Atlas,” by the basketball analyst Kirk Goldsberry, which offers insights into how the NBA has changed over time and combines my love for basketball and my interest in analytics. The author uses an amazing set of graphics to illustrate his points, with charts that are easy to understand – a critical business skill. I found it fascinating to see an author talking about sports using so much data and in such an eloquent way.