Jamie Dimon Book Recommendations for Building Resilience in Business and Life
What shapes the thinking of Wall Street’s longest-serving CEO
Note: If you are interested in book recommendations from famous people, you might enjoy my previous article on Eric Weinstein’s book recommendations.
If you have been following Trump and his reciprocal tariff news lately, you might have seen him promote Jamie Dimon’s interview. So who is this guy?
Jamie Dimon is the Chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the famous financial services company. Interestingly, the New York Times once referred to him as “America’s least-hated banker.”
He is the banking industry’s ultimate survivor. At the helm of JPMorgan Chase since 2005, he was the only major bank CEO who weathered the 2008 financial crisis and emerged stronger.
These are his recommended reads that shaped a banker who navigated through bubbles, crashes, and transformations that killed many careers. His book picks — (mostly from interviews plus the list he sent to summer interns at JPMorgan) — reflect the mind of a leader who balances hard-nosed business pragmatism with enough curiosity to stay ahead of the curve.
Let’s begin!
Disclaimer: Some of the books in this list are over 500 pages long. If you don’t have the time to read them end to end or you’d like to skim the key ideas, use a book summary app. I use Accelerated for various reasons that I have discussed in this article. These apps are also useful to help you decide if a book is worth investing in a physical copy as a keepsake.
1. The Intelligent Investor
Benjamin Graham
Want to beat the market? It’s about mastering your own emotions. Graham’s quiet genius teaches that success comes not only from brilliance but from discipline, patience, and never confusing price with value.
2. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Jared Diamond
It may surprise you, but history’s winners didn’t triumph through brilliance or bravery. They did it through geography, crops, and microbes. Diamond shows how the fate of entire civilizations hinged on who had the right tools, animals, and accidental biological weapons.
3. Only the Paranoid Survive: How to Exploit the Crisis Points that Challenge Every Company and Career
Andrew S. Grove
The book shows that in business, massive disruption — what Grove calls a “strategic inflection point” — isn’t a maybe; it’s a when. Those who spot the shift early and adapt win; those who cling to what used to work die. Talk about survival of the fittest!
4. A Short History of Nearly Everything
Bill Bryson
Perfect for science nerds who want to know how we know what we know — from the age of the Earth to the structure of atoms. The book traces the messy, human stories behind scientific discovery, leading to the conclusion that science isn’t clean or certain, but full of lucky guesses, stubborn mistakes, and unsung heroes.
5. Sam Walton: Made In America
Sam Walton
This one’s a must-read for bootstrapped entrepreneurs. It is Sam Walton’s scrappy, inside story of how he built Walmart from a small-town store into a retail giant — through grit, thrift, and relentless customer focus.
6. Built to Last
Jim Collins & Jerry I. Porras
It’s a blueprint for building businesses that don’t just succeed but last. It breaks down what makes companies endure for decades — not flashy products, but core values, bold goals, and a cult-like culture that outlives any one leader.
7. Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
Doris Kearns Goodwin
The book showcases Abraham Lincoln’s brilliance — turning his political enemies into allies and using their strengths to guide the country through the Civil War and preserve the Union. It’s a powerful lesson in leadership through collaboration.
8. The World Is Flat: A Brief History of the Twenty-first Century
Thomas L. Friedman
The book discusses how technology and globalization have leveled the playing field, allowing individuals and companies to compete on a global scale, which in turn is reshaping economies, cultures, and opportunities.
9. Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order: Why Nations Succeed and Fail
Ray Dalio
The book explains how shifts in global power often follow a pattern: rising debt, inequality, and political division often leading to decline. Dalio uses historical examples to show how understanding these cycles can help predict future upheavals.
Final Thoughts
For me, the most interesting takeaway from Jamie Dimon’s book recommendations is that they reveal a mind that values both historical perspective and practical wisdom. As a generation that is fixated on instant gratification and short-term thinking, Dimon’s reading list is a reminder for all of us that the most valuable insights often come from stepping back and taking the longer view.
Happy reading 📚
