Each year, we share a summer reading list to suggest how you might use downtime to read about leadership, entrepreneurship, or personal development. Given it’s 2020, we’re going to do it differently this summer.

Read fiction. Not just any fiction. Science Fiction.

Billionaires like Elon Musk and Warren Buffet, and self-help gurus like Tim Ferriss, want you to read a lot more, and don’t want you to only read how-to non-fiction books. Fiction triggers the imagination. Perhaps even the unimaginable. Sci-Fi adds in science and technology. The result is an opportunity to conceive of the impossible and live in worlds yet to be created.

There is no better way to get your brain into innovation mode than to read science fiction.

Dune, by Frank Herbert

Mike shares that Dune was a hit when he was young. It’s now frequently cited as the best selling science fiction novel in history, ultimately leading to a 1984 film and a 2000 television miniseries. It’s on almost every recommended reading list for entrepreneurs.

Dune follows the story of a boy named Paul who is heir to a noble family tasked with ruling on the inhospitable desert planet Arrakis. The only commodity worth any value is a drug capable of extending life and enhancing consciousness. The destruction of Paul’s family sets him on a path towards a destiny greater then he could have ever imagined. This novel will keep you at the edge of your seat as you explore what is in store for Paul.

The Martian, by Andrew Weir

Leadership Coach Henna Pryor recommends The Martian by Andrew Weir. Everyone now seems to know it because Ridley Scott turned it into a hit movie with Matt Damon in 2015. Mike says he listened to the unabridged audiobook on a round-trip drive to visit his daughter in Cape Cod and the 12 hours on the road breezed by given he spent most of it transported to another planet.

The Martian is about an Astronaut who is among a crew of the first people to walk on Mars. After a storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate, he finds himself stranded with no way to communicate with Earth or even signal that he is alive. Refusing to quit, he tackles one obstacle after the next to stay alive. If it’s even possible to re-establish communication with Earth he must find a way to survive long enough to get rescued. This is an excellent tale that can encourage us to think outside the box of what we think is possible.

The Commonwealth Saga, by Peter F. Hamilton

Joe Cotellese recommends this saga, which consists of the novels Pandora's Star (2004) and Judas Unchained (2005). The Commonwealth Saga is an epic space opera that extends across dozens of worlds and characters.

The series starts in the year 2380 when wormhole technology has developed ahead of faster-than-light drive systems, making the Commonwealth Saga markedly different from Hamilton's other works. One notable difference is the initial lack of spaceships. Instead, interstellar travel is accomplished by traveling through wormholes, most commonly via a train. This mode of travel is a commonplace experience, considered similar to commuting. Hundreds of planets are linked in this fashion. However, several colonies have chosen to withdraw from the Commonwealth by severing their wormhole connection. (Wikipedia)

The Foundation Trilogy, by Isaac Asimov

Mike shares that as a science nerd and avid reader in his childhood, he remembers being a big Isaac Asimov fan. Asimov was a prolific writer who wrote or edited more than 500 books and was also a professor of biochemistry at Boston University. He was known for his works of science fiction and popular science. The Foundation Trilogy is one of his classics. We know we’re in good company recommending the series since Elon Musk also suggests entrepreneurs read it.

The motivation to read this? Technology is necessary to change the world for the better.

FOUNDATION begins a new chapter in the story of man's future. As the Old Empire crumbles into barbarism throughout the million worlds of the galaxy, Hari Seldon and his band of psychologists must create a new entity, the Foundation-dedicated to art, science, and technology as the beginning of a new empire. FOUNDATION AND EMPIRE describe the mighty struggle for power amid the chaos of the stars in which man stands at the threshold of a new enlightened life which could easily be destroyed by the old forces of barbarism. SECOND FOUNDATION follows the Seldon Plan after the First Empire's defeat and describes its greatest threat-a dangerous mutant strain gone wild, which produces a mind capable of bending men's wills, directing their thoughts, reshaping their desires, and destroying the universe. (Amazon)

Rocket Ship Galileo, by Robert Heinlein

This book is from the 1940s, long before people thought we’d actually go to the moon. Publishers rejected Heinlein’s book because it was too far-fetched.

This witty and exciting technology adventure follows the Galileo Club as they take a backyard miniature rocket launch and turn it into an opportunity to build a rocket that will take people to the moon. The book is filled with lessons of responsibility and has been a classic read for attracting people into careers in science and technology. This imaginative work of fiction has the power to help entrepreneurs think outside the box and plan for technologies and advancements which haven’t happened yet.

Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, by Douglas Adams

Elon Musk has commented on his admiration for Douglas Adams and this novel. He views Adams as a philosopher, posing questions such as the meaning of life, the absurdity of life, the nature of intelligence, and the nature of life. He believes that fundamentally he is telling us that “The universe is the answer; what are the questions?” According to Musk: “To ask the most prescient questions requires constantly expanding humanity’s collective intelligence.”

The book is the first in a series of six novels that take you along a journey through time and space. The narrative follows the misadventures of the last surviving man on earth Artur Dent as he partners with several other characters, namely Ford Prefect, an alien and researcher of a guidebook known as The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Through their adventures, they come to find that the answer to the ultimate questions on the meaning of life is simply the number 42. Business leaders can walk away from this book with a new appreciation for the notion that sometimes the questions we ask are more important than the answer.

Ender’s Game, by Orson Scott Card

Tim Ferris says that “at one point, this was the only book listed on Mark Zuckerberg's Facebook page. If it’s good enough to be the sole selection of the founder of Facebook, maybe there’s something to it.”

Ender’s Game is a story about a young boy and a brilliant strategist known as Ender Wiggin. Ender is sent to a training academy named Battle School, located in orbit above Earth. The goal of his training is to become a soldier that will one day battle a vast alien race. In school, Ender stands out - demonstrating exceptional leadership. However, the top is lonely for Ender, and he struggles with pressure from his instructors. By following through Ender’s journey - you as the reader can learn how to capitalize on your strengths and those of your team.

The Singularity Series, by William Hertling

A few years ago, Mike had the opportunity to attend an executive retreat with other seasoned entrepreneurs. During a ’lightning round’ of one minute helpful tips, he recalled that Brad Feld advised entrepreneurs to read science fiction. Brad’s recommendation was to read William Hertling. American Express agrees, saying that “ if you have knowledge workers in your business, take some notes from this novel and steal an idea or three.”

Hertling’s Singularity Series follows the exciting tale of David Ryan who is the designer of an ELOPe, an email language optimization program that, if successful, will make his career. But when the project is suddenly in danger of being canceled, David embeds a hidden directive in the software accidentally creating a runaway artificial intelligence. He and his team are initially thrilled when the project is allocated extra servers and programmers. But excitement turns to fear as the team realizes that they are being manipulated by an A.I. who is redirecting corporate funds, reassigning personnel, and arming itself in pursuit of its own agenda.