I often fall behind on the number of books I plan to read. While I sincerely hope I’ll read at least 24 books next year—that’s two each month—I won’t be too disappointed, judging from my reading history, if I manage to read 10 books.

Nonetheless, I’ll try to read these books, which were recommended by the Financial Times.

Why Life Is Manufactured by Tim Minshall: We are increasingly living in a “manufactured” world and drifting away from nature. This is the reality of our civilised society. In this book, I want to understand Minshall’s argument about how we make things, why (or if) it matters, and, more importantly, how we can do it better.

Outclassed by Joan C. Williams: The election of Donald Trump—a man I deliberately refer to as “the convicted criminal”—was my rudest shock last year year. However, after watching figures like Gavin Newsom, Governor of California, discuss why the Democrats lost to what they describe as an autocratic and unempathetic figure like Trump, I became more interested in understanding how the Democrats can win back people’s trust in liberalism, not just among working Americans.

How Progress Ends by Carl Benedikt Frey: What caught my attention here is the retrogression of the Western world and the rising influence of China, Russia, India, and others. Part of the reason, I believe, is the fast-paced technological advancement in these nations. I sincerely hope Frey will offer me a window into how the world may realign over the next decade or two by examining the progression of technology.

Empire of AI by Karen Hao: There is a visibly reckless race for total domination. I am genuinely excited about the AI revolution and how transformative it could be—perhaps even more so than the Industrial Revolution. Yet, it is clear that the current leaders in this race might drive humanity toward disaster with their obsession to take it all. Maybe, just maybe, Hao can offer valuable insight into how we can balance this greed to control the AI industry while still encouraging healthy competition.

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell: This list wouldn’t be complete without a book by Gladwell. One Gladwell a year keeps ignorance away. So next year, I’ll re-read Outliers, which examines the small factors—including luck—that shape success. Gladwell is one of the most counterintuitive writers I know.

So, yeah, 2026 is going to be super fun. What are you reading?