Have some shelf awareness 📚

👋
Hi there,

When was the last time you read? Not a Slack message, a news headline on Facebook, or that never-ending email chain you’ve been avoiding. We mean a book. With a cover. And pages. Maybe even a plot.

Research shows that just six minutes of old-fashioned page-turning can drop your stress levels by a whopping 68% — more than listening to music, having a cup of tea, or going on a walk. Meanwhile, social media skyrockets our cortisol levels, leaving us asking, “Why do I feel wired and mildly dead inside?”.

Now, if your excuse for your doomscrolling addiction is, “I don’t know what to read,” consider it officially retired. Welcome to the third edition of our annual “Book Club” newsletter. This time, we’re SPICE-ing things up and spotlighting the “S” in our core values: Socially Conscious. At TDL, this means creating positive and fair outcomes built to last.

So trade in that algorithm with one of our top picks below. It might make you feel just a tiny bit better about our collective fate.

Until next time,

Gabrielle & Charlotte and the bookishly opinionated folks @ TDL

📖 It may not be a paperback, but this newsletter sure has a spine. Go ahead and subscribe here.

Intention: The Surprising Psychology of High Performers

By Dan Pilat, Dr. Sekoul Krastev, and Mike James Ross

Intention is our superpower as a species. It anchors us in the currents of time, turning our deepest hopes into shared triumphs. This book, written by TDL's co-founders (shameless plug), combines inspiring stories about unlikely high performers — think 80-year-old nuns running marathons — and evidence from the bleeding edge of behavioral science to propose a toolkit for learning intention. Not as a fluffy concept, but as five very trainable skills. Find out what they are here.

CELINE'S PICK

Hope in the Dark

By Rebecca Solnit

“When thinking about social change, it can be difficult to resist feelings of despair, apathy, and resignation in the face of seemingly insurmountable injustice. Through reflections on victories of collective action, Rebecca Solnit makes a case for hope — not as naive optimism, but as a belief that people, together, can create a better future when the evidence around us says otherwise. Hope isn’t the idea that change will happen without struggle, it means believing that the struggle is worth it.”

— Celine Huang, Summer Content Intern

DAN'S PICK

Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much

By Sendhil Mullainathan & Eldar Shafir

“Scarcity dives into how limited time, money, and resources affect the way we think, plan, and make decisions. This sounds obvious, but it reveals a ton of ways in which these constraints can lead to persistent inequality and undesirable outcomes.”

— Dan Pilat, Managing Director

DEAN'S PICK

A Human’s Guide to Machine Intelligence

By Kartik Hosanagar

“We often talk about AI as if it's some distant, futuristic force, but it's already shaping our decisions in ways we barely notice. Prof. Hosanagar unpacks the invisible biases baked into the algorithms behind everything from hiring tools to recommendation engines. It’s an accessible but eye-opening read for anyone who wants to understand how algorithmic decisions are made and how we might build systems that better reflect our values.”

— Dean Plamenco, Senior Research Analyst

GABRIELLE'S PICK

The Connection Cure: The
Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging 

By Julia Hotz

“What if we stopped asking ‘What’s the matter with you?’ and instead started asking ‘What matters to you?’ In The Connection Cure, Julia Hotz explores the transformative potential of social prescribing — community-based, non-clinical activities recommended by professionals — as a remedy for many of today’s most pervasive health challenges. Blending compelling research with vivid case studies from around the world, Hotz demonstrates the transformative potential of connecting to others, to the outdoors, and most importantly, to ourselves.”

— Gabrielle Wasco, Content Lead

LAUREN'S PICK

The Thing Around Your Neck 

By Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

“A book that explores real-world themes, but what makes them resonate so deeply is the lens of fiction through which they're told. This collection of short stories challenges dominant Western narratives by offering perspectives that are often unheard. As I stepped into the lives of each character, I found myself recognizing familiar social issues in unfamiliar, but more humane ways. Adichie’s storytelling doesn’t just present social commentary, but invites reflection, surfacing internal conflicts and questions you didn’t even know you were carrying.”

— Lauren Strano, Summer Content Intern

MONTY'S PICK

Emotional Intelligence

By Daniel Goleman

“Yes, I know, it’s one of the more mainstream books out there, but Goleman has always framed success as more than just intellect, but rather mastery of one's emotions, self-awareness, and empathy. Emotional Intelligence offers a framework for more conscious decision-making, not just for leaders, but for everyone who wants to lead with their mind and heart. Can’t get any more socially conscious than that!”

— Monty Tengco, Senior Operations Associate

SEKOUL'S PICK

Bangkok Wakes to Rain

By Pitchaya Sudbanthad

“A dreamy time-hopping book that bounces around different past and future eras of Bangkok. The underlying climate message gets in your head in a subtle but haunting way — kind of like water rising quietly in the background.”

— Dr. Sekoul Krastev, Managing Director

SOPHIE'S PICK

Grapes of Wrath 

By John Steinbeck

“For an older work of fiction that feels chillingly close to modern-day reality, pick up this classic (even if you already tried it once in high school). You’ll find a thorough investigation of political, social, and psychological mechanisms that (still) drive inequality in today’s world.”

— Sophie Cleff, Senior Associate

Max can’t get his nose out of The Alchemist. He’s a pro at sniffing out a good read!