2025 Sustainable Business Reading List: Our Essential Picks
Each year, we curate a list of must-read books for sustainable business professionals. Welcome to our seventh annual Sustainable Business Reading List!
This time around, we had help from the Change Hub, our membership community for busy sustainable business professionals.
Below, you’ll find a range of titles that offer fresh ideas, practical insights and big-picture perspectives for meeting the current moment through our impact work.
We’re also excited to host our first Reconsidered Summer Book Club, which will focus on “Sustainable Ambition: How to Prioritize What Matters to Thrive in Life and Work” by Kathy Oneto. The author herself will be joining us for an exclusive conversation on August 14th to unpack the insights from the book most relevant to sustainable business professionals. This event is open to the broader Reconsidered community so feel free to bring a friend!
Black Earth Wisdom: Soulful Conversations with Black Environmentalists (Leah Penniman)
“I am a white cis woman with considerable privilege, and often find myself in professional spaces that lack racial diversity. Black Earth Wisdom is a powerful reminder that sustainability is, and always has been, shaped by the voices, knowledge and leadership of Black environmentalists.”
— Allison Reser, Director of Sustainability and Innovation, Pet Sustainability Coalition
Feel-Good Productivity: How to Do More of What Matters to You (Ali Abdaal)
“This is a great read full of evidence-based approaches to directing your productivity towards things that you find fulfilling. It includes summaries of research, practical exercises, and heartfelt anecdotes to help you guide yourself in your productivity journey.”
— Marissa Garcia, Director, Responsible Business, Next Level Apparel
Imaginable: How to See the Future Coming and Feel Ready for Anything ― Even Things That Seem Impossible Today (Jane McGonigal)
“The unexpected core message in the book is around how futures thinking — and imagination — are actually critical skills for helping all of us prepare and build resilience for the challenges ahead. And as many of the futures scenarios in the book explore, a lot of those challenges relate to climate and environmental changes. Such a fun, fascinating read that will build your skills as you go!”
— Rebecca Magee, Founder, Sister Seasons
Lighter: Let Go of the Past, Connect with the Present, and Expand the Future (Yung Pueblo)
“This book really helped me prioritize investing in myself in order to show up better for others. As someone who has a people pleasing/perfectionist past, I never realized how my inability to pour into my cup first (especially as a mother of two running a business) was creating a big ripple effect. I am better for reading that book and cannot recommend it enough.”
— Noemí Jiménez, Co-founder and Communications Lead, qb. consulting
Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference (Rutger Bregman)
TBD
— Eleni Zervos, Content and Community Manager, Reconsidered
Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet (Hannah Ritchie)
“Working in a climate-related field means being forced to confront wicked problems on a daily basis. It is easy to feel like there is no use in trying to fight them. In a field where it's easy to feel like Sisyphus, Hannah Ritchie offers hope.”
— Jennie Maibor, Sustainability Specialist, PrimeAsia
Regenerative Leadership: The DNA of life-affirming 21st century organizations (Giles Hutchins and Laura Storm)
“A fantastic introduction to regenerative thinking, and particularly the inner work that needs to happen in order for us to break out of the mechanistic thinking that got us into trouble in the first place. Highly recommended for anyone wanting to go deeper in their work.”
— Angela Loder, Founder and Executive Director, Greening the City and Adjunct Professor, University of Colorado at Boulder
The Good Enough Job: Reclaiming Life from Work (Simone Stolzoff)
“Simone argues for a refreshingly balanced approach to career development. I think it's needed advice for any sustainability professional — our careers are long and sometimes by asking a little less of our jobs we can paradoxically find more fulfillment and great social impact. It's one of the best 'career' books published of late and I feel like I've had to read 'em all.”
— Spencer Campbell, Founder, Spencer Campbell Talent Agency
The Serviceberry: Abundance and Reciprocity in the Natural World (Robin Wall Kimmerer)
“In The Serviceberry, Robin Wall Kimmerer invites us to shift from business-as-usual to a paradigm of reciprocity—an abundant, relationship-centered economy rooted in Indigenous wisdom and ecological thinking.”
— Melanie Copple, Executive Director, Biophilic Institute
The Unsettling of America: Culture and Agriculture (Wendell Berry)
“Written in 1977, but feels like it could have been written yesterday. That realization can be disheartening given how we are still dealing with many of the same problems, but beams of progress shine through Berry’s narrative. It’s also good to be reminded of the advocates who paved the way.”
— Amber Stryker, Founder and CEO, Bespoke ESG
What If We Get It Right?: Visions of Climate Futures (Ayana Elizabeth Johnson)
“This collection of interviews highlights diverse climate solutions that we already have and builds a compelling vision of a better future — if we choose to embrace them.”
— Amy Bohnenkamp, Sustainability Program Manager, Springs Window Fashions
When We're in Charge: The Next Generation’s Guide to Leadership (Amanda Litman)
“It’s the kind of book that reminds us leadership isn’t about waiting your turn. It’s about showing up with values, vision and a little bit of nerve. Litman writes with heart and clarity, and y’all, it’s a must-read for anyone building something better from the inside out!”
— Sam Hartsock, Co-founder and Strategy Lead, qb. consulting