ESCP students share their recommendations on what to read this winter season
As winter settles in, it offers a season shaped for reflection. A time to slow down, think deeply, and reset before the rush of spring. We asked students: What book changed the way you think? What story shifted your perspective, helped you question the world, or sparked a personal reinvention?
The result is a winter reading list grounded in curiosity, introspection, and transformation. Each book has been chosen by an ESCP student, and each recommendation reflects one of the values that guide our community: accountability, boldness, and creativity.
Happy reading!
Accountable
Internal Reflection, Moral Responsibility, Understanding Self and Systems
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind – Yuval Noah Harari
A landmark exploration of humanity’s evolution through shared myths, cooperation, and systems of belief—from money and religion to empires and algorithms.
This book explains why we are the way we are—how our society formed, how our minds work, and how powerful shared fictions have shaped everything. It’s accessible, thought-provoking, and it helped me become more aware of how systems influence our lives.
Doctoral Researcher
Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge and the Teachings of Plants – Robin Wall Kimmerer
A poetic collection of essays that weaves together botany, Indigenous knowledge, and ecological ethics.
This book helped me reconnect with the Earth in a way I didn’t expect. It’s full of gentle, essential reminders about gratitude and mindfulness. The short essay format makes it easy to read slowly, reflectively. It opened my mind to how ancient wisdom and science can coexist.
BSc 2027
The Magic Mountain – Thomas Mann
A philosophical novel set in a Swiss sanatorium, reflecting on time, illness, complacency, and the intellectual climate of Europe before WWI.
It made me reflect on how easily time passes without reflection—especially in today’s distracted world. The themes are vast and complex, but they’re grounded in everyday choices. This book pushed me to think more deeply about my own habits, beliefs, and the way I spend my time.
MiM 2026
Bold
Courage to Change, Challenging the Status Quo, Defining a New Path
The Handmaid’s Tale – Margaret Atwood
A chilling vision of a near-future society where rights are stripped away and autonomy is tightly controlled.
This book made me feel anger, fear, and admiration all at once. Offred’s voice—her resistance, her quiet defiance—felt hauntingly real. It made me realise how easily rights can disappear when we stop paying attention. It changed how I think about freedom.
MiM 2027
We Should All Be Feminists – Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
A powerful, personal, and accessible call to gender equality for all.
This short book had a massive impact on me. It helped me understand feminism beyond the stereotypes, and made me reflect on how education is key to changing inequality.
BSc, 2027
La vie spectrale: Penser l’ère du métavers et des IA génératives – Éric Sadin
A philosophical critique of how AI and the metaverse are reshaping human life, attention, and identity.
This book deeply changed how I think about digital technology. Sadin shows how we are becoming ‘spectral beings’—driven more by data traces than real presence. It was unsettling and eye-opening. If you want to rethink your relationship with technology, this is essential reading.
MSc Marketing & Communication, 2026
Creative
Innovative Thinking, Reimagining Possibilities, Inspirational Vision
Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman
A foundational book on how our minds work, how we make decisions, and how to overcome cognitive bias.
This book changed my way of thinking—literally. It helped me slow down, challenge assumptions, and become more self-aware. It’s full of examples that stick with you, and it makes you wiser with every page.
BSc 2028
Figuring – Maria Popova
A sweeping narrative of love, truth, science, and creativity told through the lives of overlooked historical figures.
Figuring reframed everything I thought I knew about creativity and legacy. It’s not a traditional biography—it’s a tapestry. It made me reflect on how culture builds over time, often in silence, through letters, obsessions, and quiet acts of brilliance.
MiM 2027
Let My People Go Surfing: The Education of a Reluctant Businessman – Yvon Chouinard
The Patagonia founder’s story of how values-driven business can redefine success and sustainability.
Through Patagonia's story, I discovered a model of capitalism rooted in responsibility, creativity, and joy. This book made me feel hopeful, hopeful that business can be ethical without being naive, and profitable without being extractive. It inspired me to imagine my own professional path not as a compromise between ambition and impact, but as a fusion of both.
MiM 2027
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