My colleague, Jean-Philippe Legault, will kindly (and courageously) take over starting next week and until I pick up the pen again at the beginning of September – thank you! I encourage you to read him – his writings are always insightful and cover topics very different from my blogs.
I plan to use the time “saved” in two ways: 1. To do even more research on companies that could be attractive investments, which is what I enjoy most in my work, and 2. To read!
I’ve already read 46 books since the beginning of 2025 – a good harvest – many of which are closely or loosely related to my work. Over the next two months, I intend to read only for pleasure. My son, an avid reader, recommends the seven-volume novel cycle by Marcel Proust, In Search of Lost Time. That’s a possibility, but I’m also thinking of diving into La Comédie humaine by Honoré de Balzac. We’ll see – in either case, I’ll have enough to last the summer!
Here’s a list of eight books I’ve read over the past few months that I greatly enjoyed (I got into the habit years ago of rating each book I read on a five-star scale). Sorry if some of them are in French: I decided long ago to always read a book in its original language, whether English or French.
First, two books on psychology. I recently wrote a six-part blog series on the first: Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion (*****), by Robert B. Cialdini. In my view, every serious investor should read this book. After rereading Influence, I happened to come across another psychology book: The Rational Animal (****), by Douglas T. Kenrick and Vladas Griskevicius. Interestingly, the mentor of both authors was Robert Cialdini. According to the authors, and contrary to popular belief, our cognitive biases may not be flaws that inevitably lead to costly mistakes. From the perspective of human evolution, our decisions—though often seemingly irrational—are quite rational.
Gaza avant le 7, by Guillaume Lavallée, *****. A beautiful book, clearly written by a Québécois author, that covers the situation in Gaza before October 7, 2023. Most media and literature present the Israeli and Western perspective; this book offers a Palestinian one.
The Waiting, by Michael Connelly, ****. I always enjoy Connelly’s books, but this one was especially good. I liked that the main character is a female investigator. I also appreciated that multiple investigations were conducted simultaneously, which seems more realistic to me.
Deep Work, by Cal Newport, ****. Develop the discipline to fully focus on what matters and minimize what doesn’t. Since reading this book, I’ve been trying to maximize my deep-focus hours at work – not always easy!
L’Oeuvre du Grand Lièvre Filou, by Serge Bouchard, ****. Beautiful, poetic. Serge Bouchard helps us appreciate how magnificent Québec and Canada are, and the importance of our Indigenous cultural heritage.
Lincoln, by Doris Kearns Goodwin, *****. Abraham Lincoln was president of the United States during the Civil War and is the one who abolished slavery in the country. He is undoubtedly one of the great figures in American and human history. Could we say he is the antithesis of a certain contemporary president?
Mélancolie de l’Europe, by Stefan Zweig, *****. In today’s times, it is helpful to recall what happened in Europe in the 20th century. In this series of essays, Zweig advocates for peace and a return to humanist values. Our leaders should read this book.
I take this opportunity to thank you for reading me every week. Feel free to email me your comments and suggestions on what I write.
Have a great summer and happy reading!
Philippe Le Blanc, CFA, MBA
Chief Investment Officer at COTE 100
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This article is also published on 
(in French)
