An unrelenting wave of macro news amidst record-breaking heat has carried through all of 2022 to the start of August. With persistent high inflation readings (p.13), energy price volatility and supply disruption (p. 20), interest rate hikes (p. 4), bear equity markets (p. 8), heightened recession risk (p. 3), and VC capital slowing (p. 7) – the post-COVID recovery cycle is at risk.

Yet August, with its summer festivals and family holidays for many, is a good month to put the frenetic pace of change into perspective. Many of the indices, prices, and events summarized in our macro indicators deck reveal just the tip of the iceberg, with a deeper, complex story hidden from view.  Often only a longer form, like a book, can do justice to these stories. Recently published books that we’re reading – and recommending - this summer delve into energy geopolitics, climate change impacts, and the history of real estate and investments.