Here are five books that inspire Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO

What one trait do presidents like Barack Obama, tech CEOs, and outstanding thinkers have in common? Every one of them read. Tim Cook, the CEO of Apple, is hardly an exception.

In a recent interview, the CEO revealed his list of the top five motivational books with artist Dua Lipa. In an exclusive bonus episode of Dua Lipa: At Your Service, the 63-year-old Apple CEO and the singer discussed a wide range of subjects. The conversation covered a wide range of topics, including Cook’s leadership philosophy, his career at Apple, and the existential threat that AI may pose to humans.

As Lipa hosts the monthly book group called the Service95 Book group, she naturally wanted to discover which novels are particularly dear to Cook. His top picks were these five books.

Author Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird

Cook emphasized the timeless appeal of Harper Lee’s classic, saying that people of all ages can relate to it in addition to young students. Many curriculum in schools incorporate the classic novel.

Shoe Dog: A Memoir by Phil Knight, the Inventor of Nike

Cook said of Phil Knight’s memoir that it is a book that goes beyond its business focus and provides insightful observations on life. Phil Knight, a co-founder of Nike, wrote a memoir that offers an open look at both his personal history and the modest origins of his organization.

Paul Kalanithi’s book When Breath Becomes Air

Cook praised Kalanithi’s book highly, calling it “phenomenal.” Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon, wrote a memoir in which he discussed medicine, mortality, and sickness. The book, which was released posthumously following Kalanithi’s death in 2015, details his struggle with stage 4 lung cancer.

Christina Lamb and Malala Yousafzai’s book I Am Malala

The CEO of Apple expressed admiration for Malala’s book and praised her commitment to the education of young girls and her personal narrative. Co-written by British journalist Christina Lamb, the book includes details on Malala’s upbringing, activism, and attempted suicide when she was fifteen years old. Cook emphasized Apple’s partnership with the Malala Fund and their noteworthy contributions to the education of impoverished girls.

“We work with her and the work that she does is incredible,” Cook remarked.

Biographies of Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King Jr.

“I enjoy reading about the great people who fought for civil rights, like Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King,” Cook said to Lipa.

He expressed gratitude while not mentioning titles. Along with an autobiography of King compiled by historian and documentarian Clayborne Carson, there are well-known histories of Kennedy by Thurston Clarke and Chris Matthews that combine King’s first-person writings.