Looking for summer reading to sharpen your B2G marketing skills? During a recent GovCon Ideators session, attendees shared business books they had recently read, were currently reading, or had on their summer reading list.

The books shared during the discussion spanned marketing fundamentals, buyer psychology, entrepreneurship, leadership, AI, government contracting, and business operations. Some recommendations were classics that still hold up, while others were newer books focused on current market realities.

A recurring theme was the value of staying curious and learning from peers, one of the reasons so many of us participate in GovCon Ideators. Several attendees noted that good ideas rarely happen in isolation; they come from reading, testing, discussing, and participating in an active community. For B2G marketers, BD professionals, and leaders, this list offers practical guidance, new perspectives, and reminders of the fundamentals that still matter.

Here’s what attendees are reading:

AI & Technology

• Give the Robot a Desk: How to Turn AI from a Helpful Side Experiment into Real Operational Capability, by Raitchele Arnell
• Programming the Universe: A Quantum Computer Scientist Takes on the Cosmos, by Seth Lloyd
• Sandworm: A New Era of Cyberwar and the Hunt for the Kremlin’s Most Dangerous Hackers, by Andy Greenberg
• Shipley BD.ai: Primer: Introduction to Adopting Artificial Intelligence for Business Development, by Martin L. Humm
• Software as a Science: Unlock Limitless Recurring Revenue Without Losing Control, by Dan Martell, Matt Verlaque, Johnny Page, and Marcel Petitpas

Copywriting

• Overdeliver: Build a Business for a Lifetime Playing the Long Game in Direct Response Marketing, by Brian Kurtz

Entrepreneurship & Business Operations

• Business Is Dead: Resurrecting Entrepreneurship Through the Fan-Focused Venture, by Neil A. Cohen
• The Daily Drucker: 366 Days of Insight and Motivation for Getting the Right Things Done, by Peter F. Drucker
• Fish!: A Proven Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results, by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, and John Christensen
• The Forever Freelancer: How to Build a Thriving Solo Creative Business — and Unlock Family and Financial Freedom, by Satta Sarmah Hightower
• The 48 Laws of Power, by Robert Greene
• Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t, by Jim Collins
• The Infinite Game, by Simon Sinek
• Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don’t, by Simon Sinek
• The Lean Startup: How Today’s Entrepreneurs Use Continuous Innovation to Create Radically Successful Businesses, by Eric Ries
• Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World, by Rand Fishkin
• Scaling Up: How a Few Companies Make It…and Why the Rest Don’t, by Verne Harnish
• The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change, by Stephen R. Covey
• Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike, by Phil Knight
• SYSTEMology: Create Time, Reduce Errors and Scale Your Profits with Proven Business Systems, by David Jenyns
• Think and Grow Rich: The Landmark Bestseller Now Revised and Updated for the 21st Century, by Napoleon Hill
• Traction: Get a Grip on Your Business, by Gino Wickman

Government Contracting

• Findable: The B2G Professional’s Guide to Building a Thought Leadership Platform, by Mark Amtower and Adam Palmer
• How Smart Companies Win Government Contracts: A Proven System for Building and Scaling a Profitable Federal Contracting Business, by Rich Earnest
• I’m New To Government Contracting – Where Do I Start?: Learn the Exact Strategies and Tactics that Have Helped Our Clients Win Over $14.6 Billion in Government Contracts, by Michael LeJeune
• Recoding America: Why Government Is Failing in the Digital Age and How We Can Do Better, by Jennifer Pahlka

Marketing & Strategy

• Beyond SEO: The Marketer’s Blueprint for the AI Optimization Era: Your Step-by-Step Guide to Being Discovered, Cited, and Trusted in the AI Era, by Janet Waring
• The Design Thinking Playbook: Mindful Digital Transformation of Teams, Products, Services, Businesses, by Michael Lewrick, Patrick Link, and Larry Leifer
• Hacking the Human Mind: The Behavioral Science Secrets Behind 17 of the World’s Best Brands, by MichaelAaron Flicker and Richard Shotton
• Influence, New and Expanded: The Psychology of Persuasion, by Robert B. Cialdini
• Journey-First Marketing: Your Playbook to Identify, Engage, and Convert More Ideal Customers, by Brent Keltner
• The Marketing Gurus: Lessons from the Best Marketing Books of All Time, by Chris Murray
• Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It, by April Dunford
• Start with the Vision: Six Steps to Effectively Plan, Create Solutions, and Take Action, by Steven Shallenberger and Rob Shallenberger
• A Technique for Producing Ideas, by James Webb Young
• Your Next Five Moves: Master the Art of Business Strategy, by Patrick Bet-David

Personal Development

• Brain Lock, Twentieth Anniversary Edition: Free Yourself from Obsessive-Compulsive Behavior, by Jeffrey M. Schwartz
• Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity, by Peter Attia with Bill Gifford
• Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers, by Tim Ferriss