MASECO’s Recommended Reading List

Written by Henry Findlater

We all wish we could have enjoyed the ‘Dog Days’ of summer here in the UK, but as we creep into September many of us are starting to feel that those days may have missed us this year. The term ‘Dog Days’ traditionally refers to the summer months of July and August in the Northern Hemisphere, when a period of particularly sweltering weather occurs.

With the days getting shorter and nights getting longer, now definitely feels like the right time to take some time out to read and, for those lucky enough to be making it abroad and into the sun, a good book is always the perfect sunbathing companion. With National Read a Book Day on September 6, a day that encourages us to silence the noise and turn the pages, we have asked our team here at MASECO to share their recommended reading list with you. We have included some interesting books and articles that might interest you in our latest reading list.

Money by Yuval Noah Harari.
Recommended by George Fisk, Wealth Manager.

With much of the content taken from Harari’s more well-known works of Sapiens and Homo Deus, ‘Money’ addresses some of humankind’s fundamental questions about money – its genesis, future, and everything in between. From coins used thousands of years ago to today’s thriving modern economy, Harari provides an enlightening yet digestible explanation of why and how money makes the world go round.

Jamaica Inn by Daphne Du Maurier. 
Recommended by Hannah Pulleyn, Senior Wealth Manager.

This period novel is set in 1820 Cornwall, where Mary Yellan is orphaned in her early 20s and goes to live with her Aunt Patience and Uncle Joss Merlyn, the ruthless landlord of Jamaica Inn. Disturbed by the lack of guests at the inn and the number of wagons coming and going in the middle of the night, Mary uncovers a dark secret. She becomes ensnared in the villainous schemes hatched by Uncle Joss and his men to wreck ships on the rocky Cornish coastline, looting their cargo and killing any surviving souls. I recommend this suspenseful thriller because the complex characters blur the lines between good and evil as Mary suspects her Uncle is merely a puppet and seeks to unmask the true mastermind behind the murderous smuggling operation. The novel explores the delicate nuances of human morality in the bitter struggle for survival against the backdrop of mysterious Cornish landscapes.

Article Recommendations

• The Meaning Behind “The Dog Days of Summer” – Have you ever wondered why it’s called “The Dog Days of Summer
• Retirement Rule 1: Don’t run out of money