Andrew Lipstein's 6 favorite books that combine wealth and humanity
The author recommends works by Hernan Diaz, Charles Dickens and more

Andrew Lipstein works in the financial-services industry and is the author of the acclaimed 2022 novel "Last Resort." In his latest, "The Vegan," a hedge-fund manager with a troubled conscience develops a strong distaste for mindless consumption.
Assembly by Natasha Brown (2021)
This book made me want to play to the top of my intelligence in my own writing. Natasha Brown's debut glides on crystalline prose, her acuity like nothing I've seen before. Even while detailing boardroom tensions at a London bank, she doesn't waste a single word. At times I forgot to breathe. Buy it here.
Seize the Day by Saul Bellow (1956)
Bellow knew just when to dive deep, and when to wield a light touch. In this brilliant tale of a privileged layabout failure, movements in the commodities market let us know exactly where things stand in the larger story. In Bellow's hands, lard prices can feel like the score to a game much greater than we mortals can comprehend. Buy it here.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The Moviegoer by Walker Percy (1961)
The heady existentialism and vague yearning of this National Book Award winner make it a favorite among novelists. In stockbroker Jack "Binx" Bolling's quest for meaning, you'll feel like you're getting the mirror image of the stock market: a world where there are no "stakes," yet life itself seems to be on the line. Buy it here.
Trust by Hernan Diaz (2022)
Absolutely no one was surprised when Hernan Diaz's latest novel won a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year. Wildly ambitious in plot and form, "Trust" somehow manages to tell a gripping story about, of all things, American finance in the 20th century. Meanwhile, the humanity seeping out of its pages builds and builds, culminating in a breathtaking, provoking final chapter. Buy it here.
Hard Times by Charles Dickens (1854)
Dickens, as the ur-chronicler of wealth's effect on morality, should be read in historical context. The ethics of the characters in this relatively short Dickens novel may be somewhat unambiguous, but the story is brimming with conflict, stakes and drama. Buy it here.
The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe (1987)
You can't think of the modern finance novel without thinking of Wolfe's infamous "Master of the Universe" concept — a money-maker who can move oceans with the snap of a finger. But at the heart of "Bonfire" is the interplay between law and wealth. In the end, we're relieved to discover, money can't buy everything. Buy it here.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
This article was first published in the latest issue of The Week magazine. If you want to read more like it, you can try six risk-free issues of the magazine here.
-
Aston Martin Vantage Roadster: 'a rare treat indeed'
The Week Recommends The Roadster version of Aston Martin's new Vantage coupé makes even 'the most mundane journey feel special'
-
Bad Friend: Tiffany Watt Smith explores why women abandon friendships
The Week Recommends A 'deeply researched' account of female friendship through history
-
Brazil's reborn dolls craze
Under The Radar The 'hyper-realistic' babies soaring in popularity in South American nation have spawned controversy
-
Bryan Burrough's 6 favorite books about Old West gunfighters
Feature The Texas-raised author recommends works by T.J. Stiles, John Boessenecker, and more
-
Tash Aw's 6 favorite books about forbidden love
Feature The Malaysian novelist recommends works by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and more
-
Richard Bausch's 6 favorite books that are worth rereading
Feature The award-winning author recommends works by F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and more
-
Marya E. Gates' 6 favorite books about women filmmakers
Feature The film writer recommends works by Julie Dash, Sofia Coppola, and more
-
Laurence Leamer's 6 favorite books that took courage to write
Feature The author recommends works by George Orwell, Truman Capote and more
-
Amor Towles' 6 favorite books from the 1950s
Feature The author recommends works by Vladimir Nabokov, Jack Kerouac, and more
-
Susan Page's 6 favorite books about historical figures who stood up to authority
Feature The USA Today's Washington bureau chief recommends works by Catherine Clinton, Alexei Navalny, and more
-
Ione Skye's 6 favorite books about love and loss
Feature The actress recommends works by James Baldwin, Nora Ephron, and more