I’m a firm believer that curiosity is a competitive advantage in investing and in life. Markets are shaped not only by data and models but by history, psychology and the ideas that govern human behaviour.

Private markets, in particular, reward long-term thinking and an understanding of structural change. Companies evolve over years, not quarters, and value is created through execution and innovation. The books and podcasts below aren’t typical investment manuals or meant to be an easy 'how-to' guide; I see them instead as tools to broaden perspective and sharpen judgment in an increasingly complex world.

Understanding history and civilisations

One of my favourite books, Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind written by Yuval Noah Harari, is a sweeping examination of how culture, institutions and shared stories shape human behaviour. It helped me zoom out of quarterly cycles to civilisational timeframes, granting me a differing perspective on why certain economic and political systems endure. For investors, this insight encourages thinking beyond short-term metrics toward the foundations of value creation.

Geopolitics and structural constraints are explored brilliantly in Prisoners of Geography: Ten Maps That Tell You Everything You Need to Know About Global Politics by Tim Marshall. Geography shapes trade routes, resource dependencies and strategic decision-making. Understanding these forces helped me contextualise regional risk and opportunity in an increasingly interconnected world. It is a very accessible foundation for anyone interested in geopolitics, energy and global supply chains.

My next suggestion is a podcast called The Rest is History. It offers excellent storytelling and analysis of pivotal moments in history. Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook discuss how ideas, belief systems and political structures shape outcomes and touch upon lessons that remain relevant today.

Similarly, the Empire podcast explores the rise and fall of empires and their enduring legacies. Hosted by William Dalrymple and Anita Anand, these weekly discussions provide valuable context for understanding how historical forces continue to influence modern markets.

Understanding investor behaviour and private markets

Private markets require a distinct mindset. Illiquidity and long investment horizons demand patience and discipline, some qualities that behavioural psychology helps explain.

For deeper insight into decision-making, The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel remains one of the clearest explorations of investor behaviour. It’s an accessible but surprisingly deep read on investor behaviour, time horizons and risk perception. It is especially useful for framing conversations with clients about illiquidity, volatility and why private markets require a different mindset.

Patrick O’Shaughnessy interviews long term allocators and private markets investors in his podcast, Invest Like the Best. This interactive format really pushes guests to explain not only what they invest in, but how they think about cycles, manager selection and building teams that can hold unconventional views.

Curiosity remains a competitive advantage. Whether in investing, technology or geopolitics, understanding complexity drives better decision-making. These books and podcasts aren’t conventional investor reads, but I believe that they can help shape how we think about risk, opportunity and long-term value. I hope you find one of them as useful as I have.