It may feel like the 2026-2027 academic year is coming up, but it's still only July! There's plenty of time left for summer reading on gender equity. Below is a list of recently-published gender and equity-focused books written by Harvard and WAPPP affiliates that have kept us engaged over the summer. They provide evidence-based solutions to level the playing field for everyone, with areas of focus ranging from political representation, to the workplace, to designing what we wear and use in our everyday lives.
The Meritocracy Paradox: Where Talent Management Strategies Go Wrong and How to Fix Them (2025), Emilio Castilla
On the surface, meritocracy appears to reward those who put in the most work. However, under the surface lies a system riddled with bias and inequality. In The Meritocracy Paradox, MIT Professor Emilio Castilla (who spoke on this topic at WAPPP’s Fairness and Meritocracy at Work conference this spring) draws on evidence-based research to expose how meritocratic systems reinforce inequality across professional and academic sectors. By providing real-world examples of meritocratic systems in hiring practices and admission processes, he shines a light on the personal and social biases ingrained within meritocracy. Castillo continues by providing a framework of concrete solutions for how professionals and organizations can ensure that the recruitment and promotion of candidates advance equal opportunity for all.
Change the Wallpaper: Transforming Cultural Patterns to Build More Just Communities (2025), Nilanjana Dasgupta
How does our culture shape our personal biases? In Change the Wallpaper, social psychologist and Fairness and Meritocracy at Work conference speaker Nilanjana Dasgupta argues that our local culture shapes our beliefs more than one might think. Drawing on her own evidence-based research in collaboration with other scholars, Dasgupta explores how the culture of an organization, community, or university shapes personal and social biases based on its norms, relationships, and values. By using the term “wallpaper” as a metaphor for the norms within a culture that are often overlooked, she offers insight into how recognizing this wallpaper is the first step to promoting equality. Through emphasizing individual and social action, Dasgupta provides research-backed solutions that are rooted in collective, personal, and structural change.
Elect Women for a Change: The Path to Gender Parity in Politics (2026), Mona Lena Krook
In this book, Rutgers University professor and former WAPPP fellow Mona Lena Krook explores the continued marginalization of women in politics, despite recent strides towards equity. She argues that parity, defined as equal access to power and access, promotes true equality in the political world. By identifying the major challenges to parity—socialization, discrimination, and backlash—she provides a framework that all of us can follow to advance parity in politics and advance democratic legitimacy. WAPPP was pleased to host Professor Krook as a speaker as part of our “From Harvard Square to the Oval Office” nonpartisan political training program this past Spring.
The Future That Was: A History of Third World Feminism Against Authoritarianism (2026), Durba Mitra
Starting in the 1970s, fueled by post-colonial freedom and civil rights, Third World feminism emerged. Third World women were at the center of this global feminist movement, advocating for a newfound vision of equality that put the ideas and experiences of women at the forefront. In The Future That Was, Harvard professor Durba Mitra discusses the efforts of Third World women in promoting equality against rising authoritarianism, emphasizing their public efforts in opposing patriarchal norms through protesting, education, and organizing. By describing Third World feminist’s ideology and efforts, Mitra highlights the powerful impact of intersectional voices and provides readers with a framework for promoting a more equitable future.
Man-Made: How We Designed a World That Leaves Women Out, and How We Can Make It Right (2026), Karen Reuther
In Man-Made, visiting faculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Design and WAPPP community member Karen Reuther uncovers how the world around us is catered to the male experience. Having formally served in leadership positions at Reebok and Nike, Reuther spent over 40 years in the rooms where design decisions were made and observed a similar pattern: women remain unconsidered. From crash test dummies to public restrooms, the products and spaces we create consistently fail to consider women, resulting in consequences that range from frustrating to dangerous. In her book, Reuther provides guidance on how we can add women’s experiences and bodies back into the equation, promoting a more equitable and safer world for all.
How Equality Wins: A New Vision for an Inclusive America (2026), Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow
Over the past few years, there has been a surge in the number of companies and universities abandoning their previously-stated Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) policies and practices. Fairness and Meritocracy at Work conference keynote speaker Kenji Yoshino and David Glasgow, founders of the Meltzer Center for Diversity, Inclusion and belonging at NYU School of Law, unpack this pattern in How Equality Wins. Yoshino and Glasgow both assess where DEI went wrong and provide a blueprint for its reformation, utilizing years of expertise advising leaders in the academic, legal, and non-profit sectors. Ultimately, they offer practical strategies and insight on advancing DEI in today’s America, aiding readers in navigating legal and political barriers while keeping underserved voices at the heart of the work.
Forthcoming Releases
Keep an eye out for this upcoming release later this year!
Side Effects: How Abortion Bans Impact Everyone’s Health (October 2026), Alice Miranda Ollstein
The fall of Roe did not just limit abortion services. It deeply impacted healthcare beyond reproductive rights, impacting those of all ages and genders. In her book Side Effects, Alice Miranda Ollstein reports on her experience travelling around America after the overturn of Roe v Wade, providing real-lived accounts from those impacted by the Supreme Court decision. In addition to covering the impact of reduced abortion access nationally, she highlights the spillover effects that typically fall through the cracks, impacting hospital staffing, patients, and medical research. Ollstein provides an overview of the ways that medical professionals, researchers, and patients are pushing back against the fall of Roe and advocating for the protection of reproductive health care.
