From life’s biggest questions to daily habits, these 12 science books can improve how you move through the world and understand our place in it.
Ballistic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance
By Henry Abbott
Imagine a few dogs frolicking on the beach, just romping through the waves and bounding upon the sand. The goal of Ballistic is for you to be able to have that much fun moving your human body. The most cutting-edge research regarding athletic injuries is finding that we have been blind to some of the most critical prevention measures. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Henry Abbott, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
On Muscle: The Stuff That Moves Us and Why It Matters
By Bonnie Tsui
A mind-expanding exploration of muscle—from our ancient obsession with the ideal human form to the modern science of this amazing and adaptable tissue—that will change the way you think about what moves us through the world. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Bonnie Tsui, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
The Headache: The Science of a Most Confounding Affliction―and a Search for Relief
By Tom Zeller Jr.
Primary headache disorders are one of the most common and misunderstood categories of human illness. Despite causing suffering for millennia, the science of understanding and treating them is a work in progress. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Tom Zeller Jr., in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
The Stronger Sex: What Science Tells Us about the Power of the Female Body
By Starre Vartan
Both sexes have their own strengths, but men’s advantages were put on a pedestal due to cultural choices, not biological superiority. Women have always been strong, but it takes redefining our societal benchmarks of strength to recognize, appreciate, and celebrate the power of female bodies. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Starre Vartan, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
The Arrogant Ape: The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters
By Christine Webb
The dominant cultural narrative of our superiority over nature has fueled the most serious crises of our time. To remedy our wrongs, we need to internalize a humbler worldview that rethinks our place in the rich tapestry of life and intelligence found on this planet. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Christine Webb, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
The Shape of Wonder: How Scientists Think, Work, and Live
By Alan Lightman & Martin Rees
Acclaimed physicists Alan Lightman and Martin Rees illuminate the life and work of numerous scientists in order to demystify the scientific process and show that scientists are concerned citizens, just like the rest of us. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-author Alan Lightman, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind
By Simon Winchester
The wind, once seen as the mysterious work of deities, continues to hold a subtle, almost mystical influence over our lives, even as science has revealed its vast and complex power. Its impact is far greater and more pervasive than early humans—or even we—could have imagined. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Simon Winchester, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
Enshittification: Why Everything Suddenly Got Worse and What to Do About It
By Cory Doctorow
The digital platforms we have come to depend on for so much have gone from bad to worse. Everything online is becoming enshittified. The answer to what we must do to clean up this mess can be found in how we got here. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Cory Doctorow, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
Crush: Close Encounters with Gravity
By James Riordon
The fascinating story of gravity, from its intimate role in our daily lives to its cosmic significance. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author James Riordon, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
Dimming the Sun: The Urgent Case for Geoengineering
By Thomas Ramge
A vital examination of solar geoengineering―how it works, what it risks, how we might implement it―as a last-ditch effort to buy us time during this ever-heightening climate crisis. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Thomas Ramge, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
The Decline and Fall of the Human Empire: Why Our Species Is on the Edge of Extinction
By Henry Gee
While our species’ rise has been unstoppable—until now—Gee suggests that our only hope may lie beyond Earth, with a narrow window to establish colonies in space. Blending history, science, and wit, he presents a bold vision for humanity’s future. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Henry Gee, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
Sleep Groove: Why Your Body’s Clock Is So Messed Up and What To Do About It
By Olivia Walch
If you are dancing and can’t catch the beat, you are not dancing well. In this way, if your sleep doesn’t follow a regular pattern that matches your biological beat, then you are not sleeping well. To find the beat your body is wired to cycle through, it’s important to develop an intuition about how your circadian rhythms work to shape overall health. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Olivia Walch, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon.
The Key Ideas in 15 Minutes
“If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books,” Roald Dahl once famously said. The only trouble is, reading even one book from cover to cover takes hours—and you may not have many hours to spare.
But imagine for a moment: What if you could read a groundbreaking new book every day? Or even better, what if you could invite a world-renowned thinker into your earbuds, where they personally describe the 5 key takeaways from their work in just 15 minutes?
With the Next Big Idea App, we’ve turned this fantasy into a reality. We partnered with hundreds of acclaimed authors to create “Book Bites,” short audio summaries of the latest nonfiction that are prepared and read aloud by the authors themselves. Discover cutting-edge leadership skills, productivity hacks, the science of happiness and well-being, and much more—all in the time it takes to drive to work or walk the dog.
Go Deeper with a Next Big Idea Club Membership
The Next Big Idea App is free for anyone to try—and if you love it, we invite you to become an official member of the Next Big Idea Club. Membership grants you unlimited access to Book Bites and unlocks early-release, ad-free episodes of our LinkedIn-partnered podcast. You also gain entry to our private online discussion group, where you can talk big ideas with fellow club members and join exclusive live Q&A sessions with featured authors.
For a more focused learning experience, we recommend a Hardcover or eBook Membership. Every few months, legendary authors and club curators Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink select two new nonfiction books as the must-reads of the season. We then send hardcover copies straight to your doorstep, or eBook versions to your favorite digital device. We also collaborate with the authors of selected books to produce original reading guides and premium e-courses, 50-minute master classes that take you step by step through their most life-changing ideas. And yes, it’s all available through the Next Big Idea App.
Learn Faster, from the World’s Leading Thinkers
Whether you prefer to read, listen, or watch, the Next Big Idea is here to help you work smarter and live better. Wake up with an always-fresh Idea of the Day, the perfect shot of inspiration to go with your morning coffee. Then dive into one of our Challenges, hand-picked collections of Book Bites that form crash courses in subjects like communication, motivation, and career acceleration. Later, watch the playback of an interview with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt, or philosopher John Kaag. And be sure to check the “Events” tab in the app, so that you can join an upcoming live Q&A and personally chat with the next featured thought leader.
If you’re hoping to grow as a person or as a professional, we hope you’ll join us and tens of thousands of others who enjoy the Next Big Idea. Get started by downloading the app today!
When you buy through our Amazon links, the Next Big Idea Club may earn an affiliate commission.
