The writing community is abuzz about the cancelation of the 2024 PEN America Literary Awards. After over a third of authors withdrew their books for consideration, the organization saw no choice but to back out of their annual public celebration of winners. Authors have taken this dramatic, collective action as a form of protest against PEN America for the organization’s silence on the genocide in Gaza. In an open letter, 30 authors and translators rejected their nominations with the explicit call for “an audit of PEN America’s longstanding implicit support of the Israeli occupation”–a sentiment that was already expressed by more than two dozen authors who had withdrawn their nominations earlier.
These protesting award nominees found a new way to wield their pens as weapons for peace. No matter your profession, there are creative ways to stand up for your beliefs and motivate change. So, what do you believe in? The world is brewing with conflict, all of which seem somehow both frustratingly simple and endlessly complex. These books will help you better understand the wars currently unfolding around the globe. With them, you can refine your stance, engage in conversations, and who knows…maybe even take action, too.
The Showman: Inside the Invasion That Shook the World and Made a Leader of Volodymyr Zelensky
By Simon Shuster
Acclaimed journalist Simon Shuster gives us the first inside account of the Russian invasion of Ukraine from the perspective of President Volodymyr Zelensky and his team, who granted him unprecedented access. Listen to author Simon Shuster share his big ideas in the Next Big Idea App.
What the Taliban Told Me
By Ian Fritz
Both proud of his service and in despair that he is instrumental in destroying the voices that he hears, What the Taliban Told Me is a brilliant, intimate coming-of-age memoir and a reckoning with our twenty years of war in Afghanistan. Listen to author Ian Fritz share his big ideas in the Next Big Idea App.
The Rise and Fall of the EAST: How Exams, Autocracy, Stability, and Technology Brought China Success, and Why They Might Lead to Its Decline
By Yasheng Huang
The long history of China’s relationship between stability, diversity, and prosperity, and how its current leadership threatens this delicate balance. Listen to author Yasheng Huang share his big ideas in the Next Big Idea App.
Countdown: The Blinding Future of Nuclear Weapons
By Sarah Scoles
Scoles brings us out of the Cold War and into the twenty-first century, opening readers’ eyes to the true nature of nuclear weapons and their caretakers while also giving us the context necessary to understand the consequences of their existence, for worse and for better, for now and for the future. Listen to author Sarah Scoles share her big ideas in the Next Big Idea App.
The Return of Great Powers: Russia, China, and the Next World War
By Jim Sciutto
The essential new book by CNN Chief National Security Correspondent Jim Sciutto, reporting from the front lines of political hotspots and warzones across the globe. Listen to author Jim Sciutto share his big ideas in the Next Big Idea App.
Paper Soldiers: How the Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order
By Saleha Mohsin
From Bloomberg News reporter Saleha Mohsin, the untold story of how one of America’s most invincible institutions—the Treasury—has used the U.S. dollar to define America’s role in the world, and our economic future. Listen to author Saleha Mohsin share her big ideas in the Next Big Idea App.
No Ordinary Assignment: A Memoir
By Jane Ferguson
From award-winning journalist Jane Ferguson, an unflinching memoir of ambition and war—from The Troubles to the fall of Kabul. Listen to author Jane Ferguson share her big ideas in the Next Big Idea App.
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 video 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!
