“Sometimes, I do what I want to do. The rest of the time, I do what I have to.” This quote from Ridley Scott’s Gladiator rings true for many of us. When did our days become so full of obligations? How can we bring joy, wonder, and fun back into our lives?
Well, dear reader, we’re glad you asked—because with the right guides, you can get more out of life than ever before. Check out the seven remarkable books below to find out for yourself.
The Fun Habit: How the Pursuit of Joy and Wonder Can Change Your Life
By Mike Rucker
Discover the latest compelling scientific evidence for the potent and revitalizing value of fun, and how to make having fun a habitual and authentic part of your daily life. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Mike Rucker, in the Next Big Idea App
What Do You Want Out of Life?: A Philosophical Guide to Figuring Out What Matters
By Valerie Tiberius
Blending personal stories, philosophy, and psychology, this insightful and entertaining book offers invaluable advice about living well by understanding your values and resolving the conflicts that frustrate their fulfillment. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Valerie Tiberius, in the Next Big Idea App
The Power of Wonder: The Extraordinary Emotion That Will Change the Way You Live, Learn, and Lead
By Monica Parker
The Power of Wonder takes readers on a multidisciplinary journey through psychology, neuroscience, philosophy, literature, and business to explore the mechanics of wonder and guide readers toward bringing more of it into their lives. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Monica Parker, in the Next Big Idea App
Intrinsic Motivation: Learn to Love Your Work and Succeed as Never Before
By Stefan Falk
Intrinsic motivation―doing a thing for its inherent satisfaction rather than external rewards―is the key to success and satisfaction in any endeavor. A legendary performance coach shares his simple, proven, and fun methods for cultivating and keeping it. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Stefan Falk, in the Next Big Idea App
The Perfectionist’s Guide to Losing Control: A Path to Peace and Power
By Katherine Morgan Schafler
Which of the five types of perfectionist are you? Classic, intense, Parisian, messy, or procrastinator? As you identify your unique perfectionist profile, you’ll learn how to manage each form of perfectionism to work for you, not against you. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Katherine Morgan Schafler, in the Next Big Idea App
The Power of Awe: Overcome Burnout & Anxiety, Ease Chronic Pain, Find Clarity & Purpose―in Less Than 1 Minute Per Day
By Jake Eagle and Michael Amster
The A.W.E. Method ensures that awe and its many benefits are accessible to you at any time, in any place—sitting at a stoplight, cooking a meal, petting an animal, or listening to a loved one’s laugh. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Jake Eagle and Michael Amster, in the Next Big Idea App
Gnar Country: Growing Old, Staying Rad
By Steven Kotler
A New York Times bestselling author and human performance expert tests his knowledge and theories on his own aging body in a quest to become an expert skier at age fifty-three. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Steven Kotler, 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!
