There is a lot to be confused about in this day and age. Our food system makes us question how we should eat; our digital trajectory makes us wonder which professions will make it; the climate crisis begs us to second guess how we power our lives; we carry dollars in our pockets that are involved in dangerous games; some days we even ponder if it’s time to move to outer space. Do our choices even matter?
When considering the big picture, committing to set routines or future plans can feel like choosing to hop in a river that might have a massive, crushing waterfall at the end. Chart your course through our global context with less uncertainty by opening these eight books.
The Age of Choice: A History of Freedom in Modern Life
By Sophia Rosenfeld
A sweeping history of the rise of personal choice in the modern world and how it became equated with freedom. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Sophia Rosenfeld, in the Next Big Idea App or View on Amazon
How the World Eats: A Global Food Philosophy
By Julian Baggini
An exploration of how we grow, make, buy and eat our food around the world—and a proposal for a global philosophy of food. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Julian Baggini, in the Next Big Idea App or View on Amazon
The Power of Nuclear
By Marco Visscher
From the pilot’s seat in the B-29 that dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima, to the site in Finland where highly radioactive waste will be buried, this is the incredible story of nuclear power. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Marco Visscher, in the Next Big Idea App or View on Amazon
Custodians of Wonder: Ancient Customs, Profound Traditions, and the Last People Keeping Them Alive
By Eliot Stein
A vivid look at 10 astonishing people who are maintaining some of the world’s oldest and rarest cultural traditions. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Eliot Stein, in the Next Big Idea App or View on Amazon
The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World
By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian
Borders draw one map of the world; money draws another. A journalist’s riveting account exposes a parallel universe that has become a haven for the rich and powerful. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Atossia Araxia Abrahamian, in the Next Big Idea App or View on Amazon
Paper Soldiers: How the Weaponization of the Dollar Changed the World Order
By 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 our Book Bite summary, read by author Saleha Mohsin, in the Next Big Idea App or View on Amazon
The Future of Geography: How the Competition in Space Will Change Our World
By Tim Marshall
A must-read book on today’s space race—including the increasingly tense power struggle between the US, China, and Russia and what it means for all of us here on Earth. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Tim Marshall, in the Next Big Idea App or View on Amazon
The Soul of Civility: Timeless Principles to Heal Society and Ourselves
By Alexandra Hudson
Hudson examines how civility―a respect for the personhood and dignity of others―transcends political disagreements. Respecting someone means valuing them enough to tell them when you think they are wrong. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Alexandra Hudson, 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 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!
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