There are at least three key factors to consider when selecting a career. You have to find a job that you like, a job that you’re good at, and a job that pays enough to support your lifestyle. (Oh, and ideally it contributes something positive to the world.) No problem, right?
Well, it turns out that checking all of those boxes is easier said than done—and the part about actually liking your job is often the first to be neglected. So if you’re looking to reignite your passion at work or start blazing a new professional trail, the five inspiring books below can help.
Directional Living: A Transformational Guide to Fulfillment in Work and Life
By Megan Hellerer
Directional Living is both a philosophy and a practical guide to creating not just a great life, but your great life—one full of genuine purpose, meaning, ease and authenticity. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Megan Hellerer, in the Next Big Idea App
Over Work: Transforming the Daily Grind in the Quest for a Better Life
By Brigid Schulte
Fiercely argued and vividly told, rich with stories and informed by deep investigation, Over Work lays out a clear vision for ending our punishing grind and reclaiming leisure, joy, and meaning. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Brigid Schulte, in the Next Big Idea App
Smart, Not Loud: How to Get Noticed at Work for All the Right Reasons
By Jessica Chen
Packed with actionable tips, Smart, Not Loud unveils a new path to getting noticed and getting ahead at work. This is the road map readers need to authentically show up in the workplace and truly feel seen. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jessica Chen, in the Next Big Idea App
Job Therapy: Finding Work That Works for You
By Tessa West
A New York University psychologist helps you figure out the real reason you’re unhappy at work, and shows you how to find a new position in which you’ll thrive—whether in a different role, company, or new industry altogether. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Tessa West, in the Next Big Idea App
Is Your Work Worth It?: How to Think About Meaningful Work
By Christopher Wong Michaelson and Jennifer Tosti-Kharas
This essential book combines inspiring and harrowing stories of real people with recent scholarship, ancient wisdom, arts, and literature to help us clarify what worthy work looks like, what tradeoffs are acceptable to pursue it, and what our work can contribute to society. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Christopher Wong Michaelson and Jennifer Tosti-Kharas, 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!
