Magazine / Next Big Idea Club Nominees Spring 2021

Next Big Idea Club Nominees Spring 2021

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Every season, the Next Big Idea Club editorial staff reviews dozens of upcoming books to identify the most exciting, must-read nonfiction titles. We start with a broad pool of nominees, and then share them with our curators—Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Daniel Pink, and Malcolm Gladwell—to identify six finalists and, ultimately, two official season selections.

And today, we’re excited to share our list of nominees for Spring 2021. Neither our staff nor our curators have read each and every title below, but we believe that the two best nonfiction books of the season are among them. So without further ado, the nominees are…

After: A Doctor Explores What Near-Death Experiences Reveal About Life and Beyond

By Bruce Greyson
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

The world’s leading expert on near-death experiences reveals his journey toward rethinking the nature of death, life, and the continuity of consciousness. View on Amazon

ALIEN Thinking: The Unconventional Path to Breakthrough Ideas

By Cyril Bouquet, Jean-Louis Barsoux, and Michael Wade
Publication Date: March 16, 2021

From three top innovation experts at IMD Business School comes a smart new model for innovative thinking and problem-solving. View on Amazon

An Anatomy of Pain: How the Body and the Mind Experience and Endure Physical Suffering

By Abdul-Ghaaliq Lalkhen
Publication Date: February 2, 2021

An illuminating, authoritative, and in-depth examination of the fascinating science behind pain and the complexities of its treatment—from one of the internationally leading doctors in pain management. View on Amazon

The Art of Business Wars: Battle-Tested Lessons for Leaders and Entrepreneurs from History’s Greatest Rivalries

By David Brown
Publication Date: April 13, 2021

Based on the chart-topping Business Wars podcast, stories and lessons from history’s greatest business rivalries. Using Chinese military genius Sun Tzu’s strategies as a guide, Brown examines why some companies triumph while others crumble. View on Amazon

Beating Burnout at Work: Why Teams Hold the Secret to Well-Being and Resilience

By Paula Davis
Publication Date: March 16, 2021

A first-of-its-kind, science-backed toolkit takes a holistic approach to burnout prevention by helping individuals, teams, and leaders build resilience and thrive at work. View on Amazon

Between Two Kingdoms: A Memoir of a Life Interrupted

By Suleika Jaouad
Publication Date: February 9, 2021

A searing, deeply moving memoir of illness and recovery that traces one young woman’s journey from diagnosis to remission and, ultimately, a road trip of healing and self-discovery. View on Amazon

Black Magic: What Black Leaders Learned from Trauma and Triumph

By Chad Sanders
Publication Date: February 2, 2021

A powerful exploration of Black achievement in a white world based on honest, provocative, and moving interviews with Black leaders, scientists, artists, activists, and champions. View on Amazon

Breaking the Social Media Prism: How to Make Our Platforms Less Polarizing

By Chris Bail
Publication Date: April 6, 2021

A revealing look at how user behavior is powering deep social divisions online―and how we might yet defeat political tribalism on social media. View on Amazon

Call of the Wild: How We Heal Trauma, Awaken Our Own Power, and Use It for Good

By Kimberly Ann Johnson
Publication Date: April 13, 2021

From trauma educator and somatic guide Kimberly Ann Johnson comes a cutting-edge guide for tapping into the wisdom and resilience of the body to rewire the nervous system, heal from trauma, and live fully. View on Amazon

The CEO Test: Master the Challenges That Make or Break All Leaders

By Adam Bryant and Kevin Sharer
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

Leadership is getting harder as the speed of disruption across all industries accelerates. The CEO Test will better prepare you to succeed, whether you’re a CEO or just setting out to become one. View on Amazon

The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race

By Walter Isaacson
Publication Date: March 9, 2021

A gripping account of how Nobel Prize winner Jennifer Doudna and her colleagues launched a revolution that will allow us to cure diseases, fend off viruses, and have healthier babies. View on Amazon

Conflicted: How Productive Disagreements Lead to Better Outcomes

By Ian Leslie
February 23, 2021

Ian Leslie, a columnist for the New Statesman, shows us how to transform the heat of conflict, disagreement, and argument into the light of insight, creativity, and connection. View on Amazon

Connect: Building Exceptional Relationships with Family, Friends, and Colleagues

By David Bradford and Carole Robin
Publication Date: February 9, 2021

A transformative guide to building more fulfilling relationships with colleagues, friends, partners, and family, based on the landmark Interpersonal Dynamics course at Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. View on Amazon

The Conversation: How Seeking and Speaking the Truth About Racism Can Radically Transform Individuals and Organizations

By Robert Livingston
Publication Date: February 2, 2021

An essential tool for individuals, organizations, and communities of all sizes to jump-start dialogue on racism and bias and to transform well-intentioned statements on diversity into concrete actions. View on Amazon

Count Down: How Our Modern World Is Threatening Sperm Counts, Altering Male and Female Reproductive Development, and Imperiling the Future of the Human Race

By Shanna Swan, with Stacey Colino
Publication Date: February 23, 2021

An urgent, meticulously researched, and groundbreaking book about the ways in which chemicals in the modern environment are changing—and endangering—human sexuality and fertility on the grandest scale. View on Amazon

A Cure for Darkness: The Story of Depression and How We Treat It

By Alex Riley
Publication Date: April 13, 2021

A fascinating look at the treatment of depression, blending journalism, science, history, and memoir, by an award-winning science writer. View on Amazon

The Delusions of Crowds: Why People Go Mad in Groups

By William J. Bernstein
Publication Date: February 23, 2021

From the award-winning author of A Splendid Exchange, a fascinating new history of financial and religious mass manias over the past five centuries. View on Amazon

The Disordered Cosmos: A Journey into Dark Matter, Spacetime, and Dreams Deferred

By Chanda Prescod-Weinstein
Publication Date: March 9, 2021

From a star theoretical physicist, a journey into the world of particle physics and the cosmos—and a call for a more just practice of science. View on Amazon

Dream First, Details Later: How to Quit Overthinking and Make It Happen

By Ellen Bennett
Publication Date: April 27, 2021

This gutsy guidebook will help anyone who’s procrastinating on a goal, career change, or business idea stop the obsessive worrying and leap into action. View on Amazon

Dusk, Night, Dawn: On Revival and Courage

By Anne Lamott
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

Drawing from her own experiences, Lamott shows us the intimate and human ways we can adopt to move through life’s dark places and toward the light of hope that still burns ahead for all of us. View on Amazon

Effortless: Make It Easier to Do What Matters

By Greg McKeown
Publication Date: April 27, 2021

From the New York Times bestselling author of the million-copy bestseller Essentialism comes an empowering guide to achieving your goals. It all starts with a simple principle: not everything has to be so hard. View on Amazon

Einstein’s Fridge: How the Difference Between Hot and Cold Explains the Universe

By Paul Sen
Publication Date: March 16, 2021

An entertaining, eye-opening account of the extraordinary team of innovators who discovered the laws of thermodynamics essential to understanding the world today. View on Amazon

Futureproof: 9 Rules for Humans in the Age of Automation

By Kevin Roose
Publication Date: March 9, 2021

New York Times technology columnist Kevin Roose lays out a hopeful, pragmatic vision for how humans can survive in the machine age. View on Amazon

Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought A.I. to Google, Facebook, and the World

By Cade Metz
Publication Date: March 16, 2021

Genius Makers dramatically presents the fierce conflict between national interests, shareholder value, the pursuit of scientific knowledge, and the very human concerns about privacy, security, bias, and prejudice. View on Amazon

The Genome Odyssey: Medical Mysteries and the Incredible Quest to Solve Them

By Euan Angus Ashley
Publication Date: February 23, 2021

Dr. Euan Ashley brings the breakthroughs of precision medicine to vivid life through the real diagnostic journeys of his patients and the tireless efforts of his fellow doctors and scientists as they hunt to prevent, predict, and beat disease. View on Amazon

Girlhood

By Melissa Febos
Publication Date: March 30, 2021

A gripping set of stories about the forces that shape girls and the adults they become. View on Amazon

Grand Transitions: How the Modern World Was Made

By Vaclav Smil
Publication Date: March 1, 2021

What makes the modern world work? The answer to this deceptively simple question lies in four “grand transitions” of civilization—in populations, agriculture, energy, and economics—which have transformed the way we live. View on Amazon

The Hidden Spring: A Journey to the Source of Consciousness

By Mark Solms
Publication Date: February 16, 2021

A revelatory new theory of consciousness that returns emotions to the center of mental life. View on Amazon

High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped and How We Get Out

By Amanda Ripley
Publication Date: April 6, 2021

When we are baffled by the insanity of the “other side”—in our politics, at work, or at home—it’s because we aren’t seeing how the conflict itself has taken over. View on Amazon

Just Work: Get Sh*t Done, Fast & Fair

By Kim Scott
Publication Date: March 16, 2021

From the author of the revolutionary bestseller Radical Candor comes Just Work, all about how we can recognize, attack, and eliminate workplace injustice―and transform our careers and organizations in the process. View on Amazon

Let’s Be Reasonable: A Conservative Case for a Liberal Education

By Jonathan Marks
Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Let’s Be Reasonable recovers what is truly liberal about liberal education―the ability to reason for oneself and with others―and shows why the liberally educated person considers reason to be more than just a tool for scoring political points. View on Amazon

Listen Like You Mean It: Reclaiming the Lost Art of True Connection

By Ximena Vengoechea
Publication Date: March 30, 2021

Now more than ever, we need to feel heard, connected, and understood in a world that keeps turning up the volume. Warm, funny, and immensely practical, this book shows you how. View on Amazon

The Lonely Century: How to Restore Human Connection in a World That’s Pulling Apart

By Noreena Hertz
Publication Date: February 2, 2021

A bold, hopeful, and thought-provoking account of how we built a lonely world, how the pandemic accelerated the problem, and what we must do to come together again. View on Amazon

The Lost Art of Connecting: The Gather, Ask, Do Method for Building Meaningful Business Relationships

By Susan McPherson, with Jackie Ashton
Publication Date: March 30, 2021

Filled with humor, humility, and wisdom, The Lost Art of Connecting is the handbook we all need to foster personal and professional relationships that blur the lines between work and play―and enrich our lives in every way. View on Amazon

Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives

By Michael Heller and James Salzman
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

A hidden set of rules governs who owns what—explaining everything from whether you can recline your airplane seat to why HBO lets you borrow a password illegally. In this lively and entertaining guide, two acclaimed law professors reveal how things become “mine.” View on Amazon

Mutualism: Building the Next Economy from the Ground Up

By Sara Horowitz
Publication Date: February 16, 2021

A profound look at the crisis of work and the collapse of the safety net—and a vision for a better way forward, rooted in America’s cooperative spirit. View on Amazon

My Inner Sky: On Embracing Day, Night, and All the Times in Between

By Mari Andrew
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

A collection of essays and illustrations, divided into phases of the sky—twilight, golden hour, night, and dawn—that serves as a loyal companion for life’s curveballs. View on Amazon

Never Enough: A Navy SEAL Commander on Living a Life of Excellence, Agility, and Meaning

By Mike Hayes
Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Mike Hayes―former Commander of SEAL Team TWO―helps readers apply high-stakes lessons about excellence, agility, and meaning across their personal and professional lives. View on Amazon

Power Moms: How Executive Mothers Navigate Work and Life

By Joann S. Lublin
Publication Date: February 16, 2021

A retired Wall Street Journal editor and mother compares two generations of women—boomers and GenXers—to examine how each navigates the emotional and professional challenges involved in juggling managerial careers and families. View on Amazon

Probable Impossibilities: Musings on Beginnings and Endings

By Alan Lightman
Publication Date: February 9, 2021

From the acclaimed author of Einstein’s Dreams, a collection of meditative essays on the possibilities, and impossibilities, of nothingness and infinity—and how our place in the cosmos falls somewhere in between. View on Amazon

Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual

By Luvvie Ajayi Jones
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

A hilarious and transformational book about how to tackle fear—that everlasting hater—and audaciously step into lives, careers, and legacies that go beyond even our wildest dreams. View on Amazon

Raceless: In Search of Family, Identity, and the Truth About Where I Belong

By Georgina Lawton
Publication Date: February 23, 2021

A moving examination of how racial identity is constructed—through the author’s own journey grappling with secrets and stereotypes, having been raised by white parents with no explanation as to why she looked black. View on Amazon

To Raise a Boy: Classrooms, Locker Rooms, Bedrooms, and the Hidden Struggles of American Boyhood

By Emma Brown
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

A journalist’s searing investigation into how we teach boys to be men—and how we can do better. View on Amazon

Recalculating: Navigate Your Career Through the Changing World of Work

By Lindsey Pollak
Publication Date: March 23, 2021

A leading workplace expert provides an inspirational, practical, and forward-looking career playbook for recent grads, career changers, and transitioning professionals looking to thrive in today’s rapidly evolving workplace. View on Amazon

Recapture the Rapture: Rethinking God, Sex, and Death in a World That’s Lost Its Mind

By Jamie Wheal
Publication Date: April 27, 2021

A peak-performance expert maps out a revolutionary new practice that combines the best of neuroscience and optimal psychology to help us wake up, grow up, and show up for a world that needs us all. View on Amazon

The Rejection That Changed My Life: 25+ Powerful Women on Being Let Down, Turning It Around, and Burning It Up at Work

By Jessica Bacal
Publication Date: April 6, 2021

The perfect book for anyone who needs inspiration after dealing with rejection, failure, or is searching for a new beginning in the workplace. View on Amazon

Remember: The Science of Memory and the Art of Forgetting

By Lisa Genova
Publication Date: March 23, 2021

A fascinating exploration of the intricacies of how we remember, why we forget, and what we can do to protect our memories, from the Harvard-trained neuroscientist and bestselling author of Still Alice. View on Amazon

Remote Work Revolution: Succeeding from Anywhere

By Tsedal Neeley
Publication Date: March 30, 2021

A Harvard Business School professor and leading expert in virtual and global work provides remote workers and leaders with the best practices necessary to perform at the highest levels in their organizations. View on Amazon

Risk Forward: Embrace the Unknown and Unlock Your Hidden Genius

By Victoria Labalme
Publication Date: March 30, 2021

Some people in life know exactly what they want to achieve. Risk Forward is a book for the rest of us. View on Amazon

Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself

By Nedra Glover Tawwab
Publication Date: March 16, 2021

End the struggle, speak up for what you need, and experience the freedom of being truly yourself. View on Amazon

Skip the Line: The 10,000 Experiments Rule and Other Surprising Advice for Reaching Your Goals

By James Altucher
Publication Date: February 23, 2021

Entrepreneur and angel investor James Altucher busts the 10,000-hour rule of achieving mastery, offering a new mindset and dozens of techniques that will inspire any professional to pursue their passions and acquire the skills they need to succeed. View on Amazon

Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less

By Leidy Klotz
Publication Date: April 13, 2021

Blending evidence across science and design, Subtract offers a revolution in problem-solving, showing why we overlook subtraction and how we can access its true potential. View on Amazon

The Sum of Us: What Racism Costs Everyone and How We Can Prosper Together

By Heather McGhee
Publication Date: February 16, 2021

A powerful exploration of inequality and the lesson that generations of Americans have failed to learn: Racism has a cost for everyone—not just for people of color. View on Amazon

This Is Not Normal: The Politics of Everyday Expectations

By Cass Sunstein
Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Leading governmental scholar Cass R. Sunstein examines shifting understandings of what’s normal, and how those shifts account for the feminist movement, the civil rights movement, the rise of Adolf Hitler, the rise of gun rights, the response to COVID-19, and changing understandings of liberty. View on Amazon

Toxic: A Guide to Rebuilding Respect and Tolerance in a Hostile Workplace

By Clive Lewis
Publication Date: April 20, 2021

Clive Lewis draws upon his decades of experience in HR and mediation to distill the problems and underlying causes of toxic workplaces before tackling the issue head-on. View on Amazon

Two Beats Ahead: What Musical Minds Teach Us About Innovation

By Panos Panay and R. Michael Hendrix
Publication Date: April 6, 2021

Featuring interviews with Justin Timberlake, Pharrell Williams, T Bone Burnett, Gloria Estefan, Imogen Heap and many more, Two Beats Ahead shows us what the musical mind has to teach us about innovation. View on Amazon

Unbound: A Woman’s Guide to Power

By Kasia Urbaniak
Publication Date: March 9, 2021

Part manual, part manifesto, part behind the scenes look, Unbound is a how-to guide to the impossible, the outrageous, the unimaginable—a field guide to living your wildest, best, and most satisfying life. View on Amazon

Under a White Sky: The Nature of the Future

By Elizabeth Kolbert
Publication Date: February 9, 2021

The Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Sixth Extinction returns to humanity’s transformative impact on the environment, now asking: After doing so much damage, can we change nature, this time to save it? View on Amazon

Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving Brain

By Shankar Vedantam and Bill Mesler
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

From the New York Times bestselling author and host of Hidden Brain comes a thought-provoking look at the role of self-deception in human flourishing. View on Amazon

When You Wonder, You’re Learning: Mister Rogers’ Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids

By Greg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski
Publication Date: April 20, 2021

When You Wonder, You’re Learning shows parents and educators the many ways they might follow in Rogers’ footsteps, sharing his “tools for learning” with digital-age kids. View on Amazon

Working Backwards: Insights, Stories, and Secrets from Inside Amazon

By Colin Bryar and Bill Carr
Publication Date: February 9, 2021

Working Backwards is an insider’s breakdown of Amazon’s approach to culture, leadership, and best practices from two long-time Amazon executives. View on Amazon

The World for Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth’s Resources

Javier Blas and Jack Farchy
Publication Date: March 1, 2021

Two leading journalists lift the lid on one of the least scrutinized corners of the world economy: the workings of the billionaire commodity traders who buy, hoard, and sell the earth’s resources. View on Amazon

A World Without Email: Reimagining Work in an Age of Communication Overload

By Cal Newport
Publication Date: March 2, 2021

From New York Times bestselling author Cal Newport comes a bold vision for liberating workers from the tyranny of the inbox—and unleashing a new era of productivity. View on Amazon

You Are What You Risk: The New Art and Science of Navigating an Uncertain World

By Michele Wucker
Publication Date: April 6, 2021

The #1 international bestselling author of The Gray Rhino offers a bold new framework for understanding and re-shaping our relationship with risk and uncertainty to live more productive and successful lives. View on Amazon

Your Turn: How to Be an Adult

By Julie Lythcott-Haims
Publication Date: April 6, 2021

New York Times bestselling author Julie Lythcott-Haims is back with a groundbreakingly frank guide to being a grown-up. View on Amazon

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