I’m pleased to share what I consider the most promising, must-read nonfiction titles scheduled for release in January 2025. These titles make up our second group of nominees for Season 26 of the Next Big Idea Club.
Our Next Big Idea Club curators—Susan Cain, Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink—will narrow the list down to a handful of finalists and, ultimately, two official season selections.
Authors will also be invited to create a “Book Bite”, a short audio self-recording that features five key insights from their book. Imagine chatting with a stranger while waiting in line at the supermarket—only that person just happened to write a fascinating nonfiction book.
And now, the January 2025 titles are…
The Corporation in the Twenty-First Century: Why (Almost) Everything We Are Told About Business Is Wrong
By John Kay
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
A radical reappraisal of the nature and activities of business—what it is for and how it works. View on Amazon
The Disengaged Teen: Helping Kids Learn Better, Feel Better and Live Better
By Jenny Anderson & Rebecca Winthrop
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
A powerful toolkit for parents of both checked-out and stressed-out teens that shows exactly what to do (and stop doing) to support their academic and emotional flourishing. View on Amazon
The Bright Side: How Optimists Change the World, and How You Can Be One
By Sumit Paul-Choudhury
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
A reassuring look at the philosophy, psychology, and practice of optimism, and why being optimistic is a moral obligation—even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges. View on Amazon
Mood Machine: The Rise of Spotify and the Costs of the Perfect Playlist
By Liz Pelly
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
An unsparing investigation into Spotify’s origins and influence on music, weaving unprecedented reporting with incisive cultural criticism, illuminating how streaming is reshaping music for listeners and artists alike. View on Amazon
How to Be Enough: Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists
By Ellen Hendriksen
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Are you your own toughest critic? Learn to be good to yourself with this clear and compassionate guide. View on Amazon
99% Perspiration: A New Working History of the American Way of Life
By Adam Chandler
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
An enlightening and entertaining interrogation of the myth of American self-reliance and the idea of hard work as destiny. View on Amazon
The Power of Nuclear
By Marco Visscher
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
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. View on Amazon
Against Platforms: Surviving Digital Utopia
By Mike Pepi
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
A bold and imaginative critique of the hidden costs of digital life – and a manifesto for a better future. View on Amazon
Don’t Say Um: How to Communicate Effectively to Live a Better Life
By Michael Chad Hoeppner
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Learn the fastest, most effective way to improve your public speaking and communication skills by focusing on delivery—because how you say something matters more than what you say. View on Amazon
Tidy Up Your Life: Rethinking How to Organize and Declutter and Make Space for What Matters Most
By Tyler Moore
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
Bring order to your home and focus to your busy life with the guiding principles and practical routines for organizing, cleaning, and determining what’s “just enough”—both physically and emotionally. View on Amazon
Beyond Anxiety: Curiosity, Creativity, and Finding Your Life’s Purpose
By Martha Beck
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
A new path to overcoming anxiety by awakening the creativity within. View on Amazon
Our New Social Life: Science-Backed Strategies for Creating Meaningful Connection
By Natalie Kerr & Jaime Kurtz
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
A fascinating introduction to the science of connection that will ultimately improve your social life and lead to better relationships. View on Amazon
Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior
By Sandra Matz
Publication Date: January 7, 2025
A refreshingly relatable exploration of how algorithms penetrate the most intimate aspects of our psychology, and how we can regain mastery over our lives—from the pioneering expert of psychological targeting. View on Amazon
The Eurasian Century: Hot Wars, Cold Wars, and the Making of the Modern World
By Hal Brands
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
An urgent and incisive new framework for understanding the origins―and stakes―of global conflict with China, Russia, and Iran. View on Amazon
Outraged: Why We Fight About Morality and Politics and How to Find Common Ground
By Kurt Gray
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
A groundbreaking new perspective on the moral mind that rewrites our understanding of where moral judgments come from, and how we can overcome the feelings of outrage that so often divide us. View on Amazon
Defy: The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes
By Sunita Sah
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
A clear-eyed dissection of the forces that silence us, featuring groundbreaking research and legendary stories of defiance alongside everyday examples and strategies for how to unleash the power of a “True No.” View on Amazon
Aflame: Learning from Silence
By Pico Iyer
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
A revelatory exploration of the abiding clarity and calm to be found in quiet retreat. View on Amazon
The Power Pause: How to Plan a Career Break After Kids–and Come Back Stronger Than Ever
By Neha Ruch
Publication Date: January 14, 2025
A paradigm-shifting guide to career breaks after kids that rebrands stay-at-home parenthood for a new generation of women and families. View on Amazon
Obsolete: How Change Brands are Changing the World
By Chris Baker
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
The world needs changing, but how best to do it? Change how you vote? Get out and protest? Have an argument? The power sits in your pocket. Changing how we spend our money has more potential to change the world than almost anything else we can do with our time on this planet. View on Amazon
Buffett and Munger Unscripted: Three Decades of Investment and Business Insights from the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder Meetings
By Alex Morris
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
A title for the bookshelf of anyone interested in the keys to long-term success in business and investing. View on Amazon
Inspire: The Universal Path for Leading Yourself and Others
By Adam Galinsky
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
An engaging and rigorous exploration of the science of being inspiring, showing how all of us–regardless of status or circumstance–can be more inspiring more of the time in our lives. View on Amazon
Why Are We Here?: Creating a Work Culture Everyone Wants
By Jennifer Moss
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
A deeply human account of how our relationship with work has changed and a guide for leaders who want to make things right. View on Amazon
Gambling Man: The Secret Story of the World’s Greatest Disruptor, Masayoshi Son
By Lionel Barber
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
The first Western biography of SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son, financial disruptor and personification of the 21st century’s addiction to instant wealth. View on Amazon
Reset: How to Change What’s Not Working
By Dan Heath
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
A revolutionary guide to fixing what’s not working—in systems and processes, organizations and companies, and even in our daily lives—by identifying leverage points and concentrating resources to achieve our goals. View on Amazon
The DOSE Effect: Optimize Your Brain and Body by Boosting Your Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins
By Tj Power
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
A neuroscientist’s powerful framework for enhancing quality of life through the regulation of four key hormones: Dopamine, Oxytocin, Serotonin, and Endorphins (DOSE). View on Amazon
The Good Mother Myth: Unlearning Our Bad Ideas About How to Be a Good Mom
By Nancy Reddy
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Timely and thought-provoking, Nancy Reddy unpacks and debunks the bad ideas that have for too long defined what it means to be a “good” mom. View on Amazon
KIND: The Quiet Power of Kindness at Work
By Graham Allcott
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Recognizing and understanding the importance of kindness at work. View on Amazon
Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves
By Alison Wood Brooks
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
A groundbreaking book that reveals the hidden architecture of our conversations and how even small improvements can have a profound impact on our relationships in work and life. View on Amazon
Go Higher: Five Practices for Purpose, Success, and Inner Peace
By Big Sean
Publication Date: January 21, 2025
Multi-platinum artist, entrepreneur, and philanthropist, Big Sean shares his five key practices for inner work and self-acceptance in this interactive guidebook on maintaining daily mental wellness. View on Amazon
The Sirens’ Call: How Attention Became the World’s Most Endangered Resource
By Chris Hayes
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
A powerful wide-angle reckoning with how the assault from attention capitalism on our minds and our hearts has reordered our politics and the very fabric of our society. View on Amazon
Make Work Fair: Data-Driven Design for Real Results
By Iris Bohnet & Siri Chilazi
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
A new paradigm for fairness at work and offer professionals at every level, in any kind of organization, immediate, proven, and evidence-based ways to do their everyday work better and smarter—and more fairly. View on Amazon
Start Making Sense: How Existential Psychology Can Help Us Build Meaningful Lives in Absurd Times
By Steven Heine
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
An investigation into the science of why we crave meaning—and how we can pursue it in this age of anxiety. View on Amazon
Why Taiwan Matters: A Short History of a Small Island That Will Dictate Our Future
By Kerry Brown
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
A history of Taiwan and the danger of a Chinese takeover in this succinct and authoritative book. View on Amazon
How To Be Dateable: The Essential Guide to Finding Your Person and Falling in Love
By Julie Krafchick & Yue Xu
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
Break free from the traps of modern dating and learn how to take control of your love life in this actionable, compassionate guide that will help you find your person and become your most dateable self. View on Amazon
The Moral Circle: Who Matters, What Matters, and Why
By Jeff Sebo
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
A philosopher calls for a revolution in ethics, suggesting we expand our “moral circle” to include insects, microbes, and even AI systems. View on Amazon
Superbloom: How Technologies of Connection Tear Us Apart
By Nicholas Carr
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
A bracing exploration of how social media has warped our sense of self and society. View on Amazon
Sleep Groove: Why Your Sleep Rhythm Is So Messed Up and What You Can Do About It
By Olivia Walch
Publication Date: January 28, 2025
A myth-busting guide to sleep is the perfect introduction to how circadian science can demystify your nights and help reset your days. View on Amazon
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