A twisted truth about modern life is that sometimes, relaxing can feel like the least relaxing thing in the world. When you’re used to the constant demands of always-on productivity, slowing down can feel strange, even unsettling.
So this Labor Day, we’re recommending an activity that may not be “productive” in the traditional sense, but feels restorative, enriching, and deeply worthwhile. Kick back with one of the nine feel-good books below, and you’ll be on your way to guilt-free relaxation.
Practical Optimism: The Art, Science, and Practice of Exceptional Well-Being
By Sue Varma
From the first medical director and attending psychiatrist at the World Trade Center Mental Health Program comes a practical program to help you live fully and joyfully in an imperfect, turbulent world. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Sue Varma, in the Next Big Idea App
Amphibious Soul: Finding the Wild in a Tame World
By Craig Foster
An Academy Award-winning documentarian reveals how we can attend to the earthly beauty around us and deepen our love for all living things, whether we make our homes in the country, the city, or anywhere in between. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Craig Foster, in the Next Big Idea App
The Way Home: Discovering the Hero’s Journey to Wholeness at Midlife
By Ben Katt
Distilling Joseph Campbell’s classic Hero’s Journey into an accessible, ten-step program, the debut book from an advanced meditation teacher and former ordained minister is an inspiring roadmap to healing, belonging, and fulfillment. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Ben Katt, in the Next Big Idea App
And How Does That Make You Feel?: Everything You (N)ever Wanted to Know About Therapy
By Joshua Fletcher
A psychotherapist takes us on a tour of the inner mind of a therapist—revealing a hilariously candid point of view on the therapeutic process, a practical guide to therapy, and maybe a few more cobwebs and dark corners than one might expect. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Joshua Fletcher, in the Next Big Idea App
World Class: Purpose, Passion, and the Pursuit of Greatness On and Off the Field
By Grant Wahl
Spanning four decades of storytelling, World Class collects the finest writing of beloved sports journalist Grant Wahl, from op-eds for his college newspaper to twenty-five years of reporting at Sports Illustrated to his deeply personal work on Substack. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by the late author’s wife Céline Grounder, in the Next Big Idea App
The Connection Cure: The Prescriptive Power of Movement, Nature, Art, Service, and Belonging
By Julia Hotz
In this combination of diligent science reporting, moving patient success stories, and surprising self-discovery, an acclaimed journalist helps us discover the lasting and life-changing power of social prescribing. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Julia Hotz, in the Next Big Idea App
Sex, God, and the Brain: How Sexual Pleasure Gave Birth to Religion and a Whole Lot More
By Andrew Newberg
With research technical enough for academics, but explained simply enough for the everyday reader, Sex, God, and the Brain will reframe our understanding of the link between spirituality and sexuality. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Andrew Newberg, in the Next Big Idea App
Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV
By Emily Nussbaum
In this revelatory, deeply reported account of the rise of “dirty documentary”—from its contentious roots in radio to the ascent of Donald Trump—a Pulitzer Prize winner unearths the origin story of the genre that ate the world, as told through the lively voices of the people who built it. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Emily Nussbaum, in the Next Big Idea App
The Beauty of Falling: A Life in Pursuit of Gravity
By Claudia de Rham
A diver, pilot, and world-renowned physicist shares how her life’s path turned from a precipitous fall to an exquisite flight toward the discovery of something entirely new about our surprising, gravity-driven universe. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Claudia de Rham, 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!
