Those worried about the future have no shortage of reasons to be concerned. Will it be the economy that pushes the world toward dystopia? The climate? Runaway digital technologies?
Much remains uncertain, but one thing is clear: To survive the future, we have to know what could be coming. With that goal in mind, we recommend that every future-focused reader check out the five excellent books below.
On Disinformation: How to Fight for Truth and Protect Democracy
By Lee McIntyre
A powerful, pocket-sized citizen’s guide on how to fight back against the disinformation campaigns that are imperiling American democracy, from the bestselling author of Post-Truth and How to Talk to a Science Denier. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Lee McIntyre, in the Next Big Idea App
You Will Own Nothing: Your War with a New Financial World Order and How to Fight Back
By Carol Roth
A bestselling author and entrepreneur investigates a not-so-hypothetical situation in which a new financial world order takes hold, where global elites own everything and you own nothing—and yet you are somehow happy. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Carol Roth, in the Next Big Idea App
The Heat Will Kill You First: Life and Death on a Scorched Planet
By Jeff Goodell
An award-winning journalist releases his most provocative book yet, explaining how extreme heat will dramatically change the world as we know it. Urgent yet optimistic, it explores how to combat one of the most significant global threats of our time. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jeff Goodell, in the Next Big Idea App
Meganets: How Digital Forces Beyond Our Control Commandeer Our Daily Lives and Inner Realities
By David B. Auerbach
A technologist explores how the autonomous digital forces jolting our lives—as uncontrollable as the weather and plate tectonics—are transforming life, society, culture, and politics. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author David Auerbach, in the Next Big Idea App
The Problem of Twelve: When a Few Financial Institutions Control Everything
By John Coates
A “problem of twelve” arises when a small number of institutions acquire the means to exert outsized influence over the politics and economy of a nation. This quiet accumulation in the last few decades represents a dramatic transformation in how the American economy operates—a sea change that few of us have noticed and all of us need to consider. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author John Coates, 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!
