The forward march of science has its more obvious signals—never-before-seen images of space, for example, or the release of a mind-blowing new tech gadget. But among the most exciting scientific breakthroughs are the ones that reveal who we humans have been all along.
So today, we’d like to share the latest and greatest thinking in the world of psychology. Every season, our curators Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Daniel Pink, and Adam Grant pick two exciting reads to share with Next Big Idea Club members. The rankings below, however, are based on the popularity of “Book Bite” audio summaries in the Next Big Idea App. In other words, they are among 2024’s best psychology books, according to our thousands of app users. To discover what science has to say about how your mind really works, check out the remarkable reads below.
24. Should We Go Extinct?: A Philosophical Dilemma for Our Unbearable Times
By Todd May
Should we bring new humans into the world? Or would it be better off without us? A renowned philosopher and advisor to NBC’s The Good Place offers a thoughtful exploration of humanity’s future—or lack thereof. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Todd May, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
23. Mysticism
By Simon Critchley
A probing, inspiring exploration of mysticism not as religious practice but as a mode of experience and way of life, by one of the most provocative philosophical thinkers of our time. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Simon Critchley, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
22. The Grief Cure: Looking for the End of Loss
By Cody Delistraty
In this lyrical and moving story of the world of Prolonged Grief, an acclaimed journalist reflects on his experience with loss and explores what modern science, history, and literature reveal about the nature of our relationship to grief and our changing attitudes toward its cure. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Cody Delistraty, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
21. Tribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together
By Michael Morris
A revelatory, paradigm-shifting work from a renowned Columbia professor that demystifies our tribal instincts and shows us how to use them to create positive change. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Michael Morris, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
20. The Stoic Path to Wealth: Ancient Wisdom for Enduring Prosperity
By Darius Foroux
From an investor and popular newsletter writer with 100k+ subscribers comes an approach to building wealth that applies ancient wisdom to the chaos of modern-day markets. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Darius Foroux, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
19. Then I Am Myself the World: What Consciousness Is and How to Expand It
By Christof Koch
The world’s leading investigator of consciousness argues that by understanding what consciousness does—cause change in the world—we can understand its origins and its future. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Christof Koch, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
18. 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 or view on Amazon
17. The Stoic Mindset: Living the Ten Principles of Stoicism
By Mark Tuitert
Applying the teachings of Stoic masters including Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and Epictetus to the twenty-first century, an entrepreneur and Olympic champion empowers readers to discover how Stoicism can change their lives and help them reach their full potential. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Mark Tuitert, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
16. The Science of Human Possibilities
By V. Kumar Murty
Drawing from his dual expertise in science and philosophy, a distinguished mathematician illuminates the interconnectedness of mental acuity and spiritual enlightenment. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author V. Kumar Murty, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
15. How to Love Someone Without Losing Your Mind: Forget the Fairy Tale and Get Real
By Todd Baratz
A sanity-saving guide that cuts through the sky-high expectations of modern love and helps you build healthier and more fulfilling relationships, from the creator of viral Instagram account @YourDiagnonsense. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Todd Baratz, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
14. Cultures of Growth: How the New Science of Mindset Can Transform Individuals, Teams, and Organizations
By Mary Murphy
An award-winning social psychologist offers a groundbreaking reconsideration of individual and team success—showing how to create and sustain a growth mindset in any organization’s culture. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Mary Murphy, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
13. The Ritual Effect: From Habit to Ritual, Harness the Surprising Power of Everyday Actions
By Michael Norton
Drawing on a decade of original research, a Harvard Business School professor shows that rituals play a role in healing communities experiencing a great loss, marking life’s major transitions, driving a stadium of sports fans to ecstasy, and helping us rise to challenges and realize opportunities. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Michael Norton, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
12. The Ancient Art of Thinking for Yourself: The Power of Rhetoric in Polarized Times
By Robin Reames
A University of Illinois at Chicago professor breaks down the major techniques of rhetoric, pulling back the curtain on how politicians, journalists, and “journalists” convince us to believe what we believe—and to talk, vote, and act accordingly. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Robin Reames, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
11. 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 or view on Amazon
10. Good Judgment: Making Better Business Decisions with the Science of Human Personality
By Richard Davis
From an experienced organizational psychologist comes a unique guide to learning how to better read and understand people and make improved, more informed business decisions about them. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Richard Davis, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
9. Purpose: What Evolution and Human Nature Imply about the Meaning of Our Existence
By Samuel T. Wilkinson
By using principles from a variety of scientific disciplines, an acclaimed Yale professor provides a framework for human evolution that reveals an overarching purpose to our existence. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Samuel T. Wilkinson, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
8. Learned Excellence: Mental Disciplines for Leading and Winning from the World’s Top Performers
By Eric Potterat and Alan Eagle
Learn how to perform at your very best, from the psychologist who has advised elite military operators, Olympic medalists, big wave surfers, neurosurgeons, cliff divers, first responders, Cirque du Soleil acrobats, professional athletes and coaches, Fortune 500 business executives, and CIA analysts. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Eric Potterat and Alan Eagle, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
7. Break the Cycle: A Guide to Healing Intergenerational Trauma
By Mariel Buqué
From a Columbia University–trained trauma-informed psychologist and practitioner of holistic healing comes a definitive, paradigm-shifting guide to healing intergenerational trauma, one that weaves together scientific research with practical exercises and stories from the therapy room. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Mariel Buqué, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
6. The Laws of Connection: The Scientific Secrets of Building a Strong Social Network
By David Robson
An award-winning science writer describes the psychological barriers that lead us to keep others at a distance and offers evidence-based strategies to overcome them. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author David Robson, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
5. Good Reasonable People: The Psychology Behind America’s Dangerous Divide
By Keith Payne
A leading social scientist explains the psychology of our current social divide and how understanding it can help reduce the conflicts it causes. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Keith Payne, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
4. Hope for Cynics: The Surprising Science of Human Goodness
By Jamil Zaki
Through science and storytelling, a Stanford psychologist imparts the secret for beating back cynicism: hopeful skepticism—thinking critically about people and our problems, while honoring and encouraging our strengths. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jamil Zaki, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
3. You Only Die Once: How to Make It to the End with No Regrets
By Jodi Wellman
A kick-in-the-pants wake-up call to start living meaningfully in light of how many Mondays you have left from a longtime coach, positive psychology expert, and Penn Resilience Program instructor. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jodi Wellman, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
2. The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality
By Amanda Montell
From the bestselling author of Cultish and host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages, and highlights of magical thinking. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Amanda Montell, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
1. The Art of the Interesting: What We Miss in Our Pursuit of the Good Life and How to Cultivate It
By Lorraine Besser
A philosopher and popular Middlebury professor reveals the missing third piece in our search for the Good Life—what she calls The Interesting—and teaches us how to cultivate it in our lives. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Lorraine Besser, in the Next Big Idea App or view on Amazon
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 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!
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