Every season, Next Big Idea Club curators Adam Grant, Susan Cain, Daniel Pink, and Malcolm Gladwell review dozens and dozens of upcoming books to identify the new must-read nonfiction titles. And this season, we’re inviting our members to help with the discovery process—if you’re passionate about a nonfiction book coming out in May, June, July, or (at the latest) August of 2020, we invite you to nominate it for inclusion in the Next Big Idea Club!
The books currently under consideration for Summer 2020 are listed below, and to send in your own recommendation, simply fill out this form by Friday, June 19th. Books that receive three or more recommendations will become official nominees, and will be added to the list on this page. Thank you so much for your input—we can’t wait to see which new books you’ll send our way!
Summer 2020 Nominees
The Biggest Bluff: How I Learned to Pay Attention, Master Myself, and Win
By Maria Konnikova
Publication Date: June 23, 2020
How a New York Times bestselling author and New Yorker contributor parlayed a strong grasp of the science of human decision-making and a woeful ignorance of cards into a life-changing run as a professional poker player, under the wing of a legend of the game. View on Amazon
Clean: The New Science of Skin
By James Hamblin
Publication Date: July 21, 2020
A preventative medicine physician and staff writer for The Atlantic explains the surprising and unintended effects of our hygiene practices in this informative and entertaining introduction to the new science of skin microbes and probiotics. View on Amazon
Don’t Take Yes for an Answer: Using Authority, Warmth, and Energy to Get Exceptional Results
By Steve Herz
Publication Date: June 16, 2020
One of the nation’s premier talent agents and career advisors shows you how to catapult your career and your life forward with three key communication strategies―Authority, Warmth, and Energy. View on Amazon
Enemy of All Mankind: A True Story of Piracy, Power, and History’s First Global Manhunt
By Steven Johnson
Publication Date: May 12, 2020
The bestselling author of The Ghost Map and How We Got to Now returns with the story of a pirate who changed the world. Steven Johnson uses the extraordinary true tale of Henry Every and his crimes to explore the emergence of the East India Company, the British Empire, and the modern global marketplace. View on Amazon
Grandstanding: The Use and Abuse of Moral Talk
By Justin Tosi and Brandon Warmke
Publication Date: May 1, 2020
Drawing from work in psychology, economics, and political science, the authors dive deeply into why and how we grandstand. Using the analytic tools of psychology and moral philosophy, they explain what drives us to behave in this way, and what we stand to lose by taking it too far. View on Amazon
How to Drag a Body and Other Safety Tips You Hope to Never Need: Survival Tricks for Hacking, Hurricanes, and Hazards Life Might Throw at You
By Judith Matloff
Publication Date: May 19, 2020
Blending humorous stories and anecdotes with serious advice, Matloff explains how to remain upright in stampedes, avoid bank fraud, prevent sexual assault, stay clean in a shelter, and even be emotionally prepared for loss. View on Amazon
Humankind: A Hopeful History
By Rutger Bregman
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
From the bestselling author of Utopia for Realists comes Humankind, which argues that humans thrive in crisis, and that our innate kindness and cooperation have been the greatest factors in our long-term success on the planet. View on Amazon
Humanocracy: Creating Organizations as Amazing as the People Inside Them
By Gary Hamel and Michele Zanini
Publication Date: August 18, 2020
Whatever your role or title, Humanocracy will show you how to launch an unstoppable movement to equip and empower everyone in your organization to be their best and to do their best. View on Amazon
In Awe: Rediscover Your Childlike Wonder to Unleash Inspiration, Meaning, and Joy
By John O’Leary
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
O’Leary shares emotional, humorous, and inspirational stories intertwined with fascinating new research showing how each of us can reclaim our childlike joy, and why doing so will change how we interact with the world. View on Amazon
In Praise of Walking: A New Scientific Exploration
By Shane O’Mara
Publication Date: May 12, 2020
In Praise of Walking illuminates the joys, health benefits, and mechanics of walking, and reminds us to get out of our chairs and discover a happier, healthier, more creative self. View on Amazon
Inclusify: The Power of Uniqueness and Belonging to Build Innovative Teams
By Stefanie K. Johnson
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
A management expert outlines the transformative leadership skill of tomorrow—one that can make it possible to build truly diverse and inclusive teams which value employees’ need to belong while being themselves. View on Amazon
Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead an Ethical Revolution
By Robert Chesnut
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
Silicon Valley expert Robert Chesnut shows that companies that do not think seriously about a crucial element of corporate culture―integrity―are destined to fail. View on Amazon
Leading Without Authority: How the New Power of Co-Elevation Can Break Down Silos, Transform Teams, and Reinvent Collaboration
By Keith Ferrazzi, with Noel Weyrich
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
The #1 bestselling author of Never Eat Alone redefines collaboration with a radical new workplace operating system in which leadership no longer demands an office, an official title, or even a physical workplace. View on Amazon
Life Is in the Transitions: Mastering Change at Any Age
By Bruce Feiler
Publication Date: July 14, 2020
Bruce Feiler introduces the fresh, illuminating vision of the nonlinear life, in which each of us faces dozens of disruptors. He then lays out specific strategies each of us can use to reimagine and rebuild our lives, often stronger than before. View on Amazon
Manifesto for a Moral Revolution: Practices to Build a Better World
By Jacqueline Novogratz
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
An essential shortlist of leadership ideas for everyone who wants to do good in this world, from Jacqueline Novogratz, author of the New York Times bestseller The Blue Sweater and founder and CEO of Acumen. View on Amazon
The Most Powerful You: 7 Bravery-Boosting Paths to Career Bliss
By Kathy Caprino
Publication Date: July 28, 2020
Kathy Caprino guides women to take the reins in the careers by identifying and overcoming the 7 most damaging power gaps holding them back and accessing new levels of internal and external power. View on Amazon
Neurodharma: New Science, Ancient Wisdom, and Seven Practices of the Highest Happiness
By Rick Hanson
Publication Date: May 5, 2020
Bestselling author Rick Hanson, PhD, not only explores the new neuroscience of awakening but also offers a bold yet plausible plan for reverse-engineering peak experiences, sense of oneness, and even enlightenment itself. View on Amazon
The Next Great Migration: The Beauty and Terror of Life on the Move
By Sonia Shah
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
A prize-winning journalist upends our centuries-long assumptions about migration through science, history, and reporting, predicting its lifesaving power in the face of climate change. View on Amazon
Obsessed: Building a Brand People Love from Day One
By Emily Heyward
Publication Date: June 9, 2020
The cofounder and chief branding officer of Red Antler, the branding and marketing company for startups and new ventures, explains how hot new brands like Casper, Allbirds, Sweetgreen, and Everlane build devoted fan followings right out of the gate. View on Amazon
One by One by One: Making a Small Difference Amid a Billion Problems
By Aaron Berkowitz
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
The inspiring story of a young American neurologist’s struggle to make a difference in Haiti by treating one patient at a time—a story of social justice, clashing cultures, and what it means to treat strangers as members of our family. View on Amazon
Perfectly Confident: How to Calibrate Your Decisions Wisely
By Don A. Moore
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
An expert on the psychology of decision making at Berkeley’s Haas School of Business helps readers calibrate their confidence, arguing that some confidence is good, but overconfidence can hinder growth. View on Amazon
Personality Isn’t Permanent: Break Free from Self-Limiting Beliefs and Rewrite Your Story
By Benjamin Hardy
Publication Date: June 16, 2020
Psychologist and bestselling author Benjamin Hardy, PhD, debunks the pervasive myths about personality that prevent us from learning—and provides bold strategies for personal transformation. View on Amazon
The Power of Ritual: Turning Everyday Activities into Soulful Practices
By Casper ter Kuile
Publication Date: June 23, 2020
Harvard Divinity School fellow Casper ter Kuile explores how we can nourish our souls by transforming common, everyday practices—yoga, reading, walking the dog—into sacred rituals that can heal our crisis of social isolation and struggle to find purpose. View on Amazon
Get Out of Your Head: Inspiration for Overthinkers in an Anxious World
By Meredith Arthur
Publication Date: May 12, 2020
Calm your thoughts, navigate your stress, and understand your anxiety with this compact illustrated guide for overthinkers everywhere. View on Amazon
Raising a Rare Girl: A Memoir
By Heather Lanier
Publication Date: July 7, 2020
Award-winning writer Heather Lanier’s memoir about raising a child with a rare syndrome, defying the tyranny of normal, and embracing parenthood as a spiritual practice that breaks us open in the best of ways. View on Amazon
The Serendipity Mindset: The Art and Science of Creating Good Luck
By Christian Busch
Publication Date: June 9, 2020
Drawing from biology, chemistry, management, and information systems, Busch illustrates how serendipity works and explains how we can train our own serendipity muscle and use it to turn the unexpected into opportunity. View on Amazon
Think for Yourself: Restoring Common Sense in an Age of Experts and Artificial Intelligence
By Vikram Mansharamani
Publication Date: June 16, 2020
With compelling examples drawn from business, sports, and everyday life, Mansharamani illustrates how we have outsourced our thinking to experts, protocols, and technology. He then empowers readers with a more critical and nuanced approach to making decisions. View on Amazon
Unleashed: The Unapologetic Leader’s Guide to Empowering Everyone Around You
By Frances Frei and Anne Morriss
Publication Date: June 2, 2020
Showing how the boldest, most effective leaders use a special combination of trust, love, and belonging to create an environment in which other people can excel, Frei and Morriss offer practical, battle-tested advice for unleashing greatness. View on Amazon
Winning Now, Winning Later: How Companies Can Succeed in the Short Term While Investing for the Long Term
By David M. Cote
Publication Date: June 30, 2020
David Cote, the much-respected former leader of Honeywell International and one of the most successful CEOs of his generation, offers a go-to guide for leaders who seek to transcend short-termism’s daily grind and leave an enduring legacy of success. View on Amazon
You’re About to Make a Terrible Mistake!: How Biases Distort Decision-Making and What You Can Do to Fight Them
By Olivier Sibony
Publication Date: July 14, 2020
You’re About to Make a Terrible Mistake! distills the latest developments in behavioral economics and cognitive psychology into actionable tools for making smart, effective decisions in business and beyond. View on Amazon
Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art
By James Nestor
Publication Date: May 26, 2020
Drawing on thousands of years of medical texts and recent cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, journalist James Nestor turns the conventional wisdom of what we thought we knew about our most basic biological function on its head. You will never breathe the same again. View on Amazon
