I’m pleased to share what I consider the most promising, must-read nonfiction titles scheduled for release in October 2024. These titles join our group of nominees for Season 25 of the Next Big Idea Club (the first group was announced here, second here, third here, and fourth here).
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 15-minute audio self-recording that features five key insights from their book. Imagine chatting with a stranger on an airplane—only that person just happened to write a fascinating nonfiction book!
And now, the October 2024 titles are…
How Women Made Music: A Revolutionary History from NPR Music
By Alison Fensterstock
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
Drawn from NPR Music’s acclaimed, groundbreaking series Turning the Tables, the definitive book on the vital role of Women in Music—from Beyoncé to Odetta, Taylor Swift to Joan Baez, Joan Jett to Dolly Parton—featuring archival interviews, essays, photographs, and illustrations. View on Amazon
Henry V: The Astonishing Triumph of England’s Greatest Warrior King
By Dan Jones
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
The New York Times bestselling author returns with a biography examining the dramatic life and unparalleled leadership of England’s greatest medieval king. View on Amazon
Good Reasonable People: The Psychology Behind America’s Dangerous Divide
By Keith Payne
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
A leading social scientist explains the psychology of our current social divide and how understanding it can help reduce the conflicts it causes. View on Amazon
Tribal: How the Cultural Instincts That Divide Us Can Help Bring Us Together
By Michael Morris
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
A revelatory, paradigm-shifting work from a renowned Columbia professor and “one of the great social and cultural psychologists” (Amy Cuddy) that demystifies our tribal instincts and shows us how to use them to create positive change. View on Amazon
The Suggestible Brain: The Science and Magic of How We Make Up Our Minds
By Amir Raz
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
Neuroscientist Amir Raz shares decades of research and case studies to show how suggestion changes the brain and shapes our behavior—and how we can protect ourselves from and harness suggestibility in our own lives. View on Amazon
Revenge of the Tipping Point: Overstories, Superspreaders, and the Rise of Social Engineering
By Malcolm Gladwell
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
Twenty-five years after the publication of his groundbreaking first book, Malcolm Gladwell returns with a brand new volume that reframes the lessons of The Tipping Point in a startling and revealing light. View on Amazon
Liberating Abortion: Claiming Our History, Sharing Our Stories, and Building the Reproductive Future We Deserve
By Renee Bracey Sherman & Regina Mahone
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
A galvanizing history of abortion recentering people of color to put forth a timely argument that we must liberate abortion for all. View on Amazon
Rumbles: A Curious History of the Gut: The Secret Story of the Body’s Most Fascinating Organ
By Elsa Richardson
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
The fascinating—and often secret—history of the body’s most fascinating system: the gut. View on Amazon
Your Stone Age Brain in the Screen Age
By Richard Cytowic
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
An award-winning neurologist on the Stone-Age roots of our screen addictions, and what to do about them. View on Amazon
Be Ready When the Luck Happens: A Memoir
By Ina Garten
Publication Date: October 1, 2024
In her long-awaited memoir, Ina Garten—aka the Barefoot Contessa, author of thirteen bestselling cookbooks, beloved Food Network personality, Instagram sensation, and cultural icon—shares her personal story with readers hungry for a seat at her table. View on Amazon
The Elements of Marie Curie: How the Glow of Radium Lit a Path for Women in Science
By Dava Sobel
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
The acclaimed Pulitzer Prize finalist and #1 New York Times bestselling author of Galileo’s Daughter crafts a luminous chronicle of the life and work of the most famous woman in the history of science, and the untold story of the many young women trained in her laboratory who were launched into stellar scientific careers of their own. View on Amazon
Tell Me Something, Tell Me Anything, Even If It’s a Lie
By Steve Wasserman
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
An exhilarating journey through the world of books, featuring personal reflections on Susan Sontag, Huey Newton, Barbra Streisand, W. G. Sebald, and Christopher Hitchens. View on Amazon
The PLAN: Manage Your Time Like a Lazy Genius
By Kendra Adachi
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
The New York Times bestselling author of The Lazy Genius Way brings her signature Kind Big Sister Energy to a practical time management book for people weary of productivity but eager to live a good life. View on Amazon
The Hidden Globe: How Wealth Hacks the World
By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Borders draw one map of the world; money draws another. A journalist’s riveting account exposes a parallel universe that has become a haven for the rich and powerful. View on Amazon
Play Nice: The Rise, Fall, and Future Of Blizzard Entertainment
By Jason Schreier
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
New York Times bestselling author and the gaming industry’s preeminent investigative journalist Jason Schreier examines three decades of ups and downs at Blizzard Entertainment leading up to a hostile corporate takeover and a sexual misconduct scandal that put the legendary developer in a world of (Warcraft) trouble. View on Amazon
Pivot or Die: How Leaders Thrive When Everything Changes
By Gary Shapiro
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
From Gary Shapiro, New York Times bestselling author and head of CES and the Consumer Technology Association, a manifesto for today’s top executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders: pivot or die. View on Amazon
Bright Shining: How Grace Changes Everything
By Julia Baird
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
From the bestselling author of Phosphorescence comes a beautiful and timely exploration of that most mysterious but necessary of human qualities: grace. View on Amazon
Never Play It Safe: A Practical Guide to Freedom, Creativity, and a Life You Love
By Chase Jarvis
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Bestselling author and award-winning photographer Chase Jarvis argues that we don’t need gimmicky new life hacks or “productivity” gadgets; we already have what what’s necessary—all we need is to learn to leverage it. View on Amazon
Wild Chocolate: Across the Americas in Search of Cacao’s Soul
By Rowan Jacobsen
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
From James Beard Award-winner Rowan Jacobsen, the thrilling story of the farmers, activists, and chocolate makers fighting all odds to revive ancient cacao and produce the world’s finest bar. View on Amazon
Selling Sexy: Victoria’s Secret and the Unraveling of an American Icon
By Lauren Sherman & Chantal Fernandez
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
The story of how Victoria’s Secret skyrocketed from a tiny chain of boutiques to a retail juggernaut with more than $8 billion in annual sales at its peak―all while defining an impossible beauty standard for generations of American women―before the brand’s tight grip on the industry finally slipped. View on Amazon
Meditations for Mortals: Four Weeks to Embrace Your Limitations and Make Time for What Counts
By Oliver Burkeman
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Meditations for Mortals takes us on a liberating, invigorating journey toward a more meaningful life―a journey that begins not with fantasies of the ideal existence but with the reality in which we actually find ourselves. Burkeman offers here a powerful new way to take action on what counts: a guiding philosophy of life that he calls “imperfectionism.” View on Amazon
Paper of Wreckage: The Rogues, Renegades, Wiseguys, Wankers, and Relentless Reporters Who Redefined American Media
By Susan Mulcahy & Frank DiGiacomo
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
A jaw-dropping and unputdownable oral history of the New York Post and the legendary tabloid’s cultural impact from the 1970s to today as recounted by the men and women who witnessed it firsthand. View on Amazon
John Lewis: A Life
By David Greenberg
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
A comprehensive, authoritative biography of Civil Rights icon John Lewis, “the conscience of the Congress,” drawing on interviews with Lewis and approximately 275 others who knew him at various stages of his life, as well as never-before-used FBI files and documents. View on Amazon
How Do You Feel?: One Doctor’s Search for Humanity in Medicine
By Jessi Gold
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
A poignant and thought-provoking memoir following one psychiatrist and four of her patients as they deal with the unspoken mental and physical costs of caring for others. View on Amazon
Strategic Storytelling : Why Some Stories Drive Your Success in Business and Others Don’t
By Anjali Sharma
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
In today’s connection economy, the most successful leaders inspire their people with purpose and meaning. While all stories can move people to take action, storytelling isn’t a one size fits all. The most effective influencers learn to flex their narrative based on the audience’s time or their level of expertise. View on Amazon
War
By Bob Woodward
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Bob Woodward tells the revelatory, behind-the-scenes story of three wars—Ukraine, the Middle East and the struggle for the American Presidency. View on Amazon
Consider This: Reflections for Finding Peace
By Nedra Glover Tawwab
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Inspiring advice for navigating life’s ups and downs, and finding ways to grow every day—from the New York Times bestselling author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace, and Drama Free. View on Amazon
The Myth of American Idealism: How U.S. Foreign Policy Endangers the World
By Nathan Robinson
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
From one of the world’s most prominent thinkers, an urgent warning of the threat that U.S. power poses to humanity’s future as well as a sharp indictment of both American foreign policy and the national myths that support it. View on Amazon
The Employee Advantage: How Putting Workers First Helps Business Thrive
By Stephan Meier
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
A strategic roadmap that will transform your company into an employee-first powerhouse, unlocking a competitive edge for enduring success. View on Amazon
I Do (I Think): Conversations About Modern Marriage
By Allison Raskin
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
From Just Between Us cohost and bestselling author Allison Raskin comes a witty, incisive take on modern marriage and how a new generation can navigate its uncertainties and questions. View on Amazon
The Great Mental Models, Volume 4: Economics and Art
By Shane Parrish
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
Mastering a small number of mental models enables you to rapidly grasp new information, identify patterns others miss, and avoid the common mistakes that hold people back. Volume 4 of The Great Mental Models series delves into the realms of economics and art, presenting more than twenty-four valuable ideas with clear language and style. View on Amazon
Father Nature: The Science of Paternal Potential
By James Rilling
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
How and why human males evolved the capacity to be highly involved caregivers—and why some are more involved than others. View on Amazon
Explorers: A New History
By Matthew Lockwood
Publication Date: October 15, 2024
A surprising history of exploration featuring a new cast―including fugitives, indigenous pathfinders, and immigrants―that celebrates the universal qualities of discovery. View on Amazon
This Is Strategy: Make Better Plans
By Seth Godin
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
Are you tired of quick fixes and short-term thinking? Do you want to make a lasting impact but feel stuck in outdated systems? This is Strategy is a must-read for anyone seeking to drive positive change, whether you’re revolutionizing an industry, sparking a movement, or building a career. View on Amazon
How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days
By Kari Leibowitz
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
A blend of mindset science, original research, and cultural insights for cultivating a positive “wintertime mindset,” to vanquish winter blues and find joy and comfort in dark times year-round. View on Amazon
Pillars of Creation: How the James Webb Telescope Unlocked the Secrets of the Cosmos
By Richard Panek
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
The James Webb Space Telescope is transforming the universe right before our eyes—and here, for the first time, is the inside account of how the mission originated, how it performs its miracles of science, and what its revolutionary images are revealing. View on Amazon
The Line: AI and the Future of Personhood
By James Boyle
Publication Date: October 22, 2024
Engaging with empathy and anthropomorphism, courtroom battles on behalf of chimps, and doom-laden projections about the threat of AI, The Line offers fascinating and thoughtful answers to questions about our future that will arrive sooner than we think. View on Amazon
Mysticism
By Simon Critchley
Publication Date: October 29, 2024
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. View on Amazon
Gather Me: A Memoir in Praise of the Books That Saved Me
By Glory Edim
Publication Date: October 29, 2024
An inspiring memoir of family, community, and resilience, and an ode to the power of books to help us understand ourselves, from the renowned founder of Well-Read Black Girl. View on Amazon
Tech Agnostic: How Technology Became the World’s Most Powerful Religion, and Why It Desperately Needs a Reformation
By Greg Epstein
Publication Date: October 29, 2024
An urgently needed exploration of global technology worship, and a measured case for skepticism and agnosticism as a way of life, from the New York Times–bestselling author of Good without God. View on Amazon
Artificial Integrity: The Paths to Leading AI Toward a Human-Centered Future
By Hamilton Mann
Publication Date: October 29, 2024
Introducing the transformative concept of “artificial integrity,” Mann proposes a paradigm shift, defining a “code of design” to ensure AI systems align with, amplify, and sustain human values and societal norms, maximizing integrity-led AI outcomes. View on Amazon
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