The world is changing so quickly, it can feel hard to get a grip on what’s happening and where humanity is heading. Does the little guy have any power? Is common decency eroding? Who is on our side? Are humans even worth saving?
Answering these questions isn’t as scary as you may think; there is so much potential and precedent for building a compassionate, inclusive, thriving world. Indeed, fear and anxiety about the future fade in the rearview with help from these seven hopeful books about society’s future.
The Small and the Mighty: Twelve Unsung Americans Who Changed the Course of History, From the Founding to the Civil Rights Movement
By Sharon McMahon
From America’s favorite government teacher, a heartfelt, inspiring portrait of twelve ordinary Americans whose courage formed the character of our country. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Sharon McMahon, in the Next Big Idea App.
Stolen Pride: Loss, Shame, and the Rise of the Right
By Arlie Russell Hochschild
In her first book since the widely acclaimed Strangers in Their Own Land, the National Book Award finalist and bestselling author Arlie Russell Hochschild now ventures to Appalachia, uncovering the “pride paradox” that has given the right’s appeals such resonance. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Arlie Russell Hochschild, in the Next Big Idea App.
By the Fire We Carry: The Generations-Long Fight for Justice on Native Land
By Rebecca Nagle
A powerful work of reportage and American history that braids the story of the forced removal of Native Americans onto treaty lands in the nation’s earliest days, and a small-town murder in the ‘90s that led to a Supreme Court ruling reaffirming Native rights to that land over a century later. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Rebecca Nagle, in the Next Big Idea App.
Democracy in Retrograde: How to Make Changes Big and Small in Our Country and in Our Lives
By Sami Sage & Emily Amick
A whip-smart combo of self-help and political manifesto that is perfect for anyone who wants to save our democracy but doesn’t know where to start. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Sami Sage and Emily Amick, in the Next Big Idea App.
The Truth About Immigration: Why Successful Societies Welcome Newcomers
By Zeke Hernandez
This book is all about how newcomers benefit you, your community, and your country. Skeptics fear that newcomers compete economically with locals because of their similarities and fail to socially assimilate because of their differences. You’ll see that it’s exactly the opposite. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Zeke Hernandez, in the Next Big Idea App.
Good People: Stories From the Best of Humanity
By Gabriel Reilich & Lucia Knell
Embrace—and share—the transformative power of kindness through stories of more than one hundred good people, brought to you by Upworthy, the beloved social media platform where millions find inspiration, joy, and daily affirmation. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Gabriel Reilich and Lucia Knell, in the Next Big Idea App.
Should We Go Extinct?: A Philosophical Dilemma for Our Unbearable Times
By Todd May
A renowned philosopher and advisor to NBC’s The Good Place offers a thoughtful exploration of humanity’s future—or lack thereof. May sketches a powerful framework for establishing our responsibilities as a species and gives hope that we might one day find universal agreement that the answer to his title question should be No. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Todd May, 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!
