Fresh takes on our most familiar history lessons and fascinating dives into cultural favorites: These 10 books go deep on American classics.
Ben & Me: In Search of a Founder’s Formula for a Long and Useful Life
By Eric Weiner
Eric Weiner follows in the footsteps of Benjamin Franklin, mining his life for inspiring and practical lessons in a book that’s part biography, part travelogue, part personal prescription. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Eric Weiner, or view on Amazon.
Box Office Poison: Hollywood’s Story in a Century of Flops
By Tim Robey
A riotous and revealing story of Hollywood’s most spectacular flops and how they ended careers, bankrupted studios and changed film history. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Tim Robey, or view on Amazon.
Raw Dog: A Naked History of Hot Dogs
By Jamie Loftus
Comedian Jamie Loftus takes you on a cross-country road trip in the summer of 2021, revealing what the creation, culture, and class influence of hot dogs says about America now. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jamie Loftus, or view on Amazon.
MCU: The Reign of Marvel Studios
By Joanna Robinson, Dave Gonzales & Gavin Edwards
The unauthorized, behind-the-scenes story of the stunning rise―and suddenly uncertain reign―of the most transformative cultural phenomenon of our time: the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-author Joanna Robinson, or view on Amazon.
Frostbite: How Refrigeration Changed Our Food, Our Planet, and Ourselves
By Nicola Twilley
A far-reaching exploration of refrigeration, tracing its evolution from scientific mystery to globe-spanning infrastructure, and an essential investigation into how it has remade our entire relationship with food—for better and for worse. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Nicola Twilley, or view on Amazon.
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, or view on Amazon.
Into the Groove: The Story of Sound from Tin Foil to Vinyl
By Jonathan Scott
The story of recorded sound–the technological developments, the humans that made them happen and their impact on society, from the phonograph to LPs, EPs and the recent resurgence of vinyl. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Jonathan Scott, or view on Amazon.
There’s Nothing Like This: The Strategic Genius of Taylor Swift
By Kevin Evers
A page-turning exploration of the business and creative decisions that transformed Taylor Swift from a teen prodigy into an unprecedented modern cultural phenomenon. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Kevin Evers, or view on Amazon.
Revolutionary Roads: Searching for the War That Made America Independent… and All the Places It Could Have Gone Terribly Wrong
By Bob Thompson
Ride shotgun with Bob Thompson as he puts more than 20,000 miles on his car, not to mention his legs; walks history-shaping battlefields from Georgia to Quebec; and hangs out with passionate lovers of revolutionary history whose vivid storytelling and deep knowledge of their subject enrich his own. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Bob Thompson, or view on Amazon.
Celebrity Nation: How America Evolved into a Culture of Fans and Followers
By Landon Jones
A former People magazine editor reveals how our cult of celebrity has shaped our politics, our culture, and our personal lives—for better or worse. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Landon Jones, 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 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!
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