I’m excited to introduce a new batch of standout nonfiction—the most compelling and thought-provoking titles scheduled for release in January 2026.
Each of these books has earned a spot on our longlist for Season 29 of the Next Big Idea Club. In the coming months, we will narrow our sights on a smaller pool of finalists. At the end of each season, we will announce the winner and distribute a hardcover (or ebook) copy to our members.
As always, we invite longlisted authors to create a “Book Bite”—a fifteen-minute audio recording where they share five big ideas from their book. Picture striking up a conversation with someone at a neighborhood block party…only they happen to be a brilliant nonfiction author.
So, without further ado, here are the January 2026 must-reads…
Intentional: The Science of Finishing What You Start
By Chris Bailey
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
To reach your goals, you must structure your daily actions around what’s most important to you—and let go of the rest. This way, getting things done becomes second nature. View on Amazon
Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy
By Chris Duffy
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
From a comedian and host of a hit TED podcast, a hilarious and enlightening guide to laughing your way into a fuller life. View on Amazon
Polar War: Submarines, Spies, and the Struggle for Power in a Melting Arctic
By Kenneth Rosen
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
A gripping blend of travelogue and frontline reporting that reveals how climate change, military ambition, and economic opportunity are transforming the Arctic into the epicenter of a new global conflict. View on Amazon
Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life
By Ezekiel Emanuel
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
A renowned physician argues that life is not a competition to live the longest and that “wellness” shouldn’t be difficult; it should be an invisible part of one’s lifestyle that yields maximum health benefits with the least work. View on Amazon
Why We Drink Too Much: The Impact of Alcohol on Our Bodies and Culture
By Charles Knowles
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
We drink it, celebrate with it, and barely question it―but what is really happening in our brains and bodies when we consume alcohol? View on Amazon
Think Like a Stoic: The Ancient Path to a Life Well Lived
By Ken Mogi
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
With his expertise as a neuroscientist, Mogi uncovers the cognitive foundations of the resilience that is so central to stoicism. View on Amazon
The Nature of Nurture: Rethinking Why and How Childhood Adversity Shapes Development
By Jay Belsky
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
From a leading expert on child development, a radical evolutionary perspective on how childhood experiences shape later life. View on Amazon
How To Know Your Self: The Art & Science of Discovering Who You Really Are
By J. Eric Oliver
Publication Date: January 6, 2026
What is this thing we call “me”? How does it take shape? Oliver tackles these questions and shows us that the answers we’ve inherited―and even the ones we’ve come to ourselves―are often more illusion than truth. View on Amazon
The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans
By Maya Shankar
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
A revelatory exploration of the ways we can find meaning in the tumult of change, from a renowned cognitive scientist. View on Amazon
The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game
By C. Thi Nguyen
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
A philosopher takes us deep into the heart of games, and into the depths of bureaucracy, to see how scoring systems shape our desires. View on Amazon
The Cradle of Citizenship: How Schools Can Help Save Our Democracy
By James Traub
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
A devastating critique of our failure to prepare students for citizenship―and a roadmap to a better way. View on Amazon
Friction: A Biography
By Jennifer Vail
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
From the first spark of fire to the frontiers of energy, medicine, and space, a pioneering account of the invisible force that connects it all. View on Amazon
Do More in Four: Why It’s Time for a Shorter Workweek
By Joe O’Connor & Jared Lindzon
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
The five-day workweek is a pillar of modern life, but it isn’t backed by science, ancient wisdom, or divine decree. It’s simply a relic of the industrial age—and it’s time for an upgrade. View on Amazon
Exile Economics: What Happens if Globalisation Fails
By Ben Chu
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
An economics journalist illustrates the intricate web of interdependence that has come to bind nations together–and underlines the dangers of the new push to isolationism. View on Amazon
99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them
By Ashley Alker
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
An illuminating, hilarious, and practical guide to 99 of the most terrifying ways to die and how to avoid them, from an emergency medicine doctor. View on Amazon
The Mattering Instinct: How Our Deepest Longing Drives Us and Divides Us
By Rebecca Newberger Goldstein
Publication Date: January 13, 2026
Drawing on biology, psychology, and philosophy, Goldstein argues that the need to matter is the source of our greatest progress and our deepest conflicts: the very crux of the human experience. View on Amazon
The Elements of Power: A Story of War, Technology, and the Dirtiest Supply Chain on Earth
By Nicolas Niarchos
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
The story of the war for the global supply of battery metals—essential for the decarbonization of our economies—and the terrible, bloody human cost of this badly misunderstood industry. View on Amazon
Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling
By Danny Funt
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
This jaw-dropping book pulls back the curtain on the alluring yet perilous world of American sports gambling. View on Amazon
On Natural Capital: The Value of the World Around Us
By Partha Dasgupta
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
A paradigm shifting treatise, asking a simple yet profound question—what if we put a value on nature, just as we put a value on everything else? View on Amazon
Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success
By Shadé Zahrai with Fayçal Sekkouah
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
Through her step-by-step examination of your hidden vulnerabilities and personality strengths, Zahrai helps you on a path to a better future. View on Amazon
The New Geography of Innovation: The Global Contest for Breakthrough Technologies
By Mehran Gul
Publication Date: January 20, 2026
A groundbreaking exploration of the shifting landscape of technological innovation and how it has transformed into a global phenomenon, challenging the traditional dominance of Silicon Valley. View on Amazon
Guilt Free: Reclaiming Your Life from Unreasonable Expectations
By Jennifer Reid
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
A transformative guide with practical strategies for women to regain control over their lives, free from the paralyzing grip of guilt. View on Amazon
Mattering: The Secret to a Life of Deep Connection and Purpose
By Jennifer Breheny Wallace
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
A landmark book that introduces a transformative new framework to confront the loneliness, burnout, and lack of purpose so many of us face today. View on Amazon
Why We Click: The Emerging Science of Interpersonal Synchrony
By Kate Murphy
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
From the bedroom to the boardroom and beyond, Murphy reveals how our instinct to sync with others drives much of our behavior, and how our deepest desires are so often thwarted in modern life. View on Amazon
Ctrl + Alt + Chaos: How Teenage Hackers Hijack the Internet
By Joe Tidy
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
An exposé on the global rise of teenage hackers, offering an insider’s portrait of the dark net and the key players who are disrupting corporations, government institutions and our everyday lives. View on Amazon
The Way of Excellence: A Guide to True Greatness and Deep Satisfaction in a Chaotic World
By Brad Stulberg
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
A practical guide to realizing our potential amid the chaos of modern life and learning how to reconnect to ourselves, our work, and each other by focusing on the pursuit of excellence. View on Amazon
It’s on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us That We’re to Blame for Society’s Deepest Problems
By Nick Chater & George Loewenstein
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Two leading behavioral scientists argue we should reject “nudge” policies and stop blaming personal failure for society’s failures. View on Amazon
How Great Ideas Happen: The Hidden Steps Behind Breakthrough Success
By George Newman
Publication Date: January 27, 2026
Great ideas are all around us, waiting to be discovered. Here’s how to find them. View on Amazon
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