The most recommended new nonfiction books

Who picked these books? Meet our 573 experts.

573 authors created a book list connected to new nonfiction, and here are their favorite new nonfiction books.
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Book cover of "You Just Need to Lose Weight" and 19 Other Myths About Fat People

Eliza Wheeler Author Of Miss Maple's Seeds

From Eliza's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Illustrator Author Nature lover Hammocker Cozy person

Eliza's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Eliza Wheeler Why did Eliza love this book?

Author Aubrey Gordon (Your Fat Friend, co-host of kickass podcast Maintenance Phase, and all-around-delightful-human-being) breaks down and debunks all of the (still) socially acceptable, pervasive, and oppressive myths about body size and fatness.

Her writing is deeply researched, as well as rooted in her experience in social justice advocacy work – she somehow writes and speaks with an amazing mix of no-B.S. and compassion, a balance that is rare and also, I believe, such an effective communication approach when advocating for human beings to be valued and treated with basic care and respect.

Bonus: When you “read” this book as an audiobook, you get to listen to Aubrey’s voice, which, when you’ve run out of Maintenance Phase, is like coming across a stream in the desert. 

By Aubrey Gordon,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked "You Just Need to Lose Weight" and 19 Other Myths About Fat People as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
AN INDIE BESTSELLER

“One of the great thinkers of our generation . . . I feel fresher and smarter and happier for sitting down with her.”—Jameela Jamil, iWeigh Podcast

The co-host of the Maintenance Phase podcast and creator of Your Fat Friend equips you with the facts to debunk common anti-fat myths and with tools to take action for fat justice

The pushback that shows up in conversations about fat justice takes exceedingly predicable form. Losing weight is easy—calories in, calories out. Fat people are unhealthy. We’re in the midst of an obesity epidemic. Fat…


Book cover of Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood

Adrienne Lawrence Author Of Staying in the Game: The Playbook for Beating Workplace Sexual Harassment

From my list on empower women and navigate workplace realities.

Why am I passionate about this?

As an attorney, former TV broadcaster, and workplace consultant, I’ve devoted my career to empowering women and confronting systemic inequities. My passion stems from personal experience navigating the complexities of workplace harassment, which inspired me to write my book and guide others through similar challenges. I am continually drawn to books that illuminate the hidden power structures and offer practical tools for resilience, empowerment, and self-advocacy. The works on this list have profoundly shaped my perspective, providing inspiration and clarity in both my professional and personal journey. I hope they resonate with you as deeply as they have with me.

Adrienne's book list on empower women and navigate workplace realities

Adrienne Lawrence Why did Adrienne love this book?

This book floored me with its unflinching exploration of systemic abuse and complicity within Hollywood—a microcosm for many workplaces.

Ryan’s bold, investigative approach helped me better understand how power dynamics shape industries and how meaningful change can emerge when individuals unite against systemic wrongdoing. Her ability to mix stories of injustice with actionable solutions makes this book unforgettable and empowering.

By Maureen Ryan,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Burn It Down as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * LOS ANGELES TIMES BESTSELLER

In this spectacular, newsmaking expose that has the entertainment industry abuzz and on its heels, Vanity Fair's Maureen Ryan blows the lid on patterns of harassment and bias in Hollywood, the grassroots reforms under way, and the labor and activist revolutions that recent scandals have ignited.

It is never just One Bad Man.

Abuse and exploitation of workers is baked into the very foundations of the entertainment industry. To break the cycle and make change that sticks, it's important to stop looking at headline-making stories as individual events. Instead, one must…


Book cover of Winnie and Nelson: Portrait of a Marriage

Manu Herbstein Author Of Ama, a Story of the Atlantic Slave Trade

From Manu's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Historical novelist Citizen of South Africa and Ghana Retired civil engineer Avid reader

Manu's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Manu Herbstein Why did Manu love this book?

This book is described as "a deeply researched, shattering new account of Nelson Mandela's relationship with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela." That it certainly is, both deeply researched and shattering.

I found it page-turning but also deeply disturbing, recalling the Latin cautionary phrase "de mortuis nil nisi bonum." On the other hand, perhaps that injunction to express nothing but good of the dead should not apply to public figures like the Mandelas, both of them proper subjects for a responsible historian like Steinberg.

In the early 1990s, Barbara Masekela served as Nelson Mandela's Chief of Staff. This book contains revealing lengthy extracts from an interview Steinberg conducted with her in 2018, after both Mandelas had died.

By Jonny Steinberg,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Winnie and Nelson as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Gripping and profoundly moving' DAMON GALGUT 'Deft and operatic' OBSERVER

From one of South Africa's foremost nonfiction writers, a deeply researched, shattering new account of Nelson Mandela's relationship with Winnie Madikizela-Mandela. Drawing on never-before-seen material, Steinberg reveals the fractures and stubborn bonds at the heart of a volatile and groundbreaking union, a very modern political marriage that played out on the world stage.

One of the most celebrated political leaders of the twentieth century, Nelson Mandela has been written about by many biographers and historians. But in one crucial area, his life remains largely untold: his marriage to Winnie. During…


Book cover of A Global Racial Enemy: Muslims and 21st-Century Racism

Evelyn Alsultany Author Of Broken: The Failed Promise of Muslim Inclusion

From my list on Islamophobia and the War on Terror.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in New York City in the 1980s as an Arab Latina American Muslim, which shaped my interest in who is considered American. Back then, there was no language to talk about my experience of marginalization as Arab or Muslim. That changed after 9/11 and the War on Terror. A decade after that, the term “Islamophobia” entered the US lexicon, leading to social recognition of this form of discrimination, and many important debates about what constitutes Islamophobia. I made my career exploring how Arabs and Muslims figure into US racial politics, and am currently a professor of US Ethnic Studies at the University of Southern California.

Evelyn's book list on Islamophobia and the War on Terror

Evelyn Alsultany Why did Evelyn love this book?

I write about Islamophobia in the US but often wonder how it manifests in other countries. I now know where to go for answers.

This book examines Muslim racialization in four countries – the US, the UK, India, and China. It takes readers through the history of Islamophobia in each country, examining the role of media in stereotyping and Othering Muslims. Importantly, the book also explains how anti-Muslim racism has figured in recent ethnonationalist movements and counterterrorism policies.

By Saher Selod, Inaash Islam, Steve Garner

Why should I read it?

1 author picked A Global Racial Enemy as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Prejudice against Muslims has a long and complex history, shaped over many centuries. In recent decades, discrimination, violence, and human rights abuses against Muslims have taken a significant turn, with rising reports and discussions of Islamophobia across the globe. However, as the authors of A Global Racial Enemy argue, much of the conversation has missed the key features of this increasingly insidious phenomenon.

This original book puts race at the center of the analysis, exposing the global racialization of Muslims. With special attention paid to the United States, China, India, and the United Kingdom, the authors examine both the unique…


Book cover of The Message

Tamela J. Gordon Author Of Hood Wellness

From Tamela's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Tamela's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Tamela J. Gordon Why did Tamela love this book?

During a time when discussions about Palestine and the people who live there lacks nuance and thoughtful reflection, The Message takes a direct approach at amplifying the voices and experiences of Palestinians while also addressing the misperceptions and ignorance of outsiders

By Ta-Nehisi Coates,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Message as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER • NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The renowned author of Between the World and Me journeys to three resonant sites of conflict to explore how the stories we tell—and the ones we don’t—shape our realities.

“Ta-Nehisi Coates always writes with a purpose. . . . These pilgrimages, for him, help ground his powerful writing about race.”—Associated Press

“Coates exhorts readers, including students, parents, educators, and journalists, to challenge conventional narratives that can be used to justify ethnic cleansing or camouflage racist policing. Brilliant and timely.”—Booklist (starred review)

Ta-Nehisi Coates originally set out to write a book about…


Book cover of Doro: Refugee, hero, champion, survivor

Jasmin O'Hara Author Of Asylum Speakers: Stories of Migration From the Humans Behind the Headlines

From my list on migration and displacement from first-hand perspectives.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’ve been working to amplify voices of refugees and asylum seekers since 2015, when a 12-year-old boy named Mez joined my family as the first of four foster brothers I now have from Eritrea, Sudan, Libya and Afghanistan. Their stories led me to the Calais Jungle in an attempt to challenge the negative media portrayal of those experiencing displacement. I’ve since worked in refugee camps across the world from France to Bangladesh, sharing food, stories, laughter, and tears, asking questions and learning from those I meet. My book is a compilation of the stories that have impacted me most (Mez being the first), and a testament to those who shared them with me. 

Jasmin's book list on migration and displacement from first-hand perspectives

Jasmin O'Hara Why did Jasmin love this book?

My friend and hero search-and-rescue worker Brendan met Doro during a rescue mission in the Mediterranean Sea. He promised to help Doro share his story with the world, and together they wrote this book.

Brendan’s writing really touches me as someone who has had a similar experience and journey into working in refugee response, and this, along with Doro’s incredible story, makes for a very profound book.

By Brendan Woodhouse, Doro Goumaneh,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Doro as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'This is Doro and he is beautiful.'

So begins the extraordinary story of Doro Goumaneh, who faced an unimaginable series of adversities on his journey from persecution in The Gambia to refuge in France.

Doro was once a relatively prosperous fisherman, but in 2014, when the country's fishing rights were stolen and secret police began arresting Gambian fishermen, Doro left home, fleeing for his life. From Senegal to Libya to Algeria and back to Libya, Doro fell victim to the horrific cycle of abuse targeted at refugees. He endured shipwrecks, torture and being left for dead in a mass grave.…


Book cover of Be a Revolution: How Everyday People Are Fighting Oppression and Changing the World-and How You Can, Too

Ruchika Tulshyan Author Of Inclusion on Purpose: An Intersectional Approach to Creating a Culture of Belonging at Work

From my list on change your mind about success.

Why am I passionate about this?

I grew up in an immigrant household where success was defined by how much money you made and your individual progress. But I’ve always been fascinated by social change as the measure of collective success. As a former business journalist, I was most inspired by leaders who were creating opportunities for overlooked communities. I now advise organization leaders on how to create more inclusive and diverse organizations by rethinking the measure of success purely from the profit perspective. That’s why I wrote Inclusion on Purpose. These books have helped me transform my definition of success. I hope you’re catalyzed to action by these books!

Ruchika's book list on change your mind about success

Ruchika Tulshyan Why did Ruchika love this book?

At a time when so many of us feel helpless while navigating various social crises, Ijeoma’s latest book highlights amazing leaders who are literally creating revolutionary social change. She interviews leaders tackling issues from the prison industrial complex to how we spend money more intentionally.

After reading this book, I felt like I, too, could “be” a change. I felt inspired to believe that my success, and the success of the world, depends on the everyday revolutionary acts of anti-racism we can (and should) all commit to.

While I loved the interviews with each changemaker, it was reading how Ijeoma’s approach from pain and trauma to action evolved throughout the book that really drove the message home. 

By Ijeoma Oluo,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Be a Revolution as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NATIONAL BESTSELLER

From the #1 New York Times-bestselling author of So You Want to Talk About Race and Mediocre, an eye-opening and galvanizing look at the current state of anti-racist activism across America.

In the #1 New York Times bestseller So You Want To Talk About Race, Ijeoma Oluo offered a vital guide for how to talk about important issues of race and racism in society. In Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America, she discussed the ways in which white male supremacy has had an impact on our systems, our culture, and our lives throughout American history. But…


Book cover of The Identity Trap: A Story of Ideas and Power in Our Time

Olivier Sibony Author Of You're About to Make a Terrible Mistake: How Biases Distort Decision-Making and What You Can Do to Fight Them

From Olivier's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Olivier's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Olivier Sibony Why did Olivier love this book?

This is NOT yet another diatribe against "wokeness." It is, instead, a thoughtful, nuanced analysis of the intellectual foundations of what the author calls "the identity synthesis" (and others call "identity politics," or other names). Not only is it fascinating in its own right; it is also a model of the nearly-lost art of intellectual critique. It is clear where Mounk's sympathies lie, but he is does his best to present his opponents' views in the most respectful, dispassionate way possible, before he points out the limitations and contradictions of their thinking. Readers who enjoyed this book should also enjoy Mounk's podcast and blog.

By Yascha Mounk,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked The Identity Trap as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Brought to you by Penguin.

The origins, consequences and limitations of an ideology that has quickly become highly influential around the world.

For much of their history, societies have violently oppressed ethnic, religious and sexual minorities. It is no surprise then that many who passionately believe in social justice have come to believe that members of marginalized groups need to take pride in their identity if they are to resist injustice.

But over the past decades, a healthy appreciation for the culture and heritage of minorities has transformed into an obsession with group identity in all its forms. A new…


Book cover of The Road to Freedom: Economics and the Good Society

Peter S. Goodman Author Of How the World Ran Out of Everything: Inside the Global Supply Chain

From my list on globalization breaks down what happens next.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm the New York Times' Global Economics Correspondent. Over the course of three decades in journalism, I have reported from more than 40 countries, including a six-year stint in China for the Washington Post and five years in London for the Times. I have ridden with truck drivers from Texas to India, visited factories and warehouses from Argentina to Kenya, and explored ports from Los Angeles to Rotterdam.

Peter's book list on globalization breaks down what happens next

Peter S. Goodman Why did Peter love this book?

No one has wrestled more deeply with globalization than the Nobel laureate economist Joseph Stiglitz.

Here, he reveals how the shape of our modern world is colored by a mutant form of freedom that has captured society and the levers of power—the notion that individuals and businesses left to their own devices somehow maximize social good.

You don’t need a Nobel of your own to recognize how this fantasy has fallen short.

By Joseph E. Stiglitz,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Road to Freedom as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

We are a nation born from the conviction that people must be free. But since the middle of the last century, that idea has been co-opted. Forces on the political Right have justified exploitation by cloaking it in the rhetoric of freedom, leading to pharmaceutical companies freely overcharging for medication, a Big Tech free from oversight, politicians free to incite rebellion, corporations free to pollute, and more. How did we get here? Whose freedom are we-and should we-be thinking about?

In The Road to Freedom, Nobel prize winner Joseph E. Stiglitz dissects America's current economic system and the political ideology…


Book cover of "You Just Need to Lose Weight" and 19 Other Myths About Fat People
Book cover of Burn It Down: Power, Complicity, and a Call for Change in Hollywood
Book cover of Madness

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