New Nonfiction To Read This Summer

From Annie Jacobsen, the author of the bestselling Nuclear War: A Scenario, a book on a subject that has long orbited her reporting: Biological warfare. A lab accident, a bio-attack, a global pandemic, and the collapse of human society. In this essential new book, based on dozens of new interviews with experts with high-level political, governmental, medical, and military responsibility, Annie Jacobsen examines this very scenario. It would be only a matter of days from such a global infection before the infrastructure built to handle this gravest of situations would be in a battle for human existence.

From the author of the Pulitzer Prize-winning Lords of Finance, a magnificent and timely reckoning with the first truly global financial calamity and the famous banking family at the center of the whirlwind. 1873 is a bird’s-eye reckoning with the full dimension of the crisis, from its buildup to its long aftermath.

How do we do more with less? From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Range, why limits are the key to stimulating creativity, innovation, collaboration, and personal contentment. Original, galvanizing, and deeply researched, Epstein reveals how boundaries create breakthroughs, and how setting the right constraints can help you become the most creative, productive, and satisfied version of yourself.

From former Olympic gymnast and gold medal winner Shawn Johnson East and former NFL pro Andrew East — the dynamic duo behind the chart-topping Couple Things podcast — a bold rebrand of commitment in an uncommitted world. The Courage to Commit makes a simple case for sticking with the things that matter. Because in a world of options and distraction, the real rebellion is choosing your hill to die on — and then planting your flag there with gusto.

The riveting, true story of an audacious con man who helped send another man to death row for a murder he did not commit. In this mesmerizing debut, Pamela Colloff spins a dark tale of a remorseless and brilliant liar made lethal by a system more concerned with winning convictions than finding the truth.

A sweeping narrative history of the U.S. government’s broken compact with its Muslim citizens, culminating in the post-9/11 era of mass surveillance and increased violence — from an award-winning New York Times Magazine journalist.

Recessions. Crushing student debt. Inflation that won’t quit. A housing market that feels like a joke. If you’re a Gen Z or millennial, it feels like the financial deck has been stacked against you from day one. From Zillennial finance expert Mrs. Dow Jones comes a groundbreaking, judgment-free personal finance guidebook about how to grow wealth on your own terms. With a sense of humor and a savvy mindset, Haley Sacks will help you navigate the world of modern money and achieve the financial freedom you deserve. It all starts now when you embrace your life as a Future Rich Person!

From the New York Times bestselling author of The Girls of Atomic City and The Last Castle comes a sweeping chronicle challenging the traditional mythology of the nation’s beginnings and championing the unsung women behind the American Revolution.

The untold story of the women who debunked the Warren Report, the official account of the Kennedy assassination — a riveting history of obsession, heartbreak, and the myth of the great American century. Painstakingly researched and engrossing, The Housewives Underground takes readers back to the turbulent 1960s and 1970s — a time when Americans’ belief in their government was eroding — introducing readers to the so-called housewives who asked the first, hardest questions about one of the most shocking events in American history.

“In a time of increasing loneliness, this book provides a steady guide, teaching us how to foster closeness, show up intentionally, and genuinely care for the people in our lives” (Nedra Glover Tawwab, author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace).

New York Times bestselling authors Mike Schur and Joe Posnanski travel the world in a hilarious and heartwarming celebration of fans and the things they love: Baseball, basketball, chess, darts, football, futbol, Indigenous North American stickball, pickleball, WWE, Taylor Swift, Star Wars, and more.

Same world. Different beliefs. Different outcomes. The internationally bestselling author of The Happiness Advantage and Big Potential illuminates how harnessing our beliefs can influence our success in the real world. The Power of Beliefs shows how seven core beliefs predict your present, bend the probability of future success, and, in the modern world, are the key to creating a better life for you and for others.

There are two kinds of people in this world: Those who talk about changing their lives, and those who actually do it. The book is written for the second group: For anyone ready to cross that line. Blending unforgettable stories from the world’s biggest doers with methods drawn from behavioural science, Just F*cking Do It gives you the tools to overcome fear, easy comfort, inertia, embarrassment or self-deception and to take action. Because this isn’t just a book — it’s a wake-up call. Will you answer it?

A charismatic doctor claimed to have rediscovered the ancestral roots of “toad medicine,” becoming the face of a global psychedelic movement. But in his wake, he left a trail of destruction that embodies the maladies of our spiritually desolate age. Part true crime, part cult story, part cultural history, The Ego Trip is a chronicle of the rise and fall of a messianic figure, and as this story forcefully demonstrates, no matter the lengths we go to in attaining a more cosmic understanding, we will always be firmly rooted in the real world, bound by our limitations and inescapably human.

Why do some fights for justice hit a wall while others succeed? What does it take to win social change, especially now? It comes down to understanding one thing: The difference between presence and power. This book offers a set of essential lessons about power for anyone who wants to understand it, gain it, and use it to win the progress we all deserve — and to defeat the forces trying to take our freedoms away. Robinson provides the tools needed to help everyday people build real leverage in systems designed to prevent them from doing so.

How do we cultivate faith that endures? From award-winning author and former New York Times writer Tish Harrison Warren comes a fresh vision for navigating burnout and weariness through ancient Christian practices — guiding us toward lives of resilience, renewal, and flourishing.

A daily guided journal with 365 prompts and quotations to help stimulate your self-transformation, from yogi, mystic, and bestselling author Sadhguru. A wonderful gift, Living in Enlightenment is perfect for any and all spiritual seekers who are striving to incorporate quiet, mindful moments in their day.

In this groundbreaking, step-by-step interior design book, the DIY social media star and host of HGTV’s Home in a Heartbeat empowers you to create spaces that are visually stunning and emotionally fulfilling, no matter where you’re at in life. With You Can Do Beautiful Things, Alix shares the road map she uses when remodeling a space, as well as her ride-or-die rules, how to renovate on a budget, how to start a design business, and more! By offering practical tips and guidelines, she gives readers a comprehensive resource to create aesthetically pleasing and emotionally fulfilling homes.

Black women are facing a systemic gynecological health crisis. This book gives them the tools needed to unlearn the medical normalization of their suffering and offers a path forward to healing — by a foremost physician, surgeon, researcher, and gynecological cancer expert. A Terrible Strength links women’s health care to timely conversations on racial justice and healthcare inequity, arming women with the power to secure vibrant health and well-being for the rest of their lives.

Winner of the George Polk Award for his investigation that brought down Stanford’s president, Theo Baker offers a revelatory and gripping account of Silicon Valley hubris. This is the incredible journey of a reluctant teenage reporter who uncovered a story that shook the scientific world and became front-page news across the country. It is also an unprecedented inside view of the students learning to rule the world — and what they’re learning from those who already do. How to Rule the World is a shocking, hilarious, and moving debut, showcasing Silicon Valley’s training ground as never before.

Being a grown-up isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. What if we got back in touch with the joy, freedom, silliness, and creativity of being a kid? Julian Shapiro-Barnum, comedian, former child, and creator/host of the viral, beloved show Recess Therapy, has spent the past five years interviewing thousands of children and he’s gathered a wealth of information leading him to believe that there’s a lot we can learn from kids on how to live a better life. How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up is a guide for adults on how to get back in touch with the silliness and pure joy you may have been missing lately.

We all feel it, the teetering toward a place in America from which there is no return. The battle to remain hopeful in spite of injustice after injustice. In this powerful story of one lawyer’s fight for his community, both justice and hope are redeemed. Redeem a Nation offers a way forward for communities across the nation through systemic change and community love. The time is now to resist, repair, and redeem a land once promised.

The first official update to the popular science-backed, anti-inflammatory approach to managing autoimmune disease, complete with meal plans and 70+ recipes — from a founding leader of the Autoimmune Protocol movement.

The vivid account of a world-leading conservationist’s efforts to find, study, and protect snow leopards, revealing the challenges facing a beautiful, fragile world in the midst of a major transition. “Thrilling and intrepid. A beautiful tale of dramatic, wild landscapes and the entangled lives of snow leopards, their prey, and the humans who share their terrain” (Andrea Wulf, bestselling author of The Invention of Nature).

We often equate peak performance with relentless effort — early mornings, intense workouts, and unwavering discipline. But what if the true catalyst for excellence lies not in exertion, but in restoration? Pulling from one of the world’s largest physiological datasets and more than two decades of experience operating in high-stakes, high-stress environments, Dr. Kristen Holmes — psychophysiologist and Global Head of Human Performance at WHOOP — makes a compelling case: Your downtime is your competitive advantage. Whether you’re an elite athlete, a corporate leader, or someone seeking deeper meaning in your life, Aligned serves as a field guide to living at full capacity, in tune with both body and mind.

Rediscover the joy of creating — with kid-inspired insights from the bestselling author of Steal Like an Artist. Illustrated in Kleon’s signature style of illustrations, quotes, stories, and examples, Don’t Call It Art is a blast of creative energy that will give you permission to play, make a mess, and venture beyond your imagination — and ultimately, to feel the unbridled joy of creating in your own unique way.

From Daron Acemoglu, 2024 Nobel laureate in economics and coauthor of Why Nations Fail, an ambitious and expansive inquiry into the biggest story in global politics over the last hundred years: The rise and fall of liberal democracy.

An award-winning behavioral scientist offers a paradigm-shifting, empowering playbook for staying rooted and thriving as our true selves. With practical strategies throughout, Staying True to You is an essential roadmap to guide you toward identifying your unique strengths and finding a path to a new, more deliberate, more empowered way of working and interacting with others — essentially a new way of living.

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Dr. David Perlmutter comes a groundbreaking guide to the brain’s immune cells — essential to preventing disease and sustaining peak cognitive function and mental health. Drawing on the latest peer-reviewed science and grounded in decades of neurological care, Dr. Perlmutter delivers a powerful message: The future of your brain health is in your hands.

Welcome to the hidden, squirming world of parasites — some of the most misunderstood creatures with whom we share the Earth (and our bodies). Immersive, driven by an utterly infectious curiosity, and sure to transform every reader’s understanding of these organisms, Hidden Creatures has the magnetic force of a David Attenborough documentary and introduces a monumental, charismatic new voice in science writing.

What if the most effective ways to fight climate change made you happy? Leave the Lights On is a bold invitation to reimagine climate action not as a burden, but as an opportunity to build a brighter future — without guilt, without gloom, and without giving up the things that make life worth living. With warmth, clarity, and a refreshingly optimistic voice, Psychologist Elizabeth Dunn and climate behavior scientist Jiaying Zhao reframe what it means to “do your part.” Because sustainability doesn’t lie in doing everything, it lies in doing something, joyfully.

In a groundbreaking global exploration of the ideas that drove the American Revolution, a prize-winning historian shines a light on the defiance of marginalized peoples all over the world. In telling the extraordinary tales of Friends of Liberty protesting tyranny around the world, Pearsall restores these individuals and movements to their rightful place in the vital story of the American Revolution and the nation it created. The result is a stirring and surprising revisioning of our history.

Senator Reverend Raphael G. Warnock is a transformational voice in Congress and the pastor of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s Ebenezer Baptist Church, and for the semiquincentennial of America, he exhorts us to reach for the highest and noblest aspects of our national character. Senator Warnock argues that we suffer not from a paucity of resources but from a poverty of moral imagination. For Senator Warnock, democracy is the political enactment of a spiritual idea. A vote is a kind of prayer. The Crooked Places Made Straight is his inspiring vision for a more just and equitable America where communities thrive with hope and possibility and every child has a chance.