The Penguin Hotline Recommends: Big Ideas Books

No book identifies Big Ideas like Adam Grant’s Originals. Big Ideas often go against the grain or want to bust through traditional thinking. Grant shows the reader how those ideas develop and how they can succeed. Perfect for the person you know who is always thinking about “the next big thing.”

Have you ever tried to break your habits only to slip up days/weeks/months later? In his new book, James Clear will show you how you can change your system and truly break free of those habits. Go ahead and buy two copies of this book, you are going to want to keep one for yourself.

I love Marie Forleo’s mantra; everything really is figureoutable. She shows you how to break down problems and address them in a digestible way that makes them figureoutable. Including what book you are going to buy for that hard-to-shop-for uncle.

A book that constantly challenges you to be creative. For someone who wants to create at home or at work, Elizabeth Gilbert offers you that framework.

Start With Why is a classic for a reason; why do people or businesses do what they do? It all starts with WHY.

Range argues that generalists, not specialists, are the types that are excelling now. Having a bit of knowledge about many things, can make you better prepared for success and agile in the changing world. That’s an idea that certainly appeals to me.

This is the book for your relative that works in business; no matter if you know what they actually do or not, Smarter Faster Better will have something that applies to them. Productivity is a buzzword for all businesses and this book will make you look very smart.

I love the idea of this book; don’t change who you are, BE who you are. That is certainly a message we should all be carrying to everyone we know this season.

Chimamanda addresses what it means to be a feminists in the 21st century. We Should All Be Feminists should be required reading.

The goal of this book is to help the reader understand the forms racism can take, how it can intersect with other class and gender, and how the reader can work towards social justice and a fairer society. There isn’t a bigger idea than this.