August's Must-Read Nonfiction
New month, new books, as selected by the team at Next Big Idea Club.
I’m excited to introduce a new batch of standout nonfiction, the most compelling and thought-provoking titles scheduled for release in August 2026.
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. You can listen to Book Bites on the Next Big Idea app.
And here are the August 2026 must-reads…
Personal Development
How to Grow Up Without Becoming a Grown-Up: Big Lessons from Little Kids by Julian Shapiro-Barnum. View on Amazon
Too Sensitive: Rejection, Resilience, and the Science of Feeling Deeply by Sasha Hamdani. View on Amazon
A Guide to Open Water Lifesaving: Lessons on Love, Care, and Survival: A Memoir by Virginia Eubanks. View on Amazon
Q: The Hidden Power of Questions in a World That Wants Answers by Lani Watson. View on Amazon
What If Anger Is the Answer?: A Harvard Marine’s Guide to Shaping Aggression by Mike LeBlanc. View on Amazon
Get the best new nonfiction sent right to your door.
Health & Wellness
Brain Defenders: Harness the Power of Your Immune Cells to Protect Your Brain for Life by David Perlmutter. View on Amazon
Lasting Wellbeing: Science-Based Practices for Tranquility, Authenticity, Meaning, and Joy by Matt Bloom. View on Amazon
Aligned: The Data-Driven Guide to Performance, Recovery, and Human Potential by Kristen Holmes. View on Amazon
It Could Be Otherwise: Science in the Age of Uncertainty by Stuart Firestein. View on Amazon
The Vanishing Earth: Dispatches from the Frontiers of Extraction by James Crawford. View on Amazon
Download the Next Big Idea App to enjoy “Book Bite” summaries of hundreds of groundbreaking books like these:
Career & Habits
Young Money: A Field Guide to Wealth and Purpose in Your Twenties by Jack Raines. View on Amazon
Don’t Be Evil: Bad Bosses, Fake Promises, and My Escape from Big Tech by Claire Stapleton. View on Amazon
Disposable Workers: The Transformation of Employment by Paul Osterman. View on Amazon
Solving Procrastination: The Science of Why We Put Things Off and How to (Finally!) Stop by Itamar Shatz. View on Amazon
Are They Dead Yet?: The Art of the Obit by Sam Roberts. View on Amazon
