Michael Pollan's New Book is Our Pick of the Season
The bestselling author of The Omnivore's Dilemma and How to Change Your Mind returns with A World Appears
We have some exciting news to share.
Our next book club selection is A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan. That means if you’re a Next Big Idea Club Executive (Hardback) Member of the Club, we’ll send you the book as soon as it’s published and invite you to a private Q&A with Michael.
If you’re not already an Executive (Hardback) Member, join now and get the six best nonfiction books of the year sent right to your door, private zoom Q&A's with the authors—including surprise drop-ins by our curators Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink—and access to a lively community of big thinkers. Use the code NBICFRIEND for 20% off a new membership.
Michael Pollan has written some of the most influential nonfiction of the past two decades, including How to Change Your Mind, In Defense of Food, and The Omnivore’s Dilemma. In A World Appears, he delivers a dazzling page-turner about the mystery of consciousness, drawing from neuroscience, philosophy, psychedelics, and the latest developments in AI. The New York Times and TIME have already named it one of the most anticipated books of 2026.
This selection perfectly embodies the exciting new direction we are taking the club this year. We’ve been working hard to make the Next Big Idea Club more timely, more interactive and, frankly, more interesting. We want this to be a club that surprises you, and adds clear value to your life, a club that you can’t help but discuss with friends.
That starts with getting the most important books of the year into your hands the moment they are published, and getting you into the room with the authors behind them.
Here is how that works for A World Appears:
If you’re already an Executive (Hardback) Member—or you join as one— you’ll have the book in your hands on or around February 24 (publication day), along with a personal note from Michael. If you’re an Express Member (Bring Your Own Book), you can buy your own copy of A World Appears in your favorite format.
You’ll be invited to a members-only Q&A on March 10 at 1 PM ET, where you can chat with Michael Pollan directly. These aren’t typical webinars with thousands of people. They’re intimate conversations with real space for back-and-forth.
Author Brené Brown chatting with our curator Adam Grant and Next Big Idea Club members
If you look at our last three selections — Brené Brown, Walter Isaacson, and now Michael Pollan — the pattern is clear: These are the voices driving the conversation, and the Next Big Idea Club puts you in the room with them.
This is a taste of what’s to come in 2026. It’s going to be a fascinating year. If you are not already a member, join us as an Express, Executive (Hardback), or Innovator Member, and use the promo code NBICFRIEND for 20% off a new membership. As we like to say, the future belongs to the curious. That’s you, and all of us.
Happy 2026,
Rufus + Team NBIC
Fun! Looking forward to hearing from him live at Union Sq next month. Good choice.
I have to say I feel incredibly lucky to get to read the most interesting new books before they are published, and discuss them with authors who have been for me, for years, sources of inspiration.
This new "reminagined" version of the Next Big Idea Club we have launched aims to deliver this experience to all of you. We are going to work to deliver Michael Pollan's new book right around pub date — I am reading it now, it's fantastic.
Can't wait to discuss it with Michael and all of your in the club :)