The Next Big Idea Daily

Fred Dust, former senior partner and global managing director at the legendary design firm IDEO, is here to teach you how to design conversations and meetings that are creative and impactful.

In his new book, Shamanism: The Timeless Religion, anthropologist Manvir Singh travels from Indonesian rainforests to Burning Man in search of what makes shamanic traditions so enduring — and so human. It turns out that when life feels uncertain, people everywhere still seek out ritual, healing, and a little magic.

Anne Marie Chaker went from journalist to competitive bodybuilder at 50. Now, with her book Lift, she wants to change how we think about aging, power, and what our bodies are capable of.

The most hated word in English might just be a storytelling superpower—and a tool for empathy, nuance, and emotional truth.

When we talk about the forces that shape history, we usually hear about wars, revolutions, inventions… maybe the occasional love affair. But there's one powerful force that's rarely acknowledged—because, well, it makes people uncomfortable. That force is drugs. In his new book ⁠Human History on Drugs⁠, writer and historian Sam Kelly uncovers the surprising, often scandalous ways that everything from opium to cocaine has shaped leaders, inspired art, fueled some bad decisions—and some good ones. It's a provocative and oddly humanizing look at the past, and it just might change the way you think about both history and substance use.

Celebrated psychologist Paul Bloom shares five key insights from his book The Sweet Spot.

Once just a word, now a worldview — how a 20th-century invention came to shape everything from your phone to your future. Support the show!

Ambition. We celebrate it, chase it, and reward it. But for many of us, ambition has become a double-edged sword—fueling overwork, perfectionism, and self-neglect. What if the problem isn't having ambition, but where it's coming from? Executive coach Amina AlTai has worked with everyone from Olympians to entrepreneurs, and in her new book The Ambition Trap: How to Stop Chasing and Start Living, she argues that we don't need to give up ambition; we just need to reclaim it on our own terms.

How code became the most powerful spell humans have ever cast.

Life changes can sneak up on all of us, and sometimes they hit pretty hard. Cassidy Krug spent 20 years training to be one of the best divers in the world. She made it to the Olympics. And then, in a single moment, her lifelong dream ended—with no medal, no encore, just the quiet shock of “What now?” Cassidy's new book, Resurface, is a guide for anyone navigating life's big transitions—grief, identity shifts, career changes, reinventions. In the book, she gathers wisdom from Olympians, veterans, new parents, and more. Below, she shares what she's learned about letting go, asking for help, and redefining success.

Listening can be improved. Ximena Vengoechea is here to tell you how.

We live in a golden age of learning. Want to learn Mandarin? There's an app for that. Want to write some code? There's an AI chatbot that can help. Want to start a business, write a novel, fix your posture, or master the didgeridoo? Go to YouTube and you could start today. And that's the problem. When you can learn anything, the temptation is to try learning everything. Entrepreneur and podcaster Pat Flynn says that's the fast track to burnout and stagnation. In his new book, Lean Learning: How to Achieve More by Learning Less, he lays out a better way.

Antidepressants we don't understand. Cures that never arrive. One neuroscientist blows the whistle on a mental health system that's stuck—and she's got a radical new plan to fix your brain.

Let's face it: ideas are a dime a dozen. Just about anyone can come up with a clever app, a market opportunity, or a product pitch over coffee. But building a real company? That's the hard part. In her new book After the Idea: What It Really Takes to Create and Scale a Startup, Harvard Business School faculty member Julia Austin offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at what it really takes to turn inspiration into a functioning business—and stay sane along the way.

Let's talk about revenge. Not the juicy, action-movie kind with flaming cars and dramatic showdowns, but the kind that quietly simmers in your brain long after someone cuts you off in traffic or sends a snarky email. According to Yale psychiatry lecturer and lawyer James Kimmel, Jr., revenge isn't just an emotion. It's an addiction. A hit of dopamine here, a rumination there, and suddenly we're hooked on the fantasy of payback. But what if we could quit cold turkey? In his new book, The Science of Revenge, James explains how to rewire our minds, embrace forgiveness, and break free from the cycles of grievance that keep us stuck.

Robert Reffkin, co-founder and CEO of the real estate company Compass, says his success story is really the story of his great relationships.

A formula for reigniting your purpose at any age, from the founder of Moms Demand Action.

Pria Anand reveals how our minds create elaborate stories to fill the gaps we don't understand.

In a world where fitting in can seem critical to your survival, it's worth asking: What if your power lies in not belonging? Psychiatrist Rami Kaminski thinks that sense of being an outsider isn't a bug — it's a feature.

Science journalist Melinda Wenner Moyer, shares research-backed strategies for parenting with compassion, curiosity, and resilience from her new book, Hello, Cruel World!: Science-Based Strategies for Raising Terrific Kids in Terrifying Times.

To close out the week, here are five key insights from Roy Richard Grinker's book Nobody's Normal: How Culture Created the Stigma of Mental Illness.

Juliet Schor shares the data behind a shorter workweek—and why it's better for your health, your boss, and the bottom line. Her new book is Four Days a Week.

In a world armed to the teeth and governed by split-second decisions, Six Minutes to Winter by Mark Lynas makes a chilling argument for total nuclear disarmament — before it's too late.

Want to be more persuasive, inspiring, or just less forgettable? Today's episode has the tools to help you stand out.

Today, Travis Bradberry, author of The New Emotional Intelligence, argues that understanding and managing your emotions — and the emotions of others — is even more important than IQ when it comes to success at work and in life.

Think about the best relationships in your life, the ones where you can be completely yourself, speak honestly, and know the other person truly gets you. What if you could build more relationships like that — at home, at work, anywhere. That's the promise of Connect, a book by Stanford professors Carole Robin and David Bradford, based on their legendary course in emotional intelligence. Turns out deeper connection isn't some mysterious talent. It's a learnable skill.

In their new book, Inflation: A Guide for Users and Losers, Brown University economists Mark Blyth and Nicolò Fraccaroli explain who wins, who loses, and—most importantly—how you can land on the right side of that equation.

In his new book, Ballistic: The New Science of Injury-Free Athletic Performance, journalist Henry Abbott explores how cutting-edge sports science is rewriting what we know about movement, injury, and staying active — for life.

Turns out that speaking isn't just a way of communicating important information and ideas. Psycholinguist Maryellen MacDonald says it's also good for you. Her new book is More Than Words.

If you want your organization to succeed in the future, you need to take advantage of AI now. Lucky for you, Adam Brotman and Andy Sack have written AI First, a playbook that can help you future-proof your business.

How do we decide what we want? By imitating other people, says Luke Burgis. His new book is Wanting. • If you enjoy the show, please consider supporting us by subscribing to our daily newsletter. You'll get transcripts, quizzies, bonus features, and more. Learn more at bookoftheday.nextbigideaclub.com

Want to save money, the planet, and your sanity? Sustainability expert Ashlee Piper says the answer is simple: stop buying things.

Chris Berdik reports on how our increasingly noisy world affects our health, well-being, and the planet. His new book is Clamor.

Cultural historian Tiffany Watt Smith shares five key insights from her new book, Bad Friend. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter. You'll get transcripts, quizzes, bonus features, and access to our archives

The old rules of management don't work anymore. Today, Paula Davis, founder of the Stress & Resilience Institute, shares what smart leaders are doing instead. Her new book is ⁠Lead Well⁠. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter. You'll get access to transcripts, quizzes, bonus content, and our archive of book bites.

Russell Foster, professor of circadian neuroscience at the University of Oxford, shares the new science of catching z's. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter

Zach Mercurio shares insights from his new book, The Power of Mattering: How Leaders Can Create a Culture of Significance.

Linguist Emily M. Bender and sociologist Alex Hanna aren't feeling the AGI. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter

Emily Falk reveals the hidden calculations that shape our daily decisions ― and how to make more fulfilling, impactful choices in our work, relationships, and lives. Her new book is What We Value. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter • Comment on this episode!

Acclaimed poet Maggie Smith says everyone is creative — yes, even you.

Joe Keohane on the benefits of connecting in a suspicious world. • Support the show by subscribing to our daily newsletter

Marina Lopes's new book is Please Yell at My Kids. • Comment on this episode! • Support the show by subscribing to our newsletter

Dopamine makes it easy to get stuck in a cycle of never being truly satisfied. It promises happiness, but can never deliver. A more fulfilling life begins with training your brain to overcome the dopamine chase. It's easier than you think. • Comment on this episode! • Support the show and get transcripts, book lists, and more

In his new book, More Everything Forever, science journalist Adam Becker investigates the wildly implausible and often profoundly immoral visions of tomorrow — and shows why, in reality, there is no good evidence that they will, or should, come to pass. • Comment on this episode! • Support the show and get transcripts, polls, book lists, and more

We're kicking off the week with a fresh take on leadership from Sébastien Page, chief investment officer at T. Rowe Price.

Not so long ago, conservative intellectuals believed universities were worth fighting for. Today, conservatives seem more inclined to burn them down. Today on the show, conservative political theorist and professor Jonathan Marks makes the case that liberal education is an antidote to this despair, because the true purpose of college is to encourage people to be reasonable.

Eric Topol is the executive vice president and a professor of molecular medicine at Scripps Research, the largest nonprofit biomedical institute in the United States. He is also a practicing cardiologist and one of the ten most-cited medical researchers. His new book is Super Agers: An Evidence-Based Approach to Longevity.

Retired Navy SEAL commander and performance expert Rich Diviney reveals a revolutionary method for training individuals and teams to perform at their best, no matter what.

Today, we hear from Jake Knapp, the guy who helped build Gmail, about his new book, Click. It's an innovative guide for starting big projects the smart way.

Kids today are more susceptible than ever to anxiety and stress. Fortunately, there are ways to help.