Top 12 productivity books of 2025 to change your relationship with work and time
Somewhere between endless meetings and half-finished projects, we all went looking for better ways to get things done this year. These are the 2025 titles that helped people stay organized, focused, and finally finish what they started.
Move. Think. Rest.: Redefining Productivity & Our Relationship With Time
By Natalie Nixon
A creativity whisperer to the C-Suite keynote speaker teaches how to harness the power of everyday activities to stress less and be more productive. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Natalie Nixon, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Mastery: Why Deeper Learning Is Essential in an Age of Distraction
By Tony Wagner and Ulrik Juul Christensen
In a world where AI can deliver information faster and more accurately than any human, what matters most are the uniquely human skills of critical thinking, communication, creativity, collaboration, and character. This is why we need to replace our outdated, time-based education model with a mastery-based approach. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by coauthors Tony Wagner and Ulrik Juul Christensen, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Your Hidden Genius: The Science-Backed Strategy to Uncovering and Harnessing Your Innate Talents
By Betsy Wills and Alex Ellison
Traditional career advice places too much emphasis on skills and interests—two things that change over time. Aptitudes are the permanent, reliable guide to how every person can uniquely flourish, thrive, and achieve their potential. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by coauthor Alex Ellison, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Dear Writer: Pep Talks & Practical Advice for the Creative Life
By Maggie Smith
We are all creative beings because making your life is the ultimate creative act. For those who choose to tune their senses as artists, there are ten key principles to improving your craft. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Maggie Smith, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Unforgettable Presence: Get Seen, Gain Influence, and Catapult Your Career
By Lorraine K. Lee
You can be an incredibly hard worker who delivers quality results time and again, but still get overlooked for that big promotion. The true accelerator of ambitious goals is an unforgettable presence. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Lorraine K. Lee, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Who Better Than You?: The Art of Healthy Arrogance & Dreaming Big
By Will Packer
Trailblazing filmmaker and powerhouse CEO Will Packer presents powerful and illuminating stories from the front lines of Hollywood to offer a clear vision on how to manifest your own success—by believing there is no one more deserving of it than you. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Will Packer, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
How to Break Up With Your Phone
By Catherine Price
Smartphones have stolen an alarming amount of our attention—and therefore our lives. To nurture habits that fill our precious time with fun, excitement, and connection, start by breaking up with your phone. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Catherine Price, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Four Days a Week: The Life-Changing Solution for Reducing Employee Stress, Improving Well-Being, and Working Smarter
By Juliet Schor
Research increasingly shows that switching from five to four is a win for employees and their entire company. The benefits are so impressive that governments are getting involved in legislating fewer working hours. Times are changing, and modern life and modern business are better off on a four-day work schedule. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Juliet Schor, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
There’s Got to Be a Better Way: How to Deliver Results and Get Rid of the Stuff That Gets in the Way of Real Work
By Nelson Repenning and Donald Kieffer
A lot of companies struggle with workflow design challenges that stand in the way of getting real work done. Fortunately, for these similar obstacles there exist solutions that apply across industries. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Nelson Repenning and Donald Kieffer, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
The Brain at Rest: How the Art and Science of Doing Nothing Can Improve Your Life
By Joseph Jebelli
Your brain’s default network is the most important part of your brain that you have probably never heard about. It is critical for maintaining intelligence, creativity, memory, and so much more. The key to a healthy default network? Rest. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Joseph Jebelli, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Finding Focus: Own Your Attention in an Age of Distraction
By Zelana Montminy
We live in a world that is quietly, relentlessly unraveling our attention and, with it, our capacity to think clearly, feel deeply, and live purposefully. Finding Focus is about how to come home to yourself and what matters most. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Zelana Montminy, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
Digital Exhaustion: Simple Rules for Reclaiming Your Life
By Paul Leonardi
A revelatory examination of why you’re feeling so worn out—and practical daily strategies to change your relationship with your devices. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Paul Leonardi, in the Next Big Idea app or view on Amazon.
The Key Ideas in 15 Minutes
“If you are going to get anywhere in life, you have to read a lot of books,” Roald Dahl once famously said. The only trouble is, reading even one book from cover to cover takes hours—and you may not have many hours to spare.
But imagine for a moment: What if you could read a groundbreaking new book every day? Or even better, what if you could invite a world-renowned thinker into your earbuds, where they personally describe the five key takeaways from their work in just 15 minutes?
With the Next Big Idea app, we’ve turned this fantasy into a reality. We partnered with hundreds of acclaimed authors to create “Book Bites,” short audio summaries of the latest nonfiction that are prepared and read aloud by the authors themselves. Discover cutting-edge leadership skills, productivity hacks, the science of happiness and well-being, and much more—all in the time it takes to drive to work or walk the dog.
“I love this app! The Book Bites are brilliant, perfect to have in airports, waiting rooms, anywhere I need to not doomscroll… You guys are the best!” —Missy G.
Go Deeper With a Next Big Idea Club Membership
The Next Big Idea app is free for anyone to try—and if you love it, we invite you to become an official member of the Next Big Idea Club. Membership grants you unlimited access to Book Bites and unlocks early-release, ad-free episodes of our LinkedIn-partnered podcast. You also gain entry to our private online discussion group, where you can talk big ideas with fellow club members and join exclusive live Q&A sessions with featured authors.
For a more focused learning experience, we recommend a Hardcover or eBook Membership. Every few months, legendary authors and club curators Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Adam Grant, and Daniel Pink select two new nonfiction books as the must-reads of the season. We then send hardcover copies straight to your doorstep, or eBook versions to your favorite digital device. We also collaborate with the authors of selected books to produce original reading guides and premium e-courses, 50-minute master classes that take you step by step through their most life-changing ideas. And yes, it’s all available through the Next Big Idea app.
“My biggest Thank You is for the quality of book selections so far. I look on my shelf and see these great titles, and I find myself taking down one or two each month to reread an underlined passage. Full marks to all involved!” —Tim K.
Learn Faster, From the World’s Leading Thinkers
Whether you prefer to read, listen, or watch, the Next Big Idea is here to help you work smarter and live better. Wake up with an always-fresh Idea of the Day, the perfect shot of inspiration to go with your morning coffee. Then dive into one of our Challenges, hand-picked collections of Book Bites that form crash courses in subjects like communication, motivation, and career acceleration. Later, watch the playback of an interview with U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, Stanford psychologist Jennifer Eberhardt, or philosopher John Kaag. And be sure to check the “Events” tab in the app, so that you can join an upcoming live Q&A and personally chat with the next featured thought leader.
If you’re hoping to grow as a person or as a professional, we hope you’ll join us and tens of thousands of others who enjoy the Next Big Idea. Get started by downloading the app today!
Enjoy our full library of Book Bites—read by the authors!—in the Next Big Idea app.
This article originally appeared in Next Big Idea Club magazine and is reprinted with permission.