Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 So Far, as chosen by the Amazon Editors
All the Best Nonfiction Books of 2024 So Far are thrilling, narrative reads that will keep you flipping pages. If you’re looking for more book recommendations, check out our best-of-the-year-so-far history, biography/memoir, romance, sci-fi, and fiction lists, and the top 20 books across all genres.
Ten trillion scream emojis are not enough to describe this book, and I’ll resist the urge to write this entire review IN ALL CAPS. In two sittings, I tore through this horrifying narrative, a ticktock of North Korea launching a hypothetical nuclear missile at the U.S., followed by a minute-by-minute breakdown of what happens next (with the history of atomic weapons and geopolitics slyly woven in). Nuclear War is written like a thriller; it’s visceral and cinematic, like the big-budget blockbuster of Hollywood’s dreams. My heart is pounding. I am a mess. I need a break, and yet can’t even put my Kindle down long enough to refill my water glass. This is all the more terrifying because it’s nonfiction, pieced together through interviews and classified documents dug up by Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Annie Jacobsen. Some books stick in your brain forever, and this is one of them; I can’t stop thinking about it—and talking about it—with everyone I know. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Fans of The Wire, Breaking Bad, and The Godfather won’t be able to resist this heart-pounding—and true—tale of drugs, crime, and power, with real-life characters whose astonishing stories have never been told. Take Wei Xuegang, whom you might call Asia’s “El Chapo,” otherwise known as a “stone-cold genius with the mind of a Fortune 500 CEO” who “dresses like a strip mall accountant”—and is the world’s best player ever in the drug trafficking game. He operates out of “one of the most secretive places on earth,” the 12,000-square-mile Wa State, nestled in a hilly region of Asia that might be compared to America’s Appalachia. Determined to stop Xuegang’s criminal enterprise and bring respect to his people is Superstar, himself a former druglord, whose steely principles land him squarely in the crosshairs of the US’ War on Drugs as a DEA informant. Who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys here? The lines are blurry—but Patrick Winn’s sharp, riveting storytelling never loses focus. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
All the Worst Humans will make your jaw drop: it’s a juicy, salacious memoir that confirms just how seedy the world is when money, politics, and power come into play. With the vibes of the propulsive Liar’s Poker, Elwood dishes on his decades as a public relations hitman, a hired gun known for pulling off (or hiding) the treacherous, outlandish requests of “dictators, tycoons, and politicians,” as the catchy subtitle promises. From dishing on how he helped Qatar land their first FIFA World Cup by sabotaging the United States’ bid to how he babysat Gaddafi’s son during a Las Vegas boondoggle filled with drugs, guns, and women, Elwood sets dynamite to his career. And that’s what makes this memoir so page-turning; it’s not just his astonishing stories of danger, manipulation, and questionable ethics—but his determination to expose it all, ultimately confronting the choices he made, and revealing how easily we (anyone, politicians, reporters, governments, and countries) can be puppets in a fragile world of egos and power grabs. A wild, oh-my-god-ride that you won’t be able to stop talking about. —Al Woodworth, Amazon Editor
The country is on edge. A new president has been elected, but has reason to believe he’ll never be sworn into office—perhaps the capitol will be stormed, or troops will march upon Washington, D.C. Divisive politicians travel the country, holding rallies to promote an old way of life, while an uneasy public grapples with the forward march of time. The year: 1861. Erik Larson’s (The Splendid and the Vile, The Devil in the White City) pacey and tension-filled new book takes readers inside rooms where passions run high at the dawn of the Civil War, where new President Abraham Lincoln frets and inspires, where armies plan to sow “death and mayhem,” where a single missed message can launch battleships, where gossip and romance, and power and influence, combust into “the single most consequential day of American history.” To know the past is to understand the present—and this gripping narrative is just as relevant today as 200 years ago. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
If you could reveal your deepest, most intimate thoughts about race or identity in just six words, anonymously, what would you say? Those candid confessions—joyful, vulnerable, honest—are the heart of former NPR host Michele Norris’ stunning book, based on her 14-year-long “Race Card Project.” No matter your background or beliefs, everyone’s viewpoints are represented, in their own words—you squirm, you learn, you reflect, you relate. The result is a dynamic collection of stories and photos that crackle with energy. Because when we remove the shame and judgment from these conversations and expose them to the light, we can finally embrace and understand each other, what sets us apart, and what brings us together. Reading this powerful page-turner is a vital step in creating a more peaceful, prosperous country with room for everyone to have a seat at the table. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
If you’ve ever wondered what goes through the mind of a sociopath, Patric Gagne’s chillingly addictive memoir is for you. Readers are voyeurs into her confusion and compulsions as she comes of age, desperate to feel anything, leading her to act out in increasingly scary ways—from stabbing a neighbor kid in the neck with a pencil, to locking classmates in the bathroom just to see what happens (and that’s just the beginning). Gagne feels no fear, guilt, or shame, and I’ll admit that I wish I could live life with a little less of those emotions—although not on the scale of her tortured experience. Her apathy also comes at a high cost, as she struggles to connect with her parents, find love, and resist the urge to lie, hurt, cheat, and steal. By the end, I was rooting for this self-aware sociopath, seeing her humanity, and understanding why certain people just seem off. As Gagne writes, we all unknowingly live among millions of sociopaths. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Could YouTube influencer Ali Abdaal be the next James Clear? Yep, we’re taking about the author of Atomic Habits, which has sold more than 15 million copies. Abdaal’s book was an instant best seller upon its release. And it’s certainly catchy, with advice that will stick in your head—ranging from three simple words to lower your anxiety to a technique favored by Beyoncé to boost confidence. Abdaal also has the credentials to back up his guidance (he’s an Oxford-trained doctor), and a very 2024 attitude (“lean out!”). This speedy read is an excellent primer to home in on what’s important, and tune out what’s not. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Johann Hari—author of one of our 2022 Best of the Year picks, Stolen Focus—has written the book I’ve been waiting for on the Ozempic craze. In the vein of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, Hari examines these so-called miracle weight-loss drugs from all angles: his personal experience, the science, and what’s next. His passionate storytelling comes through on every page, opening my eyes to the promise—and dangers—of this new frontier of medicine in a way that piecemeal news coverage has not been able to. Yes, this book is about prescriptions, but it’s also about the way we treat and talk about bodies, our discomfort with fatness, and the unrelenting pressure of living a certain way (and the soaring freedom of letting all that go). As everyone from Oprah to parents at the playground talk about how this drug has changed their lives, Hari has written the first definitive account of its impact on our culture—and a clarion call for how we should fight for change. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Wow. Lawrence Ingrassia’s sweeping story of cancer gutted me, and is also one of the best science books I’ve read this year. Ingrassia, a journalist, turns the lens on his own family after his mother, two sisters, brother, and nephew succumb to cancer. Reading about them slowly developing the disease, beating it, and then ultimately dying is heartbreaking. Why does cancer strike certain families so relentlessly, how can you prevent it from happening to your relatives, and to yourself? This is when the book takes a turn into a medical mystery that evokes Brain on Fire (incredible memoir), Hidden Valley Road (stunning family narrative), and Outlive (medical information every human should know). We learn how genes hold clues as to how we’ll age, how certain bodies better ward off illness, and about the discovery of a rare syndrome that can increase your family’s risk for cancers of all types. On one hand, this book is a tragedy—this rare genetic disorder can feel like a death sentence, although the stories of strength and fortitude in spite of that are astonishing. On the other hand, this book is a triumph—the ability of doctors and science to fight cancer is stunning compared to just several decades ago, and the future is even more remarkable. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
“We’re living in what they call the ‘Information Age,’ but life only seems to be making less sense,” Amanda Montell (Cultish) astutely observes in her funny and highly-readable book, which takes on wellness buzzwords like “magical thinking,” “Mercury in retrograde,” “The Secret,” and mindsets that lead us to make questionable choices or hold unexplainable beliefs. Whereas her last book was on the language of cults, her latest is on the psychology of language, and how we use it to convince, connive, coerce, and comfort ourselves and each other. “Our shared grasp on reality [has] slipped,” Montell writes, deploying “whimsical to warlike” analogies (Taylor Swift, Disney adults, conspiracy theories) to explain why we all feel so overwhelmed, insecure, and disoriented. Reassuring, entertaining, endlessly quotable…after reading this “love letter to the mind,” the world suddenly made more sense to me. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Jonathan Haidt’s impeccably researched best seller is a must-read for parents—and anyone who’s interested in the intersection of technology and culture. Haidt details how childhood has fundamentally changed with the onslaught of smartphones and screens, with concrete advice on how to mitigate the damage. As the parent to two sons who devote countless hours to Fortnite, Roblox, iPads, and smartphones, I read this with eyes wide open and my highlighter uncapped. Haidt tackles the issues from all sides: steps that should be taken by parents, schools, tech companies, lawmakers—and dives deep into why technology is negatively impacting girls more than boys (but why boys are withdrawing from the world more). We can’t turn back time; technology is here to stay. But we can implement changes to improve the lives of our children. We all want to raise compassionate, kind, engaged, thoughtful children—The Anxious Generation will help us find the way. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
You'll never look at your garden the same way after reading this delightfully insightful book about the chaos, savagery, and brilliance of the plant world. Perhaps you’ve read about how trees talk to each other. Well, this vibrant book posits that’s just the start—and that plants can actually send messages through the air via hormones, and they’re more alive than we ever thought possible. Plants are savvier than we give them credit for, with a rich world of connectedness and consciousness—and perhaps have much in common with humans. (Also, strawberry sex is a real thing that you’ll have to read the book to learn all about.) Science writer Zoe Schlanger’s enthusiasm shines through on every place, and you’ll revel in her wonder and awe at the natural world, and think deeply about the flora and fauna that people are usually too quick to take for granted. Readers are taken on a wild ride (anyone who’s seen the ‘80s movie Honey, I Shrunk the Kids might relate), fully immersed in the drama and beauty happening just outside our door any given day. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Not unlike his massive best seller The Power of Habit, Charles Duhigg has written another clear and concise primer that will leave a lasting impact on readers. Supercommunicators details how to truly connect with people, whether you're talking about the weather or gun safety, with your boss or your partner. It’s packed with science, storytelling, lots of lightbulb moments about why some conversations just click, and fun examples (the creators of The Big Bang Theory deftly used psychology to make it a hit) that will spring into your head the next time you see a new friend or navigate a tricky conversation with family. And why should we care about the way we communicate, when it feels like we’re constantly barraged with too many pings, texts, and DMs? Because ignoring the noise and learning how to speak to—and really hear—each other is the key to a satisfying life. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
Come for the amazing cover, stay for the laugh-out-loud funny and blisteringly smart read. Food writer Geraldine DeRuiter dishes out pop culture, thought-provoking insights, and hard-fought wisdom that will make you chortle, tear up, and text everyone you know. DeRuiter went viral for her essay on Mario Batali, or more specifically, the “pizza dough cinnamon roll” recipe he blithely referenced as he addressed accusations of sexual harassment and assault. Her sharp eye for cultural commentary—whether it's the #MeToo movement or being fed foam during the worst meal of her life—is the cherry on top of this conversation-sparking read. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
“Anne Lamott is my Oprah,” the Chicago Tribune once wrote, and I get it. My friends and I love to text each other Lamott’s warm, kind words on aging, community, and friendship, whether in the form of an essay (she’s an opinion columnist for the Washington Post) or book (this is her 20th). The way she describes everyday interactions is ephemeral and soulful. After dipping into this on my morning commute, I stepped off the subway feeling more open, generous, and calm. Truly a beautiful way to start the day. —Lindsay Powers, Amazon Editor
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