The best non-fiction books of 2025, and all time

Explore the story behind one of the most significant inventions in modern history with This Is for Everyone by Tim Berners-Lee. This memoir and manifesto provides a gripping, in-the-room account of how the World Wide Web was born and its impact on the world today. Ideal for those interested in popular science and the future of technology, this book explores the power of the internet to both fuel our worst instincts and profoundly shape our lives for the better, offering a hopeful vision for humanity’s future.

If you're searching for a political memoir that offers both personal insight and candid accounts of interactions with world leaders, and what goes on beyond what we see in the media, Nicola Sturgeon’s Frankly is a must-read. The first female and longest-serving First Minister of Scotland, Sturgeon recounts her journey from a working-class background to the steps of Bute House. This book is perfect for readers interested in British politics and offers a fascinating account of life in the public eye alongside discussion of Sturgeon's mistakes, battles and triumphs, written with verve and honesty.

Discover the compelling memoir of England’s most-capped men’s rugby player, Ben Youngs. Beyond the Line goes beyond the sport to tell the story of a dream career and the personal struggles behind the scenes. For fans of rugby and inspirational true stories, this book explores the camaraderie of the Leicester Tigers and the pressures of professional competition, but also shares a candid account of personal loss and finding a way back to the game he loved. Explore the life of a sporting legend.

For readers seeking insightful literary essays from a distinctive voice, Jamaica Kincaid's Putting Myself Together is a landmark collection. Spanning over five decades, this book showcases Kincaid’s witty and fearless style through essays on subjects from Muhammad Ali and Diana Ross to gardening and motherhood. A compelling read that demonstrates how Kinkaid became one of the most influential writers of her generation.

If you want the definitive book on Oasis, this is it. Written by two music journalists who were there from the start, A Sound So Very Loud tells the story of the band through their music. From the early days playing tiny venues to becoming one of the biggest bands in the world, this book unpicks the lyrics, the recordings, and the chaos that surrounded it all. Expect never-before-heard anecdotes, deep dives into the songs, and the kind of outrageous stories only Oasis could generate. Essential reading for any fan.

Shocking and darkly funny, Careless People gives you a front-row seat to the decisions that are shaping our world and the people who make them. Welcome to Facebook. From wild schemes cooked up on private jets to risking prison abroad, Careless People exposes both the personal and political fallout when boundless power and a rotten culture take hold. In a gripping and often absurd narrative, former Director of Global Public Policy Sarah Wynn-Williams rubs shoulders with Mark Zuckerberg, Sheryl Sandberg and world leaders, revealing what really goes on among the global elite – and the consequences this has for all of us.

Digital literacy expert Dr Kaitlyn Regehr offers a vital guide to navigating the digital world with confidence and control. Packed with practical tips and evidence-based strategies, this book helps you understand the impact of smartphones on everything from body image and advertising to misinformation and online safety. Learn how to game your algorithm, limit targeted ads, and improve your digital habits. Perfect for parents concerned about their children's online safety and anyone feeling overwhelmed by their devices, this empowering book shows how to embrace the benefits of technology while protecting yourself – and your family – from its pitfalls.

For over thirty years, comedian and broadcaster Robin Ince has entertained audiences with his wit and insight. But beneath the humour lay struggles with anxiety, concentration, self-doubt, and near-constant anxiety. At fifty-two, an ADHD diagnosis helped him to understand the challenges he had long faced. Now, in Normally Weird and Weirdly Normal, Ince draws on personal anecdotes and interviews with psychologists and other neurodivergent people to unpick and challenge the concept of 'normal'. It is a heartfelt reminder that embracing our differences is not just acceptable but essential.

To describe Jacinda Ardern as trailblazer is no exaggeration. When she became New Zealand's fortieth Prime Minister she was the world's youngest female head of government, and only the second to give birth in office. Her compassionate yet powerful response to the 2019 Christchurch mosque attacks, resulting in swift and sweeping gun control laws, demonstrated her remarkable leadership, and she went on to command global respect for her empathetic leadership that put people first. She guided her country through unprecedented challenges – a volcanic eruption, a major biosecurity incursion, and a global pandemic – while advancing visionary new polices to address climate change, reduce child poverty, and secure historic international trade deals. In this deeply personal memoir, she tells her remarkable story.

What does Britain’s white working class really look like, beyond the headlines and political soundbites? In Underdogs, journalist Joel Budd travels across overlooked corners of the UK – from former industrial towns in Teesside to coastal communities on the Isle of Wight – speaking to people whose lives have been shaped by decades of economic decline and political neglect. He shows that it is place – not just class or race – that shapes opportunity and identity. Exploring everything from education and mental health to mobility and mistrust of institutions, Underdogs is a clear-eyed, compassionate call to rethink how we understand class in Britain today.

In early October 2023, Palestinian Plestia Alaqad was a recent graduate with dreams of becoming a successful journalist. By the end of November, she would be known internationally as the 'Eyes of Gaza', sharing social media posts depicting daily life in Gaza amid Israel's invasion and bombardment. Written as a series of diary extracts, The Eyes of Gaza shares the horrors of her experiences while showcasing the indomitable spirit of the men, women and children that share Plestia's communities. It recounts a harrowing experience, but it is not a heart-breaking lamentation. Rather, it is a manifesto for hope, advocating for a better future for Gaza, the Middle East, and our divided world.

From the deep palaeolithic past to our dramatic rise from one species of human among many to the most dominant animal to ever live on Earth, Henry Gee explains how we arrived just ten thousand years from our likely extinction. Drawing on a dazzling array of the latest scientific research, Gee tells the extraordinary story of humanity with characteristic warmth and wit, and suggests how our exceptional species might avoid its tragic fate.

British police are nine times more likely to use their tasers on Black people. An item being advertised on eBay will sell for approximately 20% less if a dark-skinned hand is shown in the photos. And over 50% of us don’t believe racism exists. In a discussion often fueled by anecdote and emotion, Professor Keon West cuts through the divisive rhetoric with decades’ worth of clear, factual, rigorous science to expose what we know about racism, exactly how we know it, and what we can do about it.

For the best part of two years Charlie Colenutt travelled the country to talk to a hundred strangers, from all walks of life about their jobs: What did they do for a living? Why did they do it? Did they like it? He discovered the order in which patients are woken up in care homes, and the reasons why you shouldn’t smile when you are shown your bonus in an investment bank. He spoke with the church minister who, maddened by his email inbox, has come to feel more like an administrator than a spiritual leader; the baker who used to hate touching flour; and the trade union organiser, not pressured by hours or targets, but by the cause. Together, they tell a story about the one thing that most British adults have in common – work.

As a former Google executive and top career coach – who chased an attractive stranger off the train and later married him – Jenny Wood knows her way around courage. In this book, Wood shatters conventional wisdom about achieving your goals. She gives you permission to ditch your fear and chase after what you want, unapologetically. Wood reclaims nine traits from their negative shackles and teaches you how to apply them in a savvy and compassionate way to supercharge your success, whether you’re trying to snag a promotion, launch a company or land a life-changing deal.

When autistic girls meet clinicians, they are often misdiagnosed with anxiety, depression, personality disorders – or receive no diagnosis at all. Autism’s ‘male spotlight’ means we are only now starting to redress this profound injustice. Generations of researchers, convinced autism was a male problem, simply didn’t bother looking for it in women. But it is now becoming increasingly clear that many autistic women and girls do not fit the traditional, male, model of autism. Instead, they camouflage and mask, hiding their autistic traits to accommodate a society that shuns them. In The Lost Girls of Autism, renowned brain scientist Gina Rippon delves into the emerging science of female autism, asking why it has been systematically ignored for so long.

The hidden globe exposed in Atossa Araxia Abrahamian bold and clever book exists above, below and inside the map we all know, a parallel universe of extraterritorial, autonomous zones, engineered by the wealthy and powerful for their own benefit. She charts its rise from thirteenth-century Switzerland to outer space, where Luxembourg plans to mine asteroids. This is the hidden geography that decides who wins and who loses in the global order.

Empire of Pain is the story of three generations of the Sackler family, and their role in the stories of Valium and Oxycontin. As one of the richest families in the world, the Sacklers are known for their lavish donations in the arts and the sciences. The source of the family fortune was vague, however, until it emerged that they were responsible for making and marketing Oxycontin, a blockbuster painkiller that was a catalyst for the opioid crisis – an international epidemic of drug addiction which has killed nearly half a million people. This masterpiece of narrative reporting is the secret history of the Sackler dynasty.

This Sunday Times bestseller is a fascinating and entertaining read. What if society wasn't fundamentally rational, but was motivated by insanity? This thought sets Jon Ronson on an utterly compelling adventure into the world of madness. Along the way Jon meets psychopaths, those whose lives have been touched by madness and those whose job it is to diagnose it, including the influential psychologist who developed the Psychopath Test, from whom Jon learns the art of psychopath-spotting. A skill which seemingly reveals that madness could indeed be at the heart of everything . . .

Shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction 2024

Love it or loathe it, you can’t escape it. Talk of AI is everywhere. In Code Dependent, Madhumita Murgia, AI Editor at the FT offers a laser-sharp examination of how AI is changing our jobs, our lives, our futures and even what it means to be human. Through compelling storytelling, Murgia shares how AI is shaping individuals' people, and what we need to do to reclaim our humanity. If you read one book about AI this year, make it this one.

Edited by Jean-François Marmion, this dissection of stupidity is brought to you by some of the brightest brains around, including a Nobel Prize winner. The Psychology of Stupidity explains how lazy thinking leads to bad decisions, why even smart people can believe nonsense, how media manipulation makes us all dumber, and the pitfalls of trying to debate with a fool.

In seven short essays about that big grey blob between your ears, neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett explores the origins and structure of the brain, as well as shelving popular myths about the alleged battle between thoughts and emotions, or between nature and nurture. Sure to intrigue casual readers and scientific veterans alike, the book is full of surprises, humour and revelations about human nature.

For as long as she can remember, Patric Gagne knew that she wasn’t like other people. Unbothered by how her actions affected those around her, by the time she reached her teenage years, her textbook childhood “bad behaviour” had escalated into petty theft, stalking and worse. In Sociopath, her searingly honest new memoir, Gange explores what it means to be a sociopath, shares her own story of redemption and asks: is there a way for sociopaths to successfully integrate into society? 

After hitting rock bottom having suffered with depression for years, Christian Lewis made an impulsive decision to walk the entire coastline of the UK. Just a few days later he set off with a tent, walking boots and a tenner in his pocket. Finding Hildasay tells us some of this incredible story, including the brutal three months Christian Lewis spent on the uninhabited island of Hildasay in Scotland with no fresh water or food. It was there, where his route was most barren, that he discovered pride and respect for himself. This is not just a story of a remarkable journey, but one of depression, survival and the meaning of home. 

Jeffrey Boakye’s experience as a black student shaped the teacher he became. In I Heard What You Said, his unflinching memoir, Boakye examines his experience as a black teacher in today’s education system. From outrageous questions about his background to his ability to navigate spaces that are white by default and teaching problematic texts in English, Boayke reflects with wit and passion on why he chooses to teach in a system designed to fail millions of children each year. 

Equal parts memoir and manifesto, Jaspreet Kaur equips women with the confidence and skillset they need to navigate the difficulties that come with an intersectional identity. Interviews with brilliant South Asian Women of all walks of life as well as academic insight show what life is really like for brown women in the diaspora. Pulling no punches, and tackling topics from mental health and menstruation stigma to education and beauty standards, Brown Girl Like Me will educate, inspire and spark urgent conversations for change; essential reading for South Asian women and people with an interest in feminism and cultural issues.

Dr Kirren Schnack is here to tell you that your anxiety isn’t here to stay. As an Oxford trained and practicing NHS clinical psychologist with twenty years’ experience, she offers a first aid kit of tools to help you understand what you’re going through and change how you’re feeling – and it might just be easier than you think. The ten chapters cover everything from dealing with anxious thoughts and stress to managing uncertainty and safely tackling trauma, with each tip taking you one step closer to an anxiety-free life. 

Discover the foods, exercises and lifestyle changes that can increase your lifespan in this bestselling guide to longevity by Dr Michael Greger. Cutting through the noise to deliver peer-reviewed research on how to slow the effects of aging on your body, including tips inspired by the world’s oldest and healthiest communities, Dr Greger shares easy, achievable changes that anyone can make to their diet, exercise regime and lifestyle to make their later years happier, healthier and more youthful. 

We've been taught that success requires early specialization and thousands of hours of deliberate practice, but David Epstein argues this is completely wrong. In Range, Epstein shows that the key to success lies in sampling widely, gaining diverse experiences, taking detours, experimenting, and juggling multiple interests. By studying the world's most successful athletes, artists, musicians, inventors, and scientists, he demonstrates why generalists, not specialists, are primed to excel. Since its release, Range has challenged the status quo, reshaped careers, and changed lives. Read it to see the world differently.

In The Psychology of Money award-winning author Morgan Housel reveals that our success with money isn’t necessarily about what we know, but how we behave. Through nineteen short stories, Housel explores the way we think about our finances in the real world, helping us understand more about our strange relationship with money and teaching readers how to make better sense of one of life’s most important topics. This is a vital read for anyone looking to redefine their relationship with their finances, and if you’re already a fan, Morgan Housel’s new book, Same as Ever: Timeless Lessons on Risk, Opportunity and Living a Good Life, is also out now.

Marking the 80th anniversary of the D-Day landings, D-Day: The Unheard Tapes is a vivid account of this pivotal moment in World War II, drawing from interviews with British, American, Canadian, German veterans, and French civilians from the Imperial War Museums and National World War II Museum archives. This powerful oral history highlights individual stories such as a forward observer on Omaha Beach, a commando racing to Pegasus Bridge, and a pilot's dramatic rescue from execution. Geraint Jones weaves these stories into a vivid narrative, allowing the voices of those who lived through the battle to shine through.

Exploring the world events that preceded the 1917 Russian Revolution, in Blood on the Snow, Robert Service revisits the period that has fascinated him throughout his career. The esteemed historian presents the revisionist idea that it was Tsar Nicholas II’s decision to join the war against Germany in 1914, rather than a revolution driven by worker and peasant activism, that sowed the seeds of the Revolution. Through examination of primary source material, including diary entries from ordinary Russians, Service presents a compelling narrative of the events leading up to the birth of Bolshevik Russia. 

In this vital re-examination of a shared history, historian and broadcaster David Olusoga tells the rich and revealing story of the long relationship between the British Isles and the people of Africa and the Caribbean. This edition features a new chapter encompassing the Windrush scandal and the Black Lives Matter protests of 2020, events which put black British history at the centre of urgent national debate. This is vivid confirmation that black history can no longer be kept separate and marginalised. It is woven into the cultural and economic histories of the nation and it belongs to us all. 

If you’ve ever thrown something away because you couldn’t get a stain out, let your leftovers go to waste because you weren’t sure what to cook, or bought a “miracle” cleaning product that didn’t live up to its promises, The Green Budget Guide is for you. Packed with 101 ways to reduce the amount you spend sustainably from budgeting-expert Nancy Birtwhistle, with saving money and reducing our impact on the planet at the forefront of everyone’s minds, this book is a must-read this new year.