10 Must-Read Books by TED Talk and TEDx Speakers to Spark Your Curiosity

What’s inside: A thought-provoking cultural critique about the complexity of female friendship

Female friendships run deep — so why are they all too often portrayed in the media as shallow? Tiffany Watt Smith (TED Talk, 2017; “The History of Human Emotions”) surveys the complex friendships women share in her memoir-slash-history Bad Friend. A cultural historian, Smith goes well beyond the prepackaged narratives of female friendships, breaking through the bestie–rival binary to study the multifaceted ways that women relate to each other in real life. Drawing on examples from history and her own life, Smith delves into these different connections, examining their joys, tensions, and rewards.

What’s inside: A no-nonsense guide to reining in your consumer impulses and regaining control of your life

Sustainable living starts with brand-new habits — and no new stuff. Award-winning sustainability expert Ashlee Piper (TEDxChicago, 2021; “How Small Actions Can Save a Big Planet”) offers a superb how-to on taking control of our habitual consumerism in No New Things. Packed with clear explanations and actionable guidance, Piper’s new book helps us break free from what she calls “conditioned consumerism,” improving our financial and mental well-being as well as the health of the planet. 

What’s inside: A stirring call to end prejudice on the basis of age

How can we combat contemporary culture’s obsession with youth? This Chair Rocks by activist Ashton Applewhite (TED Talk, 2017; “Let’s End Ageism”) is a rousing manifesto, railing against society’s rampant ageism. While the media continually bombards us with invented reasons to fear getting older, Applewhite directs attention to the foundations of ageism and the longstanding damage it’s done — and continues to do — to our society. At once a cultural critique and a call to action, This Chair Rocks “provides a positive view of aging that is sorely missing in today’s popular culture” (Library Journal, starred review).

What’s inside: A science-backed guide to embracing your emotions

Marc Brackett (TEDxGoldenGateED, 2011; “Teach Compassion”) is the founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. In the bestselling Permission to Feel, he leads readers through clear-eyed methodologies to better understand, manage, and express our emotions. Adults and children everywhere are struggling, and Brackett has spent decades studying emotion science to develop techniques for improving emotional intelligence. His findings are laid out clearly and concisely in this insightful work. For another breakthrough read, check out Brackett’s new book, Dealing with Feeling, which hits shelves in September 2025.

What’s inside: A healing memoir about family, grief, and the shortcomings of the American Dream

Susan Lieu (TEDxBellevueWomen, 2023; “How to Make Peace with Your Belly Fat”) delivers a moving meditation on familial bonds and toxic body standards in her soaring mother–daughter memoir. Lieu’s mother was the guiding light of their family. After immigrating as refugees from the Vietnam War, Lieu’s family built a new life in the United States, putting down roots and starting two nail salons that thrived under their matriarch’s savvy management. But when Lieu was just 11, a botched tummy tuck took her mother’s life. In the decades since, Lieu has searched for difficult answers to complex questions — about herself, her mother, her family’s history, and self-image. In The Manicurist’s Daughter, she shares what she discovered. 

What’s inside: A perceptive guide to having less — and making room for more

Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus (TEDxFargo, 2016; “The Art of Letting Go”) are better known as The Minimalists. In their New York Times bestseller Love People, Use Things, the celebrated pair deliver a wise lesson in cutting out the clutter to enjoy a more fulfilling life. Drawing on experiences from their shared journeys in intentional living and the minimalist lifestyle, Millburn and Nicodemus reveal their approach to leading a life filled with far less stuff — and far more meaning.

What’s inside: A validating narrative that gives a voice to the quiet ones in the room

Take note of the introverts — there’s power in their silence. Susan Cain (TED Talk, 2012; “The Power of Introverts”) champions the quiet types in her profound New York Times bestseller, Quiet. In a world where people constantly talk over each other, Cain points out that the introverts are often overlooked — to the detriment of society. Along with examples of high-performing and impressive introverts, Cain shares her careful research and discusses the profound benefits of time spent quietly. 

What’s Inside: A flowing memoir about the shifting tides of life

Lidia Yuknavitch (TED Talk, 2016; “The Beauty of Being a Misfit”) was a swimmer in her youth. She was a great one, too — an Olympic hopeful. But after escaping a strained home life, she drew away from swimming and moved in a different life trajectory. As Yuknavitch comes into her own as a writer, she must also grapple with addiction, grief, and the challenges of love — all of which she movingly captures in her raw and powerful memoir, The Chronology of Water. 

What’s inside: An inspiring vision of a world free of gender inequality 

What does feminism look like in the 21st century — and who is it for? Adapted from her 2012 TEDxEuston talk of the same name, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s bestselling We Should All Be Feminists takes aim at the gender hierarchy, calling on us all to embrace a feminist mindset. Pulling from her own experiences and her familiarity with sexual politics, Adichie offers up a modern-age understanding of feminism, laying out in no uncertain terms why feminism is for everyone.

What’s inside: An illuminating deep dive into the dual forces that drive our thoughts

Psychologist and Nobel Prize winner Daniel Kahneman (TED Talk, 2010; “The Riddle of Experience vs. Memory”) breaks down the process of our thoughts in the runaway bestseller Thinking, Fast and Slow. We think in two systems: One is fast, responsible for our intuition and emotion; the other is slow, allowing us to be logical and considerate. Both are essential, and with Kahneman’s insights, we can better understand these systems and learn how they guide us to make decisions in our professional and personal lives.