As autumn arrives, your thirst for knowledge grows stronger than ever. As a Lifelong Learner, you know that rainy days are best spent with a good book that will teach you something new.
Our collection of new release books for Lifelong Learners includes biographies, essays, memoirs, self-help books and titles about art, science, business and even microbiology. Check out our hand-picked guide to this season's best nonfiction new releases to see which titles you should add to your TBR. Stay curious. Stay informed!
September Nonfiction New Releases
The Art and Craft of Stephen King: The Story Behind Every Novel, Novella, and Short Story
by Guy Astic - Frank LaFond
The first complete, in-depth examination of every work published by the "King of Horror," Stephen King.
Stephen King is perhaps the most well-known author across horror, thriller, science fiction, and mystery genres, with more than 350 million books sold. Stephen King All the Stories examines in extensive detail how each novel, novella, and short story was created, developed, published, and adapted into successful films television and other media. At 648 pages, Stephen King All the Stories is filled with the most popular titles like Shawshank Redemption, The Shining, and Carrie as well as the lesser-known ones like Joyland and Revival.
This illustrated account contains more than 300 photographs that complement King's journey from a Maine high school teacher and part-time writer to a literary giant, gifted in crafting haunting atmospheres that elevated horror as a genre.
The Case for Quitting: The Surprising Benefits of Opting Out
by Lindsay Crouse
"Sometimes the most powerful way forward is knowing when to let go. In The Case for Quitting, Lindsay shows us how." -- Allyson Felix, most-decorated Olympic track & field athlete in history
"Required reading for anyone feeling trapped by the pressure to push through." -- Annie Duke, bestselling author of Quit and Thinking In Bets
In a world that prizes persistence, acclaimed journalist Lindsay Crouse offers a radical strategy for getting what we want: Quit.
We live in a society that champions perseverance, sweat, and tenacity no matter the cost. But what if our relentlessness results in failure, sunken costs, and poor health, rather than success, happiness, and vitality?
An endurance athlete and 15-year veteran of the New York Times, Crouse explores stories from across our lives--work, relationships, and broader goals--to argue that when perseverance turns against us, quitting isn't just a way out. Often, it's the first step to something better. A pivot. A break. A chance to go further--or be free.
She delves into the science of perseverance versus walking away from aspects of our lives, and relays a diverse blend of compelling personal stories, historical examples, and psychological insights--from the origins of the self-help genre to Bear Bryant's "hell camp" to the Finnish concept of sisu, resilience--to answer such questions as:
- When is it time to let go of unproductive efforts?
- How does quitting make new opportunities?
- When are relationships growing and when are they just a dangerous rut?
For anyone at a crossroads in their personal or professional lives, The Case for Quitting is a groundbreaking guide that ruptures our core beliefs. Career seekers, athletes, entrepreneurs, and anyone exploring new opportunities or feeling stuck in unproductive routines will appreciate its insights on the courage and strategy involved in quitting.
Hawking: His Life and Work
by Graham Farmelo
The authorized biography of a brilliant theoretical physicist and science communicator, featuring revelations from never-before-seen personal records, by an award-winning writer and biographer
"Deeply researched, unfailingly honest, and accessibly written for readers who are not scientists ... I warmly recommend it." -- Kip Thorne, emeritus professor at Caltech and Nobel Laureate in Physics
"When one is faced with the possibility of early death, it makes one realise that life is worth living." -- Stephen Hawking
An insatiable curiosity and appreciation for life powered Stephen Hawking to the furthest reaches of the universe and human achievement: during his remarkable lifetime he shed light on many of the mysteries of black holes and made key contributions to our understanding of the beginnings of the universe, all while captivating the world and selling more than twenty-five million copies of A Brief History of Time.
A brilliant theoretical physicist, Hawking lived one of the most extraordinary lives of the past century. And yet none of this should have been possible. Diagnosed with ALS at age 21, he was given only a few years to live--and spent the next 55 showing what can be achieved despite near-hopeless odds.
Drawing on his parents' previously unseen letters and diaries, and exclusive interviews with Stephen's family, friends, and closest colleagues, Costa Award-winning biographer and physicist Graham Farmelo reveals the complex man behind the theories and global celebrity--and the resilience, fortitude and support that enabled him to defy his life-limiting diagnosis.
Vividly told and rigorously researched, Hawking is the definitive portrait of an exceptional man and an extraordinary intellect.
Living with Freddie: How a Dog Taught Me to Be Human
by Anna Heyward
An extraordinary memoir about learning to see the world through a dog's eyes, by a New Yorker writer and animal behavior expert
"Part memoir, part animal science, Living with Freddie joins such triumphs as My Dog Tulip that seem to be about dogs but manage to be deep, incisive, and sometimes heartbreaking portraits of the people who are devoted to them." -- Susan Orlean, author of The Orchid Thief
When Anna Heyward adopted Freddie, a rescued Italian greyhound, she was thrilled to bring a dog into her life. But Freddie, she quickly realized, had severe separation anxiety, unable to be left alone for more than 30 seconds without crying uncontrollably or injuring himself.
Some would have given him back, but Anna dedicated her life to entering the mind of her dog, putting her relationship, social life, and job at risk. As Anna observed Freddie's behavior, she began to experience the world as he did, and she changed--but not in the way you might expect.
Living with Freddie is a meditation on what it means to be bad or good, on how much we can--or should--try to alter another being's behavior, and what is possible to know about another mind. But at its heart, this is a beautiful, heart-wrenching portrait of the relationship between a human and a dog. And at the end of Freddie's story, you, too, may find yourself changed.
Off the Top of My Head: Stories from the Operating Room That Will Make You Laugh (or Cry)
by Barbara Lazio
Inside every skull is a story of heart, humanity--and the occasional hairball.
You might think brain surgery is all cool precision and high-stakes drama. Sometimes it is. But more often, it's a gritty, smelly, surprisingly absurd job--one that involves titanium screws, tumors the size of grapefruits, and moments so human they'll break your heart or make you snort with laughter behind your surgical mask. In Off the Top of My Head, Dr. Barbara Lazio peels back the sterile curtain of the operating room and shares the unexpected stories that come with a life spent elbows-deep in the human brain.
With warmth, wit, and a scalpel-sharp eye for detail, Dr. Lazio invites readers into her world--where mortality is never far away, but neither is meaning, connection, or the occasional gallows-humored joke.
Inside, you'll find:
- Gripping behind-the-scenes moments from the OR--equal parts miraculous and messy
- Memorable patients facing the unimaginable with courage, humor, and grace
- A rare glimpse into the emotional life of a neurosurgeon
- Unexpected levity in the face of death, grief, and the unknown
Whether she's rebuilding a shattered skull or laughing through tears with a family on the edge of loss, Dr. Lazio reminds us that behind every dramatic headline or surgical success is something deeply, beautifully human.
Off the Top of My Head is a book for anyone who wonders what really happens when the brain--and life--hangs in the balance.
Protocols: An Operating Manual for the Human Body
by Andrew D Huberman
Andrew Huberman, host of the world's leading health and science podcast Huberman Lab, and neuroscientist and professor at Stanford School of Medicine, presents an essential guide to improving brain function, enhancing mood and energy, optimizing bodily health and physical performance, and rewiring your nervous system to learn new skills and behaviors that can positively transform your life.
The power of your physiology can be harnessed in two complementary ways: First, through a set of foundational behaviors--core practices that substantially improve your day-to-day mental and physical state. Second, through specific science-based tools you can use to overcome common challenges or achieve elevated levels of mental or physical performance. In this book, Dr. Huberman offers essential practices for both, called "protocols."
These protocols can help you unlock your brain and body's full potential across seven areas:
- Sleep
- Exercise
- Stress Control
- Nutrition
- Light
- Focus, Motivation, and Learning
- Personal Growth
For example, a simple sleep protocol includes viewing sunlight as soon as possible after waking. Another protocol uses a unique breathing pattern to reduce stress in the moment. There are also protocols for getting stronger and leaner at any age, and for allowing you to learn faster. And much more.
In his clear and engaging style, Huberman explains the science behind each protocol, then shows how they can deliver immediate, effective results. What's more, he describes how to customize them, allowing you to adapt them to your individual needs.
Drawing on decades of research--from his own work and that of the many world experts he has interviewed over the years--Dr. Huberman delivers a comprehensive and indispensable guide to improving your mental health, physical health, and performance.
Simplify: Do 50 Percent More with 50 Percent Less
by Jim Vandehei - Mike Allen - Roy Schwartz
With AI upending work and life, the founders of Axios and bestselling authors of Smart Brevity offer a one-stop survival guide to dramatically improving your life, work, and happiness.
- Toxic complexity clogs our meetings, inboxes, calendars--even in our daily habits. We can do so much more, but first we need to do less.
- Simplify shows you how. It's a step-by-step playbook for spending most of your time doing things that make you feel and perform better.
This urgent manual lets you take control of what is essential in a world where AI might simplify you out of a job. Maximize success by simplifying every aspect of your life. Ruthlessly distill what really matters to you, then clear the space to focus on what you do best.
The authors draw on lessons from founding two hot startups--Axios and Politico--and their years of experience advising Fortune 500 companies. Simplify is packed with advice from some of the world's most successful people--your handbook for eliminating dreary distractions... so you can focus on what matters.
The World Beneath Our Feet: The Hidden Life of Soil and Why It Matters to Us All
by Frank Ashwood
A vivid tour into the subterranean that encourages us to look downwards, revealing how the earth's most biodiverse frontier sustains all life above the soil surface
The ground beneath us hums with a staggering abundance of winding roots, interconnecting fungal networks, wriggling creatures, and mind-blowing microbial life. This hidden ecosystem is the single most biodiverse habitat on the planet. Over half of all the Earth's species exist underfoot, where decaying matter is transformed into new life; just a handful of soil can contain an entire world. Without soil, there would be no life as we know it--and yet we rarely take the time to know the countless lives happening below.
In The World Beneath Our Feet, soil ecologist Frank Ashwood dives deep into this precious ecosystem, spanning the globe from the frozen landscape of Greenland to the black soil deposits of the Amazon and the Eurasian Steppe, while also examining the jaw-dropping evolutionary adaptations that make lives very alien from our own possible.
Unearthing soil layers one at a time, Ashwood reveals every sublayer to be a distinct macrocosm, teeming with organisms essential to our planet's wellbeing. Supported by interviews with global soil biologists, as well as his own expert research, Ashwood shows us how life at a microscopic scale impacts us all.
Powerfully illuminating the dark depths of the earth, and accompanied by the author's own up-close photography, which magnifies and reveals creatures only millimeters long, The World Beneath Our Feet opens our eyes to the hidden and wondrous world of soil--perhaps the greatest unexplored frontier on our planet.
Related Book Recommendations
For more nonfiction books, check out our top recommendations for Self-Starters, focusing on business and personal development. You may also want to check out our top picks for Lifelong Learners from Spring and Summer 2026.