6 Non-Fiction Books to Put on Your Must-Read List

At GA HQ, we’re constantly looking out for wisdom from the latest and greatest thinkers that’ll enrich our daily lives, and now more than ever–we've got plenty of time to dive into books that inspire us, motivate us, and gets us thinking. Check out these six recent reads, spanning feminism to food. We think you’ll love them as much as we do.

The Culture Code - Daniel Coyle

If you’re a people manager or are just generally interested in the secrets of majorly successful organizations, this book is for you. It unlocks secrets from prominent groups, ranging from Zappos to the navy’s SEAL Team Six, and translates them into tools for building a positive, motivated culture within your own professional environment. We’re fascinated by all the case studies around what can be accomplished when capable individuals band together to create incredible things as a team.

A Modern Way to Cook - Anna Jones

A few things we look for when it comes to everyday cooking: healthy, fairly simple, and last but not least, absolutely delicious. Anna’s recipes check all those boxes with ease, as one might infer from the title. This book is packed with flavorful, vegetarian recipes that feel at once satisfying and nourishing, which is why we’ve been pouring through it on the regular come dinnertime. (For those initiated, she’s been called “the new Nigella Lawson”—major accolade!)

The Body Keeps the Score - Bessel A. van der Kolk

The word “trauma” is one we’re hearing more and more these days in the context of self-care and healing. As a culture, we hold a lot of it—big, small, and everything in between, which informs so much of how we walk through life. This book is penned by a leading expert on the topic and delves into how traumatic stress (both compounding and acute) impacts emotions, mind, and body. It also investigates a variety of healing modalities including neurofeedback, mindfulness techniques, and yoga.

The Untethered Soul - Michael Singer

“What would it be like to free yourself from limitations and soar beyond your boundaries?” This is the one-liner that immediately had us pressing “add to cart” on Amazon. This book is all about the complicated entity that is our consciousness—the author explores that identity, our inner thoughts and emotions, and the notion of “presence,” all of which culminate in the idea that if we are able to let go of certain thoughts, we are able to reach and understand true happiness. We find ourselves referring back to the lessons in this one time and time again.

Radical Candor - Kim Malone Scott

Another one for the people managers out there—this interesting read takes a look at the powerful middle ground between aggressive and empathetic-to-a-fault behavior, exploring feedback ranging from overly harsh to enabling. It provides tips on finding the right mix of praise and constructive criticism that equals better results and higher achievements from your reports.

The Myth of the Nice Girl - Fran Hauser

Somehow, the concept of being “nice” can work against women in the workplace—the notion that overly friendly and accommodating behavior equals weak, while tough, domineering tendencies get labeled as bitchy. Through proven strategies and personal anecdotes, the author illustrates that you don’t have to sacrifice your values (or yourself) to succeed on your own terms.