Best selling Non-fiction from Penguin Random House
On this page you'll find a ranking of the best Penguin Random House products in this category. To give you a quick overview, we've already ranked the most important information about the products for you.
1. Penguin Random House Matrescence
A New Statesman and Daily Mail Book of the Year
"The best book I've ever read about motherhood." - Jude Rogers, Observer
"I kept scribbling in the margins: 'We need to know this stuff!'" - Joanna Pocock, Spectator
A radical new examination of the transition into motherhood and how it affects the mind, brain, and body. During pregnancy, childbirth, and early motherhood, women undergo a far-reaching physiological, psychological, and social metamorphosis. There is no other time in a human's life course that entails such dramatic change, other than adolescence. Yet, this life-altering transition has been sorely neglected by science, medicine, and philosophy. Its seismic effects go largely unrepresented across literature and the arts. Speaking about motherhood as anything other than a pastel-hued dream remains, for the most part, taboo.
In this groundbreaking, deeply personal investigation, acclaimed journalist and author Lucy Jones brings to light the emerging concept of 'matrescence.' Drawing on new research across various fields—neuroscience and evolutionary biology, psychoanalysis and existential therapy, sociology, economics, and ecology—Jones shows how the changes in the maternal mind, brain, and body are far more profound, wild, and enduring than we have been led to believe. She reveals the dangerous consequences of our neglect of the maternal experience and interrogates the patriarchal and capitalist systems that have created the untenable situation mothers face today.
Here is an urgent examination of the modern institution of motherhood, which seeks to unshackle all parents from oppressive social norms. As it deepens our understanding of matrescence, it raises vital questions about motherhood and femininity, interdependence and individual identity, as well as about our relationships with each other and the living world.
2. Penguin Random House Invisible Women
The Sunday Times bestseller with over half a million copies sold, "Invisible Women," uncovers the shocking gender discrimination that affects our daily lives. Caitlin Moran describes it as "Hell yes. This is one of those books that has the potential to change things - a monumental work of research."
Imagine a world where your phone is too big for your hand, your doctor prescribes you medication that doesn't fit your body, or in a car accident, you are 47% more likely to be injured. If this sounds familiar, you are probably a woman.
From government policy and medical research to technology, workplaces, and the media, "Invisible Women" shows how a world built for and by men systematically ignores half the population, often with catastrophic consequences. Caroline Criado Perez brings together an impressive array of case studies, stories, and new research from around the globe that illustrate the hidden ways in which women are forgotten and the profound impact this has on all of us.
Discover more in Caroline's new podcast "Visible Women." The Sunday Times calls it "a book that changes the way you see the world," while Jeanette Winterson describes it as "revealing, frightening, hopeful.".
3. Penguin Random House The Anxious Generation
"The Anxious Generation" by Jonathan Haidt is a profound examination of the troubling development of mental health among adolescents in the digital age. In this non-fiction book, Haidt analyzes the alarming increases in depression, anxiety, self-harm, and suicide among teenagers that have been observed since the early 2010s. He highlights the role of smartphones, social media, and large technology companies in this crisis and provides a well-founded analysis of the impacts on childhood. Haidt argues that the shift from a playful childhood to a virtual world has catastrophic consequences, particularly for girls. The book is not only a critical engagement with the challenges facing today's youth but also a call for healthier and freer growing up. It is aimed at parents, educators, and anyone concerned about the future of the next generation.
4. Penguin Random House The World for Sale
"The World for Sale" is an insightful non-fiction book that sheds light on the complex and often unknown mechanisms of global commodity trading. The authors, Javier Blas and Jack Farchy, take readers on a journey through the world of commodity traders who operate behind the scenes and control the supply of energy, food, and metals. In a time when energy crises and food shortages are on the rise, it becomes clear how these traders earn billions through strategic deals and risky decisions. The book not only offers fascinating insights into the world of commodities but also illustrates the far-reaching impacts of these trades on the global economy and politics. The gripping narrative and in-depth analyses make it an essential work for anyone looking to understand the dynamics of the international economy.
5. Penguin Random House The Creative ACT: A Way of Being
From the legendary music producer, a savant at helping people connect with the wellsprings of their creativity, comes a beautifully crafted book, many years in the making, that offers that same deep wisdom to all of us. I set out to write a book about what to do to make a great work of art. Instead, it revealed itself to be a book on how to be.'-Rick Rubin Many famed music producers, however brilliant, become known for a particular sound which has its day and then ages out. Rick Rubin, on the other hand, is most famous for something else: for creating a strong safe space where artists of wildly different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. To surprise themselves, and thus the world. Rubin's true art is for helping people get out of their own way and commune with the powerful creative signal that is their birthright. Over the years, Rubin has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn't, about what it takes to strike a deep nerve within ourselves. Perhaps above all, he has learned that being an artist isn't about your specific output, it's a relationship to the world. Creativity has a space in everyone's life, and everyone has the opportunity to make that space stronger. Indeed, it may be our most important responsibility. More than five years in the making, The Creative Act is a series of meditations that illuminate the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It is a beautifully generous offering of the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime's work spent in the service of exhilaration and transcendence, distilled into a timeless classic that puts those feelings within closer reach for all of us'--.
6. Penguin Random House Unreasonable Hospitality
"Unreasonable Hospitality" by Will Guidara offers essential lessons in hospitality that are relevant to any business. As a former co-owner of the legendary restaurant Eleven Madison Park, Guidara has executed a remarkable transformation of the operation that catapulted him and his team to the top of the culinary world. In this book, he shares his experiences and demonstrates how radical innovations and a genuine partnership between kitchen and service can lead to unforgettable experiences. Guidara illustrates how exceptional hospitality can not only exceed guests' expectations but also motivate the team. The stories he tells are inspiring and show that every business has the opportunity to turn ordinary transactions into extraordinary experiences. This book is an invitation to rethink one's perspective on hospitality and recognize the power of giving.
7. Penguin Random House Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking
Read this book and you will never smoke a cigarette again. Allen Carr has discovered a method that enables any smoker to quit easily, immediately, and permanently. Allen Carr's Easy Way to Stop Smoking is the method that truly works. It is the world's best-selling book on quitting smoking, with over nine million copies sold.
The unique method involves no scare tactics and no weight gain. The psychological need to smoke disappears while reading, so you feel great as a non-smoker. Join the 25 million men and women whom Allen Carr has helped to quit.
Testimonials: "Quitting smoking was one of the greatest achievements of my life. I read Allen Carr's book and would recommend it to anyone trying to break the habit." - Michael McIntyre.
8. Penguin Random House Meditations
Meditations
A new translation with an introduction by Gregory Hays
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (A.D. 121–180) ascended to the throne as Emperor of Rome in 161, succeeding his adoptive father – and the Meditations remain one of the greatest works of spiritual and ethical reflection ever written. With a profound understanding of human behavior, Marcus offers insights, wisdom, and practical advice on everything from living a life in the world to dealing with adversity and interacting with others. Consequently, the Meditations have become essential reading for statesmen and philosophers, while generations of ordinary readers have responded to the immediate intimacy of his style. In the new translation by Gregory Hays – the first in a generation – Marcus' thoughts resonate with a new immediacy: they have never been presented so directly and powerfully.
About the Author
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (A.D. 121 – 180) was a Roman emperor who wrote his Meditations during his campaigns against the barbarians.
9. Penguin Random House The Interior Design Handbook
The bestseller phenomenon from Sweden. What looks good and why? Design consultant Frida Ramstedt runs Scandinavia's leading interior design blog. In this book, she distills the secrets of successful interior design and styling to help you create a home that best suits your space, taste, and lifestyle. Packed with practical tips, rules of thumb, and industry tricks, the Interior Design Handbook will help you think like a professional designer. Frida has created this guide to interior design, containing useful information that took years of learning, all in one place. Beautifully illustrated with practical line drawings, the Interior Design Handbook goes into detail on how to successfully design a space. Take it to bed with you, and you will be completely captivated and enlightened.
10. Penguin Random House Der Nahost-Komplex
No one embodies fearless reporting from the Middle East quite like Natalie Amiri. For her new book, the award-winning author has traveled throughout the entire region. She gives a voice to the suffering children of Gaza, speaks with Israeli relatives of murdered hostages, meets Kurdish women who are holding the line against ISIS in Kobane, and interviews Marwan Barghuthi in the Israeli prison, whose significance for the Palestinians is compared to that of Nelson Mandela for South Africa. Her book also includes conversations with Carla del Ponte and Margot Friedländer, achieving something that seems almost impossible today: she bridges worlds and evokes empathy for all sides. She stands firmly by the Jewish people while sharply criticizing German politics and media. This is a book that helps us understand the direction in which the Middle East is heading with a massively weakened Iran, and in the end, it uncompromisingly takes a side – that of the people.
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