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'--.
Non-fiction
−9%
CHF26.– was CHF28.70
The Creative ACT: A Way of Being
English, Neil Strauss, Rick Rubin, 2023
6. Penguin Random House How to Win At Chess
Learn chess from international master and YouTube's best chess teacher Levy Rozman, also known as GothamChess, in this refreshing and entertaining guide for beginners and advanced players. "How to Win at Chess" teaches you everything you need to know about the game, including all the important moves and strategies to start strong and think several steps ahead.
Full of Levy Rozman's characteristic charm and humor that have made him popular with millions of fans, the first half of this unique guide introduces aspiring players (0-800 Elo rating) to the four key areas to consider when playing chess: openings, endgames, tactics, and strategy. The second half builds on these core skills for more experienced players (800-1300 Elo rating).
Packed with practical and easy-to-understand tips to improve your game, "How to Win at Chess" includes over 500 illustrative game guides to help you better visualize the board, as well as chapter-specific QR codes for exclusive bonus content on Chessly, Rozman's teaching platform. Whether you want to become a casual chess player or train to become a grandmaster, "How to Win at Chess" is the perfect interactive introduction to the world of chess.
7. Penguin Random House Surrounded by Idiots
"Surrounded by Idiots" is an insightful guide by Thomas Erikson that explores the four types of human behavior and offers strategies for effective communication in various areas of life. The book is aimed at readers who want to enhance their interpersonal skills in both professional and personal settings. With a clear focus on family, parenting, and partnerships, the author provides valuable insights that enable understanding and addressing the different behaviors of people. The paperback format and the comprehensive page count of 400 make it a handy and informative companion. Published in 2025, this work not only offers theoretical foundations but also practical tips to avoid misunderstandings and build harmonious relationships. The book's English language allows a wide readership to benefit from its insights. "Surrounded by Idiots" is thus an essential tool for anyone looking to expand their communication skills and improve the dynamics of their interpersonal relationships.
8. 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.
9. Penguin Random House Breakneck
"Breakneck" is a captivating account of China's impressive progress, offering a new perspective on the country's rise. Technology analyst Dan Wang, who has lived in China for the past six years, describes the complex relationship between China and the West. In this book, China is portrayed as an engineering state boldly undertaking megaprojects, while the USA is depicted as a law firm that often blocks everything. Wang analyzes the economic and political dynamics that have shaped China's ascent and highlights the social costs associated with this development, such as the impacts of the zero-Covid policy and the one-child policy. Through his explorations of China's vibrant cities and factories, Wang combines political and economic analyses with journalistic reporting to illuminate the ambitions of the Communist Party and their effects on the population. In a time when the USA and China are preparing for a new Cold War, "Breakneck" provides valuable insights into the strengths and weaknesses of the engineering state and urges readers to take China's global ambitions seriously.
10. Penguin Random House The Art of War
The definitive translation with over two million copies sold is the most prestigious and influential book on strategy and dealing with conflict, beautifully translated for clear, accessible reading, including commentaries by other ancient Chinese philosophers and strategists. From esteemed translator Thomas Cleary and including commentary from philosophers such as Cao Cao, Du Mu, and Du You, this timeless Chinese classic captures the essence of military strategy used in ancient East Asia, with lessons on how to handle conflict confidently, efficiently, and successfully. As Sun Tzu teaches, aggression and response in kind can lead only to destruction; we must learn to work with conflict in a more profound and effective way. Crucial to this strategic vision is knowledge—especially self-knowledge—and a view of the whole that seeks to bring the conflicting ideas around to a larger perspective.
The techniques and instructions discussed in The Art of War apply to competition and conflict on every level, from the interpersonal to the international. A study of the anatomy of forces in conflict, it has been discovered by modern businesspeople that the principles it contains are as useful for understanding the interactions of modern corporations as they are for understanding the tactics of ancient Chinese armies. Its aim is invincibility, victory without battle, and unassailable strength through an understanding of the physics, politics, and psychology of conflict.
Thomas Cleary's translation is a breakthrough achievement that has been a gold standard among translations for three decades, offering the complete text in eminently readable prose with short commentaries by other ancient Chinese strategists and philosophers interwoven throughout. Cleary's work allows innumerable insights to be discovered through this translation millennia after this oral teaching was first set down.
