As a longtime follower of Mel Robbins, I can confidently say The Let Them Theory is her best listen yet. The audiobook's zen quality suggests Mel has reached a new level of personal growth. Her signature blend of relatable anecdotes and actionable advice is enhanced by a newfound depth and tranquility. Her fresh perspective on letting go is both enlightening and liberating, guiding listeners to tap into their internal approval systems. Mel's authentic narration and potentially transformative insights make this a timely tool for navigating life's complexities. It's no wonder it has resonated with millions. To hear more from Mel Robbins, listen to our interview. —Rachael X.

This is a real “once you see it, you can’t unsee it” type of listen, with both the deprogramming power of a recovery memoir and the storytelling verve of the best narrative nonfiction. Dutch historian and Davos troublemaker Rutger Bregman is here to convince you—through a tour of pivotal historical moments when humans radically changed society for good—that the world needs your talents, and it needs them now. His message is delivered with brutal honesty, a huge dose of optimism, and perhaps just a dash of needed shaming (narrated by the aptly cast Dutch American voice actor Boris Hiestand). Bregman warns you at the start that you might regret listening, because “once you put it down, you might just have to change your life.” If that’s not a dare, I don’t know what is. To hear more from Rutger Bregman, listen to our interview. —Emily C.

I’ve been a tad obsessed with parenting memoirs since becoming a parent myself, and few have spoken truer to me than Amanda Hess’s, in which she documents her pregnancy to parenthood journey in a chronically connected world. This isn’t a how-to guide disguised as memoir, to be clear. I’d call it a commiseration guide for anyone who religiously tracked their cycle in an app, spent restless nights googling whether their sleeping newborn’s grunts were normal, or found themselves in a niche parenting rabbit hole out of sheer morbid curiosity. No, it’s not just you, she seems to reassure with each chapter. It’s the system. Hess narrates, and her delivery is warm and intimate while also capturing the subtle humor and absurdity of this whole experience of parenting (and performing parenting) online. To hear more from Amanda Hess, read our interview. —Sam D.

Formerly incarcerated inmate-turned-CEO Shaka Senghor knows what it's like to feel trapped—and break free. Despite having served a 19-year sentence, with seven of those years in solitary confinement, what he shares with us in How to Be Free is that the strongest prisons are the ones we build for ourselves. With empathy, accountability, and emotional strength, Senghor masterfully guides listeners to overcome challenges such as self-doubt, fear, and our darkest hours. His confident yet comforting voice opened my eyes and heart to a better future, no matter our current circumstances. —RX

At first blush, it’s funny that Melissa Febos’s extraordinary memoir ended up in our Best of the Year well-being list, because she didn’t write the book to inspire a movement or help heal anyone’s relationships but her own. And yet that’s just what this provocative and richly introspective work might do. It centers on Febos’s dawning awareness that her ingrained patterns as a serial monogamist are unhealthy, even addictive. So, summoning up the time-tested approach of 12-step programs, she went cold turkey: no sex, no romance, no flirting for a year. The results were fascinating, and Febos’s standout narration and mastery of the braided narrative make this so much more than a niche meditation. To hear more from Melissa Febos, listen to our interview. —Kat J.

Brené Brown's latest listen is the one that I returned to most often this year. That's because each chapter launches into a deep-thought-worthy topic that will have you reevaluating how you approach communication at work and at home. With her emotionally intelligent approach, well-researched and developed metaphors, and thoughtfully placed citations, Brené's Strong Ground will change your life. Plus, listening to her private asides make this audiobook feel like getting a 1:1 session. You're getting so much more than a business book with this listen. Now: Deep breath, settle yourself, settle the ball. To hear more from Brené Brown, listen in to our interview. —RX

You can always count on a perspective-changing book from psychology professor Steven Pinker. In When Everyone Knows That Everyone Knows… he delves into the idea of “common knowledge”—when not only do we all know something, but we know we all know it. And we know that we know that we know it. It sounds abstract, but in Pinker’s accessible prose and Fred Sanders’s crisp narration, it’s a fascinating explanation of a hiding-in-plain-sight cognitive phenomenon helpful for understanding everything from the exorbitant value of Super Bowl ads to the spread of political revolutions. It’s also a particularly eye-opening listen for an era steeped in fractured knowledge-sharing and rapidly changing information networks. —Phoebe N.

As a mom to four young boys, my eyes have been wide-open to the fact that men and boys are falling behind. The data is enough to make anyone spiral. When I saw Notes on Being a Man coming from entrepreneur, professor, and podcast host Scott Galloway, I knew I had to listen. Part memoir, part battle cry, the book delves into Galloway's own personal history to underscore the crisis that men and boys are facing today. He highlights his successes, yes, but more importantly he vulnerably emphasizes where he has fallen short to help show a better path forward for the next generation. Narrated by Galloway, Notes on Being a Man offers clear lessons on how we can help men and boys live out more fulfilling, balanced, and healthier futures. —Katie O.

From her spot-on depictions of dysfunctional family dynamics to her care and attention to less-common mental disorders, Dr. Judith Joseph’s online presence has long resonated with me. Plus, witnessing her career take off as both a content creator and as a truly talented (and frankly, badass) Trinidadian woman in the field of psychiatry has been a joy. Publishing her first audiobook was a natural next step, and High Functioning doesn’t disappoint. This in-depth look at combatting a form of depression that is so often ignored ensures that no one remains the “strong friend” forever. —Haley H.