This season, trends of minimalist and sustainable living accelerate, and many publishers offer mindfulness and slowing down as strategies for dealing with mental and physical health issues magnified by the Covid-19 pandemic.
Top 10
Animal, Vegetable, Junk: A History of Food, from Sustainable to Suicidal
Mark Bittman. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Feb. 2 ($28, ISBN 978-1-328-97462-4)
Journalist Bittman explores humans’ dietary evolution from hunter-gatherer societies to consumers of highly processed foods.
Effortless: Make It Easy to Do What Matters
Greg McKeown. Currency, Apr. 27 ($28, ISBN 978-0-593-13564-8)
Arguing that motivation and effort are overrated keys to success, McKeown, a blogger for Harvard Business Review, suggests instead simplifying processes and finding the right pace to work.
England’s Magnificent Gardens: How a Billion-Dollar Industry Transformed a Nation, from Charles II to Today
Roderick Floud. Pantheon, Apr. 27 ($40, ISBN 978-1-101-87103-4)
Economic historian Floud uses the evolution of England’s gardens as a history of Britain itself, walking readers through four centuries of changing styles and trends.
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
Oliver Burkeman. Farrar, Straus and Giroux, July 13 ($26, ISBN 978-0-374-15912-2)
Drawing on the lessons from philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, journalist Burkeman explores conceptions of and strategies for time management, rejecting superficial efficiency solutions in favor of finding joy in limited time.
The Hero Code: Lessons Learned from Lives Well Lived
William H. McRaven. Grand Central, Apr. 6 ($22, ISBN 978-1-5387-1996-1)
Retired U.S. Navy admiral McRaven pays tribute to heroes he’s met over the years and the attributes that made them special. 750,000-copy announced first printing.
Hooked: Food, Free Will, and How the Food Giants Exploit Our Addictions
Michael Moss. Random House, Mar. 2 ($28, ISBN 978-0-8129-9729-3)
This investigation into the business practices of the processed food industry from Pulitzer-winning reporter Moss paints a portrait of how companies exploit human evolutionary instincts, consumer emotions, and legal loopholes to capitalize on food addictions.
The No-Nonsense Meditation Book
Steven Laureys. Green Tree, June 15 ($18 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-4729-8049-6)
Neurologist Laureys surveys research on the effects of meditation on human brains, arguing that the results overwhelmingly prove that meditating regularly has a positive impact.
Own It: The Secret of Life
Diane von Furstenberg. Phaidon, Mar. 1 ($14.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-83866-222-6)
Fashion designer and philanthropist von Furstenberg divulges strategies for personal growth and for forming deeper connections with others through owning one’s vulnerability.
Two Meals a Day
Mark Sisson. Grand Central, Mar. 9 ($28, ISBN 978-1-5387-3695-1)
Bestselling health and fitness writer Sisson takes a look at intermittent fasting. He provides answers to common questions and misconceptions, as well as a customizable program.
Your Turn: How to Be an Adult
Julie Lythcott-Haims. Holt, Apr. 6 ($26.99, ISBN 978-1-250-13777-7)
Lythcott-Haims offers strategies for 20-somethings to achieve financial independence and combat the insecurities they face, including fears of responsibility and shyness.
Body, Mind & Spirit
Alpha
Mindfulness: Relax, De-stress, and Focus Your Mind for a Healthier, Happier You by Lani Muelrath and Domyo Sater Burk (Mar. 16, $21.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-61564-986-0). Wellness instructor Muelrath and Zen Buddhist monk Burk share mindfulness practices intended to help readers improve their psychological and physical health and personal relationships, and find meaning in life.
Destiny
A Visionary Guide to Lucid Dreaming: Methods for Working with the Deep Dream State by Lee Adams (May 4, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64411-237-3). The host of the lucid dreaming podcast Cosmic Echo offers guidance on building skills for lucid dreaming and using those dreams for personal growth.
Fair Winds
The Power of Guided Meditation by Jessica Crow (Feb. 9, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-58923-989-0) provides beginning meditators guided meditations from the perspective of mindfulness, as well as offering other simple mindful breathing, walking, eating, and listening practices.
Godsfield
Yoga: The Definitive Guide: A Godsfield Companion by Lucy Lucas (June 8, $19.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-84181-493-3). Yoga instructor Lucas brings together an anthology of yoga history and philosophy, and shares ways to incorporate its practice into everyday life.
Harmony
Karma: A Yogi’s Guide to Crafting Your Own Destiny by Sadhguru (Apr. 27, $26.99, ISBN 978-0-593-23201-9) seeks to demystify karma by explaining it as an internal cycle generated within each person and determined by a mix of intention and behavior.
HarperOne
A Radical Awakening by Shefali Tsabary (May 18, $27.99, ISBN 978-0-06-298589-7). Clinical psychologist Tsabary uses real-life stories and strategies that worked for her clients to help women take back power and liberate themselves mentally, spiritually, and emotionally from patriarchal structures.
Llewellyn
Bark, Neigh, Meow: Awaken to the Transformative Wisdom of Your Companion Animal to Activate Your Soul’s Highest Calling by Lynn McKenzie and Melinda Folse (May 8, $17.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-7387-6594-5) combines exercises and reflection for readers and their animal companions toward creating a meaningful connection with a pet, figuring out one’s passion, overcoming despair, and learning to let go.
Shadow Mountain
Come, Sweet Day: Thoughts and Poems from Hard Times to Hope: A Writer’s Journey by Julianne Donaldson (Apr. 6, $14.99, ISBN 978-1-62972-844-5). Romance novelist Donaldson shares the inspirational notes she composed while dealing with cancer and mental illness, divorce and legal battles, and feelings of rejection and abandonment.
Sounds True
Trusting the Gold: Uncovering Your Natural Goodness by Tara Brach (June 1, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-68364-713-3) features stories, lessons, and reflection prompts for living in the present moment, embracing love, and championing freedom.
Health & Fitness
Avery
Burn: New Research Blows the Lid Off How We Really Burn Calories, Lose Weight, and Stay Healthy by Herman Pontzer (Mar. 2, $27, ISBN 978-0-525-54152-3). Using research on hunter-gatherer societies, genetics researcher and anthropologist Pontzer refutes the tenets of paleo, keto, antigluten, anti-grain, and vegan diets in favor of more exercise and simple calorie counting.
Benbella
Feel Great, Lose Weight: Simple Habits for Lasting and Sustainable Weight Loss by Rangan Chatterjee (Mar. 30, $19.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-953295-05-7). Physician Chatterjee explains his weight loss plan based on sustainability (rather than “fad diets”) by focusing on mental and environmental factors, as well as physical ones.
Chelsea Green
Peak 60: The New Science of Longevity and Later-Life Health for Men and Women Over 60 by Marc Bubbs (July 21, $14.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-64502-076-9). Nutritionist Bubbs details a diet intended to fight off cognitive decline, as well as exercise routines that support healthy aging.
Experiment
Outsmart Your Pain: Mindfulness and Self-Compassion to Help You Leave Chronic Pain Behind by Christiane Wolf (May 11, $16.95, ISBN 978-1-61519-721-7) offers advice and instruction for those seeking pain relief by rewriting one’s internal “pain story.”
Hachette Go
Happy, Healthy, Strong: How to Be a Strong Woman from the Inside Out by Krissy Cela (June 15, $24.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-306-92509-2). Fitness instructor Cela outlines fitness and nutrition plans tailored to different lifestyles.
Hanover Square
Evolution Gone Wrong: Surprising Stories from the Human Body’s Curious Past by Alexander Bezzerides (May 18, $28.99, ISBN 978-1-335-69005-0). Biologist Bezzerides chronicles the evolutionary history of the human body to explain aches, pains, failing vision, and dental troubles.
Harper Wave
Metabolical: The Lure and the Lies of Processed Food, Nutrition, and Modern Medicine by Robert H. Lustig (May 4, $28.99, ISBN 978-0-06-302771-8). Lustig, a pediatric neuroendocrinologist, challenges the current American health-care regimen he argues increases chronic disease, offering a natural plan that focuses on the gut and liver.
Lorena Jones
Just Eat: One Reporter’s Quest for a Weight-Loss Regimen That Works by Barry Estabrook (Feb. 2, $26, ISBN 978-0-399-58027-7). Investigative journalist Estabrook investigates contradictory advice and weighs the science behind programs including Master Cleanse, Whole30, Atkins, and Weight Watchers, as well as keto, gluten-free, and vegan diets.
North Atlantic
Ashkenazi Herbalism: Rediscovering the Herbal Traditions of Eastern European Jews by Deatra Cohen and Adam Siegel (Apr. 6, $24.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-62317-544-3) resuscitates the legacy of Jewish medicinal healers from Europe beginning in the Middle Ages.
Sourcebooks
Ditch the Diet: The 7 Essential Habits You Need to Get Lean, Stay Healthy, and Generally Kick Ass at Life by Oonagh Duncan (June 1, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-7282-3534-9) explains why diets that only focus on gluten or coconut oil don’t work; instead, she elevates the importance of eating vegetables, getting enough sleep, and quitting alcohol.
Workman
Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance by Jessamyn Stanley (June 22, $15.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-5235-0521-0).Yoga teacher Stanley explores issues of self-love, body-positivity, race, and sexuality through the lens of yoga practice.
Home & Hobbies
Ambrosia
Minimal: For Simple and Sustainable Living by Stéphanie Mandrea and Laurie Barrette, trans. by J.C. Sutcliffe (Mar. 2, $24.95, ISBN 978-1-4870-0943-4), brings together advice on home decorating, decluttering, composting, and restoring old furniture from the founders of Montreal’s home brand Dans le Sac.
Artisan
Home Sweet Houseplant: A Room-by-Room Guide to Plant Decor by Baylor Chapman (Apr. 13, $12.95, ISBN 978-1-64829-034-3) guides readers through plant ideas for the home, including fresh herbs for the kitchen and aromatic plants like jasmine or gardenia in the entryway to establish a home’s “signature scent.”
Becker & Mayer
All-Natural Perfume Making: Fragrances to Lift Your Mind, Body, and Spirit by Kristen Schuhmann (Mar. 9, $19.99, ISBN 978-0-7603-6914-2). Herbalist Schuhmann explains the basics of crafting perfumes.
Castle Point
The Prepared Home: How to Stock, Organize, and Prepare Your Home to Thrive in Comfort, Safety, and Style by Melissa George (July 6, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-250-27530-1) helps households prepare for the next emergency with ideas for what pantry staples to store and preparation tips for all sorts of emergency situations.
Cool Springs
Micro Food Gardening: Project Plans and Plants for Growing Fruits and Veggies in Tiny Spaces by Jennifer McGuinness (Mar. 9, $26.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-7603-6983-8) introduces DIY projects for growing miniature herbs and salad greens, strawberry plants, beets, and cabbages.
DK
100 Ways to Design a Healthy Home: Create Sustainable, Toxin- and Tech-Free Spaces by Oliver Heath (May 18, $19.99, ISBN 978-0-7440-3803-3). Architect Heath offers strategies for making spaces of any size livable, including lighting advice, ventilation suggestions for replenishing the air and removing pollutants, and screen-free bedrooms.
Gibbs Smith
The Backyard Homesteader: How to Save Water, Keep Bees, Eat from Your Garden, and Live a More Sustainable Life by Alison Candlin (Mar. 2, $30, ISBN 978-1-4236-5678-4) is a beginner’s manual to living a more self-sufficient lifestyle by maintaining a small farm, allotment, or backyard garden.
Ilex
The Secret Life of the Modern House: The Evolution of the Way We Live Now by Dominic Bradbury (Apr. 6, $34, ISBN 978-1-78157-761-5). Design writer Bradbury charts the evolution of Western homes from the late 19th century to today, exploring the influences of art deco, modernist architects (among them Le Corbusier and Frank Lloyd Wright), and postwar innovators such as Eero Saarinen and Philip Johnson.
Kyle
Resourceful Living: Revamp Your Home with Key Pieces, Vintage Finds, and Creative Repurposing by Lisa Dawson (June 1, $24.99, ISBN 978-0-85783-919-0). Interior design blogger Dawson divulges ideas for decorating one’s home on a budget by refurbishing existing pieces and buying vintage.
Penguin
Can I Recycle This? A Guide to Better Recycling and How to Reduce Single-Use Plastics by Jennie Romer, illus. by Christie Young (Apr. 13, $22, ISBN 978-0-14-313567-8), gives simple answers to whether many common household objects can be recycled and lays out strategies for ways to cut down on personal plastic waste.
Princeton Architectural Press
The Humane Home: Easy Steps for Sustainable and Green Living by Sarah Lozanova (Apr. 20, $19.95, ISBN 978-1-61689-850-2). Solar energy blogger Lozanova offers DIY activities and eco-friendly practices to help readers reshape how they conceive of living spaces.
Quadrille
Green Home: The Joy of Living with Plants by Anders Røyneberg (Apr. 13, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-78713-618-2). Norwegian agronomist and bestseller Røyneberg suggests ideas about how to use plants to enrich homes and promote feelings of relaxation.
Ten Speed
Simply Sustainable: Moving Toward Plastic-Free, Low-Waste Living by Lily Cameron (Mar. 30, $24.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-9848-5913-6) explores how readers can break their plastic habit and live a low-waste lifestyle.
Tiller
The Afrominimalist’s Guide to Living with Less by Christine Platt (June 15, $21.99, ISBN 978-1-9821-6804-9). The managing director of the Antiracist Research & Policy Center at American University explains a minimalist way of living that does away with all-white, barren aesthetics and offers ways to downsize while paying it forward.
Self-Help
Atria
Sensitive Is the New Strong: The Power of Empaths in an Increasingly Harsh World by Anita Moorjani (Mar. 16, $27, ISBN 978-1-5011-9667-6) explains how readers can harness empathic attributes like sensitivity, kindness, and compassion in order to lead society in a more conscientious direction.
Avid Reader
Hunt, Gather, Parent: What Ancient Cultures Teach Us About the Lost Art of Raising Happy, Helpful, Little Humans by Michaeleen Doucleff (Mar. 2, $26, ISBN 978-1-9821-4967-3). A contributor to NPR’s Science Desk, Doucleff advocates for the parenting practices of Indigenous Mexican families, Inuit families living above the Arctic Circle, and Hadza families in Tanzania in this critique of Western parenting methods.
Chalice
In Defense of Kindness: Why It Matters, How It Changes Our Lives, and How It Can Save the World by Bruce Reyes-Chow (Mar. 16, $16.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-8272-1676-1) makes the case that only through kindness can communities overcome divisiveness in favor of cooperative wholeness.
Chicken Soup for the Soul
Chicken Soup for the Soul: Making Me Time: 101 Stories About Self-Care and Balance by Amy Newmark (Feb. 16, $14.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-61159-074-6) shares stories of people who have taken control of their lives through exercising, reading, meditating, or even having lunch with friends.
Chronicle
I Know This to Be True: Ayesha Curry, edited by Geoff Blackwell and Ruth Hobday (Mar. 16, $14.95, ISBN 978-1-7972-0023-1), collects advice and inspirational interviews with Curry, the former actress, TV host, and wife of NBA player Stephen Curry.
Clarkson Potter
Megababe: The No Bullsh*t Guide to Loving Your Flaws and Becoming Your Best Self by Katie Sturino (Mar. 30, $25, ISBN 978-0-593-23212-5). Style and beauty blogger Sturino’s guide and workbook focuses on body positivity, self-acceptance, and eliminating negative energy.
Dey Street
Unbreakable by Jay Glazer (May 11, $27.99, ISBN 978-0-06-306285-6). The Fox NFL Sunday commentator offers lessons learned from his journalism career and work with military vets struggling with PTSD to help readers overcome self-doubts.
Grand Central
The Power of Awareness: And Other Secrets from the World’s Foremost Spies, Detectives, and Special Operators on How to Stay Safe and Save Your Life by Dan Schilling (June 1, $28, ISBN 978-1-5387-1867-4) shares six rules for staying safe in an uncertain world: be situationally aware, trust and use intuition, determine if there is a problem, develop a plan, act, and regroup.
Hardie Grant
Radical Rest: Get More Done by Doing Less by Richard Lister (Feb. 2, $19.99 trade paper, ISBN 978-1-78488-377-5). Nurse and holistic coach Lister outlines simple techniques for adding more rest to an everyday routine.
Health Communications
No Regrets Living: 7 Steps to Contentment by Harley A. Rotbart (Mar. 16, $15.95 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-7573-2394-2). Physician Rotbart shares ideas for appreciating the beauty of life with a specific focus on healthy coping mechanisms for the Covid-19 pandemic and paths for going forward.
Holt
Second Thoughts: On Having and Being a Second Child by Lynn Berger (Apr. 20, $24.99, ISBN 978-1-250-78786-6) This investigation of the psychology of second children from journalist Berger weaves together examples from art and popular culture, scientific research, and the her own life.
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
No One Succeeds Alone: Lessons from My Mom, My Mentors, and My Search for Belonging in Business and in Life by Robert Reffkin (May 4, $25, ISBN 978-0-358-45461-8). Reffkin, CEO of the online real estate broker Compass, who is Black and was raised Jewish, distills wisdom he’s learned throughout his life into actionable lessons.
Morrow
Live Free: Use the Power of Setting Expectations to Transform Your Life by Devon Franklin (Apr. 13, $27.99, ISBN 978-0-06-303117-3) argues that expectations are a hindrance to personal growth, and that a culture based on always wanting more results in widespread discontent.
New World Library
Pause. Breathe. Choose: Become the CEO of Your Well-Being by Naz Beheshti (Feb. 2, $25.95, ISBN 978-1-60868-723-7). The former executive assistant to Steve Jobs shares a holistic approach to pursuing one’s dreams and innovation that integrates relationships, self-care, and purposeful growth.
Penguin Life
Professional Troublemaker: The Fear-Fighter Manual by Luvvie Ajayi Jones (Mar. 2, $26, ISBN 978-1-9848-8190-8) tackles imposter syndrome and standing up to fear through simple practices that will allow readers to find their voice and speak up for the greater good.
Plume
The Rejection That Changed My Life: 25+ Powerful Women on Being Let Down, Turning It Around, and Burning It Up at Work by Jessica Bacal (Apr. 6, $17 trade paper, ISBN 978-0-593-18765-4) features interviews with women including Keri Smith, Angela Duckworth, and Roz Chast to provide new ways for readers to think about career challenges and triumphs.
Running Press
Friendship in the Age of Loneliness: An Optimist’s Guide to Connection by Adam Smiley Poswolsky (May 4, $22, ISBN 978-0-7624-7227-7) proposes solutions to the pressures of modern life, such as focusing on friendships, developing a healthy relationship with technology, and prioritizing real world experiences.
Sounds True
Boundary Boss: The Essential Guide to Talk True, Be Seen, and (Finally) Live Free by Terri Cole (Apr. 20, $25.99, ISBN 978-1-68364-768-3). Psychotherapist Cole explains how to establish healthy boundaries, including lessons in mindful communication, body language, and how to deal with the guilt or backlash that arises when setting boundaries.
Tarcherperigee
Your Fully Charged Life: A Radically Simple Approach to Having Endless Energy and Filling Every Day with Yay by Meaghan B. Murphy (Feb. 23, $26, ISBN 978-0-593-18857-6). The content director at Woman’s Day magazine shares advice on dealing with exhaustion, and ideas for expressing gratitude, making meaningful connections, and learning to say no.
