You already know this—and that is why you are here: knowledge is power. Many people understand this truth, yet they still do not want to acquire knowledge. There are many reasons why people choose not to do so, but that is not the focus of this article.

We know that the traditional way of acquiring knowledge—reading books—is still valid. In fact, it remains one of the best means of gaining knowledge. First, it has been scientifically proven that reading books improves our neural pathways. Second, it allows us to engage with information in a detailed and in-depth manner.

As we enter a new year, set our goals and ambitions, and hope that the year brings out the best of its opportunities, I have highlighted ten of the most important books for anyone to read in 2026. These books mainly focus on three key areas that govern our actions, thoughts, and words, with a central emphasis on emotional intelligence and cognitive biases.

We have provided links to purchase these books on Amazon. Buying through our links allows us to earn a small commission, and we would greatly appreciate your support if you choose to use them.

1. THINKING FAST AND SLOW DANIEL KANHEMAN

The first book in the list is Think Fast Think slow by Daniel Kahneman. We sure know it, one of our greatest enemies is our own biases and prejudices. And Daniel Kahneman deals with this issue in details. In Thinking, Fast and Slow, Kahneman takes us on a ground-breaking tour of the mind and explains the two systems that drive the way we think and make choices. One system is fast, intuitive and emotional; the other is slower, more deliberative and more logical. Kahneman exposes the extraordinary capabilities-and also the faults and biases-of fast thinking and reveals the pervasive influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behaviour.

The importance of properly framing risks, the effects of cognitive biases on how we view others, the dangers of prediction, the right ways to develop skills, the pros and cons of fear and optimism, the difference between our experience and memory of events, the real components of happiness-each of these can be understood only by knowing how the two systems work together to shape our judgements and decisions..

You Can Purchase it via this link. https://amzn.to/4qhdVBI

2. ATOMIC HABITS

People think that when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions: doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call.

He calls them atomic habits.

In this ground-breaking book, Clears reveals exactly how these minuscule changes can grow into such life-altering outcomes. He uncovers a handful of simple life hacks (the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, the unexpected power of the Two Minute Rule, or the trick to entering the Goldilocks Zone), and delves into cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience to explain why they matter. Along the way, he tells inspiring stories of Olympic gold medalists, leading CEOs, and distinguished scientists who have used the science of tiny habits to stay productive, motivated, and happy.

These small changes will have a revolutionary effect on your career, your relationships, and your life this Year.

You Can find a copy at Amazon through this link https://amzn.to/4jKWh70

3. GENDERED BRAIN

Barbie or Lego? Reading maps or reading emotions? Do you have a female brain or a male brain? Or is that the wrong question?

On a daily basis we face deeply ingrained beliefs that our sex determines our skills and preferences, from toys and colors to career choice and salaries. But what does this mean for our thoughts, decisions and behavior? We don’t want to continue carrying baggage of wrong ingrained beliefs and this book will set you will change your thinking if you have not read it before.

Using the latest cutting-edge neuroscience, Gina Rippon unpacks the stereotypes that bombard us from our earliest moments and shows how these messages mould our ideas of ourselves and even shape our brains. Rigorous, timely and liberating, The Gendered Brain has huge repercussions for women and men, for parents and children, and for how we identify ourselves.

You can find the link to purchase the book here https://amzn.to/49mIsbk

4. THE PRECARIOUS JAPAN

“Powerful and timely … I cannot recommend it strongly enough” – Barack Obama

Beyond race or class, our lives are defined by a powerful, unspoken system of divisions. In Caste, Pulitzer Prize-winning author Isabel Wilkerson provides a profound, eye-opening portrait of this hidden phenomenon. This is the story of how our world was shaped by caste, and how its rigid, arbitrary hierarchies still divide us today in 2026.

Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people–including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball’s Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others–she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day.

She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways we can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity. And the hope in common humanity is what we so much need in 2026.

‘Required reading for all of humanity’ Oprah Winfrey

“If you haven’t read it yet, you absolutely must.” – Edward Enninful, Vogue

‘An instant American classic’ Dwight Garner, The New York Times

You can find the link to the book here https://amzn.to/49CJ639

5. THE PRECARIAT

This book presents the Precariat – an emerging class, comprising the rapidly growing number of people facing lives of insecurity, moving in and out of jobs that give little meaning to their lives.

Guy Standing argues that this class is producing instabilities in society. Although it would be wrong to characterize members of the Precariat as victims, many are frustrated and angry. The Precariat is dangerous because it is internally divided, leading to the villainization of migrants and other vulnerable groups. Lacking agency, its members may be susceptible to the siren calls of political extremism.
To prevent a ‘politics of inferno’, Guy Standing argues for a ‘politics of paradise’, in which redistribution and income security are reconfigured in a new kind of Good Society, and in which the fears and aspirations of the Precariat are made central to a progressive strategy.

You might be interested to have an understanding of the polarized world we live in 2026. So why can’t you grab a copy and buy it on Amazon.

You can find the link to the Amazon Purchase here. https://amzn.to/4pCkdux

As we begin 2026, we believe these books are essential in helping us become more aware of our emotions, biases, and prejudices, as well as in understanding the hierarchical structures in our world that not only discriminate against others but also hinder us from interacting with fellow human beings and learning from them. We wish you the very best on your journey and in your thirst for knowledge.

Titus Kosgei.