We select the best non‑fiction books of the year.
For more than ten years, the Non-Obvious Book Awards have honored the most original, useful, entertaining, shareable and important business & non-fiction books — chosen from 1,000+ submissions annually.
2026 ENTRIES NOW OPEN See How to Enter →
How It Works
An award unlike any other.
There are no predefined entry categories, no entry fees, and no pay-to-win. Every submitted book is actually reviewed by our team, and the best rise to the top — it's that simple.
A welcome from our founder, Rohit Bhargava
Submissions
Entries are accepted from mid-August through late October. Authors, publishers and publicists mail two printed copies of each book — there's no entry fee, and no categories to choose.
Judging
Through the fall, our review team actually reads every one of the 1,000+ submissions — selecting the 100-book longlist announced in mid-November, then narrowing it to the shortlist revealed in early December.
Winner Announcements
Each December, five books are named winners — the most Original, Useful, Entertaining, Shareable and Important books of the year — revealed during our live announcement show on YouTube.
The Five Awards
Every winner is non-obvious.
Instead of forcing books into genres, we celebrate the qualities that make a book worth reading.
Book of the Year
Book of the Year
Book of the Year
Book of the Year
Book of the Year
The Archive
Ten years of the best
non-fiction books.
Every longlist, shortlist and winner since 2014 — a decade-long reading list of the books that mattered.
Or Browse By Award · The Best Of The Decade
Or Browse By Topic
The Non-Obvious Podcast
Hear interviews with award-winning authors.
On The Non-Obvious Show, Rohit Bhargava sits down with the authors behind the books we celebrate — asking the big questions about everything from the future of technology to the science of better thinking. Every episode is a conversation with a non-obvious mind, with many guests drawn straight from the Book Awards longlist.
New episodes weekly on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and everywhere you listen.
See Episode List2026 Competition
Think a book is a winner?
Entries for the 2026 Non-Obvious Book Awards are now open. Authors, publishers and publicists are all welcome to submit — and it costs nothing to enter.
How To Enter →
- 1No entry fee — ever
Submitting your book for consideration is completely free.
- 2Two physical copies required
Mail two printed copies of your book to our submissions address. Galleys and advance copies are accepted. Unfortunately, we cannot accept international shipments due to customs fees.
- 3Print only, in English
No digital or audio submissions are accepted. All entries must be written in English.
- 4Publication window
Books must have a publication date between November 2025 and December 2026.
Love Words?
Future Words Arrives This October!
Future Words: A Non-Obvious Glossary of Terms That Don’t Exist (But Soon Will)
From our founder Rohit Bhargava and futurist Henry Coutinho-Mason comes this book for word lovers, trend spotters, and anyone who has ever wished for a word that didn’t quite exist. From the bestselling authors of The Future Normal.
See The Words
