The New York Times Best Sellers - October 05, 2025 (Nonfiction)

The NYT Best Sellers - 05 October 2025 (Nonfiction)

01. POEMS & PRAYERS by Matthew McConaughey
02. CONFRONTING EVIL by Bill O'Reilly
03. ALL THE WAY TO THE RIVER by Elizabeth Gilbert
04. THE BOOK OF SHEEN by Charlie Sheen
05. HISTORY MATTERS by David McCullough
06. WE THE PEOPLE by Jill Lepore
07. IF ANYONE BUILDS IT, EVERYONE DIES by Eliezer Yudkowsky
08. TIME FOR A TURNING POINT by Charlie Kirk
09. THE ANXIOUS GENERATION by Jonathan Haidt
10. THE BODY KEEPS THE SCORE by Bessel van der Kolk
11. BLACK AF HISTORY by Michael Harriot
12. DEAD CENTER by Joe Manchin
13. CHAOS by Tom O'Neil
14. REPLACEABLE YOU by Mary Roach
15. WHY FASCISTS FEAR TEACHERS by Randi Weingarten

New this week:


01. POEMS & PRAYERS by Matthew McConaughey
POEMS & PRAYERS by Matthew McConaughey is an inspiring collection of faith-filled poetry, prayers, and reflections drawn from four decades of the actor's personal writings, exploring themes of belief, dreams, and finding meaning amid life's challenges. As a follow-up to his #1 bestselling memoir Greenlights, it encourages readers to embrace enchantment, rhyme their way to reason, and prioritize soulful inspiration over rigid logic in an era of doubt and deception.

05. HISTORY MATTERS by David McCullough
History Matters is a posthumous collection of previously published and never-before-seen essays and speeches in which two-time Pulitzer winner David McCullough argues that learning history—through the eyes of those who lived it—remains essential to understanding the present and safeguarding American ideals.

06. WE THE PEOPLE by Jill Lepore
We the People is Jill Lepore’s 720-page history of the U.S. Constitution, released on 11 September 2025 in hardback and e-book by John Murray Press/Hachette, that argues the document was always meant to be amended—and that America’s failure to keep doing so now threatens civic stability.

07. IF ANYONE BUILDS IT, EVERYONE DIES by Eliezer Yudkowsky
If Anyone Builds It, Everyone Dies: Why Superhuman AI Would Kill Us All is a 2025 nonfiction book co-authored by AI safety researchers Eliezer Yudkowsky and Nate Soares, arguing that the uncontrolled development of artificial superintelligence poses an existential threat to humanity and calling for an immediate global halt to advanced AI research. Drawing on two decades of work at the Machine Intelligence Research Institute (MIRI), the authors explain why superhuman AI would likely pursue goals misaligned with human survival, leading to scenarios where it could wipe out our species, and propose urgent international safeguards to prevent this.

12. DEAD CENTER by Joe Manchin
Dead Center: In Defense of Common Sense is a memoir by former U.S. Senator Joe Manchin that defends his centrist politics, sharing behind-the-scenes stories from his 43-year career while advocating for bipartisanship, fiscal responsibility, and putting country before party. With a foreword by coach Nick Saban, the book critiques political polarization—particularly from the left—and outlines Manchin's "common sense" principles, such as treating people with respect and only voting for what he can explain to constituents.

14. REPLACEABLE YOU by Mary Roach
Replaceable You is Mary Roach’s 2025 pop-science romp through humanity’s long, often bizarre quest to swap out failing body parts—from brass noses and iron lungs to stem-cell organs and 3-D-printed bones.

15. WHY FASCISTS FEAR TEACHERS by Randi Weingarten
Why Fascists Fear Teachers is Randi Weingarten’s forceful 2025 manifesto showing how public-school teachers safeguard democracy—and why authoritarian movements try to silence them.