We curate the best non-fiction books of the year.

We believe in the power of books.

Unlike other industry awards programs, books are not entered into predefined categories and authors or publishers are not charged a fee to enter a book. Rather than creating a profit-making venture, we focus on selecting the very best books of the year and sharing them with our global audience.

The Non-Obvious Book Awards are curated, judged and created for people who love books. Especially non-fiction books.

Every year we start by selecting a Longlist of our favorite books of the year - selected from hundreds of books submitted every year. This is followed by our Shortlist of the 15 top books of the year, and then we select winners based on five themes – importance, originality, readability, usefulness, and shareability.

The 2023 competition is now closed! Learn more about our judging process and how to enter >>

2019 Non-Obvious Book Award Winners

2018 Non-Obvious Book Award Winners

2017 Non-Obvious Book Award Winners

2016 Non-Obvious Book Award Winners

Note: There was no award program in 2015.

2014 Non-Obvious Book Award Winners

About the Non-Obvious Company

These awards are organized and judged by the team at the Non-Obvious Company. We believe the world needs more non-obvious thinkers. Our mission is to help leaders, organizations and curious minds learn the habits that allow them to see what others miss and face the unknown. We do this through our published books, popular keynotes, custom workshops, annual book awards and our weekly Non-Obvious Insights Show hosted by our founder Rohit Bhargava.

Learn more about our judging criteria and how to enter here >>