In a recent feature, Nature highlighted nine books aimed at helping researchers navigate career, communication and wellbeing challenges in science. Rather than focusing on technical excellence alone, the selection reflects a broader understanding of what it means to thrive in science today.
The books span themes that resonate strongly with researchers in 2026: redefining success beyond metrics and titles, managing career pivots inside and outside academia, communicating with confidence, and confronting structural challenges such as gender inequality and systemic bias. Titles like Stop Chasing Happiness and The Not To-Do List invite scientists to reconsider conventional notions of productivity and ambition, while Navigating the P.I.V.O.T. and Thriving as an International Scientist offer practical guidance for those facing career disruption, global mobility or non-linear paths.
Communication and mentorship emerge as core skills, with works such as Just F**king Say It and Teaching and Mentoring Writers in the Sciences emphasizing that clarity, assertiveness and storytelling are now essential components of scientific impact. Other books, including Patriarchy Inc and The Twentysomething Treatment, place individual careers within wider social, generational and institutional contexts.
Together, these nine books reflect Nature’s recognition that building a sustainable science career today requires not only intellectual rigor, but also self-awareness, adaptability and the ability to engage meaningfully with the world beyond the lab.
Read more:
- Nine books to help shape your science career in 2026
- When Brain Organoids Shape Art: Neural Life as Co-Creator
