All signal, no noise, these are the smart reads, talking points and weird gems to look out for in the coming year.

Every year, bookstore shelves swell with new non-fiction works by authors who are all writing in response to their inner and outer lives, their surroundings, and their yearning for a better world.

This month, several great non-fiction books have come out. The most popular so far is Apple in China, which interviewed 500 people within the company and focuses on its manufacturing in China. Apple ...