In a world where chaos and confusion are familiar to everyone, 2025 promises to be a pivotal year for books addressing social issues. Escape from reality is what most people are looking for. That escapism comes to you in many forms, and the best form is through books. Something that helps you to calm down your nerves and rejuvenates you for another morning ahead. However, many times, one needs to face all these social and traumatic issues right in the face with the help of mentors and books about social issues. One is able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
Before exploring into this list of 10 impactful books tackling social problems in 2025, it’s crucial to reflect on some fundamental questions. This reflection will help you broaden your understanding of these issues and uncover solutions or at the very least, discover ways to cope with them.
What is A Social issue?
A social issue is a challenge that impacts a significant portion of a community. These problems typically arise from societal norms, values, and structures that shape people’s experiences and can result in social conflict. The social issues and their examples include poverty, discrimination, social and cultural bias, criminal injustice, war crimes, and sexual and moral harassment are all those issues that are included in the list.
What are The Social Issues in Today’s Society?
Although we have grown as a generation and learned to respect the rights of others, certain social concerns are still prevalent in society, including.
- Racial Inequality: Ongoing disparities in treatment and opportunity based on race.
- Gender Inequality: Issues surrounding pay gaps, representation, and rights.
- Climate Change: The impact of environmental degradation on communities.
- Mental Health Awareness: Stigma and access to mental health care.
- Immigration: The challenges faced by immigrants in new societies.
These are some of the most common social issues faced by people on a daily basis. However, it is essential to note that authors often address these issues in their books to help people understand their complex nature. Moreover, people can find solace by changing their behaviour and turning a new leaf.
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What are The Examples of Social Issues in Books?
Literature is often known to be a reflection of society, a mirror image of what is going around and what experiences people face. The books on social issues highlight the struggles and triumphs of individuals who face these issues in an average daily life.
List of 10 Best Books On Social Issues to Read in 2025:
1. Echoes of Hate: Unraveling The War Equation by Author Anthony B Gendreau:
Anthony Gendreau‘s book delves deeply into the social issues of hate and its repercussions in society. This book could easily be known as the best book about social issues because of the diverse nature of the problems that are addressed in the book.
What separates the book apart from others is the omniscient narrator’s ability to evoke the sense of asking questions about the deep wounds of uncomfortable truths and the big divide in society.
2. To Kill a Mocking Bird by Harper Lee:
Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird is widely regarded as one of the best books on social issues due to its profound exploration of themes such as racial injustice, moral growth, and the loss of innocence.
3. Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn:
While you consider the list of books on cultural issues, this is the one that has been critically acclaimed for its work on women’s injustice and inequality. The book talks about empowering women and giving them equal and unfiltered rights.
4. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World—and Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling:
World issues such as culture development and drastic changes are among the social issues that we face. Among many other social issues books on the list, this is the one that talks about the larger perspective.
Hans Rosling has conducted extensive research and conducted data-driven analyses of the global issues explained in the book. He urges readers to learn about these issues and how they are transforming the lives of modern people.
5. My Grandmother’s Hands by Resmaa Menakem:
Going back to the individual traumas that result from social discrimination and vice versa, My Grandmother’s Hands is another name that should be on the list for best books on social issues.
The book explores racial trauma and its impact on individuals and communities, providing avenues for healing and reconciliation.
6. Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates:
In the list of books on social issues, this is the one that resonates more with people when it comes to racial bias. Coates writes a letter to his son in which he discusses the reality of being a Black Man in America. What makes this book a must-read for social issues is the urge to ask unfavourable truths from society. This not only questions their existence but also raises eyebrows about gender and racial bias and its deep-rooted effect on society.
7. The Hate You Give by Angie Thomas:
The Hate You Give is one of the most critically acclaimed books on social issues. In it, Angie Thomas highlights the importance of injustice and racial discrimination.
It is the story of a girl who witnesses the tragic shooting of his friend Khalil, and soon after, the world around her changes. This incident serves as a powerful commentary on systemic racism and police violence against Black individuals, prompting readers to confront uncomfortable truths about societal inequalities.
8. The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini:
When it comes to books on social issues, the work of Khaled Hosseini has a dominant place in literature. The book is set in the backdrop of the Afghan war, where the war-ridden people navigate the issues of loyalty, survival, injustice, friendship, and all the core human expressions.
9. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls:
The Glass Castle is a book about Jeannette Walls’s experiences and her siblings where they learn to navigate life in a dysfunctional family. Jeannette’s relationship with her parents, mainly her father Rex, is filled with both admiration and frustration, reflecting the duality of their experiences.
10. Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari:
When turning on the pages of Sapiens, one realizes that this is one of the best books on social issues. The author, Harari, contends that Homo sapiens’ capacity to create and believe in shared myths—such as religions, nations, and economic systems—has been essential for facilitating large-scale cooperation among people. These collective narratives enable societies to operate and flourish, demonstrating that many elements of our social order are constructed rather than inherent truths.
Final Words
To conclude, by looking at the books on social issues, we have tried to get our readers a glimpse of all kinds of popular and critically acclaimed books. Each book offers unique insights into the challenges of racial injustice, familial dynamics, resilience, and the power of shared narratives. In 2025, these reads stand out as essential tools for compelling readers to confront uncomfortable truths while fostering empathy and understanding across diverse perspectives.
