Zak Ebrahim’s “The Terrorist’s Son” is the first TED Book in printed form. Photo: Dian Lofton

On the anniversary of September 11, we’re proud to launch an idea that is the deepest possible antidote to terror. It’s the powerful story of Zak Ebrahim, who grew up the son of a terrorist (his father helped plan the 1993 WTC bombing), and chose tolerance over hatred.

This idea reaches you in a form that’s new for us: It’s the first in a series of book-talk pairings that allow us to go deeper on our mission. The 9-minute talk astounded the audience at TED2014, bringing them to their feet. The book picks up where Zak’s talk left off, delving deeper into his astonishing first-person account of a family engulfed by events much larger than them.

We think you’ll find The Terrorist’s Son: A Story of Choice a truly riveting read: The remarkable true story of a boy trained to hate, and the man who chose another path.

We’re publishing The Terrorist’s Son with our partner, Simon & Schuster. It’s the first in a series of 12 books we’ll release over the next 12 months in hardcover, e-book and audiobook. These books cover a wide, TED-like range of subjects — from architecture to business, space travel to love. Each is intentionally short, up to 20,000 words: Long enough to dive deep into an idea, but short enough to be read in a single sitting. Many will include wondrous photography and art. All will bring new ideas and sharp writing to you monthly.

The books will have their own signature look, with cover art designed by legendary book jacket artist (and TED speaker) Chip Kidd. Among the forthcoming titles from TED Books: Acclaimed travel writer Pico Iyer’s The Art of Stillness will pose a counterintuitive truth: the more technology connects us, the more we feel desperate to unplug; Architizer founder Marc Kushner takes us on a global tour of groundbreaking advances in architecture in The Future of Architecture in 100 Buildings; and in the Mathematics of Love, Hannah Fry offers us patterns, proofs and the search for the ultimate equation.

We’re excited to see how these books help speakers go beyond their 18 minutes, and how they’ll help you dive deeper into their important ideas.

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