15 Books That Will Get You Thinking
From how to make choices, to the science behind addiction, to time management, and more.
Several months ago, a renowned psychologist politely declined (via her assistant) my request for an interview. The psychologist was busy writing her next book, holed up in what she referred to as her “book cave.”
I’m writing to you today as I emerge from a metaphorical cave of my own, having recently finished the manuscript for my forthcoming book about our relationship with new things.
One of my favorite parts of the book-writing process has been discovering great books that others have written, especially when those books get me thinking differently about the world around me.
So, I thought I’d share a list of some of the books I came across while writing. Some of these I found for research, while others were purely inspirational. All of them gave me a lot to think about.
Here’s the list:
Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There
by Tali Sharot and Cass R. Sunstein, Atria/One Signal Publishers
…neuroscience professor Tali Sharot and Harvard law professor (and presidential advisor) Cass R. Sunstein investigate why we stop noticing both the great and not-so-great things around us and how to “dishabituate” at the office, in the bedroom, at the store, on social media, and in the voting booth.
How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be
by Katy Milkman, Portfolio
Drawing on Milkman’s original research and the work of her world-renowned scientific collaborators, How to Change shares strategic methods for identifying and overcoming common barriers to change, such as impulsivity, procrastination, and forgetfulness.
You Have More Influence Than You Think: How We Underestimate Our Power of Persuasion, and Why It Matters
by Vanessa Bohns, W. W. Norton & Company
In You Have More Influence Than You Think social psychologist Vanessa Bohns draws from her original research to illustrate why we fail to recognize the influence we have, and how that lack of awareness can lead us to miss opportunities or accidentally misuse our power.
Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence
by Anna Lembke, Dutton
In Dopamine Nation, Dr. Anna Lembke, psychiatrist and author, explores the exciting new scientific discoveries that explain why the relentless pursuit of pleasure leads to pain . . . and what to do about it.
Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals
by Oliver Burkeman, Farrar, Straus and Giroux
The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. If you live to be 80, you’ll have had about 4,000 weeks. But that’s no reason for despair. Confronting our radical finitude – and how little control we really have – is the key to a fulfilling and meaningfully productive life.
The Mindful Body: Thinking Our Way to Chronic Health
by Ellen J. Langer, Ballantine Books
Can changing your thoughts improve your health? We tend to live our lives as though our ailments—our stiff knees or frayed nerves or diminished eyesight—can change only in one direction: for the worse. Award-winning social psychologist Ellen J. Langer’s life’s work proves the fault in this negative outlook as well as the healing power of its alternative: mindfulness—the process of active noticing where we are not bound by past experience or conventional wisdom.
Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It
by Ethan Kross, Crown
An award-winning psychologist reveals the hidden power of our inner voice and shows how we can harness it to live a healthier, more satisfying, and more productive life.
Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less
by Greg McKeown, Crown Currency
In Essentialism, Greg McKeown draws on experience and insight from working with the leaders of the most innovative companies in the world to show how to achieve the disciplined pursuit of less.
Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well
by Amy C. Edmondson, Simon Element / Simon Acumen
After decades of award-winning research, Amy Edmondson is here to upend our understanding of failure and make it work for us. In Right Kind of Wrong, Edmondson provides the framework to think, discuss, and practice failure wisely.
Life Worth Living: A Guide to What Matters Most
by Miroslav Volf, Matthew Croasmun, and Ryan McAnnally-Linz, The Open Field
In Life Worth Living, named after its authors’ highly sought-after undergraduate course, Volf, Croasmun, and McAnnally-Linz chart out this question, providing readers with jumping-off points, road maps, and habits of reflection for figuring out where their lives hold meaning and where things need to change.
The Craving Mind: From Cigarettes to Smartphones to Love – Why We Get Hooked and How We Can Break Bad Habits
by Judson Brewer, Yale University Press
This book provides groundbreaking answers to the most important questions about addiction. Judson Brewer, a psychiatrist and neuroscientist who has studied the science of addictions for twenty years, reveals how we can tap into the very processes that encourage addictive behaviors in order to step out of them.
The Art of Choosing
by Sheena Iyengar, Twelve
Sheena Iyengar asks the difficult questions about how and why we choose: Is the desire for choice innate or bound by culture? Why do we sometimes choose against our best interests? How much control do we really have over what we choose?
The Power of Saying No: The New Science of How to Say No that Puts You in Charge of Your Life
by Vanessa Patrick, Sourcebooks
In The Power of Saying No, award-winning professor and researcher Vanessa Patrick delves into the new science of saying no. She introduces the ground-breaking concept of "empowered refusal"—a proven framework for saying no that puts you in charge of your life—and reveals some surprising secrets about the power of the word no.
Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less
by Leidy Klotz, Flatiron Books
Blending behavioral science and design, Leidy Klotz’s Subtract offers a scientific appreciation of why we underuse subtraction―and how to access its untapped potential.
The Influential Mind: What the Brain Reveals About Our Power to Change Others
by Tali Sharot, Henry Holt and Co.
In The Influential Mind, neuroscientist Tali Sharot takes us on a thrilling exploration of the nature of influence. We all have a duty to affect others—from the classroom to the boardroom to social media. But how skilled are we at this role, and can we become better?
Thanks for reading,
Eric