A sense of flabbergasted surprise is often associated with fictional stories—with the twist at the end of a murder mystery, for example. But it turns out that math, science, and psychology offer their own jaw-dropping surprises, and the three heady books below reveal a number of curious facts that are sure to make you say “whoa!”
Fantastic Numbers and Where to Find Them: A Cosmic Quest from Zero to Infinity
By Antonio Padilla
A leading theoretical physicist and YouTube star takes the reader on an irreverent cosmic tour of nine of the most extraordinary numbers in physics, offering a startling picture of how the universe works. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Antonio Padilla, in the Next Big Idea App
Don’t Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life
By Seth Stephens-Davidowitz
A former Google data scientist explains how hard facts and figures contradict our instincts yet reveal self-help that actually works—whether it involves the best time in life to start a business, or how happy it actually makes us to skip a friend’s birthday party for a night of Netflix on the couch. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, in the Next Big Idea App
The Romance of Reality: How the Universe Organizes Itself to Create Life, Consciousness, and Cosmic Complexity
By Bobby Azarian
Carl Sagan once said of humanity that “we are a way for the cosmos to know itself.” The Romance of Reality shows that this poetic statement rests on a scientific foundation, and gives us a new way to know the cosmos—along with a riveting vision of life that imbues existence with meaning. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Bobby Azarian, in the Next Big Idea App
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