If you recently (or not so recently) got out of a relationship, there might be a certain conversation that keeps replaying in your head. It’s that one debate you often had with your ex, the one about politics, or social issues, or your own relationship that never quite got resolved. And now, maybe it never will.
But on the off chance that you do discuss it again with that no-longer-special person, you want to be prepared. You want to have the knowledge and know-how to finally win this debate, right? If so, take a look at the five reads below—when the time comes, they might help you settle the argument once and for all.
Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear
By Carl L. Hart
A wave of marijuana legalization seems to be building across the United States. Is this a positive step toward a more free, more just society? Or perhaps a harbinger of dangerous developments to come? Get some straight talk about the science of drug use from Columbia neuroscientist Carl Hart. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
You’re About to Make a Terrible Mistake: How Biases Distort Decision-Making—and What You Can Do to Fight Them
By Olivier Sibony
Strategy professor and management consultant Olivier Sibony shows how cognitive biases routinely lead all of us into nine common decision-making traps. He then distills the latest developments in behavioral economics and cognitive psychology into actionable tools for making smart, effective decisions. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
Laziness Does Not Exist
By Devon Price
For too many of us, our self-worth has become a function of our productivity. In other words, we only feel good about ourselves by working harder and harder, even from the couch. But social psychologist Devon Price is here to explain why what we call “laziness” isn’t just natural—it’s something we should all strive to embrace. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
You’re Not Listening: What You’re Missing and Why It Matters
By Kate Murphy
While someone else is speaking, we’re often not listening, but thinking about what we should say next. And when it’s our turn, we usually talk about ourselves rather than ask an earnest question. So in You’re Not Listening, New York Times contributor Kate Murphy dives deep into how we can improve the very real skill of listening. View on Amazon
Weird: The Power of Being an Outsider in an Insider World
By Olga Khazan
The Atlantic staff writer Olga Khazan explores why it is that we crave conformity, and how that affects people who are different. She then reveals the hidden upsides to being “weird,” as well as the strategies that people who are different can use to achieve success in a society that values normalcy. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
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