When presented with credible information that challenges our long-held beliefs, we can respond in one of two ways. We can dismiss the new facts, clinging ever more tightly to an outdated but familiar worldview. Or we can recognize the situation for what it truly is: an opportunity to learn, grow, and indulge our curiosity.
So if you’re excited by the idea of becoming (or remaining) an open-minded thinker, we recommend the seven new books below. The ideas they contain may surprise or challenge you, but they will leave you smarter and wiser than ever before.
Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain
By Lisa Feldman Barrett
Renowned neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett reveals where brains came from, how they’re structured, and how yours works in tandem with other brains to create everything you experience. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
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
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know
By Adam Grant
Wharton psychologist Adam Grant offers bold ideas and rigorous evidence to show how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, encourage others to rethink topics as wide-ranging as abortion and climate change, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. View Our “Book Bite” Summary
Probable Impossibilities: Musings on Beginnings and Endings
By Alan Lightman
In this heartfelt and mind-blowing collection of essays, MIT physicist Alan Lightman reflects on the preciousness and precariousness of life on Earth in the vast and wondrous cosmos. View Our Conversation with the Author
The World for Sale: Money, Power, and the Traders Who Barter the Earth’s Resources
By Javier Blas and Jack Farchy
Two acclaimed journalists take the reader into the back alleys of high-powered global trade, showing how capitalism really works and who really profits. 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
Mine!: How the Hidden Rules of Ownership Control Our Lives
By Michael Heller and James Salzman
A hidden set of rules governs who owns what, explaining everything from whether you can recline your airplane seat to why HBO lets you borrow a password illegally. And in this lively and entertaining guide, two acclaimed law professors reveal how things become “mine.” View Our “Book Bite” Summary
To enjoy Book Bites from anywhere, download the Next Big Idea app today:
