Small Talk

Michael Pollan

From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of How to Change Your Mind, a panoptic exploration of consciousness—what it is, who has it, and why—and a meditation on the essence of our humanityWhen it comes to the phenomenon that is consciousness, there is one point on which scientists, philosophers, and artists all agree: it feels like something to be us. Yet the fact that we ...

Hippel, William Von

A Next Big Idea Club Must Read of February 2025 From the author of The Social Leap comes this thought-provoking exploration into humans' two core evolutionary needs, for connection and autonomy, how the modern world has thrown them out of whack, and how we can rebalance them to improve our lives. Why do people who have so much--leading comfortable lives filled with unpreceden...

Penelope Gardner-Chloros

All about bilingualism, in science and in life: the benefits and controversies, the individual experience, and the social significance.Nearly half the world's people are bilingual, but many have no clear understanding of what—aside from being fluent in more than one language—bilingualism means. This lively introduction by linguist Penelope Gardner-Chloros covers everything a bi...

Shigehiro Oishi

A NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB MUST-READ BOOK • From one of our foremost psychologists, a trailblazing book that turns the idea of a good life on its head and urges us to embrace the transformative power of variety and experienceFor many people, a good life is a stable life, a comfortable life that follows a well-trodden path. This is the case for Shigehiro Oishi's father, who has lived ...

Dr. Sunita Sah

Why is it so hard to speak up, even when we know something's wrong?This is the definitive book on defiance, a clear-eyed dissection of the forces that silence us, featuring groundbreaking research and legendary stories alongside everyday examples and strategies for how to unleash the power of a "True No."Many of us comply much more than we realize. How many times have you wante...

Laura Huang

From celebrated business school professor and author of Edge, a research-backed framework for honing and harnessing your intuition to make the right decisions and attain greater levels of achievement.What sets the most successful people apart? You may think that the correct answer is hard work (and it's certainly part of it), but in her interviews of the most accomplished indiv...