Next Big Idea Book Club

Most people think they’re fairly skilled at making big life decisions. But in his groundbreaking book, Farsighted: How We Make the Decisions That Matter the Most, science historian Steven Johnson argues that we’re not as good as we think.

Drawing insights from behavioral psychology, neuroscience, military strategy, and management theory, Johnson builds a compelling case for why typical decision-making processes are too narrow—and the benefits of a more full-spectrum approach.

In this course, you’ll learn to tackle complex, long-term decisions with conclusions from Johnson’s book—including how to map your options, predict outcomes, and consider your values before making final choices.

Research scientist and TED speaker Janelle Shane shares her insights on artificial intelligence (AI) in You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It’s Making the World a Weirder Place.

In this course, you’ll learn what AI is—and isn’t—and what its current limitations are. You’ll also discover how the collaboration between AI and human intelligence can lead to new, exciting innovations.

Daniel Coyle, author of The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups, shares the insights he gained after spending four years with some of the best teams in the world—including Pixar and SEAL Team Six—about creating a high-performing culture.

In this course, you’ll learn the three key principles behind every great culture: safety, vulnerability, and purpose. You’ll also hear real-life examples for each tip you gain, and learn how to identify the type of culture that’s right for you.

From Steve Jobs to Mark Zuckerberg, Silicon Valley’s tech companies are led primarily by well-connected white men. And while their achievements are certainly laudable, their homogeneity gives the impression that only a certain kind of person can succeed at high-powered innovation.

Shellye Archambeau is here to prove that impression wrong. In Unapologetically Ambitious: Take Risks, Break Barriers, and Create Success on Your Own Terms, Archambeau details how determination, patience, and meticulous planning allowed her to accomplish goals she first established as a driven teenager.

In this course, you’ll learn to go after what you want—no matter who you are or where you’re from—with techniques from Archambeau’s book. You’ll learn to confront impostor syndrome, prepare for opportunities, and develop self-assurance. We’ll tackle building a reputation, growing your network, and integrating your passions and responsibilities. Finally, you’ll learn to focus on what matters, practice self-care, find mentors, and advocate for what you want.

In The CEO Next Door: The 4 Behaviors That Transform Ordinary People Into World-Class Leaders, Elena Botelho and co-author Kim Powell share the secrets of the world’s most successful business leaders—and how you can use those lessons to achieve in your own career.

In this course, you’ll uncover what it means to be a great CEO. First, you’ll learn the four behaviors that outstanding leaders use to drive themselves—and their organizations—forward. Next, you’ll explore three stages to becoming a CEO, plus strategies for accelerating your progress. Finally, you’ll discover common mistakes leaders make when building a team and how to avoid them.

According to Stanford Graduate School of Business Professor Chip Heath, only about half of us consider ourselves “numbers people.” But, Heath argues, numbers are essential for everyone to understand. That’s why Heath—and his coauthor, journalist Karla Starr—wrote Making Numbers Count: The Art and Science of Communicating Numbers.

In this course, Heath will guide you through tips and strategies for communicating numbers more effectively. He’ll also reveal some fascinating facts about how the human brain processes numbers.

Behavioral scientist and professor Katy Milkman explores the inner workings of change in her book How to Change: The Science of Getting from Where You Are to Where You Want to Be.

In this course, you’ll learn about behavioral change and explore strategies you can use to achieve your own goals. You’ll also discover what keeps us from changing and how we can overcome these typical barriers to change.

In Humankind: A Hopeful History, renowned historian Rutger Bregman seeks to answer an age-old question: Are humans inherently good or bad?

Traversing the realms of psychology, history, politics, and archaeology (among other fields), Bregman concludes that, at our core, humans are decidedly good. In fact, Bregman argues, it is the very trait of friendliness that gives us an evolutionary advantage over other species.

The real problem Bregman identifies is civilization: Once we started to settle down, claim property, and live sedentary lifestyles, our health and happiness plummeted—as did our faith and trust in other people. Moreover, today’s news outlets further distort our views on the prevalence of human violence and cruelty.

So, how did the long-held belief that humans are essentially aggressive and selfish come to be? And how can we get back to our true nature? In this course, you’ll learn the answer to these questions while exploring scientific findings that support humanity’s “goodness.” You’ll then dismantle the entrenched beliefs that keep us from trusting one another and imagining a better future.

Specialize early. Commit to a single path. That’s what many of us are told we must do to succeed in school, sports, or work. But bestselling author, acclaimed journalist, and renowned TED speaker David Epstein argues that this advice is just plain wrong—and in his book Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World, he lays out the evidence.

In this course, you’ll learn why Epstein believes generalists have a competitive advantage over those who specialize early. First, you’ll find out why “head starts” are overrated, when switching careers is a smart idea, and how a breadth of skills and experiences uniquely prepares you for an increasingly “wicked world.” You’ll then explore how to broaden your range to boost cognitive flexibility and analogical thinking, allowing you to solve problems across fields. Finally, you’ll discover the benefits of ditching long-term plans or old tools to pick up something new.

The brain controls nearly everything you do. Whether sleeping, running, breathing, thinking, talking, or feeling—your brain calls the shots. But how much do you really know about it?

As a distinguished professor, psychologist, and neuroscientist, Dr. Lisa Feldman Barrett wrote Seven and a Half Lessons About the Brain to make the top findings in neuroscience more accessible to everyday audiences. Consider this your crash course on her book and the hidden workings of the brain. In it, you’ll explore mind-expanding answers to questions about human nature. For example: Why do we have a brain? How does it work? What separates the human brain from other species’ brains? And what factors impact our brain development and activity?

What do Santa Claus, pregame rituals, and optimism have in common? They are all beneficial delusions.

Shankar Vedantam is the host and executive editor of the Hidden Brain podcast and radio show and author of the 2010 book of the same title. His new book, co-written with Bill Mesler, is Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Deceiving Brain. It poses the question, “Is self-deception or delusion always bad?” The short answer, according to the authors, is “No.”

In this course, Vedantam explores his observations on delusion from various perspectives and disciplines, including medicine, psychology, and economics. Self-deception does have benefits—in our relationships, the groups to which we belong, and even to our longevity.

In High Conflict: Why We Get Trapped in Conflict and How We Get Out, investigative journalist Amanda Ripley chronicles the stories of people who were involved in high forms of conflict—and how they emerged from that chaos.

In this course, you’ll find out why some conflict keeps us from moving forward. You’ll also learn about the systems and people that thrive on unhealthy conflict. And you’ll discover techniques to avoid getting trapped.

In a world of constant change and technological advancement, how can individuals and organizations adapt, innovate, and succeed?

This question is at the heart of the book, Never Stop Learning: How to Stay Relevant, Reinvent Yourself, and Thrive, written by UNC Business School professor Bradley Staats. In this course, you’ll learn about the psychological biases that trap us in old ways of thinking, along with tips to overcome them. You’ll also explore simple strategies to expand your skills, and become a more dynamic learner who excels in the modern world.

Write a book. Run a 5K. Quit smoking. Institute family dinners. Start a hobby. Develop a new skill. No matter the goal, many of us start new projects or pursuits bright-eyed, bushy-tailed, and determined to make our dreams a reality.

Yet too often—as time goes on—our motivation dwindles. We get distracted or lose interest. The effort and sacrifice are too much. We give up our goals because we can’t sustain that inner fire or spark that incited us to pursue them in the first place.

What would you do or accomplish if you could stay motivated? Author and motivation scientist Ayelet Fishbach wants to help you achieve your greatest ambition in her book Get It Done: Surprising Lessons from the Science of Motivation. In this course, you’ll learn her proven methods for changing your circumstances and mindset to maximize self-motivation.

Life is complicated. Both at work and in our personal lives, we face daily dilemmas requiring complex, critical thought. We sit at our desks and wrack our brains for insight. “Think harder,” we tell ourselves. “Use your head. Focus.”

But renowned science writer Annie Murphy Paul argues for another, more inventive solution: thinking outside our heads. In her book The Extended Mind: The Power of Thinking Outside the Brain, she shares how a host of extra-neural resources can help us focus more effectively, comprehend more deeply, and create more imaginatively.

In this course, learn the reasoning behind Paul’s persuasive findings and discover practical strategies for improving your cognition with three outside-the-brain resources: your body, surroundings, and relationships.

Wendy Wood—the leading scientist on the nature of habit—provides the first scientifically grounded analysis of habit formation in Good Habits, Bad Habits: The Science of Making Positive Changes That Stick.

In this course, you'll uncover Wood's knowledge about the complex processes behind habits and dive into the three bases for habit formation: context, repetition, and reward. You'll gain a toolkit for how to break unwanted habits and create new, desired ones. And you'll learn how to form and stick with habits that work with you, not against you.

In Work: A Deep History, from the Stone Age to the Age of Robots, author Dr. James Suzman challenges modern conceptions about work. He offers a stark comparison of our approach to work with that of the Ju/’hoansi, a hunter-gatherer society in southern Africa.

In this course, you’ll first uncover what work is, why we work, and the role of skills development in our success. Then, you’ll examine common misconceptions about competition, scarcity, and hierarchy. Finally, you’ll learn how agriculture, community, and prosperity influence our approach to work.

Two visionary thinkers, Henry Timms and Jeremy Heimans, teamed up to explore the concept of power in the 21st century in New Power: How Power Works in Our Hyperconnected World—and How to Make It Work for You.

In this course, you’ll learn what Timms and Heimans mean by “new power” and how you can harness its principles to turn a strategy into a movement. You’ll explore what new power leadership looks like and how this concept is already creating significant social and economic change.