Title: Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

Author: Adam Grant, an organizational psychologist and professor at the Wharton School of Business at the University of Pennsylvania.

What is it? It’s a book, but reads more like a TED talk written down, or a podcast. The audiobook is read by Adam Grant himself (a great option for this read!)

Who should read it? Anyone. Everyone. It’s helpful to anyone who is trying to be a better person in our complicated world. 

Two minute skinny: “That’s how we have always done it.” “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks.” “If everyone saw the world the way I do… we could all be right.” Have you ever thought of any of these old quips… and thought they were true? Adam Grant is here to ask you to rethink… everything. How do you know what you know? If answering this question gives you pause, it’s time to rethink. In his book, Think Again, Grant invites you to understand how we can begin to rethink different parts of our lives and communities. He suggests we need to rethink on an individual level, an interpersonal level, and collective community level. His high-quality research and thought-provoking case studies and examples will truly have you questioning what you thought you always knew.

For most people, we have long assumed that imposter syndrome is a personal problem to be solved. In Think Again, Adam Grant suggests a healthy dose will take you farther in your career than you would have ever thought possible. Many would think it would be safe to assume that grand wizards of the KKK will never be swayed away from their views, but Adam Grant introduces you to a Black man named Daryl, who has changed the hearts and minds of many a grand wizard successfully – and he is now the godfather of their children. We would love to trust that organizations like NASA are always checking and double checking how they know what they know, and yet, Grant tells a story of how an astronaut almost drowned in his space suit (oh it’s possible) when simple assumptions were not questioned.

When you take on this book, be prepared to be surprised, challenged, and even skeptical at moments. You will find yourself saying, “Oh, I don’t think that’s possible, Adam,” only to have your assumptions overturned. Introducing concepts like motivational interviewing and psychological safety in the workplace, you will certainly learn a lot from this quick read. But perhaps most importantly, you will learn how to begin to thoughtfully question your most firmly held beliefs and to begin to understand what rethinking can really do to bring you a more fulfilling life.

Best Quotes:

“Rethinking is a skill set, but it’s also a mindset. We already have many of the mental tools we need. We just have to remember to get them out of the shed and remove the rust.”

“Kids might be better off learning about careers as actions to take rather than as identities to claim. When they see work as what they do rather than who they are, they become more open to exploring different possibilities.”

“Our identities are open systems, and so are our lives. We don’t have to stay tethered to old images of where we want to go or who we want to be. The simplest way to start rethinking our options is to question what we do daily.”

Rating? Is it worth the Investment? We give this book a five star rating. It’s certainly worth the time and investment. And we bet in a few years there might be a follow up – maybe when Adam Grant is asked to rethink different parts of Think Again!

Listen, I don’t have time for a whole book… What’s second best? If you just want to learn more about Adam Grant and his work, check out his podcast, Work Life, here, or you can subscribe to his monthly newsletter if you just want quick updates from him. 

You can also watch his quick 15 min TED Talks here.

Lastly, you can hear him summarize ideas from the book for the Today Show, here.

And in case you wanted to go deeper: If you finish the book and you want to learn more about Adam Grant and his work, or some of the research in his book, you can read many of the articles he cites or discusses here.

You can also go back and read his other books, including Give and Take, and a collaboration with Sheryl Sandberg after the loss of her husband, Option B.

Blog Post by Hallie Moberg Brauer