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A review by rossbm
Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam M. Grant
3.0
(listened as ebook)
What's it about?
Think Again is a non-fiction book about the importance and benefits of being open to new ideas and thinking like a scientist. It's divided into 3 parts. The first part focuses on convincing you of the personal benefits of being open to new ideas. The second section is about techniques for convincing others to change their minds. From the second second, I took away that it is better to present just your strongest arguments, rather than buttressing them with a bevy of second tier arguments; if someone finds a flaw in one of your points, they will often dismiss all your arguments. The third section is about how thinking like a scientist could benefit society, in particular the education sector.
What did I think?
I like the book, but definitely not life changing. Adam Grant narrated the book himself, which I liked. "Thinking like a scientist" is a good metaphor that can serve as a reminder to keep an open mind, and to try experimenting. Near the end of the book, Grant mentions how a student of his decided to reach out to people and build her own community at Wharton rather than switching universitiyters. This rethinking was prompted after Grant played a Adam Sandler's Romano Tours SNL skit in class. In the skit, Sandler says "We can take you on a hike, but we can't make you like hiking", "We cannot fix deeper issues. That's a job for incremental lifetime changes sustained over time". A pretty profound SNL skit.
What's it about?
Think Again is a non-fiction book about the importance and benefits of being open to new ideas and thinking like a scientist. It's divided into 3 parts. The first part focuses on convincing you of the personal benefits of being open to new ideas. The second section is about techniques for convincing others to change their minds. From the second second, I took away that it is better to present just your strongest arguments, rather than buttressing them with a bevy of second tier arguments; if someone finds a flaw in one of your points, they will often dismiss all your arguments. The third section is about how thinking like a scientist could benefit society, in particular the education sector.
What did I think?
I like the book, but definitely not life changing. Adam Grant narrated the book himself, which I liked. "Thinking like a scientist" is a good metaphor that can serve as a reminder to keep an open mind, and to try experimenting. Near the end of the book, Grant mentions how a student of his decided to reach out to people and build her own community at Wharton rather than switching universitiyters. This rethinking was prompted after Grant played a Adam Sandler's Romano Tours SNL skit in class. In the skit, Sandler says "We can take you on a hike, but we can't make you like hiking", "We cannot fix deeper issues. That's a job for incremental lifetime changes sustained over time". A pretty profound SNL skit.