For the intellectually curious this summer, a curated selection of thirteen recently published behavioral science books offers a profound exploration of life’s most enduring mysteries, the intricate dance of human consciousness, the subtle power of constraints, the pervasive influence of games in our lives, and the very essence of what shapes our identities. This collection, compiled by Heather Graci, Editor, and Evan Nesterak, Editor-in-Chief, invites readers to embark on a journey through the complexities of the human experience.
Exploring the Frontiers of Life, Death, and Consciousness
At the heart of human inquiry lies the fundamental question of existence: life, consciousness, and the inevitable end of death. Maria Popova, in her new work, posits that "life begins, with a spark of sentience catalyzed by chemistry and chance, and then it ends, with death." The true enigma, she suggests, is not what lies beyond, but "what we make of the wilderness between the bookends." This sentiment serves as a guiding principle for two seminal books that delve into this vast expanse.
Popova’s Traversal meticulously weaves together the narratives of individuals who have grappled with profound questions of life, death, and personhood. Their quests for understanding have manifested in diverse forms, from deciphering the structure of penicillin and tracing the celestial path of Venus to expressing their deepest thoughts through poetry and undertaking daring voyages across oceans. Each story, whether of celebrated scientists or marginalized thinkers, illuminates a unique approach to confronting the human condition.
Complementing Popova’s exploration, Michael Pollan’s A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness confronts the "improbable fact—the miracle!" that in a universe characterized by stark elements and infinite space, humanity not only exists but possesses awareness. Pollan probes the mechanisms of consciousness: how are we conscious, why are we conscious, and where else might consciousness reside? The juxtaposition of these two authors promises to offer readers a perspective that simultaneously expands their understanding of the universe and humbles them with the immensity of what remains unknown.
Traversal by Maria Popova
Traversal delves into the fundamental questions of existence: "What is life? What is death? What makes a body a person? What makes a planet a world?" Popova illuminates the diverse instruments humanity employs to comprehend the bewilderment of being alive. These instruments range from the scientific rigor of telescopes and treatises to the evocative power of poetry and philosophical postulates. The book examines the intertwined lives, loves, and legacies of visionaries, both those recognized by history and those relegated to its margins, individuals who defied the limitations of their time and place to shape the future.
A World Appears: A Journey Into Consciousness by Michael Pollan
Pollan’s A World Appears tackles the profound mystery of consciousness. As the back cover eloquently states, "When it comes to the phenomenon that is consciousness, there is one point on which scientists, philosophers, and artists all agree: that it feels like something to be us." Yet, the subjective experience of the world remains one of nature’s greatest puzzles. The book questions how mental operations are accompanied by feelings, thoughts, and a sense of self, and what a scientific investigation of our inner life might entail, given our inherent proximity to it, akin to fish in the sea.
Rethinking Thought: Constraints, Games, and Artificial Intelligence
The way we think, and the structures that influence our cognitive processes, are central to understanding human behavior. This summer’s reading list features three books that encourage a deeper contemplation of our own thinking patterns. David Epstein’s Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better examines the paradoxical nature of constraints, questioning why some limitations stifle creativity while others serve as powerful catalysts for discovery. He argues that in a world that prizes infinite choice, an abundance of options can often lead to paralysis rather than progress. Epstein advocates for the strategic narrowing of options as a means to foster innovation and enhance personal satisfaction, a principle applicable to individuals, businesses, and even societal structures.
C. Thi Nguyen’s The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game shifts the focus to the pervasive influence of games in our lives. Nguyen posits that games, in their myriad forms from video games to board games, and even in everyday activities like cooking and gardening, offer a unique lens through which to understand human action and motivation. He explores how scoring systems, often designed to motivate and guide players, can also lead individuals to outsource their values to external authorities, prioritizing easily quantifiable metrics over intrinsic worth. This perspective offers a critical examination of how societal metrics and rankings might inadvertently shape our aspirations and perceptions of success.
Rounding out this trio is Tom Griffiths’ The Laws of Thought: The Quest for a Mathematical Theory of the Mind. Griffiths, a cognitive scientist, explores the intersection of mathematics and the human mind. While the scientific community readily understands the "Laws of Nature" that govern the physical world, a comparable fluency with the "Laws of Thought" that govern our inner lives remains elusive. Griffiths’ work delves into the efforts to model human intelligence mathematically, highlighting both the successes and the limitations of such approaches. He suggests that understanding the aspects of human cognition that may remain beyond the reach of artificial intelligence can profoundly alter our self-perception and deepen our appreciation for the unique mysteries of the human mind.
Inside the Box: How Constraints Make Us Better by David Epstein
Epstein’s Inside the Box challenges the notion that unlimited freedom is always optimal. In a society that champions boundless choices, the author contends that excessive options can be overwhelming and counterproductive. He asserts that "overvaluing complete freedom can be disastrous for everything from starting a company to harnessing creativity to finding personal satisfaction." Epstein’s central argument is that individuals, organizations, and even societies can significantly benefit from deliberately narrowing their choices.
The Score: How to Stop Playing Somebody Else’s Game by C. Thi Nguyen
Nguyen identifies games as a dominant art form of our era, embodying the spirit of free play. He observes their presence not only in entertainment but also in activities such as cooking, gardening, and running, emphasizing the intrinsic joy of engagement over mere outcomes. However, he critically examines how scoring systems, prevalent in both games and societal structures like corporations and bureaucracies, can incentivize a focus on easily measurable achievements, potentially leading individuals to "outsource their values to an external authority" and prioritize "simple, countable things" that may not reflect true importance.
The Laws of Thought: The Quest for a Mathematical Theory of the Mind by Tom Griffiths
Griffiths’ work addresses the disparity between our understanding of the physical world and the internal workings of the mind. He notes that while physics and chemistry offer well-defined "Laws of Nature," a similar framework for the "Laws of Thought" is less developed. The book explores how mathematics has been instrumental in unraveling the universe’s mysteries and investigates its application to the study of the mind, presenting a narrative less familiar than the story of physics.
Data-Driven Morality and the Criminal Justice System
The application of rigorous, data-driven approaches to complex moral and societal issues is a critical theme explored by two prominent economists. Alvin Roth, a Nobel laureate, argues in Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal About How Markets Work that conceptualizing divisive social issues as markets can offer novel pathways to progress in situations where compromise seems impossible. By framing debates on topics such as drug policy, abortion, and organ donation through an economic lens, Roth suggests that markets can be designed to balance individual liberty with the protection of vulnerable populations. He contends that markets "don’t have to allow everything or ban everything" and that "prudent market design can find a balance between preserving people’s rights to pursue their own interests and protecting the most vulnerable from harm."
Jennifer Doleac, a criminal justice expert, echoes this conviction in The Science of Second Chances: A Revolution in Criminal Justice. She asserts that "a lack of rigor is unethical. Policies that don’t work don’t help people." Doleac’s research illuminates how many criminal justice policies, regardless of their well-intentioned origins, often fall short of achieving true justice. However, she also demonstrates how scientific inquiry can, where intuition fails, guide the development of more equitable and effective systems. Her work highlights the potential for evidence-based interventions to improve lives and foster a system that benefits all. Doleac’s analysis underscores the imperative of scientific validation for policies impacting human lives, especially within the criminal justice sphere.
Moral Economics: From Prostitution to Organ Sales, What Controversial Transactions Reveal About How Markets Work by Alvin E. Roth
Roth’s Moral Economics confronts intractable societal controversies, arguing that viewing contentious transactions as markets can unlock solutions. He posits that disagreements, often framed in uncompromising moral or religious terms, can be navigated more effectively by understanding how markets function. The book proposes that market design can strike a crucial balance, safeguarding individual freedoms while providing essential protections for those most at risk.
The Science of Second Chances: A Revolution in Criminal Justice by Jennifer Doleac
Doleac’s The Science of Second Chances offers an optimistic outlook on criminal justice reform, emphasizing the possibility of second chances for both individuals and the system itself. Her approach, grounded in cutting-edge economic research and real-world experiments, provides a blueprint for reform. The book details surprising interventions, from DNA databases that enhance offender identification to leniency programs for first-time offenders, while also cautioning against well-intentioned but ultimately ineffective ideas. Doleac’s central thesis suggests that often, "many first-time defendants will choose the better path if we simply get out of their way."
The Social Fabric: Connection, Conversation, and Disagreement
As summer often brings increased social interaction, three social psychologists offer profound insights into our relationships with others. Nicholas Epley, in A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection, explores the paradox of humans, a fundamentally social species, often choosing solitude. He argues that a misplaced pessimism about social interactions prevents us from initiating connections, whether with strangers or acquaintances. Epley’s work provides evidence that embracing even minor social overtures can lead to significant improvements in happiness, health, and overall connection.
Gillian Sandstrom, in Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How “Small” Talk Can Add Up to a Big Life, delves into the science of engaging with strangers. Her personal narrative, interwoven with scientific findings, illustrates how her own life became richer and more vibrant through such interactions. In an era marked by rising loneliness and polarization, Sandstrom’s research highlights the profound benefits of stretching our perceived social boundaries and fostering goodwill through everyday conversations.
Julia Minson’s How to Disagree Better tackles the often-daunting prospect of disagreement. She notes that "disagreement is both inevitable and essential for everything from navigating decisions at home to running innovative and agile companies to governing democratic societies." Minson’s work offers strategies for navigating contentious conversations, suggesting that confronting disagreement does not have to be a source of dread, but rather an opportunity for growth and understanding. The book addresses the widespread aversion to disagreement, with the average person preferring a dental visit to a twenty-minute conversation with someone holding opposing views.
A Little More Social: How Small Choices Create Unexpected Happiness, Health, and Connection by Nicholas Epley
Epley highlights a fundamental human paradox: despite our innate need for connection, we frequently opt for isolation. He observes that "we avoid talking to the stranger who sits next to us. We struggle to move beyond small talk with an acquaintance." The book argues that these missed opportunities for connection result in a forfeiture of the significant benefits of a more social life, one that contributes to greater happiness and well-being.
Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How “Small” Talk Can Add Up to a Big Life by Gillian Sandstrom
Sandstrom’s Once Upon a Stranger champions the transformative power of talking to strangers. She posits that such interactions can "unlock more joy, curiosity, and goodwill every day." In a climate where loneliness is a significant public health concern and groupthink exacerbates societal divisions, her work provides a compelling case for actively seeking out connections with others.
How to Disagree Better by Julia Minson
Minson confronts the pervasive "disagreement crisis," noting that "the average person would rather go to the dentist than have a twenty-minute conversation with someone that they strongly disagree with." Yet, she argues, disagreement is not only unavoidable but also crucial for effective decision-making in all aspects of life, from personal relationships to the functioning of businesses and governments.
The Influence of Place and Navigating Life’s Transitions
The physical environments we inhabit profoundly shape who we are. Leidy Klotz, an engineer and behavioral scientist, in In a Good Place: How the Spaces Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive, investigates this connection. Klotz explores how diverse locations, from humble beach huts to sophisticated office buildings, and from childhood playgrounds to formative college dorms, influence our habits, relationships, and ultimately, our identities. He poses the critical question: "How do places shape us? And how can we shape the places that shape us?"
The concept of life-altering events, termed "cliffs" by author Jim Collins, is explored in two distinct yet complementary ways. Collins, in What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire and the Self-Knowledge Imperative, spent a decade identifying individuals who faced similar life-altering experiences. By examining how their paths diverged, he offers a framework for understanding how lives can be rebuilt and renewed after significant upheavals such as career endings, health crises, or profound personal losses. He states, "The odds any of us will complete a life without cliffs are close to zero. Some cliffs are bigger than others, but life is punctuated by cliffs. Cliffs are us."
Cognitive scientist Maya Shankar, in The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans, offers a different perspective on navigating these pivotal moments. Through extensive conversations with individuals who have experienced major life changes, Shankar explores how people reconstruct their lives in the aftermath. She suggests that these periods of upheaval can be viewed not as events to be endured, but as opportunities to reimagine oneself, uncovering new abilities, perspectives, and values that lead to profound personal transformation.
In a Good Place: How the Spaces Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive by Leidy Klotz
Klotz’s In a Good Place shifts the focus from individual actions to the environmental factors that influence our lives. The book immerses readers in various settings, demonstrating how physical spaces dictate our routines, foster our connections, and even define our very being.
What to Make of a Life: Cliffs, Fog, Fire and the Self-Knowledge Imperative by Jim Collins
Collins’ What to Make of a Life examines pivotal life moments, referred to as "cliffs," that necessitate significant personal adaptation. Through historical case studies of individuals facing similar challenges—from musicians whose bands disbanded to public figures impacted by scandal—Collins develops a framework for understanding life’s construction, maintenance, and renewal.
The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans by Maya Shankar
Shankar’s The Other Side of Change reframes our relationship with life’s inevitable transitions. She posits that periods of upheaval can be fertile ground for personal growth, leading individuals to "uncover new abilities, perspectives, and values, transforming us in extraordinary ways." The book encourages readers to see these moments as opportunities for reinvention.
Forthcoming Insights: A Glimpse into the Fall Release Schedule
As the summer reading season progresses, anticipation builds for several key releases slated for fall that promise to further illuminate the behavioral sciences:
-
Agency: The Psychological History of Human Progress by Martin Seligman (September 8). Seligman, a pioneer in positive psychology, explores the concept of "agency" as the driving force behind human progress. He argues that beyond geography, social structures, or economics, psychological states are crucial in understanding why innovation and thriving occur in some eras and falter in others.
-
Artificial Intimacy: Who We Become When We Talk to Machines by Sherry Turkle (September 29). Turkle, a renowned sociologist of technology, examines the evolving relationship between humans and machines. Her work traces the lifecycle of our interactions with artificial intelligence, from childhood attachments to confronting mortality, and offers a cautionary perspective on how these technologies might alter our capacity for risk-taking, difficult conversations, and self-reliance.
-
Profits, Prophets, Coaches and Kings: (When) Do Leaders Matter? by Jared Diamond (September 1). Diamond, a celebrated historian, investigates the extent to which leaders influence historical outcomes. He analyzes four distinct spheres—history, business, sports, and religion—to determine the conditions under which leaders are most likely to make a significant impact.
-
Situated: Find the People and Places That Bring Out Your Best by Angela Duckworth (September 1). Duckworth, known for her research on grit, explores the profound influence of our environment and social connections. Her work emphasizes that "making your situation better first" is often more impactful than simply adapting to existing circumstances, highlighting the role of peers, mentors, and even one’s geographical location in fostering personal growth.
These thirteen books, alongside the forthcoming fall releases, offer a rich tapestry of insights into the human mind and society, providing ample material for intellectual exploration throughout the summer and beyond.
