Ordinary Magic

The Science of How We Can Achieve Big Change with Small Acts

De: Gregory M. Walton PhD

Narrado por: Gregory M. Walton PhD, Hattie Tate

“By one of the great psychologists of our time, a book that shows us how we can answer the universal questions that define our lives: Can I succeed? Do I belong? Am I loved?”—Carol S. Dweck, PhD, bestselling author of Mindset

Discover simple psychological shifts that build trust, belonging, and confidence—from the co-director of the Dweck-Walton Lab at Stanford University

The emotional questions we face can define our lives. If you’re expecting an interaction to go wrong, that expectation can make it so. That’s spiraling down.

But as esteemed Stanford psychologist Greg Walton shows, when we see these questions clearly, we can answer them well. Known to social psychologists as wise interventions, these shifts in perspective can help us chart new trajectories for our lives. They help us spiral up.

This is ordinary magic: The ordinary experiences that help us set aside the ordinary worries of life to unleash extraordinary change.

Through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis of fascinating research—both his own and others’—Dr. Walton pulls back the curtain to reveal the magic at work:

• With our children: The few choice words from a parent or a teacher that builds trust and achievement.

• In our relationships: How the right opportunity to reflect, for just a few minutes before a conflict conversation, can engender greater intimacy among couples—even a year later.

• In school: How learning that everyone feels as out of place at first as you do at a new school—they really do—can unleash extraordinary potential, improving your life a decade later.

• In our policy: how a one-page letter reduced recidivism among kids returning to school from juvenile detention by 40 percentage points; a postcard campaign cut suicide rates in half.

It’s easy to think problems are out of our control. But in fact, we have vast opportunities for change. Ordinary Magic puts the tools for change at your fingertips.

©2025 Gregory M. Walton (P)2025 Random House Audio

Reseñas de la Crítica

“This book addresses the deepest questions we ask ourselves—Can I succeed? Do I belong? Does my partner really love me? It then shows us how to approach these questions in ways that enhance well-being and success—for ourselves and others. Greg Walton is one of the great psychologists of our time and Ordinary Magic is a life-changing book.”—Carol Dweck, author of the international bestseller, Mindset

“This book reveals how small steps can lead to giant leaps. . . . Greg Walton shares what it takes to increase success in school, reduce stress in marriage, and boost happiness in life. It’s an eye-opening look at how we have more power to improve our lives than we realize.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential, and host of the podcast Re: Thinking

“This book is a kind of manual for becoming a psychologically wiser human being by one of the most respected and sincere scholars I know.”—Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance