Ordinary Magic

The Science of How We Achieve Big Change with Small Acts

De: Gregory M. Walton

Narrado por: Gregory Walton, 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, 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 spiralling 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 everyday experiences that help us set aside the ordinary worries of life to unleash extraordinary change.

Through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis of fascinating research 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 Dr Greg Walton (P)2025 Headline Publishing Group Limited

Reseñas de la Crítica

'This book reveals how small steps can lead to giant leaps . . . 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)

'The most important popular psychology book of the year, from one of the most important psychologists in a generation, Ordinary Magic shows how to make your mind work for you, not against you' (Kelly McGonigal, author of The Upside of Stress)

'Do life's biggest problems feel insurmountable? Greg Walton has the answer in his remarkable book Ordinary Magic. Using cutting edge behavioral science, he shows how to break big problems into bite-sized goals we can all accomplish.' (Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard Professor and #1 New York Times bestselling author)