Think Again

The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

By: Adam Grant

Narrated by: Adam Grant

Length: 6 hrs and 40 mins

Publisher's summary

Number One New York Times Best Seller

“This. This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more - it requires choosing courage over comfort. In Think Again, Adam Grant weaves together research and storytelling to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it. I’ve never felt so hopeful about what I don’t know.” (Brené Brown, PhD, number one New York Times best-selling author of Dare to Lead)

The best-selling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people's minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life

Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there's another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt. We listen to opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. We see disagreement as a threat to our egos, rather than an opportunity to learn. We surround ourselves with people who agree with our conclusions, when we should be gravitating toward those who challenge our thought process. The result is that our beliefs get brittle long before our bones. We think too much like preachers defending our sacred beliefs, prosecutors proving the other side wrong, and politicians campaigning for approval - and too little like scientists searching for truth. Intelligence is no cure, and it can even be a curse: being good at thinking can make us worse at rethinking. The brighter we are, the blinder to our own limitations we can become.

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant is an expert on opening other people's minds - and our own. As Wharton's top-rated professor and the bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, he makes it one of his guiding principles to argue like he's right but listen like he's wrong. With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, he investigates how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, bring nuance to charged conversations, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. You'll learn how an international debate champion wins arguments, a Black musician persuades white supremacists to abandon hate, a vaccine whisperer convinces concerned parents to immunize their children, and Adam has coaxed Yankees fans to root for the Red Sox. Think Again reveals that we don't have to believe everything we think or internalize everything we feel. It's an invitation to let go of views that are no longer serving us well and prize mental flexibility over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what we don't know is wisdom.

©2021 Adam Grant (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

Named a best nonfiction book of 2021 by The Washington Post

"Renowned Wharton professor Grant spotlights one of the most important and impactful themes of our time: questioning one's own deeply held beliefs. Grant frames true knowledge as not knowing everything, but rather, listening as if we knew nothing at all in this intrepid book that is what our present moment requires." (Newsweek, "Our 21 Favorite Books of 2021") ]

“In a world of aggressive certitude, Adam Grant’s latest book is a refreshing mandate for humble open-mindedness. Think Again offers a particularly powerful case for rethinking what we already know...that is not just a useful lesson; it could be a vital one.” (Financial Times)  

“In his latest book, Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know, [Grant] is in vintage form.” (The Wall Street Journal)  

Only Good if you've never questioned anything.

I agree, this book will help you shift your way of thinking; but those who consider themselves "woke" will NOT enjoy this. This book could have easily been 2-Hours long. The information in here is dragged out, he talks way too much about his experience with a short point at the end. Repetition is important, but the message is too repetitive. He even gets political and opinionated on issues that are completely irrelevant to the thesis of this book. This is a weaker version of the two books Rich Dad Poor Dad & How To Win Friends & Influence People.

Great Read, Censored Reading

Adam Grant knocks it out of the park yet again. This insight into rethinking things is eye opening. Unfortunately, Audible or some other entity decided to bleep out words. Truly disappointed in that... we are adult enough to write them and read them, not adult enough to hear them. The bleep outs are very distracting and it alters the authors writing and intent. Poor decision on the part of Audible.

Title is very misleading, content not great

Subtext is more about how to change people’s minds through emotional manipulation than thinking critically for yourself. Author actually makes the statement that “the ends justify the means”.

Waste of Time

I’ve seen Adam Grant pop up on a bunch of my favorite Podcasts and his books placed in front of Barnes & Nobles. So I was actually excited to dive into a book about thinking but man, what a waste of time - struggled to even get to Chapter 7. The entire book was the author saying “I” or “me” in an annoying voice. No real content in this book. 1/5 - do not recommend.

Interesting idea that lacks richness

Interesting idea but the book lacks structure and richness above all narrative is a different talent from writing a book so I hope the author will “Think Again “ and consider that in his next book and leave the narrative to professionals since that has a huge impact on the overall user experience

Disappointing to say the least.

I really wish people would leave the politics out. Very disappointed. Grant has written great books before this pile. Please don't waste your time. I will be returning this book.

Adam Grant Has Done it Again.

Another great book by Adam Grant. The thing that I love is that 1 this title was actually narrated by the author (which always makes me more comfortable with a book) and 2 in this book he shared his knowledge and even Thought Again about his older work. Happy to have consumed this and I am definitely sharing with all my friends and colleagues!

Great insights for our times

Adam Grant’s latest release couldn’t be more timely. In a world rife with conflicting views on everything, he offers anecdotes, insights, and advice on how to resolve conflict, reassess our goals, and remain open-minded. Highly recommended!

Worth listening to

Interesting & worth your time. Got a little slow a couple times, but picked up again. In the end I decided to do the book again & pass on a recommendation to my daughter & friends to read.

Wow!

Listened to the genesis of this book by Adam Grant in discussion and conversation with Malcolm Gladwell and Kat Cole. Knowing this dives deep into how to reshape our thoughts and reimagining life.