Book Notes
Reviews and reflections on books about minds, science, and how we think — originally published on The Thinking Spot, the science-focused independent bookstore I co-founded.
All notes
Less, But Better: A Shelf of Books About Doing Fewer Things
Last week I counted the tabs open on my laptop and got to twenty-three. Each one was a yes I had said to myself at some point — an article I meant to read, a tool I meant to try, a person I meant to get back to.
The Kidney Heist Never Happened, and That's Exactly Why It Stuck: Notes on Chip and Dan Heath's Made to Stick
You already know the kidney heist story, even if you've never heard it called that.
A Body, Not a Machine: Notes on Glenn Bostock's A Human Business
Look at the cover before you open the book. Three hand-drawn stick figures: one cradling a heart, one with a star on its chest, one holding a star out toward you.
Engineering for a World That Won't Sit Still: Notes on Guru Madhavan's Wicked Problems
What stayed with me first from Guru Madhavan's Wicked Problems wasn't the engineering, even though the book is mostly about engineering. It was a painting.
Don't Offload the One Thing That's Ours: Notes from John Medina's Brain Rules
Twelve principles. One page. That's all Brain Rules is.
Building as an Act of Care: What Abundance Gets Right and Misses
Abundance is a book about wanting more, but not more in the greedy, gadget‑counting way.
A conversation about conservation with Carrol Henderson
The event honoring Carrol Henderson was a unique and engaging gathering, with about 20 attendees participating at The Thinking Spot.
The Astonishing World of Fungi: Karen Kenney's Book Launch
This past weekend, guests at The Thinking Spot bookstore, celebrated the launch of author Karen’ Latchana Kenney's latest book, a young adult non-fiction work delving deep into the mysterious and essential kingdom of…
When Stories Meet Statistics: An Evening with Megan Preston Meyer
Last week, we had the privilege of hosting Megan Preston Meyer at The Thinking Spot for what turned out to be one of those conversations that lingers with you long after the last book is signed.
Book Review: The Age of Resilience by Jeremy Rifkin
Reading Jeremy Rifkin's The Age of Resilience felt like being handed a new compass for the future. Rifkin doesn’t just offer critique; he reframes our story.
Ashley Shelby on Climate, Craft, and the Courage to Keep Writing
A recap from her author conversation at The Thinking Spot
Don Shelby on Writing, Storytelling, and the Sound of a Great Sentence
A recap from The Thinking Spot’s author evening with Ashley and Don Shelby
Friends Literally Save Your Life: How Robin Dunbar Links Social Ties to Survival
Robin Dunbar’s Friends isn’t your typical “friendship matters” book. It’s more like a behind-the-scenes tour of how our closest connections literally keep us alive—and the data he brings to the table is compelling.
Reclaiming Connection: A Review of Project UnLonely by Jeremy Nobel
Loneliness is often dismissed as a private emotion, but Jeremy Nobel’s Project UnLonely reveals it to be a profound public health crisis, as detrimental to our well-being as smoking or obesity.
Framers: A Game-Changing Perspective on Thinking and Decision-Making
What if we could reimagine how we think?
How We Learn by Stanislas Dehaene: A Review
When I picked up How We Learn by Stanislas Dehaene, I wasn’t just curious about the title; I was eager to understand how our brains manage to outperform machines in learning. The promise?
Educability Over Intelligence: How Our Learning Superpower Defines Us in the AI Era
I picked up Leslie Valiant’s The Importance of Being Educable expecting a deep dive into human intelligence, but what I got was something far more personal and relevant.
Why Failing Well Matters: A Dive into Right Kind of Wrong
In [Right Kind of Wrong](https://www.thethinkingspot.us/product-page/right-kind-of-wrong-the-science-of-failing-well), Amy Edmondson dives deep into the science of failing well, offering readers an insightful guide for…
Good Thinking: A Call to Rational Action
[Good Thinking](https://www.thethinkingspot.us/product-page/good-thinking-1) by David Robert Grimes is a beacon for the rational mind—a reminder that thinking well isn't just a skill; it's a necessity in today's world.
Between Us: Unlocking the Power of Culture in Our Emotional World
In Between Us: How Cultures Create Emotions, Batja Mesquita reshapes how we think about emotions.
Planta Sapiens: A Call to Wake Up and See the Green Minds Around Us
Paco Calvo’s Planta Sapiens is more than a book—it’s a wake-up call to stop and truly see the plants around us, not just as silent beings, but as intelligent, adaptive, and aware.
Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World – Embracing the Power of Exploration
David Epstein’s Range makes a compelling case for the value of breadth over early specialization.
Unlocking the Hive Mind: Insights from Hilary Kearney and her book Heart of the Hive
### A Deeper Look into Heart of the Hive by Hilary Kearney: Book Review, Insights, and an Interview Experience
The Generosity Contagion: How Giving Transforms Leaders and Teams
In Infectious Generosity, Chris Anderson—TED’s mastermind—delivers a powerful manifesto on the ripple effects of kindness, not just as random acts of goodwill, but as a deliberate force to change the world.
Human vs. Machine: Neil D. Lawrence's Guide to Navigating AI's Rise
In The Atomic Human: What Makes Us Unique in the Age of AI, Neil D. Lawrence embarks on a journey that navigates the complex and often misunderstood waters of human and artificial intelligence.
The Power of Mental Drift: Why Letting Your Mind Wander Boosts Creativity
We’ve all experienced it—those fleeting moments when our minds drift away from the task at hand, slipping into a world of daydreams, random thoughts, or even future planning.
Book Review - Emotional: The Science Behind How Emotions Drive Our Thinking
In Emotional: How Feelings Shape Our Thinking, Leonard Mlodinow skillfully navigates the complex, often misunderstood relationship between emotion and reason.
What an Owl Knows: A Journey into the Enigmatic World of Owls
Jennifer Ackerman’s What an Owl Knows is more than just a book; it’s a portal into the mysterious lives of one of nature’s most enigmatic creatures.
How to Navigate the Age of Misinformation: Unmasking the Art of Deception with Petrocelli
In "[The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit](https://www.thethinkingspot.us/product-page/the-life-changing-science-of-detecting-bullshit-1)" John V Petrocelli delivers a timely and essential guide for the…
Crack open 'Upshift' by Ben Ramalingam
I can't help but recommend "Upshift: Turning Pressure into Performance and Crisis into Creativity" by Ben Ramalingam to anyone who's interested in personal and professional growth.
Where did we come from, where are we going?
... is what the riveting book by professor Yuval Noah Harari is all about. In his book Homo Sapiens, Mr.
Achi
Achi is a traditional two-player board game from Ghana, similar to three-in-a-row games like Tic-Tac-Toe (Noughts and Crosses) or Nine Men's Morris.
maybe, a delightful picture book full of inspiration
One word : maybe,and the exquisite illustration on the book's cover grabbed my attention as I was inhaling the delightful sight of book in my dear wife's bookstore - The Thinking Spot.
How the first COVID vaccines were developed : An incredible story
[The First Shots: The Epic rivalries and Heroic Science Behind the Race to the Coronavirus…
How did I not see that!
...screamed my family in incredulity, and in unison, at a restaurant as they wondered how they could have missed something so obvious in the video that I just shared with them.
Can we prevent future disasters?
This question is top-of-mind for all of us, including me. So, when one of my favorite authors, Dan Heath, published a new book with a compelling subtitle called "The quest to solve problems before they happen", I began…