The Next Big Idea Daily

First, Akwasi Owusu-Bempah and Tahira Rehmatullah share big idea from their 2023 book, Waiting to Inhale: Cannabis Legalization and the Fight for Racial Justice. In the second half of the show, we’ll hear from Columbia neuroscientist Carl Hart, who argues that the pursuit of happiness, including responsible drug use, is a fundamental American liberty. Sponsored By: Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠ Notion — Try Custom Agents now at ⁠notion.com/daily

Christopher Beha on why evidence alone can’t answer life’s biggest questions — and why skepticism may be the first step toward belief. His new book is Why I Am Not an Atheist. And in the second half of the show, we hear from Simon Critchley about his book On Mysticism: The Experience of Ecstasy. Sponsored By: Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠ Notion — Try Custom Agents now at ⁠notion.com/daily

• Love’s Labor by Stephen Grosz • Finding the Words by Colin Campbell Sponsored By: NBID: Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠ Notion — Try Custom Agents now at ⁠notion.com/daily

We're closer than ever to living on Mars — but evolution won't wait for us to get there. Sponsored By: Shopify: Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠ Notion: Try Custom Agents now at ⁠notion.com/daily

Nedra Glover Tawwab says the advice that actually works is the advice you least want to take.

• Genius Makers: The Mavericks Who Brought AI to Google, Facebook, and the World by Cade Metz • Futureproof: 9 Rules for Surviving in the Age of AI by Kevin Roose Sponsored By: Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠ Notion — Try Custom Agents now at ⁠notion.com/daily

First up, Hélène Landemore shares five insights from Politics Without Politicians: The Case for Citizen Rule. And then we hear from Senator Amy Klobuchar about her 2023 book, The Joy of Politics. Sponsored By: Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠ Notion — Try Custom Agents now at ⁠notion.com/daily

• How to Feel Loved: The Five Mindsets That Get You More of What Matters Most by Harry Reis and Sonja Lyubomirsky • The Science of Creating Connection and Bridging Divides by Geoffrey L. Cohen. Sponsored By: Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠ Notion — Try Custom Agents now at ⁠notion.com/daily

A Princeton cognitive scientist traces the centuries-long quest to discover the mathematical laws of thought. Sponsored By: Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at ⁠shopify.com/daily⁠ Notion — Try Custom Agents now at ⁠notion.com/daily

Dave Evans and Bill Burnett on flow, wonder, and building a life that feels fully alive. Sponsored By: Shopify — Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily Notion — Try Custom Agents now at notion.com/daily

• The Oracle of Night by Sidarta Ribeiro • When Brains Dream by Antonio Zadra and Robert Stickgold Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Marked by Time: How Social Change Has Transformed Crime and the Life Trajectories of Young Americans by Robert Sampson Correction: Parole, Prison, and the Possibility of Change by Ben Austen Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Bonded By Evolution by Paul Eastwick Between Us by Batja Mesquita Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

As AI transforms the economy, adaptability will be more predictive of success than raw brainpower. AQ: A New Kind of Intelligence for a World That’s Always Changing by Liz Tran Tomorrowmind: Thriving at Work with Resilience, Creativity, and Connection―Now and in an Uncertain Future by Gabriella Rosen Kellerman and Martin Seligman Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Rebecca Hinds is an organizational behavior expert who studies how collaboration breaks down in modern workplaces — and how to fix it. Her new book is Your Best Meeting Ever: 7 Principles for Designing Meetings That Get Things Done. And in the second half of the show, we’ll focus in on a particular meeting format that deserves its own attention. We’ll get big ideas from the 2024 book Glad We Met: The Art and Science of 1:1 Meetings. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Today, we’re going to hear some big ideas from the 2022 book Speaking in Thumbs: A Psychiatrist Decodes Your Relationship Texts So You Don't Have To by Mimi Winsberg. And if you're nursing a broken heart this Valentine's Day, stay tuned. In the second half of the show, we’re bringing you ideas from Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey by Florence Williams. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Tom Bellamy's new book, Smitten: Romantic Obsession, the Neuroscience of Limerence, and How to Make Love Last, is out now.

Nicole McNichols is a psychology professor at the University of Washington, where her course on human sexuality attracts more than 4,000 students each year. Her new book is called You Could Be Having Better Sex, and it offers a roadmap for building a more fulfilling intimate life. And later in the show, we’ll hear from activist Chanel Contos, whose book Consent Laid Bare examines the cultural forces that enable sexual harm, and how we can create positive change. Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Today, big ideas come from the books Guilt Free: Reclaiming Your Life from Unreasonable Expectations by Jennifer Reid and Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Nick Chater and George Loewenstein are behavioral scientists who've spent decades studying decision-making, and their new book is called It's on You: How Corporations and Behavioral Scientists Have Convinced Us That We’re to Blame for Society's Deepest Problems. Nick joins us to explain why blaming individuals for society's problems is not just wrong — it's exactly what powerful interests want us to believe. And stick around, because later in the show we'll hear from Stanford professor Brian Lowery, whose book Selfless makes a fascinating companion argument: that the whole idea of the independent, self-contained individual might be a myth in the first place. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Business historian John Landry and entrepreneur Howard Wolk argue that America really is different when it comes to fostering new ventures. Then we'll hear from journalist David Sax about what it actually means to build a business and a life. Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Colette Jane Fehr is a psychologist who specializes in couples therapy, and she argues that the conversations we avoid are often the ones that matter most. Her new book is called The Cost of Quiet. Then later in the show, we'll hear from psychologist Ashley Pallathra, whose 2021 book Missing Each Other explores what it really takes to connect. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

The science showing how music, dance, and creativity improve mental health, physical health, and longevity. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

It's a Daniel Coyle doubleheader! First up, Daniel shares five big ideas from his brand new book, Flourish. And later in the show, we revisit The Culture Playbook. Sponsored by: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Great ideas aren’t invented from scratch—they’re discovered through small, often overlooked adjustments. How Great Ideas Happen by George Newman Fall in Love with the Problem, Not the Solution by Uri Levine Today's episode is sponsored by Shopify. Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Think bookstores are an anachronism? Think again. Evan Friss, author of The Bookshop, says they remain a cornerstone of American cultural life and are just as vibrant as ever. And later in the show, David Damrosch, a comparative literature professor at Harvard, takes us on a journey through 80 books from around the world—and shows us why we're lost without our storytellers. Did you know we have a daily newsletter? Sign up here. Love the show? The single best way to let us know is by joining the Next Big Idea Club. You can learn more at nextbigideaclub.com, and when you join, use code DAILY for a super secret discount (spoiler: it's 20% off). Today's show is sponsored by Shopify. Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Shadé Zahrai is a peak performance educator who has spent a decade training leaders at Microsoft, Deloitte, and JPMorgan. She argues that self-doubt plagues even the smartest people, and she offers a way out. Her new book is called Big Trust: Rewire Self-Doubt, Find Your Confidence, and Fuel Success. And later in the show, we hear from Kelli Thompson, author of the 2022 book Closing the Confidence Gap, on how your insecurities can bring you down in the workplace, and what you can do about it. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Today, Jennifer Wallace shares a blueprint for living a meaningful life and creating a world we so urgently need. Her new book is Mattering. And later in the show, you'll hear from Zach Mercurio. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Kate Murphy explores how and why our bodies, brains, and emotions fall into rhythm with others. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Brad Stulberg is a bestselling author and performance coach whose new book, The Way of Excellence, offers a practical guide to achieving mastery in whatever personal or professional domains you care to focus on. And later in the show, we hear from Karen Doll. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily The Next Big Idea Club - Learn more at nextbigideaclub.com

1️⃣ Both/And Thinking by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis 2️⃣ Black-and-White Thinking by Kevin Dutton Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

James Traub is a journalist and educator who spent a year visiting public schools across the country to understand what’s going wrong and what’s going right. His new book is The Cradle of Citizenship: How Schools Can Help Save Our Democracy. And in the second half of the show, you'll hear from Alexandra Robbins, whose book The Teachers goes behind the scenes of America's most vulnerable profession to show why supporting educators is the key to fixing everything else. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Ashely Alker MD is an emergency medicine doctor and medical consultant who has seen it all — from freak accidents to horror-movie-worthy diseases. Her new book is 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them, and she joins us below with her potentially life-saving tips. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

First up, Maya Shankar (The Other Side of Change) on uncertainty, resilience, and becoming someone new on the other side of disruption. Then John Kaag shares five key insights from Robert Richardson's 2023 book Three Roads Back. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Chances are, you work five days a week. Monday through Friday. And you probably don’t think much about it, because that’s just how work works, right? But who decided that five days was the right number in the first place? As it turns out, the modern workweek wasn’t thoughtfully designed for focus, creativity, or even productivity. It was inherited from the Industrial Age, built for factory floors and time clocks, not knowledge workers and digital tools. So maybe it’s time for a rethink. In Do More in Four: Why It’s Time for a Shorter Workweek, researcher and work redesign strategist Joe O’Connor and journalist Jared Lindzon make the case that working less can actually help us do better work. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

First, Dan Heath reveals how the most effective leaders don't just solve problems — they prevent them from happening in the first place. Then Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg shares research that shows reframing problems is the real key to breakthrough solutions. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Productivity expert Chris Bailey explains why follow-through fails — and how aligning your values, intentions, and friction levels makes action feel natural. And later in the show, we hear from Becky Blades, author of Start More Than You Can Finish. Sponsors: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Most of us think of humor as something that happens at comedy clubs or in group texts with friends. But what if laughter could actually make you better at your job, more creative, and more connected to the people around you? Chris Duffy is a comedian, TV writer, and host of TED’s award-winning How to Be a Better Human podcast. In the first half of today's show, he shares five big ideas from his new book Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy. Later, we hear from Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas about their book Humor, Seriously. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

First up, Philosopher and novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein argues that the mattering instinct is the hidden engine behind nearly everything we do. Then we hear from rabbi Sharon Brous, author of the 2022 book The Amen Effect. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

First up, Ezekiel ("Zeke") Emanuel, one of America's leading physicians, makes the case that enjoying life — cheesecake included — might be the healthiest choice of all. His new book is Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life. He's here to make the case that enjoying life, cheesecake included, might be the healthiest choice of all. Then, in the second half of the show, journalist Cole Kazdin shares some big ideas from her 2023 book What's Eating Us: Women, Food, and the Epidemic of Body Anxiety.

Whether you're plotting a job change or just trying to survive another uncertain year at work, the truth is most of us spend 90,000 hours of our lives working. That's too much time to spend feeling stuck, stressed, or unfulfilled. Journalists Lisa Leong and Monique Ross are here to help. Their 2023 book This Working Life: How to Navigate Your Career in Uncertain Times is packed with practical wisdom for building a career that actually brings you joy. We’ll hear from them in just a moment. And in the second half of the show, we’ll tackle one of the most challenging experiences in anyone’s career — losing a job. Jessica Bacal spent years collecting rejection stories from powerful women and gathered them in the 2021 book The Rejection That Changed My Life. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily The Next Big Idea Club - use code DAILY for 20% off a membership at nextbigideaclub.com

Some of us may have overindulged during the holidays, and some of us may be trying a Dry January — or at least rethinking our relationship with booze. This is the time of year when we might notice how much alcohol has woven itself into our social lives, our stress management, our celebrations. Charles Knowles is a Professor of Surgery at Queen Mary University of London and Chief Academic Officer at the Cleveland Clinic London, and his new book is called Why We Drink Too Much: The Impact of Alcohol on Our Bodies and Culture. He joins us today to explain why problematic drinking isn't defined by how much we consume, and what we really need to know if we want to change our relationship with alcohol. And then in the second half of the show, we’ll hear from philosophy professor Edward Slingerland, who will share ideas from his 2021 book Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization. Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

Maybe you’ve already set some resolutions for 2026 — exercise more, eat better, be more patient. But here’s the problem: We make these promises to improve ourselves as if our selves are solid, fixed entities that just need a little tweaking. But there might be a wiser approach. J. Eric Oliver is a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, and his new book is called How To Know Your Self: The Art & Science of Discovering Who You Really Are. He joins us today to explain why seeing yourself as a process rather than a fixed thing might be the most powerful resolution you could make this year — and how that shift opens up possibilities you didn’t know you had. Then, in the second half of the show, we'll hear some big ideas from Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way by philosophy professor Kieran Setiya. Sponsored By: Shopify - Start your $1/month trial at shopify.com/daily

An evolutionary perspective reveals how early adversity can sometimes accelerate development. The Nature of Nurture by Jay Belsky The Social Genome by Dalton Conley 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Want more bite-sized insights from the best new nonfiction delivered straight to your inbox? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter

Now that we’re in early January, a lot of us are thinking about what we want to change this year. But here’s the thing — we often focus on adding new habits when the real question might be, Why do we keep repeating the old ones? Why Do I Keep Doing This? by Kati Morton Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There by Tali Sharot and Cass Sunstein

Emily Oster is a professor of economics at Brown University and the author of the 2021 book The Family Firm: A Data-Driven Guide to Better Decision Making in the Early School Years. She makes a fascinating case: well-run companies have a clear mission, they make decisions deliberately, and they have processes that keep things running smoothly. So why don't we apply that same intentionality to our family lives? Then we’ll hear from Christina and Ryan Hillsberg, a husband-and-wife team of former CIA officers. They share how lessons from intelligence work can help us raise resourceful, self-sufficient children. Sponsored By: GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbid The Next Big Idea Club - Get 20% off a subscription when you use code DAILY at nextbigideaclub.com

Capitalism shapes everything about our lives — the way we work, the cities we live in, the goods we consume. But where did it come from, and where is it headed? Capitalism: A Global History by Sven Beckert The Problem of Twelve by John Coates Supported By: GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbid The Next Big Idea Club - Get 20% off a subscription when you use code DAILY at nextbigideaclub.com

Max Telford is a leading evolutionary biologist who's spent his career tracing the deepest roots of life itself. His new book is called The Tree of Life: Solving Science's Greatest Puzzle, and he joins us today to share some of his big ideas in just a moment. In the second half of the show, we'll hear big ideas from the 2023 book Planta Sapiens, exploring the surprising intelligence hidden in the plants all around us. Sponsored By: GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbid The Next Big Idea Club - Get 20% off a subscription when you use code DAILY at nextbigideaclub.com

Melissa Bernstein, co-founder of the beloved toy company Melissa & Doug, has spent decades discovering what it means to build a business that's true to who you are. Her new book is called The Heart of Entrepreneurship: Crafting Your Authentic Recipe for Success, and she'll join us to share some of her big ideas in the first half of today's show. After that, we'll hear from Catalina Daniels and James Sherman. They went inside eighteen companies founded by Harvard Business School graduates to uncover the lessons that actually lead to success. Sponsored By: GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbid The Next Big Idea Club - Get 20% off a subscription when you use code DAILY at nextbigideaclub.com

First up, Ann Tashi shares key insights from her book Traveling in Bardo: The Art of Living in an Impermanent World. And later in the show, we'll hear from Rachel Macy Stafford, New York Times bestselling author of 2023’s Soul Shift, who'll show us how small, incremental changes can help us rediscover what truly brings us joy. Support Us by Supporting Our Sponsors: GoDaddy - Get a domain for pennies at godaddy.com/nbid