Summer is the season for long days, for recharging, for reconnecting with your joy. And what better way to achieve these things and fill those hours than with a book?
Sure, there are plenty of page-turner mysteries or sci-fi doorstops to transport you for hours. Science says you’ll get more out of “guilty pleasure” books than you probably think. But if your goal is not only to be absorbed in other worlds, but also to learn something useful about this one, Adam Grant has some suggestions for you.
Every few months, the star Wharton professor (and best-selling author) comes out with a list of new books he recommends. His latest features recently released titles to jumpstart your mind while you work on that tan. Here are five coming out this month.
1. If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal by Justin Gregg
1. If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal by Justin Gregg
Rarely have I heard of a book with a weirder title, but Grant’s explanation of how animals think in this book is actually as useful as it is interesting. “A dazzling, delightful read about what animal cognition can teach us about our own mental shortcomings,” he writes. “I tore through his book in one sitting. I dare you to read it without rethinking any of your basic ideas about intelligence.” (It’s out August 9.)
2. The Neuroscience of You by Chantel Prat To see also : Statement by President Biden at the US-Africa Summit.
2. The Neuroscience of You by Chantel Prat
“Move over, outer space – this book is a wonderful trip through inner space. This neuroscientist has a rare, remarkable gift for making neurons sing and dendrites dance. On the same subject : Does Marvel Just Retcon Avengers: Endgame Time Travel Rules?. She has written the smartest, clearest and funniest book I have ever read about the brain,” enthuses Grant about The Neuroscience of You. (Out August 2.)
3. What We Owe the Future by Will MacAskill
3. What We Owe the Future by Will MacAskill
Grant is not the only public thinker who is happy with this book by an Oxford philosopher about our “moral responsibility to do right by our grandchildren’s grandchildren.” “This book will change your sense of how grand the breakthrough of human history can be, where you fit into it, and how much you can do to change it for the better. See the article : New Amazon Prime Video Shows and Movies Coming in August. It’s as simple and as ambitious as that,” says Ezra Klein. (Out August 16.)
4. Longpath by Ari Wallach
Next on the list is another book on long-term thinking (apparently a preoccupation of Grants at the moment). He explains his second choice on the subject this way: “This book is an antidote to myopia. A futurist offers a practical guide to planning for several generations into the future.” (Also out on August 16.)
5. Both/And Thinking by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis
5. Both/And Thinking by Wendy Smith and Marianne Lewis
This book by a pair of business school professors is specifically aimed at managers trying to navigate uncertain times. “Life is full of paradoxes, and too often we ignore them or try to erase them when we should be learning to deal with them. Two top scholars of paradox examine how we can embrace tensions and overcome trade-offs,” says Grant. Fellow business writer Tom Peters is more succinct: “This book is, plain and simple, a masterpiece.” (Out August 9)
