Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know Paperback – December 26, 2023

There are two powerful reasons to read this book. One: You’ll learn a lot. Two: This book will be mentioned in articles and discussions. It will make the short list of books every manager should read. I bought Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant because I’ve learned a lot from his books, blogs, and articles. I expected the same level of lucid writing and penetrating insight that I got from Originals and Give and Take. For me, this was the best book yet. Think Again is the best book Grant has written for business leaders. That VUCA world we keep hearing about requires flexibility and unlearning. Most of the books I’ve seen on the kind of learning you need for today’s world focus on corporate cultures, on creating “learning institutions.” Think Again is different. Think Again is about the learning culture between your ears. Here’s how Grant states the purpose of the book. “This book is an invitation to let go of knowledge and opinions that are no longer serving you well, and to anchor your sense of self in flexibility rather than consistency. If you can master the art of rethinking, I believe you’ll be better positioned for success at work and happiness in life. Thinking again can help you generate new solutions to old problems and revisit old solutions to new problems. It’s a path to learning more from the people around you and living with fewer regrets. A hallmark of wisdom is knowing when it’s time to abandon some of your most treasured tools—and some of the most cherished parts of your identity.”The first section of the book is about opening your mind. It’s about what “thinking again” really means. The second part of the book looks at ways to encourage others to think again or to think along with you. The third section is about creating communities of lifelong learners. A key to getting the most from this book is the different mindsets that Philip Tetlock discovered. Here’s Grant’s brief description from Think Again.“Two decades ago my colleague Phil Tetlock discovered something peculiar. As we think and talk, we often slip into the mindsets of three different professions: preachers, prosecutors, and politicians. In each of these modes, we take on a particular identity and use a distinct set of tools. We go into preacher mode when our sacred beliefs are in jeopardy: we deliver sermons to protect and promote our ideals. We enter prosecutor mode when we recognize flaws in other people’s reasoning: we marshal arguments to prove them wrong and win our case. We shift into politician mode when we’re seeking to win over an audience: we campaign and lobby for the approval of our constituents. The risk is that we become so wrapped up in preaching that we’re right, prosecuting others who are wrong, and politicking for support that we don’t bother to rethink our own views.”Grant uses Tetlock’s terms for the different mindsets. I found digging around on the web and in the scholarly literature for more on the mindsets helped me squeeze even more value from this book. This is not a book where you can skip around and get much value. The description of thinking in the first section sets up later lessons and insights. The second section builds on the first and applies the lessons to debate and persuasion. The third section builds on the first two. It extends the basic mindset idea to groups. Suggestion. As a warmup for Think Again, take a minute to read a Farnam Street blog post: "Jeff Bezos on Why People that Are Often Right Change Their Minds Often."In A NutshellThink Again is an excellent book that will give you techniques you can use to think more effectively at work and everywhere else. You’ll get more from the book if you do a little bit of homework. Learn about Tetlock’s mindsets and the general idea of changing your mind as a way of thinking.

I've always been fascinated with understanding how people make decisions individually and collectively (including me! I'm my own little lab petri dish of thoughts!). So I was intrigued with Adam Grant's latest book: Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know as less-than-stellar decisions occur because of this "blind spot" - especially in this volatile and uncertain world.Although Grant is an academic (teaches at Wharton), the book is easy to read - but a little harder to digest. Written in a conversational tone, the ideas are presented in a clear manner with examples, research, experiments, and stories. The harder part is to do the work and look in the mirror to see if and when we are on "Mount Stupid". (Although he doesn't really challenge you until hardback page 250 with a summary of "Actions for Impact". )So what are some of the ideas that resonated with me?- The Dunning-Kruger Effect. It's when we lack competence that we're most likely to be brimming with overconfidence. Unless you're a complete novice, you'll overrate your abilities.- Mount Stupid is the point where you have just enough information to feel self-assured about making pronouncements and passing judgment (I have been there many times...).- Do What Forecasters Do. When forecasters form an opinion, they ask what would have to happen to prove it false? They then keep track of their views so they can see when they were right, wrong, and how their thinking has evolved.- The Value of a Challenge Network. "Across a range of networks, when employees received tough feedback from colleagues, their default response was to avoid those coworkers or drop them from their networks altogether - and their performance suffered over the following year." Counter this tendency by creating a safe space to get feedback.- Debate vs Dispute. "Simply framing a dispute as a debate rather than as a disagreement signals that you're receptive to considering dissenting opinions and changing your mind, which in turn motivates the other person to share more information with you.- Be a Fact-Checker - "(1) Interrogate information instead of simply consuming it. (2) Reject rank and popularity as a proxy for reliability and (3) Understand that the sender of information is often not its source.- How to Question the Expert - To question them in a way that is not embarrassing to them or makes them look like a fool, ask these questions with a sense of curiosity: "What leads you to that assumption? Why do you think t is correct? What might happen if it's wrong? What are the uncertainties in your analysis? I understand the advantages of your recommendation. What are the disadvantages?And that's just the tip of the iceberg! So much great information, I am going to go back through the book with Actions for Impact in hand!

it’s a good book. i found an audio on spotify (i have premium) and i believe the author, Adam Grant, is the one who narrated it. helped me a lot to hear and see the words. read this in a book club with some coworkers and we all agreed that it was a tough read in terms of readability and content.the overall message is awesome and it’s definitely valuable and something you wont regret reading but it is just super dense and content heavy.so set aside some time and space when you pull this one out so you can focus and really take it all in! and if youre like me, maybe be prepared to reread some lines!

The book is an eye-opening exploration of the importance of rethinking our assumptions, beliefs, and decision-making processes. Grant emphasizes the value of intellectual humility and open-mindedness, encouraging readers to embrace the discomfort of uncertainty and challenge their own viewpoints.What is particularly valuable in this book is how Grant explains the benefits of being willing to change our minds, particularly in a world that often rewards certainty and fixed beliefs. His practical advice and real-world examples provide actionable ways to develop a more flexible and adaptive mindset.In conclusion, I’d say this is an engaging and thought-provoking read for anyone looking to sharpen their critical thinking skills and approach challenges with a more open and curious mindset.

Really a good book. Lots of good information

I would say the book accomplished the main objective: making us think about our thinking. Adam Grant does a great job on how people can rethink their ideas and their benefits. I feel the author provides good tips on becoming a better leader and being aware of our thought process. Highly recommend!