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

Great ideas, challenges how you think and why - with good ideas for ways to discover if changing someone’s beliefs is possible.A stimulating read

First, a note on the hardback edition. To put it bluntly: the book (in said edition) is bloated to look bigger, thicker. The font is (unnecessarily) large, the space between the lines is ample, the divisions of chapters too frequent. Etc. It's an edition made so the book looks bigger, perhaps thinking the bigger the book, the better it is. Yet this thinking goes against a maxim in literature: the good, if brief, is twice as good.On the content, no major complains. The books reads well and it is obviously written by an expert and passionate author. Yet it is too diverse, and in the end the point of the whole text gets somehow lost. This is a self-help treaty, a know-yourself better publication and a psichology volume - all in one and never fully settling for one of these fields. It is a good work, but the reader does not find a clear line to follow or fall for.In conclusion: a worthy read of a few interesting (and helpful) ideas, marred by undefinition and, I'm afraid I must insist, an edition that seems to be made to impress the reader.

In todays polarised world, I believe this book is one of the most important books anyone can read right now.It discusses 3 areas; how to rethink your own assumptions, how to encourage others to rethink their assumptions, and how to encourage society to rethink assumptions.It covers a lot, but the point that stuck with me the most is that things are never as simple as black and white. The grey area in between 2 binary options is where the most productive conversation takes place. An example from the book is gun control - this issue is not as simple as gun control or no gun control, its an extremely complex issue with an extremely wide grey area in the middle. The key is accepting that you don't have to attach yourself to one of the binary options, it's OK to accept that its a complex issue and that you can agree with points from both sides. This doesn't mean you're contradictory, it means you want to understand.

One of the best books I have read. If more people approached life questioning their beliefs using this methodology the world wouldn't be the ridiculous mess it is. Read it.

very pleased with the speed of the delivery and the book's condition

I read my notes on the "Think Again" book again, and now I understand why I had a lukewarm reaction as my first reaction. It is mostly about "Think Again" = Be aware of bias + get more data + be more 'rational' (like following Bayesian Thinking method, although he does not explicitly say that) + don't get attached to your self-identity/ego.In short, "Think Again" = think BETTER, but not necessarily DIFFERENT.By DIFFERENT, one means to change the Thinking Paradigm, like from 'Logic' to 'Anti-Logic' and see what that leads.So although I don't necessarily disagree fundamentally with the book, I don't think it went to one level DEPPER to really 'think again & different' but rather stay in the 'think again' from a pure Bias Behavioral/Bayesian Paradigm(...which is what 99% of the books in the matter are about :) )In fact, the book actually reinforces today's dominant thinking paradigm, even as it claims to be encouraging readers to 'think again.'!

I’d heard Adam Grant talking on his podcast and liked what he had to say, so I picked up the book with excitement.The simple tenet of the book is that rethinking our plans, answers and decisions is a good thing and a fixed mindset closes us to opportunities and potentially better alternatives.My enduring feeling having read the book is discomfort. Not because I don’t like what Adam says, but because, through a smile and gritted teeth, I agree with most of his ideas, opinions and perspectives. The problem is, he made me question the decisions I’ve made in work over the years and my modus operandi.Adam talks about the Dunning Kruger effect, which is something I’d come across during my doctoral research. I was a little starstruck that not only was this something AG thought fit to write about, but he actually knew these scholars! The Dunning Kruger effect basically describes the phenomenon where people who think they’re highly capable are usually quite the opposite. Check out pg 38I liked his description of how to deal with an argument and hostility. Instead of going head to head, you can rethink your position and sidestep. What a great way of viewing confrontation: a dance, where you can choose to parry, thrust or tango. You can step out of the discussion and talk about the discussion. By talking about the discussion instead of being in the discussion, it gives both parties the opportunity to gain perspective, and change perspective if they so choose.Adam also talks about complexifying a problem. When two parties are at opposite ends of the pole, setting out the complexities of the particular issue can help parties recognise that this either/or argument about which they’ve been at odd actually has a number of other arms - more like the spokes of a wheel, if you will. It helps to diffuse this idea of ‘my way or the highway’ and helps people rethink, reach agreement on some elements and compromise on others.My main take home from the book is this idea that it’s good to question our own decisions. Adam gives lots of data and examples of where this has paid dividends and consistently yielded better results. If one day we’ve said something is red and tomorrow we’ve reflected on the data, rethought it and tomorrow say it’s pink, that’s ok.One thing I’ve held on to over the years is my consistency of opinion. There are many occasions where colleagues have asked me something or other about an issue from a few days ago and I’ve found myself with no memory of it (at least not in the way they describe), and I’ve given them the same answer twice. I’ve always thought, phew!… what I lack in instant recall I make up for in consistency. But if you read Think Again, flexibility is valued over consistency. Getting it right is valued over getting it to match.Henceforth I shall take a new approach and consider that a change of direction from north to north west is not about having gotten it wrong the first time, but about thinking again and coming up with a better idea. As Maya Angelou said, ‘Do the best you can until you know better. Then when you know better, do better.’Good book. If you want to step out of your comfort zone and learn something about yourself and others, this book is worth a read. It felt like a long read, but the fact I read the whole thing in Adam’s voice may have had something to do with it (the joy of podcasts)!

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