With the release of his new book, Option B, professor Adam Grant recommends some of his favorite page-turners.
Adam Grant
People-analytics expert Adam Grant knows a few things about collaboration—and as a follow-up to his New York Times best-selling books Give and Take and Originals, the professor of psychology and Saul P. Steinberg professor of management is teaming up with Facebook COO, Lean In author, and friend Sheryl Sandberg for a project that’s as personal as it is professional. “After Sheryl lost her husband suddenly, we spent a lot of time talking about how resilience isn’t fixed; it’s a muscle that everyone can build,” Grant says.
The result is Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy, out this month. “We combine Sheryl’s personal insights with my research on finding strength in the face of adversity,” Grant says. “Our book is about the human capacity to persevere.” When you’re finished with Grant’s latest, consider picking up a few recent and upcoming books he couldn’t put down.
Irresistible
Adam Alter
“I found out that I have an addiction, and you probably do, too—to your iPhone, Facebook, or a game like Words with Friends or World of Warcraft,” Grant says. “Alter is a marketing professor, but he’s not here to sell; he wants to protect you from your digital obsessions. He illuminates how addictive technologies are controlling our lives and offers the tools we need to rescue our businesses, our families, and our sanity.”
The Sixth Extinction
Elizabeth Kolbert
“About 66 million years ago, the dinosaurs disappeared—along with about three quarters of all species on earth. In her Pulitzer Prize-winning book, Kolbert traces the five mass extinctions of the past and opens our eyes to the one we’re causing right now. I will never look at a golden frog the same way again.”
A Uterus Is a Feature, Not a Bug
Sarah Lacy
“One of Silicon Valley’s most outspoken journalists challenges us to recognize that motherhood is a source of strength, not weakness. With all due respect to Amy Chua, this strikes me as the real battle hymn of the tiger mother.” [Publication date: November 2017]
Popular
Mitch Prinstein
“It turns out there’s more to popularity than status. This book didn’t just capture my attention; it helped me understand why I wasn’t cool as a kid, why I’m still not today, and why I shouldn’t care.” [Publication date: June 2017]
I Am Pilgrim
Terry Hayes
“This book was my behavioral addiction. I fell behind on multiple projects because I couldn’t put it down. It was worth it—one of the most riveting suspense novels I’ve ever read. Beware of plot twists galore.”
The Culture Code
Daniel Coyle
“I’ve been waiting years for someone to write this book. I’ve built it up in my mind into something extraordinary. And it’s even better than I imagined. Coyle demystifies how great groups build a sense of belonging and safety, and blows all other books on team cultures right out of the water.” [Publication date: September 2017]
Published as “Mass Extinction, Digital Addiction, and Overthrowing the Patriarchy” in the Spring/Summer 2017 issue of Wharton Magazine.
