Book 2 Post 2
For my second book, I choose Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam M. Grant. I chose this book because I was intrigued by the online summary, which said it blended research and storytelling to help readers build emotional intelligence and curiosity. I don't usually like nonfiction books, but I thought I might like this one since it had a storytelling aspect. I also hate being wrong, and this book focuses a lot on why being wrong can be a good thing so that was intriguing to me as well!
Overall, I thought the book was very interesting. It wasn't my favorite book, since I do prefer to read fiction books that are more like stories because that is what keeps me interested. However, compared to other nonfiction books I have read, this one lands closer to the top of my list! Although I felt like some of the lessons revealed, such as the importance of humility, personal growth, and acceptance, were very intuitive and obvious, it was cool to see someone walking through them with a scientific perspective.
The book is full of fun facts that connect to these life lessons, and I liked how diverse it was, so each page felt fresh and interesting. One of my favorite fun facts from the book was when Grant related facts about coffee to a lesson about complexity. Grant said that people who drank one or two cups a day had a lower risk of cognitive impairment compared to those who drank no coffee. But, he followed up by saying that people who drank more than two cups a day also had a higher risk of cognitive impairment. Grant uses this study to solidify an argument about how most situations are more complex than we think they are, and there's usually not a black-and-white right or wrong. He says that this shows how using complex and critical thinking can keep us on track and help us uncover things we wouldn't have uncovered with a one-track mind.
So, if you like a profound, learning-oriented book that uses facts and stories to reveal key life lessons, then this is for you! But, if you are someone like me who likes a more engaging, crazy story full of ups and downs, then maybe a memoir is more up your alley. Regardless, I am happy that I read this book, and I think it's cool to see different types of storytelling and reveal key lessons.
Hi Karly- I have come across Adam Grant in the past but I have never had the chance to read one of his books. I appreciated your honesty about the positives and negatives of the book, as it is likely something I would not want to read after the review! Thank you!
ReplyDeleteHi Karly - I liked your honest take on this book - especially because I was only trying to focus on the positives when I wrote my review. I definitely agree with how it wasn't the most entertaining read, and a lot of the knowledge was quite intuitive. I like his scientific writing style though, and I'm glad you appreciate it too :)
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great read! As someone who likes to dive into the fiction world when I read, I also rarely pick up nonfiction books. I like how the author incorporated examples, stories, and facts to keep readers interested. I'm not quite used to a scientific writing style, though, but I would love to check this book out sometime and get out of my comfort zone.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciated your review on this book, as the concept of research fused with storytelling to build emotional intelligence and curiosity is something I've never considered doing. I also found the fact about drinking more than two cups a day causing higher risk of cognitive impairment very interesting and something I needed to know!
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