4 New Books About How Things Aren’t What They Seem
Magazine / 4 New Books About How Things Aren’t What They Seem

4 New Books About How Things Aren’t What They Seem

Politics & Economics Science
4 New Books About How Things Aren’t What They Seem

A wise man once said that there is nothing more dangerous than just a little knowledge. It’s enough to trick you into believing you know everything, and that you’re fully prepared to take on the world.

But that first taste of knowledge often precedes a new and profound realization: that things are not what they seem. So to go beyond the headlines and dive into the truth about 21st-century dictators, self-help, and more, check out the four eye-opening books below.

Download the Next Big Idea App for “Book Bite” summaries of hundreds of new nonfiction books like these.

Don't Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

Don’t Trust Your Gut: Using Data to Get What You Really Want in Life

By Seth Stephens-Davidowitz

An economist and former Google data scientist explains how hard facts and figures consistently contradict our instincts and demonstrate self-help that actually works—whether it involves the best time in life to start a business or how happy it actually makes us to skip a friend’s birthday party for a night of Netflix on the couch. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, in the Next Big Idea App

The New Megatrends: Seeing Clearly in the Age of Disruption by Marian Salzman

The New Megatrends: Seeing Clearly in the Age of Disruption

By Marian Salzman

A pioneering forecaster predicts the trends and technologies that will shape global culture and commerce in the next two decades—a must-read guide for business leaders, entrepreneurs, and anyone looking for an edge. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by author Marian Salzman, in the Next Big Idea App

Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century by Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman

Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century

By Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman

Offering incisive portraits of today’s authoritarian leaders, Spin Dictators explains some of the great political puzzles of our time―from how dictators can survive in an age of growing modernity to the disturbing convergence and mutual sympathy between dictators and populists like Donald Trump. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-author Sergei Guriev, in the Next Big Idea App

Hidden Games: The Surprising Power of Game Theory to Explain Irrational Human Behavior by Moshe Hoffman and Erez Yoeli

Hidden Games: The Surprising Power of Game Theory to Explain Irrational Human Behavior

By Moshe Hoffman and Erez Yoeli

Two MIT economists use game theory to explain our most puzzling behavior, from the mechanics of Stockholm syndrome and internalized misogyny to why we help strangers and have a sense of fairness. Listen to our Book Bite summary, read by co-authors Moshe Hoffman and Erez Yoeli, in the Next Big Idea App

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