We’re often told that success comes down to talent, hard work, and luck. But Adam Grant's research suggests that view is missing something crucial. In today’s installment of Next Big Idea Classics, Adam revisits his 2013 bestseller “Give and Take,” explaining how our interactions with others determine who thrives and who doesn’t. 💿 For Adam’s previous appearances on the show, click here 🎙️ And check out our classic interviews with Daniel Pink, Kim Scott, and James Clear
Apr 03, 2025•1 hr 9 min
Caroline Fleck shares five big ideas from her new book, "Validation: How the Skill Set That Revolutionized Psychology Will Transform Your Relationships, Increase Your Influence, and Change Your Life." 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized insights from the best new nonfiction books — in audio or text — straight from the authors. Sign up today!
Mar 31, 2025•17 min
In 2008, a mysterious figure created Bitcoin — a digital currency without banks or borders that sparked a global financial movement. And then he disappeared without a trace. Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? Why did he vanish? And why hasn’t he touched his $100 billion fortune? Today on the show, we talk to journalist Ben Wallace about his search for answers. 📕 The Mysterious Mr. Nakamoto 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, ...
Mar 27, 2025•58 min
Sleep researcher Olivia Walch on why your body’s clock is so messed up and what to do about it. 📱 To hear the rest of this week’s Next Big Idea Daily episodes, follow the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized insights from the best new nonfiction books — in audio or text — straight from the authors. Sign up today!
Mar 24, 2025•16 min
Can you change who you are? When reporter Olga Khazan decided she was tired of being a “high-strung misanthrope” (her words), she turned to science for answers. What she discovered about personality — and how to change it — might surprise you. Host: Daniel Pink Guest: Olga Khazan Book: Me, But Better This episode was recorded live at Politics and Prose on March 12th.
Mar 20, 2025•51 min
Two of TIME’s 100 Most Influential People in AI share what you need to know about AI — and how to defend yourself against bogus AI claims and products. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📕 AI Snake Oil: What Artificial Intelligence Can Do, What It Can’t, and How to Tell the Difference by Arvind Narayanan & Sayash Kapoor 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized ...
Mar 17, 2025•16 min
Every day you inhale 2,000 gallons of air. What’s in there? 📕 Air-Borne: The Hidden History of the Life We Breathe by Carl Zimmer 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized insights from the best new nonfiction books — in audio or text — straight from the authors. Sign up today!
Mar 13, 2025•57 min
Electric vehicles are here to stay. What does that mean for the automotive industry, the world, and you? 📕 Inevitable by Mike Colias 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized insights from the best new nonfiction books — in audio or text — straight from the authors. Sign up today!
Mar 10, 2025•13 min
Turns out it’s not all about the Benjamins. Real success, according to Sahil Bloom, author of “The 5 Types of Wealth,” also requires the freedom to decide how you spend your time, meaningful relationships, a sense of purpose that pulls you forward, and the kind of health that lets you actually enjoy all of the above. 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized insights from the best new nonfiction books — in audio...
Mar 06, 2025•1 hr 6 min
Steve Magness shares five key insights from his new book "Win the Inside Game." 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized insights from the best new nonfiction books — in audio or text — straight from the authors. Sign up today!
Mar 03, 2025•22 min
In part two of our conversation with Will Storr about his new book A Story Is a Deal, he reveals the five storytelling techniques you can use to captivate any audience. Plus, he helps us craft the story of the Next Big Idea Club. 1️⃣ Listen to Part 1 here 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized insights from the best new nonfiction books — in audio or text — straight from the authors. Sign up today!
Feb 27, 2025•46 min
Let’s face it — your relationship with your phone is toxic. Luckily, Catherine Price is here to help. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized insights from the best new nonfiction books — in audio or text — straight from the authors. Sign up today!
Feb 24, 2025•19 min
Today, we’re sitting down with Will Storr, author of the dazzling new book A Story Is a Deal, to talk about humanity’s greatest invention: story. More than just entertainment, Will argues, story is what we do and who we are. It’s how we make sense of the world, captivate, and persuade. And yet for all its power, storytelling isn’t some elusive magic trick — it’s a skill. One you can learn. Will’s here to show you how. 🎧 Listen to Will’s previous appearance on the podcast here 📩 Want to transfo...
Feb 20, 2025•55 min
Valentine’s Day is behind us, but don’t let your relationship slip into screensaver mode. Relationships need ongoing attention and care. That’s why we’ve invited Jay Shetty — author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Think Like a Monk and host of the hit podcast On Purpose — to share insights from his latest book, 8 Rules of Love. Get ready for practical advice that will keep your love life vibrant all year long. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you list...
Feb 17, 2025•18 min
When Rajiv Shah was in his late 20s and didn’t know what to do with his life, he got a job at a fledgling nonprofit, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. Before he knew it, he was a driving force behind a global vaccination program that immunized 900 million children and saved 16 million lives. At 36, he became the administrator of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), managing a $20 billion budget, overseeing a staff of 10,000, and leading the U.S. response to global...
Feb 13, 2025•52 min
Philosopher Jeff Sebo calls for a revolution in ethics, suggesting we expand our “moral circle” to everything from insects to AI. 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Sign up for our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized insights from the best new nonfiction books — in audio or text — straight from the authors. Sign up today!
Feb 10, 2025•16 min
In this special audio essay, Rufus reflects on the big ideas from 2024 that altered his worldview. 🎙️ You can find all of the interviews mentioned in this episode in this Spotify playlist 📩 Want to transform your day in just 10 minutes? Subscribe to our Book of the Day newsletter, and you’ll get daily, bite‑sized insights from the best new nonfiction books — in audio or text — straight from the authors. Sign up today!
Feb 06, 2025•37 min
Faster, easier communication was supposed to make the world better. Instead, it made us miserable. How did we get here, and what can we do about it? For answers, we turn to Nicholas Carr, author of the new book “Superbloom.” 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Check out our Substack
Feb 03, 2025•16 min
A recent Pew Research survey found that most Americans are more worried than excited about AI. Reid Hoffman, however, isn't one of them. He knows the risks — arms races, runaway superintelligence, the whole humans-being-turned-into paperclips scenario — but he's still convinced that AI is poised to usher in an era of extraordinary human progress. And as you'll hear in this episode, he makes a pretty good case. Reid is the co-founder of LinkedIn, Inflection AI, and Manas AI, a partner at the vent...
Jan 30, 2025•1 hr 1 min
Algorithms have penetrated the most intimate aspects of our psychology. Here’s what you can do about it. 📕 Mindmasters: The Data-Driven Science of Predicting and Changing Human Behavior by Sandra Matz 📱 Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen 📩 Check out our Substack
Jan 27, 2025•15 min
We've got a special treat for you today. We invited Ethan Kross — psychologist, neuroscientist, and author of the bestseller "Chatter" — to give us a sneak peek at his new book, "Shift." It comes out in February, and it's a myth-busting, science-based guide to mastering your emotional life using tools you already possess. 📕 Pre-order Ethan's book here 🎧 Check out Ethan's previous appearance on the show: Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Jan 23, 2025•1 hr 8 min
Why has so little progress been made on the wealth gap? 📩 Check out our daily Substack
Jan 20, 2025•11 min
In our deeply divided nation, there's one thing many of us seem to agree on: winter is the worst. A recent study found that nearly half of Americans would skip winter if they could. Yet not everyone dreads the cold months. Psychologist Kari Leibowitz has spent years studying these winter-lovers, and she's arrived at a surprising truth: people who thrive this time of year aren't just born that way — they've learned to see the season differently. So can you. Guest: Kari Leibowitz, author of "How t...
Jan 16, 2025•1 hr
Forget flashy startups — the real path to wealth is buying the local car wash. Today, former Wall Street investor Codie Sanchez reveals how acquiring unsexy but profitable businesses can build more reliable wealth than chasing the next unicorn. 📕 Main Street Millionaire 🎙️ Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen
Jan 13, 2025•8 min
What drives human motivation? For years, the answer seemed simple: rewards. Dangle the right carrot — a bonus, stock options, "Employee of the Month" certificate — and people will perform. But Daniel Pink's 2009 bestseller "Drive" flipped this idea on its head. Drawing on decades of scientific research, Dan revealed that our deepest motivations come from within: the innate drive for autonomy, mastery, and purpose. Now, 15 years after "Drive" revolutionized our understanding of motivation, Dan jo...
Jan 09, 2025•1 hr 12 min
Want to write emails people will actually read? Author Jenn Bane is here to show you how. Her new book, which she co-wrote with Melissa Harris, is “Everybody Needs an Editor: The Essential Guide to Clear and Effective Writing.” 🎙️ Follow The Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen
Jan 06, 2025•12 min
Forming a new habit is tough. Sticking with it is even tougher. That’s probably why someone buys a copy of James Clear’s 2018 book “Atomic Habits” every 11 seconds. James breaks down the science of habit formation into simple, actionable steps anyone can take — even you. Today on the show, he talks Rufus through the four laws of behavior change, explains how small improvements compound over time to produce remarkable results, and offers easy tips you can use now to kick bad habits and adopt good...
Jan 02, 2025•1 hr 16 min
Arthur C. Brooks used to run a prominent think tank where he was paid handsomely to influence public policy. Did all that success make him happy? Nope. So Arthur quit his job and set out to transform his life. Now he’s written a book about what he learned along the way, the #1 New York Times bestseller “From Strength to Strength: Finding Success, Happiness, and Deep Purpose in the Second Half of Life.” 💿 Want to listen back to our favorite episodes of 2024? Check out this playlist
Dec 26, 2024•1 hr 11 min
Elsa Richardson shares five big ideas from her book "Rumbles: A Curious History of the Gut." 📱 Follow the Next Big Idea Daily on Apple Podcasts or Spotify ✉️ Check out our newsletter, Book of the Day 🎁 Need a last-minute gift for the readers in your life? You can get 30% off a Next Big Idea Club gift membership when you use code HOLIDAY30 at nextbigideaclub.com
Dec 23, 2024•14 min
Does free will exist on a sliding scale? Will humans and AI co-evolve? Are aliens already here on earth? These are just a few of the many mind-bending questions Rufus and Sara Walker, author of “Life as No One Knows It,” explore in the second half of their conversation. 1️⃣ If you missed the first half of Sara’s interview, you can find it here 🧪 Want to hear more of our interviews with brilliant scientists? Check out this playlist 🎁 Take 20% off a Next Big Idea Club subscription or gift when y...
Dec 19, 2024•59 min
