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Where books open worlds.
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Books are more than stories on a page — they are mirrors, maps, challenges, and companions in understanding ourselves and the world we inhabit.

Big Think Books is a space devoted to the writers and ideas that shape culture, knowledge, and the way we think. Through thoughtful recommendations, deep dives, and engaging commentary, this column guides readers toward books that expand curiosity, provoke insight, and deepen understanding across fields like science, history, psychology, literature, and more. Whether you’re exploring the latest releases or rediscovering timeless classics, here you’ll find ideas worth your time and thought.

with

Kevin Dickinson is a staff writer and columnist at Big Think, focusing on the intersection of education, psychology, business, and science. He holds a master’s in English and writing, and his work has appeared in Agenda, RealClearScience, and The Washington Post.

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A man with short gray hair and wearing a plaid shirt is seated at a wooden table in a dimly lit restaurant, smiling at the camera.
Inside Wall Street’s 2008 meltdown, through the eyes of an FBI informant
In this excerpt from Wired on Wall Street, Tom Hardin (aka "Tipper X") shares how he began gathering intelligence on insider trading for the FBI.

by Tom Hardin

A simple illustration of a house with two windows featuring cartoon eyes, set against a black background with minimal greenery—perfect for fans of that "wired on Wall Street" aesthetic.
Everything Articles
A set of large blue numbers from 1 to 9, with the number 2 in bold red and black scribbles drawn over it.
Books
Your life, scored: How metrics warp your sense of meaning
What’s in a number? Only a vanishingly small slice of your life, it turns out.
Kevin Dickinson
A solid orange rectangle fills the entire image without any patterns, text, or distinguishing features.
Books
Science fiction blinded us to the perils of settling Mars
Science fiction romanticized Mars as a place of adventure and future settlement; science tells a very different story.
Ross Pomeroy
A book cover titled "The Laws of Thought" by Tom Griffiths appears next to the phrase "an excerpt from" on a split lavender and beige background.
Books
The man who transposed human thought into algebra
In this excerpt from The Laws of Thought, Tom Griffiths shares how George Boole developed a mathematical theory of logic.
Tom Griffiths
A young girl and a boy, their curiosity piqued, peer behind a curtain, illustrated in a detailed, vintage etching style.
Books
Science shows curiosity is at the heart of great dates—and lasting love
In this excerpt from The Intimate Animal, Justin Garcia shows why curiosity and self-disclosure — not attraction alone — help build intimacy and sustain it over time.
Justin R. Garcia
The word "chaos" is repeatedly written in orange over a beige background, with a large, rough black scribble overlaid in the center.
Books
The profound life lesson at the heart of chaos theory
In this excerpt from Think Like a Mathematician, Junaid Mubeen explains how tiny actions can shape complex systems, revealing the limits of prediction and control in our lives.
Junaid Mubeen
A woman in a light pink dress sits indoors sewing, surrounded by soft furnishings, with a blue-white chalk circle drawn around her upper body.
Books
The “flow world” shows us that meaning is about being present, not achievement
In this excerpt from How to Live a Meaningful Life, Bill Burnett and Dave Evans discuss how flow transforms ordinary moments into deeply human experiences.
Bill Burnett
Illustration of a person wearing Renaissance-era clothing, including a half-brown, half-striped tunic, blue tights, and a green belt, standing with a flourish against a plain background.
Books
Why fulfilled people make time for nothing at all
In this excerpt from Flourish, Daniel Coyle shares how stillness, presence, and attention help people build meaningful connections.
Daniel Coyle
A spinosaurus skeleton with tall back spines is shown in profile; its head is crossed out with a red scribble.
Books
The dinosaur that vanished twice: How WWII nearly erased Spinosaurus from history
Ernst Stromer discovered Spinosaurus in Egypt. His fossils were destroyed in WWII, yet still shape how we imagine this mysterious dinosaur today.
David Hone
A man with glasses reads a newspaper, with a glowing lightbulb illustration above his head, symbolizing an idea or realization.
Books
Why “read more” may be the most underrated thinking advice we have
Reading isn’t just writing prep; together, reading and writing help writers think and generate original ideas through extended cognition.
Kevin Dickinson
The cover of "Big Trust" by Dr. Shadé Zahrai with Faycal Sekkouah features a blue background with light rays, highlighting the power of big trust in rewiring self-doubt and fueling success.
Books
Your brain loves labels — even when they limit your potential
Labels help your brain make sense of a complex world, but when self-attached, those same labels can convince you that you're unable to grow.
Shadé Zahrai
Book cover for "The Healing Power of Resilience" by Tara Narula, MD, featuring a flower entwined with an EKG line, symbolizing the healing power of resilience, on a beige background with a red border.
Books
The surprising case for denial as a path toward resilience
Tara Narula shares how journalist Richard Cohen challenged conventional ideas about illness, identity, and strength while living with MS.
Tara Narula
Abstract illustration of two wide eyes with red irises peeking over a pale green, angular shape against a black background.
Books
5 literary conspiracy theories — debunked
A tour of the literary cover-ups, extraterrestrials, and cryptids lurking in the bookish backwoods.
Josh Browning
Ancient-style illustration of three nude male warriors running, each holding a decorated round shield and wearing a crested helmet, inspired by themes explored by thinkers like Ezekiel Emanuel.
Books
The 2,500-year-old secrets to health and wellness (that aren’t secrets at all)
Health policy expert Ezekiel Emanuel says you don’t have to be obsessed to live a healthy life. Wellness can, and should, be something you enjoy.
Ross Pomeroy
Book cover of "Invisible Illness" by Emily Mendenhall, depicting a person holding a mirror with the title reflected, set against a cloudy sky—capturing the hidden struggles of living with an invisible illness.
Books
The medical myth that still shapes misunderstandings of women’s health
Emily Mendenhall traces the medical myths, gender bias, and neurological truths behind hysteria, one of history’s most damaging diagnoses.
Emily Mendenhall
A woman in a blue dress sits beside a cradle with a baby; two adults are seated at a green table with a closed book, highlighting the enduring importance of books in an age of advancing technology.
Books
The most successful information technology in history is the one we barely notice
Joel Miller, the author of “The Idea Machine,” joins us to explore why books are history’s most successful information technology.
Kevin Dickinson
Book cover with a cream background and red border titled "The Power of Guilt" by Chris Moore, PhD, exploring the power of guilt—why we feel it and its surprising ability to heal.
Books
4 proven steps to an apology that can heal your damaged relationships
Psychologist Chris Moore reveals why guilt and anxiety lead us to the compassion necessary to earn forgiveness.
Chris Moore
Illustration of a person holding a cup while selecting a book from a shelf filled with various colorful book spines.
Books
10 of Big Think’s favorite books in 2025
Revisiting the year’s noteworthy nonfiction.
Kevin Dickinson
A man wearing glasses and a jacket looks at the camera, seated in front of a light background with a green rectangular frame and gray squiggle lines.
Books
Great stories share the revelations in life’s quiet undertakings
Bryan Washington, author of “Palaver,” reflects on how moving to Japan and learning a new language shaped his writing.
Tim Brinkhof
Book cover titled "The End of Driving: Automated Cars, Robotaxis, Sharing vs Owning, and the Future of Mobility" by Bern Grush, John S. Niles, and Andrew Miller, Second Edition.
Books
Robotaxis offer a path toward smarter and fairer urban mobility
Robotaxis can transform cities by improving mobile efficiency, equity, and safety — if cities adopt policies that prioritize the public good.
Bern Grush 
A hand holds a small, round black device with a circular light, while a purple scribble curving around both hints at rewiring democracy.
Books
AI is a power amplifier. The future depends on who turns the dials.
In “Rewiring Democracy,” Bruce Schneier and Nathan Sanders explore how AI could strengthen democracy or undermine it.
Kevin Dickinson
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