Books

Big Think Home
A close up of a woman reading a book.
The word "BOOKS" is shown in large white letters, with the two O's replaced by an open-book graphic on a light gray background.
Where books open worlds.
Follow on Substack

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.

Full Profile
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.
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.

by Junaid Mubeen

The word "chaos" is repeatedly written in orange over a beige background, with a large, rough black scribble overlaid in the center.
Everything Articles
Silhouette of a human head with an outlined brain, set against a background of abstract swirling white lines on black.
Neuropsych
Anxiety always lies: Martha Beck on overcoming fear and finding purpose
When your life’s truth and the reality you live become out of sync, you risk falling into an "anxiety spiral."
Saga Briggs
A colorful butterfly with vivid patterns hangs near an empty cocoon on a twig against a soft, gradient background.
Neuropsych
The Big 5 personality traits you can change with practice
"Personality isn't based on what we say we'll do. It's rooted in what we actually do, which becomes what we think about."
Olga Khazan
Two faceless busts face each other. One, representing AI, has digital lines on its face, while the other exudes cognitive meaning with flowers and leaves emerging from its surface.
The Future
What AI’s sensory void tells us about thinking on “the road to meaning”
Cognitive neuroscientist and AI researcher Christopher Summerfield explores the differences, and similarities, of how AI and humans make meaning of the world.
Christopher Summerfield
A miniature tank made from rolled and stacked U.S. hundred-dollar bills is displayed on a red background.
The Present
How the United States turned the world economy into a battlefield
By weaponizing the global economy, the U.S. initiated a new era of economic warfare and transformed how major powers compete.
Kevin Dickinson
Large white text reading “maybe” in quotation marks, with a purple scribble behind it, is shown on a black background.
Neuropsych
Turn life’s disruptions into a path forward with this 2-step process
When plans fall apart, adaptability can build something better.
Anne-Laure Le Cunff
A woman smiles at a baby in a crib, holding a toy while the baby reaches out, attempting their first words. They appear to be in a domestic setting.
The Past
In praise of history’s famous first words
While death-bed utterances are more famous, baby’s first words have influenced us too.
Michael Erard
Collage featuring Donald Trump on 'The Apprentice', Kim Kardashian on a red carpet, a film script, and a camera operator, capturing the behind-the-scenes essence of reality TV.
High Culture
Breaking taboos and blurring truths: How reality TV has shaped society in its own image
From Allen Funt to Donald Trump, author Emily Nussbaum explains how reality TV has blurred the lines between, well, reality and TV.
Tim Brinkhof
Learn from the world’s biggest thinkers.
© Copyright 2007-2026 & BIG THINK, BIG THINK PLUS, SMARTER FASTER trademarks owned by Freethink Media, Inc. All rights reserved.