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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.

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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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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
Book cover of "Crush: Close Encounters with Gravity" by James Riordon, featuring a crushed red soda can with a green leaf.
Books
Einstein’s cryptids: The disputed, but possible, phenomena of the cosmos
From white holes to dark stars and multiverses, James Riordon explores the bizarre exhibits of general relativity's "cryptozoo."
James Riordon
Black and white illustration of a person passing wind amid clouds, with the gas depicted as a sharp burst.
Books
The word for”wind”: How ancient civilizations explained an invisible force
In this excerpt from "The Breath of the Gods, Simon Winchester explores how the Sumerians first named the wind and shaped our early understanding of the natural world.
Simon Winchester
A human skull rests on a closed book beside an inkwell, a quill, a candlestick, and an open book—evoking the timeless allure of books that will change your life on a dimly lit tabletop.
Books
5 books that teach you how to die well — by living better
"Our ultimate goal, after all, is not a good death but a good life to the very end."
Scotty Hendricks
Black and white illustration of a 19th-century steam-powered paddleboat, reminiscent of the one commandeered by Robert Smalls, docked by the shore with smoke rising from its central smokestack.
Books
The Civil War hero who stole a Confederate ship — and changed history
In this excerpt from "The First Eight," Congressman Jim Clyburn shares the story of Robert Smalls, the man whose audience with Lincoln may have saved the Union army.
Jim Clyburn
Silhouettes of people walk toward a large stack of books on a barren, monochrome landscape with a pale background.
Books
Plato meets game theory: How Schelling points explain the power of great books
The great books aren’t just classics — they’re cultural Schelling points that give our minds a place to meet up in the world of ideas.
Daniel Greco
Book cover of "The Shortest History of AI" by Toby Walsh, featuring blue and white text on a dark background with a small glowing circle near the center—an apt nod to early AI like Logic Theorist.
Books
Logic Theorist: The program that rewrote the foundations of mathematics
In this excerpt from "The Shortest History of AI," Toby Walsh explores the history of the Logic Theorist, the first AI to prove mathematical theorems.
Toby Walsh
Book cover for "The Devil Is a Southpaw" by Brandon Hobson, featuring two black birds flying over large red and blue text that boldly displays the title on a cream background.
Books
“The Devil Is a Southpaw”: A novel by Brandon Hobson
A preview of the latest novel by the National Book Award finalist Brandon Hobson.
Brandon Hobson
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