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Table of Contents
About The Book
For fans of Thinking Fast and Slow and The Power of Habit, a groundbreaking new study of how disrupting our well-worn routines, both good and bad, can rejuvenate our days and reset our brains to allow us to live happier and more fulfilling lives.
Have you ever noticed that what is thrilling on Monday tends to become boring on Friday? Even exciting relationships, stimulating jobs, and breathtaking works of art lose their sparkle after a while. People stop noticing what is most wonderful in their own lives. They also stop noticing what is terrible. They get used to dirty air. They stay in abusive relationships. People grow to accept authoritarianism and take foolish risks. They become unconcerned by their own misconduct, blind to inequality, and are more liable to believe misinformation than ever before.
But what if we could find a way to see everything anew? What if you could regain sensitivity, not only to the great things in your life, but also to the terrible things you stopped noticing and so don’t try to change?
Now, neuroscience professor Tali Sharot and Harvard law professor (and presidential advisor) Cass R. Sunstein investigate why we stop noticing both the great and not-so-great things around us and how to “dishabituate” at the office, in the bedroom, at the store, on social media, and in the voting booth. This groundbreaking work, based on decades of research in the psychological and biological sciences, illuminates how we can reignite the sparks of joy, innovate, and recognize where improvements urgently need to be made. The key to this disruption—to seeing, feeling, and noticing again—is change. By temporarily changing your environment, changing the rules, changing the people you interact with—or even just stepping back and imagining change—you regain sensitivity, allowing you to more clearly identify the bad and more deeply appreciate the good.
Have you ever noticed that what is thrilling on Monday tends to become boring on Friday? Even exciting relationships, stimulating jobs, and breathtaking works of art lose their sparkle after a while. People stop noticing what is most wonderful in their own lives. They also stop noticing what is terrible. They get used to dirty air. They stay in abusive relationships. People grow to accept authoritarianism and take foolish risks. They become unconcerned by their own misconduct, blind to inequality, and are more liable to believe misinformation than ever before.
But what if we could find a way to see everything anew? What if you could regain sensitivity, not only to the great things in your life, but also to the terrible things you stopped noticing and so don’t try to change?
Now, neuroscience professor Tali Sharot and Harvard law professor (and presidential advisor) Cass R. Sunstein investigate why we stop noticing both the great and not-so-great things around us and how to “dishabituate” at the office, in the bedroom, at the store, on social media, and in the voting booth. This groundbreaking work, based on decades of research in the psychological and biological sciences, illuminates how we can reignite the sparks of joy, innovate, and recognize where improvements urgently need to be made. The key to this disruption—to seeing, feeling, and noticing again—is change. By temporarily changing your environment, changing the rules, changing the people you interact with—or even just stepping back and imagining change—you regain sensitivity, allowing you to more clearly identify the bad and more deeply appreciate the good.
About The Authors
Photograph by Michael Lionstar
Tali Sharot is a professor of cognitive neuroscience at University College London and MIT. She is the founder and director of the Affective Brain Lab. She has written for outlets including The New York Times, Time, The Washington Post, has been a repeated guest on CNN, NBC, MSNBC, a presenter on the BBC, and served as an advisor for global companies and government projects. Her work has won her prestigious fellowships and prizes from the Wellcome Trust, American Psychological Society, British Psychological Society, and others. Her popular TED talks have accumulated more than a dozen million views. Before becoming a neuroscientist, Sharot worked in the financial industry. She is the author of award-winning books: The Optimism Bias and The Influential Mind. She lives in Boston and London with her husband and children.
Photograph © Ross Lincoln Harvard University
Cass R. Sunstein is the nation’s most-cited legal scholar who, for the past fifteen years, has been at the forefront of behavioral economics. From 2009 to 2012, he served as the administrator of the White House Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs. Since that time, he has served in the US government in multiple capacities and worked with the United Nations and the World Health Organization, where he chaired the Technical Advisory Group on Behavioral Insights and Sciences for Health during the COVID-19 pandemic. He is the Robert Walmsley University Professor at Harvard Law School. His book Nudge, coauthored with Richard Thaler, was a national bestseller. In 2018, he was the recipient of the Holberg Prize from the government of Norway, sometimes described as equivalent of the Nobel Prize for law and the humanities. He lives in Boston and Washington, DC, with his wife, children, and labrador retrievers.
Product Details
- Publisher: Atria/One Signal Publishers (February 27, 2024)
- Length: 288 pages
- ISBN13: 9781668008201
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Raves and Reviews
“Profound...the authors are engaging guides to their field.”
—Financial Times
“Corralling a wealth of fascinating examples…Sharot and Sunstein provide a revelatory investigation of a phenomenon that’s as complex as it is common. This enthralls.”
—Publishers Weekly, starred review
"With intelligence and humor, Sharot and Sunstein provide guidance on how to refresh the spirit and see the world anew. If your world is starting to look grey and dull, this book might be your road map out of the comfort zone."
—Kirkus Reviews
"Look Again is a worthy addition to literature at the intersection of psychology, neuroscience, and economics, making them accessible to the general reader."
—Shelf Awareness
“One trait of history’s most creative thinkers—from Leonardo da Vinci to Albert Einstein—is that they are able to look anew and marvel at everyday things that most people have quit noticing: the alluring blueness of the sky, the passage of time, the way a light beam creates a spot of luster on a leaf. Look Again can help us all look in a fresh way at things around us. It’s a smart and fun read, and a valuable way to revitalize your life.”
—Walter Isaacson, New York Times bestselling author of Steve Jobs
"Timely and important. A clear and provocative book about the power of expectation and the endless mystery of the human mind."
—Tara Westover, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Educated
"A sensational guide to a more psychologically rich life."
—Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit
"In Look Again, Sharot and Sunstein offer an insightful look into the science of habituation. Their insights into the why and how of getting used to things teach us how to hack habituation to bring more joy to our lives. A surprising and delightful book."
—Annie Duke, bestselling author of Thinking in Bets
"Look Again is the perfect book to help you refresh your point of view. Sharot and Sunstein reveal why it’s easy to be lulled into complacency about anything and how to prevent falling into this trap. In the bargain, they’ll help you live a happier, healthier, wiser and more just life."
—Katy Milkman, bestselling author of How to Change
"Such a vivid, human and original book-the perfect guide to perking up everything from your creativity to your love life."
—Tim Harford, author of How To Make The World Add Up
"Look Again is a fascinating guide to how and why our biased minds get used to stuff and how we can fight through our usual adaptations. It's a must read for anyone who wants to feel happier, stay more present, and make healthier, more effective decisions."
—Laurie Santos, Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale University and host of The Happiness Lab podcast
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- Book Cover Image (jpg): Look Again Hardcover 9781668008201
- Author Photo (jpg): Tali Sharot Photograph by Michael Lionstar(0.1 MB)
Any use of an author photo must include its respective photo credit
- Author Photo (jpg): Cass R. Sunstein Photograph © Ross Lincoln Harvard University(0.1 MB)
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