The #1 New York Times bestseller that examines how people can champion new ideas in their careers and everyday life—and how leaders can fight groupthink, from the author of Hidden Potential, Think Again, and the co-author of Option B
“Filled with fresh insights on a broad array of topics that are important to our personal and professional lives.”—The New York Times DealBook
“Originals is one of the most important and captivating books I have ever read, full of surprising and powerful ideas. It will not only change the way you see the world; it might just change the way you live your life. And it could very well inspire you to change your world.” —Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and author of Lean In
With Give and Take, Adam Grant not only introduced a landmark new paradigm for success but also established himself as one of his generation’s most compelling and provocative thought leaders. In Originals he again addresses the challenge of improving the world, but now from the perspective of becoming original: choosing to champion novel ideas and values that go against the grain, battle conformity, and buck outdated traditions. How can we originate new ideas, policies, and practices without risking it all?
Using surprising studies and stories spanning business, politics, sports, and entertainment, Grant explores how to recognize a good idea, speak up without getting silenced, build a coalition of allies, choose the right time to act, and manage fear and doubt; how parents and teachers can nurture originality in children; and how leaders can build cultures that welcome dissent. Learn from an entrepreneur who pitches his start-ups by highlighting the reasons not to invest, a woman at Apple who challenged Steve Jobs from three levels below, an analyst who overturned the rule of secrecy at the CIA, a billionaire financial wizard who fires employees for failing to criticize him, and a TV executive who didn’t even work in comedy but saved Seinfeld from the cutting-room floor. The payoff is a set of groundbreaking insights about rejecting conformity and improving the status quo.
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"This extraordinary, wildly entertaining book sheds new light on the Age of Disruption. What does it take to make a meaningful difference? And how can you apply this insight to your own life? By debunking myths of success stories, challenging long-held beliefs of process, and finding commonality among those who are agents of profound change, Adam Grant gives us a powerful new perspective on not just our place in the world, but our potential to shake it up entirely."
— JJ Abrams, director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens, co-creator and executive producer of Lost, and cofounder of Bad Robot
“This extraordinary, wildly entertaining book sheds new light on the Age of Disruption…Adam Grant gives us a powerful new perspective on not just our place in the world, but our potential to shake it up entirely.”
— JJ Abrams, director of Star Wars: The Force Awakens and cocreator and executive producer of Lost“An urgent must read, a seminal work that will surprise you on every single page. Adam Grant has reset our expectations for what it means to be creative and what’s required to make a difference. Share it with someone you care about.”
— Seth Godin, author of LinchpinReading Originals made me feel like I was seated across from Adam Grant at a dinner party, as one of my favorite thinkers thrilled me with his insights and his wonderfully new take on the world.
— Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers and The Tipping PointPart of the fun of Grant’s book is that he redeems behaviors we typically regard with puritan disdain. . . . Thought-provoking.
— The New York Times Book ReviewFresh research, counter-intuitive insights, lively writing, practical calls to action . . . Grant has a deserved reputation as an original thinker.
— The Financial TimesGrant’s latest looks set to join the required reading lists of many companies across America.
— Wired.com[Grant] examines what successful non-conformists . . . have in common, all in an effort to help the rest of us learn how to do things like bust myths, speak truth to power, and avoid groupthink without getting sidelined.
— The Washington PostAdam Grant is a serious social scientist, master storyteller and infectious optimist. . . . Originals is filled with fresh insights on a broad array of topics that are important to our personal and professional lives. Mr. Grant has an uncanny ability to infuse a familiar topic with deeper meaning and leave the reader feeling hopeful and a little exhilarated.
— The New York Times DealBookAfter launching hundreds of businesses—from airlines to trains, music to mobile, and now a spaceline—my biggest challenges and successes have come from convincing other people to see the world differently. Originals reveals how that can be done and will help you inspire creativity and change.
— Sir Richard Branson, founder of The Virgin GroupOriginals is a fascinating, eye-opening read that will help you not just recognize your own unique gifts, but find the strength to challenge conventional wisdom to bring them to life. Using surprising studies and riveting stories, Adam Grant brilliantly shows us how to champion new ideas, bust persistent myths that hold us back and change not only our lives, but our world.
— Arianna Huffington, cofounder and editor-in-chief of The Huffington Post, and author of ThriveIt can sometimes seem as if one must learn everything old before one can try anything new. Adam Grant does a masterful job showing that is not the case; we are lucky to have him as a guide.
— Peter Thiel, cofounder of PayPal and Palantir, and author of Zero to OneAn urgent must read, a seminal work that will surprise you on every single page. Adam Grant has reset our expectations for what it means to be creative and what's required to make a difference. Share it with someone you care about.
— Seth Godin, author of LinchpinAs brilliant as it is wise, this is not just a book—it’s a new and shining worldview. Adam Grant is one of the great social scientists of our time, and Give and Take is brimming with life-changing insights.
— Susan Cain, author of QuietGive and Take is a truly exhilarating book—the rare work that will shatter your assumptions about how the world works and keep your brain firing for weeks after you’ve turned the last page.
— Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive and To Sell Is HumanI love Give and Take, which shows that givers get ahead and nice guys don’t finish last.
— Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive and president of the Huffington Post Media GroupNow shaking up the business world: science that may change the way the world does business.
— Willie Geist, Today showAdam Grant’s Give and Take is an excellent book. Hard work, luck, and talent are important, but giving makes the difference.
— Alex Stubb, prime minister of FinlandGive and Take is like a fundamental outline as to how to be successful. . . . Highly recommended read.
— Ashton Kutcher, actor, director, and technology investorGive and Take is a very interesting book. . . . I can’t put it down.
— Ryan Seacrest, host of American IdolGive and Take just might be the most important book of this young century. As insightful and entertaining as Malcolm Gladwell at his best, this book has profound implications for how we manage our careers, deal with our friends and relatives, raise our children, and design our institutions. This gem is a joy to read, and it shatters the myth that greed is the path to success.
— Robert Sutton, author of The No *sshole Rule and Good Boss, Bad BossAdam Grant is a New York Times bestselling author and an organizational psychologist at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he has been the top-rated professor for seven straight years. His books have sold more than two million copies and been translated into thirty-five languages. He has been recognized as one of the world’s ten most influential management thinkers and Fortune’s 40 under 40, and has been honored with distinguished scientific achievement awards from the American Psychological Association and the National Science Foundation. He received his BA degree from Harvard and his PhD from the University of Michigan.
Fred Sanders, an actor and Earphones Award–winning narrator, has received critics’ praise for his audio narrations that range from nonfiction, memoir, and fiction to mystery and suspense. He been seen on Broadway in The Buddy Holly Story, in national tours for Driving Miss Daisy and Big River, and on such television shows as Seinfeld, The West Wing, Will and Grace, Numb3rs,Titus, and Malcolm in the Middle. His films include Sea of Love, The Shadow, and the Oscar-nominated short Culture. He is a native New Yorker and Yale graduate.
Susan Denaker is an actress and Earphones Award–winning narrator. Her extensive theater credits include numerous plays in the West End of London, national tours, many English rep companies, including a season with Alan Ayckbourn’s company in Scarborough. In the US, she has appeared in Our Town and Sweet Bird of Youth at the La Jolla Playhouse and Breaking Legs at the Westport Playhouse.