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Think Again

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"A mark of lifelong learners is recognizing that they can learn something from everyone they meet."

— Adam Grant, Think Again (2021)

Introduction

Think Again
File:Think-again-adam-grant.jpg
Full titleThink Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know
AuthorAdam Grant
LanguageEnglish
SubjectCritical thinking; Decision-making; Personal development
GenreNonfiction; Psychology; Self-help
PublisherViking
Publication date
2 February 2021
Publication placeUnited States
Media typePrint (hardcover); e-book; audiobook
Pages320
ISBN978-1-9848-7810-6
Goodreads rating4.2/5  (as of 8 November 2025)
Websiteadamgrant.net

📘 Think Again (Viking, 2 February 2021) is Adam Grant’s nonfiction guide to the practice of rethinking—urging readers to replace “preacher, prosecutor, politician” mindsets with a scientist’s habit of testing beliefs and updating them.[1] Grant blends social-science research with case-led storytelling to teach tools such as listening that persuades and building “challenge networks,” illustrated with an international debate champion, a musician who deradicalizes, and a “vaccine whisperer.”[1] Library Journal described the book as a “fast-paced account” by a leading authority on the psychology of thinking, noting its accessibility for general readers.[2] Structurally, the text is organized in three sections—individual, interpersonal, and collective rethinking—followed by a concluding chapter.[3] The first edition (320 pages; ISBN 978-1-9848-7810-6) was published in hardcover on 2 February 2021 by Viking.[1][4] The publisher lists the title as a #1 New York Times bestseller, and it appeared on year-end lists from The Washington Post and Newsweek in 2021.[1][5][6]

Chapter summary

This outline follows the Viking hardcover edition (2 February 2021, ISBN 978-1-9848-7810-6).[1][4]

I – Individual Rethinking: Updating Our Own Views

🧠 1 – A Preacher, a Prosecutor, a Politician, and a Scientist Walk into Your Mind.

🪑 2 – The Armchair Quarterback and the Impostor: Finding the Sweet Spot of Confidence.

🤯 3 – The Joy of Being Wrong: The Thrill of Not Believing Everything You Think.

🥊 4 – The Good Fight Club: The Psychology of Constructive Conflict.

II – Interpersonal Rethinking: Opening Other People's Minds

🗣️ 5 – Dances with Foes: How to Win Debates and Influence People.

⚾ 6 – Bad Blood on the Diamond: Diminishing Prejudice by Destabilizing Stereotypes.

💉 7 – Vaccine Whisperers and Mild-Mannered Interrogators: How the Right Kind of Listening Motivates People to Change.

III – Collective Rethinking: Creating Communities of Lifelong Learners

⚡ 8 – Charged Conversations: Depolarizing Our Divided Discussions.

📚 9 – Rewriting the Textbook: Teaching Students to Question Knowledge.

🏢 10 – That’s Not the Way We’ve Always Done It: Building Cultures of Learning at Work.

IV – Conclusion

🔭 11 – Escaping Tunnel Vision: Reconsidering Our Best-Laid Career and Life Plans.

Background & reception

🖋️ Author & writing. Grant, an organizational psychologist and Wharton professor, is widely recognized for his teaching and research on motivation and meaning.[7] Before Think Again, he authored Give and Take and Originals and co-authored Option B; this book focuses on the art of rethinking and unlearning.[1] He contrasts the “preacher, prosecutor, politician” modes with thinking like a scientist and popularizes tactics such as cultivating a “challenge network.”[1][8] The narrative voice mixes synthesis of research with storytelling—Library Journal called it a “fast-paced account”—and the book is structured in three sections: individual, interpersonal, and collective rethinking.[2][3] Grant promoted the work in public forums, including a WHYY conversation about why there can be “joy in admitting we’re wrong,” and TED highlighted the book alongside his talk “What frogs in hot water can teach us about thinking again.”[9][10] The Library of Congress also showcased Grant and the book’s themes at the 2021 National Book Festival.[11]

📈 Commercial reception. Penguin Random House lists Think Again as a #1 New York Times bestseller.[1] Publishers Weekly reported the book at #8 on its national print bestsellers for the week of 22 February 2021.[12] It also appeared on The Washington Post lists, including #9 on the hardcover bestsellers dated 30 March 2021 and later on the paperback list in March 2024.[13][14]

👍 Praise. The Washington Post named Think Again one of its best nonfiction books of 2021, noting that it “delivers smart advice on unlearning assumptions and opening ourselves up to curiosity and humility.”[5] Newsweek included it among “Our 21 Favorite Books of 2021,” praising its emphasis on questioning deeply held beliefs.[6] Library Journal recommended it to general readers as a brisk, authoritative account of rethinking and decision-making.[2]

👎 Criticism. Kirkus Reviews judged that the book “breaks little to no ground,” even while offering useful reminders to test one’s beliefs.[15] A review in Quillette argued that Grant “provides few clues about where rethinking a given issue ought to end,” calling for clearer boundaries between healthy doubt and paralyzing uncertainty.[16] An academic notice in the Journal of Character and Leadership Development found the leadership framing compelling but observed the book’s reliance on familiar corporate cautionary tales (e.g., Blockbuster, Kodak, BlackBerry).[17]

🌍 Impact & adoption. Universities have assigned the book in courses and reading groups, including a University of Florida Honors (Un)Common Read seminar (Fall 2022), a University of Denver graduate course on Persuasion and Influence (2023), and a University of Pennsylvania critical-writing course (2025).[18][19][20] Beyond campuses, public-facing platforms amplified the ideas—WHYY hosted a live conversation and TED featured the book alongside Grant’s related talk—and former U.S. President Bill Clinton publicly cited Think Again as prompting him to reconsider unexamined preconceptions.[9][10][21]

Related content & more

YouTube videos

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YouTube
TED Talk — Adam Grant: What frogs in hot water can teach us about thinking again (15 min)
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Think Again — animated book summary by Productivity Game (9 min)

CapSach articles

 

Digital Minimalism

 

Four Thousand Weeks

 

The One Thing

 

Make Your Bed

 

The Magic of Thinking Big

 

The Compound Effect

 

CS/Self-improvement book summaries


References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 "Think Again by Adam Grant". Penguin Random House. Penguin Random House. 2 February 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 "Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know". Library Journal. Library Journal. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Think Again". Penguin Random House Higher Education. Penguin Random House. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Think again : the power of knowing what you don't know". WorldCat. OCLC. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Best nonfiction of 2021". The Washington Post. 18 November 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Our 21 Favorite Books of 2021". Newsweek. 22 December 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  7. ↑ "Adam Grant - Wharton Management". Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania. University of Pennsylvania. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  8. ↑ "Are You Thinking Like a Challenger?". Entrepreneur. 27 June 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 "Adam Grant on "Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know"". WHYY. WHYY. 26 March 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 "New books from TED speakers: Summer reading". TED Ideas. TED Conferences. 23 June 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  11. ↑ "Adam Grant". Library of Congress. Library of Congress. 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  12. ↑ "This Week's Bestsellers: February 22, 2021". Publishers Weekly. 19 February 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  13. ↑ "Washington Post hardcover bestsellers". The Washington Post. 30 March 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  14. ↑ "Washington Post paperback bestsellers". The Washington Post. 20 March 2024. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  15. ↑ "THINK AGAIN". Kirkus Reviews. Kirkus Reviews. 24 November 2020. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  16. ↑ "Six Great Ideas from Adam Grant's 'Think Again'". Quillette. 28 May 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  17. ↑ Dickman, K. (2021). "A Review of "Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know"". Journal of Character and Leadership Development. 8 (3). Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  18. ↑ "IDH 2930 (un)common read – Think Again (syllabus)" (PDF). University of Florida Honors Program. University of Florida. 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  19. ↑ "COMM 4016 Persuasion and Influence (syllabus excerpt)". Furman University / University of Denver course materials. Furman University. 18 January 2022. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  20. ↑ "Critical Writing Course Collection – Rethinking (course description)". School of Arts and Sciences, University of Pennsylvania. University of Pennsylvania. 2025. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
  21. ↑ "Bill Clinton: 'I always wanted to be a writer, but doubted my ability to do it'". The Guardian. 11 June 2021. Retrieved 8 November 2025.
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