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About the Book

Title: Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know

Author: Adam Grant

Genre: Nonfiction, Psychology, Business, Personal Development, Self Help

Publisher: Viking

Publication Date: February 21, 2021

Pages: 320, Hardcover

There is power in knowing what you do not know. That’s the premise of Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant. 

It has been a few weeks since I put this book down. I started writing something down immediately, but my mind was not completely blank. It felt like my thoughts were all over the place, and I could not construct coherent sentences. So, I let the book sit on my desk, hoping to write this review after a few days. 

It is about two weeks into post-processing, and I am probably where I was when I turned that last page. Nevertheless, I will try to do a review that captures my thoughts truthfully.   

Get Your Copy of Think Again by Adam Grant

The book has attracted mixed reviews, with some citing it as a redundant collection, or motivational content. After reflecting, I think I agree with these takes. Let me explain. There are several parts of the book where I would like, “YES! That’s it. I can definitely do this.” It seems it was the heat of a moment reaction. 

Still, when I go back to my annotations, I have certainly learned a thing or two. First is the armchair quarterback syndrome, where people’s confidence overrides their competence. Have you heard of it? Or experienced it, especially in the workplace? I bet you have. The definition is what was new to me. The specific chapter about this also talks about imposter syndrome — something I seem to excel at, unfortunately — draws comparisons between the two and points out a few upsides of feeling like an imposter. Of course, it is not good to have chronic imposter syndrome, but knowing there are upsides to a little or, perhaps, medium-level self-doubt did help me to dust off most of it and get to work. 

There are several other key takeaways, like not beating myself up when I am wrong but taking it as a learning opportunity, handling conversations with people who have differing opinions and rethinking and reevaluating one’s beliefs and convictions that lead to prejudice. 

Most of these lessons and discussions by the author might be common knowledge for some. And yes, reading through it could feel like repetitive work if you have read books and studies in this genre. But — and this is for me — it feels really good to read it in a fast-paced book with no scientific jargon. The hint of a motivational book is kind of a bonus, too. And the hilarious captions made it better.