Required Reading for Anyone With a Head
From the science of headaches to the neuroscience of habits, peek inside the smart ideas we came across this week.
What’s top of mind this week? Brains.
They’re wonderful organs, no doubt—but sometimes, they get in our way. They can stir up emotional pain by driving behaviors that clash with our values. And they can produce literal pain in the form of headaches and other maladies.
Here are some of the best things we read or listened to this week—books that helped us peer inside our own skulls.
This Week on the Next Big Idea Podcast
A neuroscientist’s guide to making better choices
All day long, your brain makes subconscious value calculations. It looks at every decision and asks, "What is going to be most rewarding for me right this very minute?" That creates a gap, doesn't it? A gap between the person you want to be and the choices you actually make. Today on the show, neuroscientist Emily Falk explains the science behind that gap. She shows us how understanding our brain's hidden valuation system can give us more compassion for ourselves, and help us gently nudge our daily actions to align with our deepest values. Her new book is What We Value. Listen on Spotify or Apple Podcasts.
Book Bite of the Week
“Required reading for anyone with a head.” - Mary Roach
What if one of the most baffling medical conditions is also one of the most common? This week, we heard from journalist Tom Zeller Jr., whose new book The Headache investigates a group of disorders that have plagued humans for millennia—yet remain stubbornly misunderstood. Despite affecting more people than diabetes or depression, headaches—including variants like migraine and cluster—are still under-researched, underfunded, and often dismissed. But science is finally starting to catch up—and what it’s revealing might change the way you think about pain, the brain, and how we treat illness. Check out Tom’s book on Amazon or listen to Sam’s summary in the Next Big Idea app.
This week, Book of the Day is brought to you by This Isn't Working, from leadership expert Meghan French Dunbar, showing business leaders and workers how to boost performance while improving workplaces for women, and, ultimately, everyone. Get your copy today.
This Week on Author Insider
Writing can be a lonely pursuit. That’s why anyone aspiring to communicate for a living should check out our growing community at Author Insider. Coming up, we’ll have workshops with authors and publishing luminaries like
, , and Katy Milkman to help you take your career to the next level. Check out Author Insider today.
Happy Pub Week!
Treat your brain to these Next Big Idea Club Must-Reads that came out this week: You Already Know: The Science of Mastering Your Intuition by
and Strangers and Intimates: The Rise and Fall of Private Life by Tiffany Jenkins.That’s enough brain food for one week. Have a great weekend, and keep thinking big ideas!