The Week in Big Ideas - April 4, 2025
The best of our podcasts, new book summaries, a community for authors, and more.
Hold onto your proverbial hats, friends, because it’s been a whirlwind of a week over here at the Next Big Idea Club. We read and listened to tons of fascinating ideas, and thought we’d send you into your weekend with a selection of the best of the best:
This Week on the Next Big Idea Podcast
We’re often told that success comes down to talent, hard work, and luck. But
’s research suggests that view is missing something crucial. In today’s installment of Next Big Idea Classics, Adam revisits his 2013 bestseller Give and Take, explaining how our interactions with others determine who thrives and who doesn’t.This Week on the Next Big Idea Daily Podcast
Speaking of Adam Grant, he called our attention to a new book that he says “will make you a better parent, partner, colleague, and friend.” That book is Validation: How the Skill Set That Revolutionized Psychology Will Transform Your Relationships, Increase Your Influence, and Change Your Life by Caroline Fleck. Hear Caroline share 5 key insights from the book:
Book Bite of the Week
Clinical psychologist Alexandra Shaker explores the deep connection between anxiety and the body, blending psychology, neuroscience, history, and literature. Her new book The Narrowing: A Journey Through Anxiety and the Body reveals how anxiety shapes not just our thoughts but our physical well-being—and how understanding this relationship can help transform fear into resilience. Listen to an audio summary—read by Alexandra herself.
An Inside Look at AI for Authors
Should writers reject artificial intelligence or embrace it? Over at Author Insider, our new community for non-fiction writers, the amazing
gave an exclusive look at Google’s NotebookLM, and how he’s using it to help write his next book. Video of the event will soon be available to Author Insider subscribers.
Happy Pub Week!
A bunch of our favorite authors ushered new books into the world this week, including
’s Secrets of Adulthood, ’s Pronoun Trouble, ’s Shatterproof, and ’s Dear Writer.
Well, that should give you plenty to chew on for the next few days. We here at NBIC wish you a happy — and intelligent — weekend.