The great books aren’t just classics — they’re cultural Schelling points that give our minds a place to meet up in the world of ideas.
Subscribe to Big Think Books on Substack
Big Ideas. Thoughtful Conversations. One Book at a Time.
Features & Reviews
Each of these stories rests on a foundation of great ideas that will scare you to death and make you think.
Scotty Hendricks is a graduate student and long-time contributor to Big Think. He resides in Chicago.
Neuroscientist Rachel Barr shares her favorite books on the brain and how they shaped her approach to the field.
Kevin Dickinson is a staff writer and columnist at Big Think. His writing focuses on the intersection between education, psychology, business, and science. He holds a master’s in English and[…]
Despite the claims of speed reading apps and programs, you actually have to read the book if you want to learn.
Steven Ross Pomeroy is the editor of RealClearScience. As a writer, Ross believes that his greatest assets are his insatiable curiosity and his ceaseless love for learning. Follow him on[…]
Interviews
In “Warhead,” neuroscientist and national security adviser Nicholas Wright explains how the brain navigates warfare and why it is our ultimate weapon (and instrument for peace).
Tim Brinkhof is a Dutch-born, New York-based journalist reporting on art, history, and literature. He studied early Netherlandish painting and Slavic literature at New York University, worked as an editorial[…]
In “We the People,” Harvard historian Jill Lepore examines how the U.S. Constitution became unamendable and its implications for the health of the democracy.
Tim Brinkhof is a Dutch-born, New York-based journalist reporting on art, history, and literature. He studied early Netherlandish painting and Slavic literature at New York University, worked as an editorial[…]
In “On Liberalism,” Cass Sunstein argues that liberalism can only endure if we reclaim its core commitments and revive its spirit of freedom and hope for the future.
Kevin Dickinson is a staff writer and columnist at Big Think. His writing focuses on the intersection between education, psychology, business, and science. He holds a master’s in English and[…]
Wordcraft
The Japanese practice of “tsundoku” bestows joy and lasting benefits to those who make books an important part of their lives.
Kevin Dickinson is a staff writer and columnist at Big Think. His writing focuses on the intersection between education, psychology, business, and science. He holds a master’s in English and[…]
A thesaurus isn’t for finding fancy words; it’s a resource to help you keep your rhythm.
Kevin Dickinson is a staff writer and columnist at Big Think. His writing focuses on the intersection between education, psychology, business, and science. He holds a master’s in English and[…]
In “Enough Is Enuf,” Gabe Henry traces the history of simplified spelling movements and the lessons they teach us about language.
Kevin Dickinson is a staff writer and columnist at Big Think. His writing focuses on the intersection between education, psychology, business, and science. He holds a master’s in English and[…]
Next Reads
In this excerpt from “One Hand Clapping,” Nikolay Kukushkin makes the case that neurons reveal how memory, meaning, and even consciousness emerge from the same biological roots in humans, sea slugs, and beyond.
Nikolay Kukushkin is a clinical associate professor of life science at Liberal Studies and a research fellow at the Center for Neural Science, NYU. He holds a doctorate in biochemistry[…]
A preview of the latest novel by the Hugo- and Nebula-winning author.
Ken Liu (http://kenliu.name) is an American author of speculative fiction. A winner of the Nebula, Hugo, and World Fantasy awards, he wrote the Dandelion Dynasty, a silkpunk epic fantasy series[…]
In this excerpt from “Lucky By Design,” Judd Kessler explains how opportunity costs shape our choices and why time is the real price we pay.
Judd Kessler is the Howard Marks Endowed Professor at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and the author of the book Lucky by Design: The Hidden Economics You[…]