First published 2018
The most important decisions we face resist simple formulas. Steven Johnson examines how expert decision makers approach life-changing choices about marriage, careers, beliefs, and business ventures. He studies novelists who craft intricate character psychology, municipal leaders who plan water infrastructure, and scientists who prepare for unknown future threats. Johnson argues that successful decision makers share common traits. They resist impulse-driven choices. They adopt forward-thinking perspectives. They explore multiple options through structured creativity. Johnson draws lessons from strategic corporate leaders and diplomatic negotiators, but also from unexpected sources who navigate complexity in their daily work. The book reveals tactical approaches that readers can apply to their own consequential choices. Johnson shows how smart decision making shaped broader historical developments. He demonstrates methods for envisioning potential futures and weighing competing possibilities. The book offers practical frameworks for approaching decisions that determine personal trajectories, organizational directions, and societal outcomes.
Genres: psychology, business, self-help, non-fiction, academic
Vibes: informative, practical, thought-provoking
Tropes: practical-advice, research-based
256 pages · Hardcover · Riverhead