Behavioral Scientist’s Notable Books of 2024
Our list of noteworthy behavioral science books published in 2024.
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What It’s Like to Be…an Olympic Bobsledder
Hurtling down an ice track at nearly 100mph, perfecting the practice of visualization, and shaving off hundredths of a second with Kaillie Humphries, an Olympic bobsledder.
A Dispatch from Rio: Working to Strengthen Behavioral Science in Latin America at the G20
The Rio de Janeiro behavioral science unit envisions a collaborative network of researchers and policymakers across Latin America, plus a seat for Latin American behavioral scientists on the global stage.
What We're Reading
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Postpone Your Pleasures—And Enjoy Them All the More
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The Atlantic -
The Language We Share with Plants—and All Life Under the Sun.
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Nautilus -
The Technology That Actually Runs Our World
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The Atlantic -
How to Give Great Gifts
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3BI -
A Devastating Nerve Disease Stalks a Mountain Village
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Knowable Magazine
Featured
Behavioral Science in a Future Far, Far Away
The history of behavioral science is minuscule relative to its future. As we look ahead, what questions will behavioral scientists be called upon to answer?
Vaccinating in Taliban Country
In June 2012, North Waziristan’s Taliban leader issued a fatwa banning polio vaccination campaigns. The violence came swiftly.
What It’s Like to Be…a Christmas Tree Farmer
Shearing Christmas trees into their classic shape, fighting back weeds and blackbirds, and planting 5,000 trees a year with Sheldon Corsi, a Christmas tree farmer near Cincinnati, Ohio.
So, What It’s Like to Be…? A Year of Conversations about Work
Science is valuable because of its capacity to uncover deeper patterns in what we do. But a focus on trends and tendencies can mask the individuals underneath. That’s why Dan Heath’s ‘What It’s Like to Be…’ is so valuable. Each conversation offers an intimate, n = 1 investigation about how someone spends their day.
What It’s Like to Be…a Marine Biologist
Swimming with 20-foot manta rays, suffering through grant applications, and rushing to the whale freezer with Jessica Pate, a marine biologist based in Florida.
Goop Happens
As important as our ideas are the words we choose to represent them. If we’re not careful, they can take on a life of their own.
What It’s Like to Be…an Interior Designer
Perfecting the soft finishes, dealing with divorcing couples, and cultivating the perfect network of artisans with Julie Anne Burch, an interior designer.
A Conversation with Simon Johnson about Technology and Prosperity
We speak with Nobel Prize winner Simon Johnson about the relationship between technological progress and prosperity, including how societies have made these choices in the past and what our decisions about the current wave of AI could mean for our future.
