On My Nightstand: Discovering New Ways of Thinking

A School of Psychology faculty member explains why experts never stop learning.

Elisa Robyn, a faculty member in the School of Psychology, is the founder and chief innovation officer of Pirate Wisdom Consulting, where she’s shared her knowledge about leadership, innovation, creativity, and organizational change. Robyn’s reading list reveals that even experts never stop learning:

ADAPT: WHY SUCCESS ALWAYS STARTS WITH FAILURE by Tim Harford
Many successful people have failed at some point in their careers, and Harford believes failure is inevitable in today’s complex, high-stakes world. Adapt reminds us that we learn through trial and error, and failure makes us resilient and teaches us what works. It’s a reassuring message whether you consider it from the perspective of a business, an individual, or a parent.

THE DRUNKARD’S WALK: HOW RANDOMNESS RULES OUR LIVES by Leonard Mlodinow
Mlodinow helps you become a better thinker and decision maker by revealing why people assume that patterns and predictions can be found in truly random events. Taking its title from mathematics, The Drunkard’s Walk uses entertaining examples to explain randomness and the probability that an idea or action will succeed.

CHANGE BY DESIGN: HOW DESIGN THINKING TRANSFORMS ORGANIZATIONS AND INSPIRES INNOVATION by Tim Brown
Brown, the president and CEO of the global design firm IDEO, argues that the thought processes involved in creating elegant design can be applied in a range of industries. Consider it this way: This design-centered approach can help you plan a budget, reimagine services for students, or even rethink supply and demand.

What’s on your nightstand? Share your top reads by emailing [email protected].