Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans
Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans
Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans
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Description
Description
A revelatory exploration of the ways we can find meaning in the tumult of change, from a renowned cognitive scientist and host of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans. Life has a way of thwarting our best-laid plans. Out of nowhere you get an unexpected diagnosis, or your relationship ends, or you suffer some other trick of fate. In these moments, it can feel like you're free-falling into the unknown. Maya Shankar has spent decades researching people's interior lives. When an unexpected change in her own life left her reeling, she sought out people who had gone through extraordinary disruption and asked them to tell her everything. This book pairs intimate, illuminating stories with the latest science of human behavior, offering wisdom and practical strategies to help us better navigate these pivotal moments. Shankar encourages us to rethink our relationship with change by asking: What if we saw change as a chance to reimagine ourselves, rather than as something to just endure? What potential could change unlock within us? The unique stresses and demands of our situation can help us tap into new abilities, perspectives, and values. Sometimes the hardest moments in our lives allow us to more deeply discover who we are and who we can become.
About the Author
About the Author
Maya Shankar is a cognitive scientist and creator of the podcast A Slight Change of Plans, named "Best Show of the Year" by Apple. A Rhodes Scholar, she served as a senior adviser in the Obama White House and as the first Behavioral Science Advisor to the United Nations. Shankar has been profiled by The New Yorker, has been a guest on NPR, CBS Mornings, and the Today show, and is a neuroscience expert on Limitless with Chris Hemsworth. She is a former violin student of Itzhak Perlman at Juilliard. She lives with her husband in Mountain View, California.
Critical Reviews
Critical Reviews
"The Other Side of Change is a rare combination of beautiful storytelling, cognitive science, and wholehearted wisdom. How lucky are we to have Maya walk with us through the unexpected and often uninvited moments that shape who we are and how we make our way through the world." --Brené Brown, Ph.D., bestselling author of Atlas of the Heart and Daring Greatly "The book we all need when life knocks us sideways. This is your guide to finding strength in the mess, clarity in the chaos, and a version of yourself you never saw coming. Smart, deeply moving, and grounded in science--it will change how you see change." --Mel Robbins, bestselling author of The Let Them Theory "Maya Shankar has written a moving and powerful book about a challenge that all of us will or have faced. What happens when our carefully laid plans and deeply held expectations go awry? I loved The Other Side of Change." --Malcolm Gladwell, bestselling author of Blink and Outliers "Having faced the bewildering wreckage of an aftermath, I can't recommend this book highly enough. Weaving together accounts of quaking forces cleaving life into before and after with science-backed techniques for rebuilding, Maya has penned a tender, helpful companion for all of us." --Suleika Jaouad, bestselling author of Between Two Kingdoms and Book of Alchemy "A wise and poignant read for our turbulent times. With powerful stories and practical science, Maya examines how we find purpose after adversity and possibility under uncertainty." --Adam Grant, bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential "[Shankar] points out the techniques that helped each survivor make these remarkable changes...It's impossible not to be moved." --Booklist, starred review
Publishing Information
Publishing Information
Publisher:
Riverhead Books
Pub date:
2026-01-13
Length:
256 pages
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