Maggie Jackson

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0 Skip to Content Maggie Jackson Home About Books Articles Events Press Contact Running Thoughts Open Menu Close Menu Maggie Jackson Home About Books Articles Events Press Contact Running Thoughts Open Menu Close Menu Home About Books Articles Events Press Contact Running Thoughts Order Now Amazon Bookshop Barnes & Noble Powell's Hudson Books-A-Million IndieBound Prometheus Uncertain The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure Available in Print , E-Book and Audio Book Free! A LinkedIn Learning Certificate e-Course on the Wisdom of Uncertainty A Next Big Idea Club Top 25 Non-Fiction Book of 2024 (“A Can’t-Miss Must-Read”) Nonfiction Book of the Year and Gold Award winner, Independent Publishers of New England A Top 10 Science Book of 2024, Greater Good magazine A Top 10 Best Book of 2024, the Artificiality Institute A Nautilus Top 10 Summer 2024 Read A Library Journal Top 10 Social Sciences Book of 2023 Nominated for a National Book Award In an era of terrifying unpredictability, the swift, sure answer seems just right. We race to address precarity and complexity with neat algorithms, crisp bullet points, or hurried tweets. Who has time to dally in the wilderness of being unsure? How could we find the clarity and vision so urgently needed today by not -knowing? Uncertain is about the unsung triumph of doing just that. Far from luring us into inertia or defeat, uncertainty powers good judgement, cognitive flexibility, creativity, curiosity, and even resilience. A state of mind critical to human achievement yet until recently little understood, uncertainty is the portal to finding your enemy’s humanity, the lynchpin of superior teamwork, and the mindset most needed in times of flux. A scientific adventure tale set on the front lines of a volatile era, this book explores uncertainty's positive role in the life of the mind and in contemporary society. What is a good daydream? Why is being unsure now seen as a healthy form of stress? Why do AI's top leaders see uncertainty as the key to keeping humanity safe from increasingly unstoppable AI? By learning to wielding uncertainty with skill and care, we can recapture realms of good thinking sidelined in an era of push-button thought. We can discover all that the human mind - at the peak of its powers in the most difficult predicaments – can do. This is not weakness but wisdom. Praise for Uncertain “ Maggie Jackson’s incisive and timely book is a provocative exploration of the surprising benefits of not knowing. Richly researched and briskly written, it dismantles the stigma around uncertainty — and shows how this state of mind can jolt us from intellectual complacency and foster creativity, resilience, and mutual understanding. Uncertain is a triumphant ode to the wisdom of being unsure. ” — Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Power of Regret, Drive, and When “ Once I started reading I could not stop. Jackson is a great thinker and storyteller and this is her best work yet. Beautiful, inspirational, compelling, and urgently needed, Uncertain is that rare book that will change the way you think. ” — Sherry Turkle, MIT Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology and New York Times-bestselling author of Reclaiming Conversation and The Empathy Diaries “ Maggie Jackson’s Uncertain poses a provocative and important question: what can we learn from saying we don’t know? Penned by a science journalist with the heart of a poet, this book is beautifully written and deeply compelling in a culture divided more by false certainties than perhaps ever before. ” — Kate Bowler, author of Everything Happens for a Reason and Other Lies I've Loved “ Powerful. ” — Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature “ After reading this groundbreaking book, things that felt threatening can feel like doable challenges, even exciting possibilities. Uncertain is truly a book for our times. ” — Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute and author of the best-selling Mind in the Making and (forthcoming) The Breakthrough Years “ This outstanding book is for anyone who wants to understand the mindset of uncertainty, a challenge that is more important than ever in a world of accelerating change. ” — Douglas L. Peterson, president and chief executive officer of S&P Global “ It’s all too easy to seek the comforting simplicity of the certain. With cutting-edge science and insights both surprising and practical, Uncertain shows how cultivating an open and unsettled mindset can help us to spark curiosity, compassion, and creativity. ” — Gretchen Rubin, New York Times-bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Life in Five Senses “ Possibly nothing is more critical to the survival of humanity at this moment than an understanding of what it means to be uncertain. Maggie Jackson brings her usual wit, clarity, and precision to a central topic in human cognition. This wonderful book is enjoyable as well as important. ” — Michael I. Posner, National Medal of Science-winning psychologist and author of Educating the Human Brain and Images of Mind “ This book is everything we need right now—a deep, thoughtful exploration of why uncertainty isn’t just something to tolerate but something we should embrace, even celebrate. ” — The Artificiality Institute “ We humans are quite fond the idea of certainty, of knowing what comes next. Jackson’s insightful book is essential reading, highlighting that, rather than causing anguish or fear, embracing uncertainty can help us navigate our way through an increasingly complex and ever-changing world. ” — Zan Boag, editor-in-chief of New Philosopher magazine More Books Downloads Uncertain Book Cover Excerpt from The Boston Globe Excerpt from New Philosopher Join me in Athens this May for the World Beautiful Business Forum ! Subscribe Sign up here to receive occasional musings on uncertainty, distraction, and life in a tech-fueled age of flux, along with the latest word on my events and appearances. Plus if you sign up, you'll receive a bonus available only to newsletter recipients: five of my top science-based tips for harnessing uncertainty's gifts! Email Address Sign Up Your email will not be shared Thank you!