Books by Adam Grant

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success

by Adam Grant

A groundbreaking look at why our interactions with others hold the key to success, from the bestselling author of Originals

For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But in today’s dramatically reconfigured world, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. In Give and Take, Adam Grant, an award-winning researcher and Wharton’s highest-rated professor, examines the surprising forces that shape why some people rise to the top of the success ladder while others sink to the bottom. Praised by social scientists, business theorists, and corporate leaders, Give and Take opens up an approach to work, interactions, and productivity that is nothing short of revolutionary.

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

by Adam Grant

The #1 New York Times bestseller that examines how people can champion new ideas—and how leaders can fight groupthink, from the author of Give and Take and co-author of Option B
“Reading Originals made me feel like I was seated across from Adam Grant at a dinner party, as one of my favorite thinkers thrilled me with his insights and his wonderfully new take on the world.” —Malcolm Gladwell, author of Outliers and The Tipping Point
“Originals is one of the most important and captivating books I have ever read, full of surprising and powerful ideas. It will not only change the way you see the world; it might just change the way you live your life. And it could very well inspire you to change your world.” —Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and author of Lean In
With Give and Take, Adam Grant not only introduced a landmark new paradigm for success but also established himself as one of his generation’s most compelling and provocative thought leaders. In Originals he again addresses the challenge of improving the world, but now from the perspective of becoming original: choosing to champion novel ideas and values that go against the grain, battle conformity, and buck outdated traditions. How can we originate new ideas, policies, and practices without risking it all?
Using surprising studies and stories spanning business, politics, sports, and entertainment, Grant explores how to recognize a good idea, speak up without getting silenced, build a coalition of allies, choose the right time to act, and manage fear and doubt; how parents and teachers can nurture originality in children; and how leaders can build cultures that welcome dissent. Learn from an entrepreneur who pitches his start-ups by highlighting the reasons not to invest, a woman at Apple who challenged Steve Jobs from three levels below, an analyst who overturned the rule of secrecy at the CIA, a billionaire financial wizard who fires employees for failing to criticize him, and a TV executive who didn’t even work in comedy but saved Seinfeld from the cutting-room floor. The payoff is a set of groundbreaking insights about rejecting conformity and improving the status quo.

Originals: How Non-Conformists Move the World

by Adam Grant

The #1 New York Times bestseller that examines how people can champion new ideas in their careers and everyday life—and how leaders can fight groupthink, from the author of Hidden Potential, Think Again, and the co-author of Option B

“Filled with fresh insights on a broad array of topics that are important to our personal and professional lives.”—The New York Times DealBook

“Originals is one of the most important and captivating books I have ever read, full of surprising and powerful ideas.It will not only change the way you see the world; it might just change the way you live your life. And it could very well inspire you to change your world.” —Sheryl Sandberg, COO of Facebook and author of Lean In

With Give and Take, Adam Grant not only introduced a landmark new paradigm for success but also established himself as one of his generation’s most compelling and provocative thought leaders. In Originals he again addresses the challenge of improving the world, but now from the perspective of becoming original: choosing to champion novel ideas and values that go against the grain, battle conformity, and buck outdated traditions. How can we originate new ideas, policies, and practices without risking it all?

Using surprising studies and stories spanning business, politics, sports, and entertainment, Grant explores how to recognize a good idea, speak up without getting silenced, build a coalition of allies, choose the right time to act, and manage fear and doubt; how parents and teachers can nurture originality in children; and how leaders can build cultures that welcome dissent. Learn from an entrepreneur who pitches his start-ups by highlighting the reasons not to invest, a woman at Apple who challenged Steve Jobs from three levels below, an analyst who overturned the rule of secrecy at the CIA, a billionaire financial wizard who fires employees for failing to criticize him, and a TV executive who didn’t even work in comedy but saved Seinfeld from the cutting-room floor. The payoff is a set of groundbreaking insights about rejecting conformity and improving the status quo.

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

by Adam Grant

#1 New York Times Bestseller

“This brilliant book will shatter your assumptions about what it takes to improve and succeed. I wish I could go back in time and gift it to my younger self. It would’ve helped me find a more joyful path to progress.”
—Serena Williams, 23-time Grand Slam singles tennis champion

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again illuminates how we can elevate ourselves and others to unexpected heights.

We live in a world that’s obsessed with talent. We celebrate gifted students in school, natural athletes in sports, and child prodigies in music. But admiring people who start out with innate advantages leads us to overlook the distance we ourselves can travel. We underestimate the range of skills that we can learn and how good we can become. We can all improve at improving. And when opportunity doesn’t knock, there are ways to build a door.

Hidden Potential offers a new framework for raising aspirations and exceeding expectations. Adam Grant weaves together groundbreaking evidence, surprising insights, and vivid storytelling that takes us from the classroom to the boardroom, the playground to the Olympics, and underground to outer space. He shows that progress depends less on how hard you work than how well you learn. Growth is not about the genius you possess—it’s about the character you develop. Grant explores how to build the character skills and motivational structures to realize our own potential, and how to design systems that create opportunities for those who have been underrated and overlooked.

Many writers have chronicled the habits of superstars who accomplish great things. This book reveals how anyone can rise to achieve greater things. The true measure of your potential is not the height of the peak you’ve reached, but how far you’ve climbed to get there.

Hidden Potential: The Science of Achieving Greater Things

by Adam Grant

None

Give and Take: A Revolutionary Approach to Success

by Adam Grant

A New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller from Wharton's top-rated professor

Named one of the best books of 2013 by Amazon, the Financial Times, and the Wall Street Journal- as well as one of Oprah's riveting reads, Fortune's must-read business books, and the Washington Post's books every leader should read.
For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But today, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. It turns out that at work, most people operate as either takers, matchers, or givers. Whereas takers strive to get as much as possible from others and matchers aim to trade evenly, givers are the rare breed of people who contribute to others without expecting anything in return.

Using his own pioneering research as Wharton's youngest tenured professor, Adam Grant shows that these styles have a surprising impact on success. Although some givers get exploited and burn out, the rest achieve extraordinary results across a wide range of industries. Combining cutting-edge evidence with captivating stories, Grant shows how one of America's best networkers developed his connections, why the creative genius behind one of the most popular shows in television history toiled for years in anonymity, how a basketball executive responsible for multiple draft busts transformed his franchise into a winner, and how we could have anticipated Enron's demise four years before the company collapsed--without ever looking at a single number.
Praised by bestselling authors such as Susan Cain, Dan Pink, Tony Hsieh, Seth Godin, Dan Ariely, Gretchen Rubin, David Allen, Dan Gilbert, and Robert Cialdini--along with senior leaders from Google, McKinsey, Merck, Estee Lauder, Twitter, Nike, and NASA--Give and Take highlights what effective networking, collaboration, influence, negotiation, and leadership skills have in common. This landmark book opens up an approach to success that has the power to transform not just individuals and groups, but entire organizations and communities.

Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy

by Sheryl Sandberg, Adam Grant

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From authors of Lean In and Originals: a powerful, inspiring, and practical book about building resilience and moving forward after life’s inevitable setbacks

After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again. “I was in ‘the void,’” she writes, “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” Her friend Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton, told her there are concrete steps people can take to recover and rebound from life-shattering experiences. We are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. It is a muscle that everyone can build.

Option B combines Sheryl’s personal insights with Adam’s eye-opening research on finding strength in the face of adversity. Beginning with the gut-wrenching moment when she finds her husband, Dave Goldberg, collapsed on a gym floor, Sheryl opens up her heart—and her journal—to describe the acute grief and isolation she felt in the wake of his death. But Option B goes beyond Sheryl’s loss to explore how a broad range of people have overcome hardships including illness, job loss, sexual assault, natural disasters, and the violence of war. Their stories reveal the capacity of the human spirit to persevere . . . and to rediscover joy.

Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. Even after the most devastating events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and gaining greater appreciation in our lives. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. Many of these lessons can be applied to everyday struggles, allowing us to brave whatever lies ahead. Two weeks after losing her husband, Sheryl was preparing for a father-child activity. “I want Dave,” she cried. Her friend replied, “Option A is not available,” and then promised to help her make the most of Option B.

We all live some form of Option B. This book will help us all make the most of it.

Adam Grant 2026 Day-to-Day Calendar: Something to Think About

by Adam Grant

Thought leader, renowned author, and beloved professor Adam Grant dispenses daily inspiration for a better future starting today.

The Adam Grant 2026 Day-to-Day Calendar: Something to Think About is a smart and accessible way to center yourself amid the noise, get to the heart of big questions, and tackle tomorrow with critical thinking, open mindedness, and healthy boundaries. Each day feels like an energizing and eye-opening check-in with your favorite professor and most trusted confidante in one.

Features include: No single-use plastic Page size 4.606 x 4.606 Recyclable chipboard easel backer for desk or tabletop display Printed on FSC® certified paper with soy-based ink Full-color tear-off pages Back of pages are blank for notes or shopping lists Day/Date reference on each page Combined weekend pages Official major world holidays and observances Real facts, refreshing insights, and motivating inspiration straight from the tap, renowned author, popular professor, and influential organizational psychologist Adam Grant’s uncensored and unvarnished social media

The Gift Inside the Box

by Adam Grant, Allison Sweet Grant

Adam Grant, the bestselling author of Give and Take, teams with his wife, Allison, to share the lighthearted tale of a gift in search of a giver--a classic in the making and the perfect conversation starter about thoughtfulness.

This delightful book--one of Amazon's 2019 Holiday Gift Picks and Most Anticipated Books--is designed to start conversations with kids about generosity. In the tradition of Goodnight Gorilla, the words are intentionally spare. The book is meant to be read interactively, with adults posing questions so kids can guess what's happening (and why). Praised by both parents and teachers for sparking imagination and eliciting discussion, the story can be interpreted differently in every family, by every child, and reinterpreted many times over.

Give the gift of this clever, earnest book about generosity--a new and nourishing fable for every child's library (and one that includes a delightfully innovative cover approach that requires the reader to unfasten the Velcroed cover for a fun unboxing effect!). It's a gift that keeps on giving.

"Truly phenomenal . . . Kristen [Bell]'s favorite book we've read to the kids in a year." --Dax Shepard of the podcast "Armchair Expert"

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

by Adam Grant

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Give and Take and Originals examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people's minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life

Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there's another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn.

With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, Adam Grant investigates how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, harness the advantages of impostor syndrome, bring nuance into charged conversations, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. Think Again reveals that we don't have to believe all our thoughts or internalize all our emotions. It's an invitation to let go of views that are no longer serving us well and prize mental flexibility, humility, and curiosity over consistency.

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know

by Adam Grant

#1 New York Times Bestseller

“THIS. This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more—it requires choosing courage over comfort. In Think Again, Adam Grant weaves together research and storytelling to help us build the intellectual and emotional muscle we need to stay curious enough about the world to actually change it. I’ve never felt so hopeful about what I don’t know.”
—Brené Brown, Ph.D., #1 New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential, Originals, and Give and Take examines the critical art of rethinking: learning to question your opinions and open other people's minds, which can position you for excellence at work and wisdom in life

Intelligence is usually seen as the ability to think and learn, but in a rapidly changing world, there's another set of cognitive skills that might matter more: the ability to rethink and unlearn. In our daily lives, too many of us favor the comfort of conviction over the discomfort of doubt. We listen to opinions that make us feel good, instead of ideas that make us think hard. We see disagreement as a threat to our egos, rather than an opportunity to learn. We surround ourselves with people who agree with our conclusions, when we should be gravitating toward those who challenge our thought process. The result is that our beliefs get brittle long before our bones. We think too much like preachers defending our sacred beliefs, prosecutors proving the other side wrong, and politicians campaigning for approval--and too little like scientists searching for truth. Intelligence is no cure, and it can even be a curse: being good at thinking can make us worse at rethinking. The brighter we are, the blinder to our own limitations we can become.

Organizational psychologist Adam Grant is an expert on opening other people's minds--and our own. As Wharton's top-rated professor and the bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, he makes it one of his guiding principles to argue like he's right but listen like he's wrong. With bold ideas and rigorous evidence, he investigates how we can embrace the joy of being wrong, bring nuance to charged conversations, and build schools, workplaces, and communities of lifelong learners. You'll learn how an international debate champion wins arguments, a Black musician persuades white supremacists to abandon hate, a vaccine whisperer convinces concerned parents to immunize their children, and Adam has coaxed Yankees fans to root for the Red Sox. Think Again reveals that we don't have to believe everything we think or internalize everything we feel. It's an invitation to let go of views that are no longer serving us well and prize mental flexibility over foolish consistency. If knowledge is power, knowing what we don't know is wisdom.

HBR's 10 Must Reads on Building a Great Culture (with bonus article "How to Build a Culture of Originality" by Adam Grant)

by Jon R. Katzenbach, Adam Grant, Harvard Business Review, Erin Meyer, Boris Groysberg

You can change your company's culture.
Organizational culture often feels like something that has a life of its own. But leaders are the stewards of a company's culture and have the power to shape and even change it.
If you read nothing else on building a better organizational culture, read these 10 articles. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you identify where your culture can be improved, communicate change, and anticipate and address implementation challenges.
This book will inspire you to: See what your company culture is currently like--and what it could be Explore your company's emotional culture Gather input on what needs to be fixed or initiated Improve collaboration Foster a culture of trust Articulate the new culture's mission, values, and expectations Deal with resistance and roadblocks
This collection of articles includes "The Leader's Guide to Corporate Culture," by Boris Groysberg, Jeremiah Lee, Jesse Price, and J. Yo-Jud Cheng; "Manage Your Emotional Culture," by Sigal Barsade and Olivia A. O'Neill; "The Neuroscience of Trust," by Paul J. Zak; "Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization," by Robert E. Quinn and Anjan V. Thakor; "Creating the Best Workplace on Earth," by Rob Goffee and Gareth Jones; "Cultural Change That Sticks," by Jon R. Katzenbach, Ilona Steffen, and Caroline Kronley; "How to Build a Culture of Originality," by Adam Grant; "When Culture Doesn't Translate," by Erin Meyer; "Culture Is Not the Culprit," by Jay W. Lorsch and Emily Gandhi; "Conquering a Culture of Indecision," by Ram Charan; and "Radical Change, the Quiet Way," by Debra E. Meyerson.

HBR's 10 Must Reads on Leading with Purpose

by Adam Grant, Harvard Business Review, Michael E. Porter, Ranjay Gulati, Julie Battilana

Make work meaningful--and unleash your organization's full potential.

If you read nothing else on leading with purpose, read this book. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you define, communicate, and fulfill your organization's purpose--and deliver results.

This book will inspire you to:

• Connect the work to the "why"
• Bring people together in uncertain times
• Attract--and retain--the right talent
• Boost engagement, performance, and commitment
• Achieve mission-driven growth
• Create value for your business and society

This collection of articles includes "Put Purpose at the Core of Your Strategy," by Thomas W. Malnight, Ivy Buche, and Charles Dhanaraj; "What's the Purpose of Your Purpose?," by Jonathan Knowles, B. Tom Hunsaker, Hannah Grove, and Alison James; "Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization," by Robert E. Quinn and Anjan V. Thakor; "How Customers Can Rally Your Troops," by Adam Grant; "The Dual-Purpose Playbook," by Julie Battilana, Anne-Claire Pache, Metin Sengul, and Marissa Kimsey; "The New CEO Activists," by Aaron K. Chatterji and Michael W. Toffel; "Competing on Social Purpose," by Omar Rodriguez-Vila and Sundar Bharadwaj; "The Messy but Essential Pursuit of Purpose," by Ranjay Gulati; "From Purpose to Impact," by Nick Craig and Scott A. Snook; "Creating Shared Value," by Michael E. Porter and Mark R. Kramer; "How to Lead in the Stakeholder Era," by Hubert Joly; and "Use Storytelling to Explain Your Company's Purpose," by John Coleman.

HBR's 10 Must Reads are definitive collections of classic ideas, practical advice, and essential thinking from the pages of Harvard Business Review. Exploring topics like disruptive innovation, emotional intelligence, and new technology in our ever-evolving world, these books empower any leader to make bold decisions and inspire others.

HBR's 10 Must Reads on Employee Engagement

by Marcus Buckingham, Adam Grant, Harvard Business Review, Renee A. Mauborgne, Peter Cappelli

Engage your employees and transform your organization.

If you read nothing else on employee engagement, read this book. We've combed through hundreds of Harvard Business Review articles and selected the most important ones to help you make your employees feel valued, motivated, and ready to do great things.

This book will inspire you to:

• Invest in a culture of cohesive teams
• Turn employee feedback into action
• Learn why people quit--and how to retain them
• Curb burnout by designing better jobs
• Make HR a champion of employees
• Create a purpose-driven organization

This collection of articles includes "Creating a Purpose-Driven Organization," by Robert E. Quinn and Anjan V. Thakor; "How Customers Can Rally Your Troops," by Adam Grant, "Why Employees Quit," by Ethan Bernstein, Michael B. Horn, and Bob Moesta; "The Power of Hidden Teams," by Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall; "Do You Tell Your Employees You Appreciate Them?" by Jack Zenger and Joseph Folkman; "The Case for Good Jobs," by Zeynep Ton; "To Curb Burnout, Design Jobs to Better Match Employees' Needs," by Michael P. Leiter and Christina Maslach; "HR's New Role," by Peter Cappelli and Ranya Nehmeh; "Turn Employee Feedback into Action," by Ethan Burris, Benjamin Thomas, Ketaki Sodhi, and Dawn Klinghoffer; "Beware a Culture of Busyness," by Adam Waytz; "Collaborative Overload," by Rob Cross, Reb Rebele, and Adam Grant; "Designing the Hybrid Office," by Anne-Laure Fayard, John Weeks, and Mahwesh Khan; and "Blue Ocean Leadership," by W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne.

HBR's 10 Must Reads are definitive collections of classic ideas, practical advice, and essential thinking from the pages of Harvard Business Review. Exploring topics like disruptive innovation, emotional intelligence, and new technology in our ever-evolving world, these books empower any leader to make bold decisions and inspire others.

Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World

by Adam Grant

#1 New York Times bestselling author Adam Grant illuminates the surprising science behind strong connections

A vibe—a special connection between people that creates a spark—is an engine of happiness and success. Yet building meaningful ties is one of the most pressing problems of our time. As social media forces face-to-face interaction behind digital screens, communication gets outsourced to AI, and the world becomes more polarized than ever, our loneliness crisis shows no signs of slowing.

To reveal how we can forge faster, stronger, and longer bonds, Grant offers groundbreaking studies, expert insights, and myth-busting stories. Filled with the eye-opening takeaways that have brought millions of readers to his books, Vibe teaches us that similarity is not necessary for solidarity, chemistry doesn’t always happen quickly, and closeness doesn’t always take time.

Along the way, Grant introduces us to a crew of astronauts who learned to trust people they don’t like, a comedy troupe that swears by taking time apart as a key to staying together, a band that grew closer by learning to fight more, and a journalist who designed a gathering that led to seventy-eight marriages. He also opens up about his personal struggles to find his place as a shy introvert and the lessons that propelled his transformation into an enthusiastic convener. Through these examples and more, Grant uncovers the keys to creating deeper relationships and tighter communities.

Vibe will change how you approach your interactions. No matter how good you are at connecting, you can always get better—and help others get better too.