204 episodes

The Next Big Idea is a weekly series of in-depth interviews with the world’s leading thinkers. Join our host, Rufus Griscom — along with our curators, Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — for conversations that might just change the way you see the world. New episodes every Thursday.

The Next Big Idea LinkedIn

    • Education
    • 4.5 • 1.2K Ratings

The Next Big Idea is a weekly series of in-depth interviews with the world’s leading thinkers. Join our host, Rufus Griscom — along with our curators, Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — for conversations that might just change the way you see the world. New episodes every Thursday.

    GET THE PICTURE: Why Bother With Art?

    GET THE PICTURE: Why Bother With Art?

    For a long time, Bianca Bosker was not on speaking terms with art. “Going to galleries and museums,” she says on today’s show, “reliably made me feel like I was at least two tattoos and a master’s degree away from figuring out what was going on.” What did art snobs know that she didn’t? Determined to find out, Bianca disowned her normal life and ventured into the underbelly of the art world. She worked at a gallery, as an artist’s assistant, and even as a museum guard. She read the latest research to understand why scientists believe art is as “necessary as food or sex.” And in the end, she learned how to look, really look, at art — a skill she’s now going to share with you.
    Book: "Get the Picture: A Mind-Bending Journey Among the Inspired Artists and Obsessive Art Fiends Who Taught Me How to See"
    Guest: Bianca Bosker
    Host: Caleb Bissinger
    *THE NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB*
    We all know that reading is the best investment we can make in ourselves, but figuring out what to read — well, that’s another matter. Which is why we started the Next Big Idea Club. We get the best new books — as chosen by our friends Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — into the hands of curious people … like you! Join us today at nextbigideaclub.com

    • 51 min
    LOOK AGAIN: How to See Your Life With Fresh Eyes

    LOOK AGAIN: How to See Your Life With Fresh Eyes

    Do you ever feel like your life has become a film loop of the familiar? Maybe you sympathize with the elegiac poet Logan Roy, who said, "Nothing tastes like it used to, does it? Nothing's the same as it was." What lit you up on Monday barely sparks your interest by the weekend. But don't worry, there's nothing wrong with you. You're just experiencing what scientists call habituation, a fancy word for a phenomenon we all face. And the good news is that there's something you can do about it, methods and tools you can use to disrupt familiar patterns, jostle your needle out of its well-worn groove, and refresh the way you see and connect with the people, places, and things in your life. This process is called dishabituation — or, if you prefer, re-sparkling — and neuroscientist Tali Sharot is on the show today to teach you how to do it.
    Book: "Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There"
    Guest: Tali Sharot
    Host: Michael Kovnat

    **THE NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB**
    We all know that reading is the best investment we can make in ourselves, but figuring out what to read — well, that’s another matter. Which is why we started the Next Big Idea Club. We get the best new books — as chosen by our friends Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — into the hands of curious people … like you! Join us today at nextbigideaclub.com

    • 51 min
    GENEROSITY: How Simple Acts of Kindness Can Change the World

    GENEROSITY: How Simple Acts of Kindness Can Change the World

    Lots of things go viral on the internet: dumb memes, cat videos, one-pan meals, and celebrity gossip. Why not kindness? That’s the delightful question Chris Anderson, the head of TED, asks in his new book, “Infectious Generosity: The Ultimate Idea Worth Spreading.” He joins Rufus to talk about what he’s learned running the world’s most famous conference, why we’re hardwired to give back, and the small actions we can all take to be a little more generous.

    Host: Rufus Griscom
    Guest: Chris Anderson
    *THE NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB*
    We all know that reading is the best investment we can make in ourselves, but figuring out what to read — well, that’s another matter. Which is why we started the Next Big Idea Club. We get the best new books — as chosen by our friends Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — into the hands of curious people … like you! Join us today at nextbigideaclub.com

    • 1 hr 6 min
    BURN BOOK: Kara Swisher Takes on Big Tech

    BURN BOOK: Kara Swisher Takes on Big Tech

    Kara Swisher has been called “pioneering” (the New York Times), “Silicon Valley’s top pundit” (Wired), and “so shrill at this point that only dogs can hear her” (Elon Musk). Thanks to the bad-cop interviews she conducts on her hit podcasts — and, before that, at the can’t-miss tech conferences she co-founded — the world’s most powerful people revere and fear her in equal measure. Now she’s out with a memoir called “Burn Book: A Tech Love Story.” It’s a smart, dishy, acerbically funny page-turner about how a young reporter with a cellphone the size of a briefcase became one of the most influential tech critics of the day.

    Host: Caleb Bissinger
    Guest: Kara Swisher
    *THE NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB*
    We all know that reading is the best investment we can make in ourselves, but figuring out what to read — well, that’s another matter. Which is why we started the Next Big Idea Club. We get the best new books — as chosen by our friends Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — into the hands of curious people … like you! Join us today at nextbigideaclub.com

    • 50 min
    SUPERCOMMUNICATORS: How to Connect With Anyone

    SUPERCOMMUNICATORS: How to Connect With Anyone

    According to Merriam-Webster, the word “conversation” has 36 synonyms, ranging from the alliterative (”confabulation”) to the arcane (”persiflage”). Why the linguistic profusion? Because conversing is a fundamental part — maybe the fundamental part — of being human.
    We chat with our families, friends, strangers, and co-workers, and we communicate in phone calls, text messages, emails, and, occasionally, postcards. When these tête-à-têtes go well, it is oddly thrilling; we become better versions of ourselves — warmer and wiser, funnier, and consistently insightful. Best of all, a good dialogue is a direct route to connection. “The bond of all companionship,” wrote Oscar Wilde, “whether in marriage or in friendship, is conversation.”
    But when a conversation goes poorly, when it stays on the surface (”what do you do for a living?”) or devolves into a sputtering mess of misunderstanding (”you’re overreacting!”), we don’t feel the invigorating pulse of connection. What we feel, instead, is the emotional equivalent of a busy signal.
    So, this hour, we’re asking: how can we have better conversations? And to help answer that question, we’re joined by Charles Duhigg, a Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and the bestselling author of “The Power of Habit” and now “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection.” Charles, as you’ll hear, is something of supercommunicator himself, a lithe storyteller who’s as well-versed in evolutionary biology as he is in the latest psychology, and after studying the art and science of communication for the last few years, he’s concluded that anyone can become a great conversationalist. You just have to master a few simple skills. Tune in to find out what they are.

    Host: Rufus Griscom
    Guest: Charles Duhigg
    Book: “Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection”
    *THE NEXT BIG IDEA CLUB*
    We all know that reading is the best investment we can make in ourselves, but figuring out what to read … well, that’s another matter. Which is why we started the Next Big Idea Club. We get the best new books — as chosen by our curators (Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink) — into the hands of curious people. Like you! Join us today at nextbigideaclub.com

    • 1 hr 6 min
    MIDLIFE: Once a Crisis, Now an Opportunity

    MIDLIFE: Once a Crisis, Now an Opportunity

    Growing old gets a bad rap, and it's not hard to see why. Your hair thins and your waist thickens. The shot clock ticks down on your career, and you realize, much to your dismay, that your youthful dreams of greatness — patents, prizes, and periodicals with your face on the cover — are unlikely to come true before the buzzer. And what do you see up ahead? A road sign. "Highway Ends. Last Exit: Retirement. One Mile." Retirement. Just a polite word for purposelessness. That's the cynic's view of aging, anyway. But does it have to be that way? Not according to Chip Conley ("Learning to Love Midlife"). He says midlife can be a period of renewal, hope, joy, and connection. If you're open to it. Are you?

    • 1 hr 3 min

Customer Reviews

4.5 out of 5
1.2K Ratings

1.2K Ratings

Lddssruikmn ,

Thank You

I’m just writing to thank you Rufus, Caleb, and everyone else at the next big idea for the sharing so many powerful ideas in such a concise digestible format.

This podcast has changed my thinking and my life for the better over and over again. I was listening to the episode about generosity. I realized now might be a good time to write a review. I love thinking about all the possibility in this world as we embrace generosity, becoming super communicators, think about drugs differently, and create atomic habits to name just a few topics.

It does indeed feel good to share and write a review. Thank you for spreading such powerful positive ideas to shape our future!

Shauna NI ,

Big dish;small bites

Thanks for tackling a huge wuestiob in such a way that I could folloe the logic. Blockchain id complicated for me - but you managed ti educate me ob it. THANKS

migomama ,

My favorite podcast

I get so much knowledge from each episode and I love how Rufus hosts and talks. Not like most podcasts that are more or less opinion shows where the hosts love to mainly hear themselves, in this podcast it this is all about diving deep into one book per episode with the author. The books discussed are non-fictional and science driven , so there is plenty that can be learned from . 👍

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