Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends on It

· Hachette UK
4.4
5 reviews
Ebook
384
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

A fascinating multi-disciplinary analysis of why curiosity makes the world go round.

'A lovely, erudite exploration of what it is that makes us human' - Independent on Sunday

'I have no special talents. I am only passionately curious'
Albert Einstein.

Everyone is born curious. But only some retain the habits of exploring, learning and discovering as they grow older. Which side of the 'curiosity divide' are you on?

In Curious Ian Leslie makes a passionate case for the cultivation of our desire to know. Curious people tend to be smarter, more creative and more successful. But at the very moment when the rewards of curiosity have never been higher, it is misunderstood and undervalued, and increasingly practised only by a cognitive elite.

Drawing on fascinating research from psychology, sociology and business, Curious looks at what feeds curiosity and what starves it, and uncovers surprising answers. Curiosity isn't a quality you can rely on to last a lifetime, but a mental muscle that atrophies without regular exercise. It's not a gift, but a habit that parents, schools, workplaces and individuals need to nurture if it is to thrive. Filled with inspiring stories, case studies and practical advice, Curious will change the way you think about your own mental life, and that of those around you.

Ratings and reviews

4.4
5 reviews
Delani Ngcobo
October 27, 2022
Quite a very interesting book as far as my understanding of the sample I've read is concerned. But being honest I think the author of this book finds it hard to understand some reasons or the idea of learning ancient languages. However, I am not against his idea if I can include how he explains different types of curiosity using Brian's gun incident and the journey of Alexander in learning different linguistic diversities and languages as well. But it's a great book I wish you can make a sample of at least 100 pages.
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Sharath Patel
February 23, 2019
Loved the concept of knowledge gaps leading to more curosity and the emphasis on gathering knowledge than only diversive curiosity as a prime thing!!!!Epistemic curiousity and it's huge applications well explained.....loved the concept of "foxhog" and "thinkerer".
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About the author

Ian Leslie lives in London where he combines careers in advertising and writing. His book Born Liars: Why We Can't Live Without Deceit was hailed as 'consistently startling and fascinating' by the Daily Mail and was BBC Radio 4's 'Book of the Week'. He writes about ideas, culture, and politics for a wide range of publications including Intelligent Life, the New Statesman, and the Guardian, and is the creator and presenter of the BBC radio comedy, Before They Were Famous.

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