214 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
    • 4.4 • 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.

    UNCERTAINTY: The Surprising Power of Being Unsure

    UNCERTAINTY: The Surprising Power of Being Unsure

    Could embracing uncertainty be the key to thriving in our age of unpredictability? That's the premise of Maggie Jackson's new book, "Uncertain: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure," which was chosen by our curators — Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink — as one of the year's best works of nonfiction. Maggie sat down with our co-founder Panio Gianopoulos to discuss how mastering the art of being unsure can fuel leadership, deepen relationships, and inspire creativity.
    Host: Panio Gianopoulos
    Guest: Maggie Jackson

    *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

    • 46 min
    EDUCATION 4o: How AI Will Revolutionize the Way We Learn

    EDUCATION 4o: How AI Will Revolutionize the Way We Learn

    AI is coming for education. According to our guest today, Sal Khan, that's a good thing.
    Sal is the founder of Khan Academy, which has provided free education to more than 140 million learners, and the author of "Brave New Words: How AI Will Revolutionize Education (and Why That's a Good Thing)."

    • 1 hr 7 min
    AFTERLIFE: Sebastian Junger’s Journey to the Edge and Back

    AFTERLIFE: Sebastian Junger’s Journey to the Edge and Back

    On a June night several years ago, Sebastian Junger, bestselling author of "The Perfect Storm" and co-director of the Oscar-nominated documentary "Restrepo," lay on an operating table, dying. An undiagnosed aneurysm in his pancreatic artery had ruptured, flooding his abdominal cavity with blood. His odds of survival were between 10 and 20 percent. "I said, 'Doc, you got to hurry. You're losing me right now. I'm going.'" This near-death experience inspired him to embark on a scientific, philosophical, and profoundly personal exploration of what happens after we die. His new book is "In My Time of Dying: How I Came Face to Face with the Idea of an Afterlife."
    Host: Caleb Bissinger
    Guest: Sebastian Junger
    *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 3 min
    FUNNER: How Language Evolves and Why It Matters

    FUNNER: How Language Evolves and Why It Matters

    You may think the English language is static, solid, set in its ways. But the language of Shakespeare has changed quite a bit since the Bard's day. Some rules have been bent, others broken. Old words have faded into obscurity, while new slang has burst onto the scene. (Goodbye, crapulous. Hello, awesomesauce!) When faced with this linguistic upheaval, you have two choices, according to today's guest, Anne Curzan, dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts at the University of Michigan and author of "Says Who?: A Kinder, Funner Usage Guide for Everyone Who Cares About Words." You can turn into a grammando who ruthlessly corrects grammatical faux pas, staunchly defends "correct" usage, and rails against neologisms. Or you can embrace your inner wordie by becoming a linguistic gourmand who not only savors fresh vocabulary but celebrates lexical innovation as a reminder that our language is evolving, becoming more expansive, more inclusive, and perhaps more playful.

    Host: Rufus Griscom
    Guest: Anne Curzan
    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 8 min
    DEMON OF UNREST: Why the Civil War Matters Today (with Erik Larson)

    DEMON OF UNREST: Why the Civil War Matters Today (with Erik Larson)

    Erik Larson is probably the most successful popular historian working today. His books, which include “The Devil in the White City” and “The Splendid and the Vile,” have sold a staggering 12 million copies. His latest, “The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War,” debuted at No. 1 on the New York Times bestsellers list this week. It’s a gripping account of the five months between Abraham Lincoln’s election and the outbreak of the Civil War — a 163-year-old chapter in our history that Erik says is alarmingly relevant.
    Host: Caleb Bissinger
    Guest: Erik Larson

    ABOUT 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 is easier said than done. That's 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 And use promo code PODCAST for a special discount.

    • 54 min
    ALGEBRA OF WEALTH: Scott Galloway’s Formula for Financial Success

    ALGEBRA OF WEALTH: Scott Galloway’s Formula for Financial Success

    Scott Galloway is a podcaster, bestselling author, and professor of marketing at NYU. He's irreverent, cocky, brutally honest, and surprisingly humble. He's also wildly successful — and he doesn't care who knows it. In fact, he thinks more rich people should talk about their success. That's why he wrote his new book, "The Algebra of Wealth." "It's almost like a letter to myself when I was younger," he tells Rufus in today's episode, which was recorded live in New York City, "the mistakes I made, some of the things I did right, some of the things I did wrong." Tune in to learn how to build your savings muscle, why you should avoid stock picking, Scott's favorite ETF, whether it's better to be an entrepreneur or a company man, and more.

    • 53 min

Customer Reviews

4.4 out of 5
1.2K Ratings

1.2K Ratings

pritchardsbike33618 ,

So great to hear Erik Larson on the show

I’ve been a longtime fan of Erik (and of this show) and really enjoyed his recent interview. It inspired me to buy a copy of his new book! Thank you

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!

Yoyorosie ,

Huge Next Big Idea FAN disappointed...

Huge fan here, and this is one of the only podcasts I stay up to date with. I was struck by the introductory statement by Caleb Bissinger that, "convinced that he (Abraham Lincoln) would abolish the thing that they (the South) held most dear, slavery." That is a very simplified (for dramatic effect) summation of "The South" and it was offensive to me. I grew up in the South and have always been horrified and by how the slavery culture became essential to the agrarian Southern part of the country.
If we are to "simplify" why most evil cultural trends persist, it always comes down to money. We can point to the same motivator today as we all moan about misrepresentation and chaos in government. US citizens will never be reliably represented by our US government because money holders will always pay to stay on top, same as always.

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