Originals

How Non-conformists Change the World

By: Adam Grant, Sheryl Sandberg - introduction

Narrated by: Fred Sanders

“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, bestselling author of Lean In


The New York Times bestselling author examines how people can drive creative, moral, and organisational progress—and how leaders can encourage originality in their organisations.

How can we originate new ideas, policies and practices without risking it all? Adam Grant shows how to improve the world by championing novel ideas and values that go against the grain, battling conformity, and bucking outdated traditions.

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. Parents will learn how to nurture originality in children, and leaders will discover how to fight groupthink to build cultures that welcome dissent.

Told through dazzling case studies of people going against the grain, you’ll encounter an entrepreneur who pitches the reasons not to invest, a woman at Apple who challenged Steve Jobs from three levels below, an analyst who challenged secrecy at the CIA, a billionaire financial wizard who fires employees who don’t criticize him, and the TV executive who saved Seinfeld from the cutting room floor. Originals will give you groundbreaking insights about rejecting conformity and how to change the world.

Critic reviews

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.

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.

After launching hundreds of businesses—from airlines to trains, music to mobile, and now a spaceline—my biggest challenges and successes have come from convincing other people to see the world differently. ORIGINALS reveals how that can be done and will help you inspire creativity and change.

This extraordinary, wildly entertaining book sheds new light on the Age of Disruption. What does it take to make a meaningful difference? And how can you apply this insight to your own life? By debunking myths of success stories, challenging long-held beliefs of process, and finding commonality among those who are agents of profound change, Adam Grant gives us a powerful new perspective on not just our place in the world, but our potential to shake it up entirely.

Adam Grant is one of the great social scientists of our time

ORIGINALS is a fascinating, eye-opening read that will help you not just recognize your own unique gifts, but find the strength to challenge conventional wisdom to bring them to life. Using surprising studies and riveting stories, Adam Grant brilliantly shows us how to champion new ideas, bust persistent myths that hold us back and change not only our lives, but our world.

It can sometimes seem as if one must master everything old in order to earn the privilege of doing anything new. Adam Grant does a masterful job showing that is not the case; we are lucky to have him as a guide.

Adam Grant is a serious social scientist, master storyteller and infectious optimist…. “Originals” is filled with fresh insights on a broad array of topics that are important to our personal and professional lives. Mr. Grant has an uncanny ability to infuse a familiar topic with deeper meaning and leave the reader feeling hopeful and a little exhilarated.

An urgent must read, a seminal work that will surprise you on every single page. Adam Grant has reset our expectations for what it means to be creative and what's required to make a difference. Share it with someone you care about.

Fresh research, counter-intuitive insights, lively writing, practical calls to action ... Grant has a deserved reputation as an original thinker.

A Phycological approach to Originals

This book start very well and is enjoyable as well as informative. But it is not life changing or thought provoking, very informative on a phycological level.

Good, but not.awesome

It's a good read, with some real useful pieces of information dispersed throughout and it dispels strongly held myths about creative and original people. However I expected more depth and a better golden thread to keep it together.

Insightful

Insightful, smart, sometimes surprising but all delivered in an entertaining fashion. Drawing on a mixture of anecdotal and academic sources - this book is a must read/listen.

brilliant book....very well narratted

Adam Grant and his hypothesis blows your mind. The power of statistics and reasoning was never called upon so well, in my reading experience. Insightful and actionable

A Must for those Interested in Innovation

I am a fan of innovation hence I did a lot of readings and consume a lot of media about the subject. I also listen to Adam Grant's video clips (yes, listen). Despite those, I was surprised to still learn a lot about the subject.