First, Dan Heath reveals how the most effective leaders don't just solve problems — they prevent them from happening in the first place. Then Thomas Wedell-Wedellsborg shares research that shows reframing problems is the real key to breakthrough solutions.

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Productivity expert Chris Bailey explains why follow-through fails — and how aligning your values, intentions, and friction levels makes action feel natural. And later in the show, we hear from Becky Blades, author of Start More Than You Can Finish.

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Most of us think of humor as something that happens at comedy clubs or in group texts with friends. But what if laughter could actually make you better at your job, more creative, and more connected to the people around you? Chris Duffy is a comedian, TV writer, and host of TED’s award-winning How to Be a Better Human podcast. In the first half of today's show, he shares five big ideas from his new book Humor Me: How Laughing More Can Make You Present, Creative, Connected, and Happy. Later, we hear from Jennifer Aaker and Naomi Bagdonas about their book Humor, Seriously.

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First up, Philosopher and novelist Rebecca Newberger Goldstein argues that the mattering instinct is the hidden engine behind nearly everything we do. Then we hear from rabbi Sharon Brous, author of the 2022 book The Amen Effect.

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First up, Ezekiel ("Zeke") Emanuel, one of America's leading physicians, makes the case that enjoying life — cheesecake included — might be the healthiest choice of all. His new book is Eat Your Ice Cream: Six Simple Rules for a Long and Healthy Life. He's here to make the case that enjoying life, cheesecake included, might be the healthiest choice of all. Then, in the second half of the show, journalist Cole Kazdin shares some big ideas from her 2023 book What's Eating Us: Women, Food, and the Epidemic of Body Anxiety. 

Whether you're plotting a job change or just trying to survive another uncertain year at work, the truth is most of us spend 90,000 hours of our lives working. That's too much time to spend feeling stuck, stressed, or unfulfilled.

Journalists Lisa Leong and Monique Ross are here to help. Their 2023 book This Working Life: How to Navigate Your Career in Uncertain Times is packed with practical wisdom for building a career that actually brings you joy. We’ll hear from them in just a moment.

And in the second half of the show, we’ll tackle one of the most challenging experiences in anyone’s career — losing a job. Jessica Bacal spent years collecting rejection stories from powerful women and gathered them in the 2021 book The Rejection That Changed My Life.

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Some of us may have overindulged during the holidays, and some of us may be trying a Dry January — or at least rethinking our relationship with booze. This is the time of year when we might notice how much alcohol has woven itself into our social lives, our stress management, our celebrations. Charles Knowles is a Professor of Surgery at Queen Mary University of London and Chief Academic Officer at the Cleveland Clinic London, and his new book is called Why We Drink Too Much: The Impact of Alcohol on Our Bodies and Culture. He joins us today to explain why problematic drinking isn't defined by how much we consume, and what we really need to know if we want to change our relationship with alcohol. And then in the second half of the show, we’ll hear from philosophy professor Edward Slingerland, who will share ideas from his 2021 book Drunk: How We Sipped, Danced, and Stumbled Our Way to Civilization.

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Maybe you’ve already set some resolutions for 2026 — exercise more, eat better, be more patient. But here’s the problem: We make these promises to improve ourselves as if our selves are solid, fixed entities that just need a little tweaking. But there might be a wiser approach. J. Eric Oliver is a professor of political science at the University of Chicago, and his new book is called How To Know Your Self: The Art & Science of Discovering Who You Really Are. He joins us today to explain why seeing yourself as a process rather than a fixed thing might be the most powerful resolution you could make this year — and how that shift opens up possibilities you didn’t know you had. Then, in the second half of the show, we'll hear some big ideas from Life Is Hard: How Philosophy Can Help Us Find Our Way by philosophy professor Kieran Setiya.

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An evolutionary perspective reveals how early adversity can sometimes accelerate development.

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Now that we’re in early January, a lot of us are thinking about what we want to change this year. But here’s the thing — we often focus on adding new habits when the real question might be, Why do we keep repeating the old ones?