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Uncertain
The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure
Available In Stores and Online Now
Nominated for a 2023 National Book Award
An Amazon Top New Release
A Library Journal Best Book of 2023
Excerpted, with adaptations, in The Boston Globe, Porchlight, New Philosopher, Nautilus, and CNN
In an era of terrifying unpredictability, the swift, sure answer seems just right. We race to address precarity and complexity with neat algorithms, crisp bullet points, or hurried tweets. Who has time to dally in the wilderness of being unsure? How could we find the clarity and vision so urgently needed today by not-knowing? Uncertain is about the unsung triumph of doing just that.
Far from luring us into inertia or defeat, uncertainty powers good judgement, cognitive flexibility, creativity, curiosity, and even resilience. A state of mind critical to human achievement yet until recently little understood, uncertainty is the portal to finding your enemy’s humanity, the lynchpin of superior teamwork, and the mindset most needed in times of flux.
A scientific adventure tale set on the front lines of a volatile era, this book explores uncertainty's positive role in the life of the mind and in contemporary society. What is a good daydream? Why is being unsure now seen as a healthy form of stress? Why do AI's top leaders see uncertainty as the key to keeping humanity safe from increasingly unstoppable AI?
By learning to wielding uncertainty with skill and care, we can recapture realms of good thinking sidelined in an era of push-button thought. We can discover all that the human mind - at the peak of its powers in the most difficult predicaments – can do. This is not weakness but wisdom.
Praise for Uncertain
“Maggie Jackson’s incisive and timely book is a provocative exploration of the surprising benefits of not knowing. Richly researched and briskly written, it dismantles the stigma around uncertainty — and shows how this state of mind can jolt us from intellectual complacency and foster creativity, resilience, and mutual understanding. Uncertain is a triumphant ode to the wisdom of being unsure.”
“Once I started reading I could not stop. Jackson is a great thinker and storyteller and this is her best work yet. Beautiful, inspirational, compelling, and urgently needed, Uncertain is that rare book that will change the way you think.”
“Maggie Jackson’s Uncertain poses a provocative and important question: what can we learn from saying we don’t know? Penned by a science journalist with the heart of a poet, this book is beautifully written and deeply compelling in a culture divided more by false certainties than perhaps ever before.”
“Powerful. ”
“After reading this groundbreaking book, things that felt threatening can feel like doable challenges, even exciting possibilities. Uncertain is truly a book for our times.”
“This outstanding book is for anyone who wants to understand the mindset of uncertainty, a challenge that is more important than ever in a world of accelerating change.”
“It’s all too easy to seek the comforting simplicity of the certain. With cutting-edge science and insights both surprising and practical, Uncertain shows how cultivating an open and unsettled mindset can help us to spark curiosity, compassion, and creativity.”
“Possibly nothing is more critical to the survival of humanity at this moment than an understanding of what it means to be uncertain. Maggie Jackson brings her usual wit, clarity, and precision to a central topic in human cognition. This wonderful book is enjoyable as well as important.”
“We humans are quite fond the idea of certainty, of knowing what comes next. Jackson’s insightful book is essential reading, highlighting that, rather than causing anguish or fear, embracing uncertainty can help us navigate our way through an increasingly complex and ever-changing world.”