David Epstein

3 weeks ago | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

The book Abundance, by journalists Ezra Klein (New York Times) and Derek Thompson (The Atlantic), came out last month — and during the week that followed, not a day passed without a friend or acquaintance bringing it up. Some praised it, others had critiques, but every conversation was interesting. If Helen of Troy was “the face that launched a thousand ships,” Abundance may be a book that launches a thousand policy debates.

3 weeks ago | thebigread.substack.com | Jeremy Anderberg |David Epstein

Be a Swiss army knife of a human. Hello, readers! I hope you enjoyed our four-week journey through ’s Range — I sure did. It gave me a whole new appreciation for my own journey in both my career and the various side projects I’ve worked on over the years. More than that, it feels like a foundational philosophical element to a well-lived life. Let’s dive…

1 month ago | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

Is the drive to explore new places and ideas embedded in human biology? In a rapidly changing work world, should we all be exploring a little more? Can trying new things actually be good for your health? These are the kinds of questions at the heart of a new book, The Explorer’s Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map, out today. The author, Alex Hutchinson, is one of the best science writers working today.

1 month ago | davidepstein.substack.com | David Epstein

What do you think of when you hear the word “warmup”? If you’re like me, probably athletes limbering up before competition. But perhaps we should think of it more broadly. Last week, I read an intriguing study that applied the idea of a warmup in less obvious arena: pediatric anesthesia.

1 month ago | thebigread.substack.com | Jeremy Anderberg |David Epstein

Hello readers! I’m so excited to have started Range this week. It’s a book I’ve dipped my toes into a bunch of times for various reasons but never read straight through. This time around, I got hooked and have really enjoyed picking it up every morning. Though it was published about six years ago, the ideas and insights feel fresher than ever and even seem like they’ll actually continue to get more poignant as time goes on.