The Next Big Idea Daily

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This Episode Will Change Every Breath You Take Dec 23, 2025

Show notes

When was the last time you actually thought about the air around you? Unless you're stuck in a windstorm or gasping after a run, probably never. But it turns out that this invisible element — whether it's blowing across continents or flowing through your lungs — has shaped human history in some pretty remarkable ways.

Simon Winchester is the New York Times bestselling author of books like The Professor and the Madman and Krakatoa. His new book is called The Breath of the Gods: The History and Future of the Wind, and he'll join us with some of his big ideas in just a moment.

And later in the show, we'll hear from James Nestor, author of the 2020 book Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art, who'll show us how modern humans have forgotten how to breathe properly — and what that's costing us.

A Starter Kit to Make Your Finances Bulletproof Dec 22, 2025

Show notes

First up, Harvard economist John Campbell on how to make the financial system work better for you. His new book, co-written with Tarun Ramadorai, is Fixed: Why Personal Finance Is Broken and How to Make It Work for Everyone. Later in the show, Lauren Simmons offers us a practical, empowering roadmap for building financial wellness right now.

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An Exercise in Uncertainty and a Memoir of a Life Interrupted Dec 19, 2025

Show notes

Up first, we hear from Jonathan Gluck, author of An Exercise in Uncertainty. And then Suleika Jaouad shares key insights from Between Two Kingdoms.

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The Power of Being Alone: Why Solitude Is Good for You Dec 18, 2025

Show notes

Act One: The Joy of Solitude: How to Reconnect with Yourself in an Overconnected World by Robert Coplan

Act Two: Arrangements in Blue Notes by Amy Key

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You’re Working Hard. You’re Still Stuck. Here’s Why. Dec 17, 2025

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Let’s say you’ve made it to a position to manage other people. Congratulations! But unfortunately, you can’t just coast from here. The mindset that got you into that leadership role isn’t the mindset you need to succeed at it. Muriel Wilkins is a leadership coach and host of the award-winning podcast Coaching Real Leaders. Her new book is called Leadership Unblocked: Break Through the Beliefs That Limit Your Potential. And later, we hear from Eduardo Briceño, author of the 2023 book The Performance Paradox.

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The Surprising Science of Pets Dec 16, 2025

Show notes

Do you have a pet? A dog, a cat, a goldfish? If so, why? I don’t mean why did you adopt the dear things, I mean why do humans keep pets at all? It’s a strange behavior, when you think about it, and not one shared by any of our animal cousins. Jay Ingram is a top science writer and TV personality who’s spent decades exploring the natural world. His new book is called The Science of Pets, and he shares five of his key insights in the first half of the show. Then we hear from Marlene Zuk, author of Dancing Cockatoos and the Dead Man Test.

Here's How to Get Lucky Dec 15, 2025

Show notes

We all know someone who seems impossibly lucky. They land the perfect job, get into the right school, meet the right people at the right time. But luck isn’t as random as it seems. There are hidden systems at work determining who gets what, and understanding them can tilt the odds in your favor.

Act One: Lucky by Design by Judd Kessler
Act Two: The Serendipity Mindset by Christian Busch

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How to Spot a Swindler Dec 12, 2025

Show notes

Charlatans by Moisés Naím and Quico Toro

Nobody's Fool by Daniel Simons and Christopher Chabris

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The Weird Force That May Well Kill You Dec 11, 2025

Show notes

Like it or not, gravity controls life and death on this planet, yet we barely understand it.

Crush by James Riordon
Pull by Brennan Spiegel

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You're a Hypocrite, But That's OK Dec 10, 2025

Show notes

Why acknowledging our own contradictions can make us better friends, colleagues, and citizens.

The Hypocrisy Trap by Michael Hallsworth
The Status Revolution by Chuck Thompson

Sponsored By:

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