Ordinary Magic: The Science of How We Can Achieve Big Change with Small Acts

By Gregory M. Walton

Book Overview

"By one of the great psychologists of our time, a book that shows us how we can answer the universal questions that define our lives: Can I succeed? Do I belong? Am I loved?"--Carol S. Dweck, PhD, bestselling author of Mindset

Discover simple psychological shifts that build trust, belonging, and confidence--from the co-director of the Dweck-Walton Lab at Stanford University

The emotional questions we face can define our lives. If you're expecting an interaction to go wrong, that expectation can make it so. That's spiraling down.

But as esteemed Stanford psychologist Greg Walton shows, when we see these questions clearly, we can answer them well. Known to social psychologists as wise interventions, these shifts in perspective can help us chart new trajectories for our lives. They help us spiral up.

This is ordinary magic: The ordinary experiences that help us set aside the ordinary worries of life to unleash extraordinary change.

Through vivid storytelling and insightful analysis of fascinating research--both his own and others'--Dr. Walton pulls back the curtain to reveal the magic at work:

- With our children: The few choice words from a parent or a teacher that builds trust and achievement.
- In our relationships: How the right opportunity to reflect, for just a few minutes before a conflict conversation, can engender greater intimacy among couples--even a year later.
- In school: How learning that everyone feels as out of place at first as you do at a new school--they really do--can unleash extraordinary potential, improving your life a decade later.
- In our policy: how a one-page letter reduced recidivism among kids returning to school from juvenile detention by 40 percentage points; a postcard campaign cut suicide rates in half.

It's easy to think problems are out of our control. But in fact, we have vast opportunities for change. Ordinary Magic puts the tools for change at your fingertips.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0593580893
• ISBN13: 9780593580899
• Release Date: March 2025
• Publisher: Harmony
• Length: 464 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.3" x 6.2" x 9.3"

Customer Reviews

Too political for me.

I feel like every few pages the author was sticking their political views into it, and I REALLY struggled to get to the points of the book. There was entirely too much text about the 2016 election, how Hillary should have won, and other inequalities. Sorry to say I didn't finish it.