ReThinking

Harlan Coben has written 35 bestsellers in the past three decades, selling over 90 million novels and spawning some of the most popular miniseries on Netflix– including I Will Find You. He recently published his first nonfiction book, Plot Twist: a writing guide packaged inside a memoir. In this episode, Adam and Harlan take a closer look at the routines and habits that help Harlan stay so prolific with his writing, and Harlan emphasises the importance of being comfortable with boredom and treating writing like a job. Harlan also reflects on what he learned while collaborating with Reese Witherspoon on their novel Gone Before Goodbye, and the difference between equality and equity in relationships. Adam shares insights on the biggest mistakes people make while pursuing happiness, and why successful people aren’t free of doubts.

Featured guest
Follow Harlan Coben on Instagram, Facebook, Bluesky, and through his website
Buy Plot Twist

Connect with the team
Follow Adam on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at adamgrant.net/
Subscribe to Adam’s Substack Granted
Watch ReThinking videos on YouTube at TEDPods
Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You probably know Ke Huy Quan as the Academy Award-winning actor who played Waymond Wang in the 2022 film Everything Everywhere All at Once, and Short Round in Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom when he was just 12 years old. But for a long stretch of his career, Ke wasn’t acting at all. In this episode, Adam sits down with Ke to reflect on the winding story arc of his life, from his early childhood as a Vietnamese refugee to being thrust into Hollywood, only to be forced into a new career path before finding his way back to acting in his 50s. Ke shares the lessons he learned about persistence and resilience as he rethought his identity as an actor and built a career behind the camera. Adam also explains why refusing to ask for help is a disservice to those around you, and Ke explains how he maintains kindness and humility in a cutthroat industry.

Featured guest
Follow Ke Huy Quan on Instagram
Buy Ke's book, Never Say Die

Connect with the team
Follow Adam on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at adamgrant.net/
Subscribe to Adam’s Substack Granted
Watch ReThinking videos on YouTube at TEDPods
Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you or a loved one has suffered from severe illness, you know that recovery isn’t always as joyful as it sounds. In this episode, Adam’s wife Allison Sweet Grant is back to talk about her new memoir “Lump,” a collection of poetry and prose about her experience with breast cancer. Allison and Adam reflect on their experience as a family dealing with a difficult diagnosis in the middle of the COVID pandemic, and Allison shares her complicated relationship with being called a “survivor.” They discuss how many patients downplay their pain to appease their providers, explain why many patients feel more relief than joy during recovery, and address how we can provide better support to our loved ones. They also talk about Allison’s synesthesia, revisit their beloved driving debate (is the lead or following car responsible for staying together on a multi-car trip?) and open several new ones (is Seinfeld better than Friends, and is true crime scarier than fiction?).

Featured guest
Follow Allison Sweet Grant on Instagram, LinkedIn, and https://www.allisonsweetgrant.com/
Buy Allison's books!

Connect with the team
Follow Adam on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at adamgrant.net/
Subscribe to Adam’s Substack Granted
Watch ReThinking videos on YouTube at TEDPods
Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The way leaders communicate can have a big impact on how we see ourselves. Vanessa Beasley is an expert on presidential rhetoric—and the president of Trinity University in San Antonio. In this episode, Adam and Vanessa take a closer look at how rhetoric used by past US presidents has shaped the identity of the American people, and explore some common rhetorical mistakes that leaders make when trying to persuade their audience. They also discuss why so many students are booing commencement speeches on AI, whether listening skills are declining, and how we can improve critical thinking on college campuses.

Featured guest
Follow Vanessa Beasley on LinkedIn and at trinity.edu/president/beasley-bio

Connect with the team
Follow Adam on Instagram, LinkedIn, and at adamgrant.net/
Subscribe to Adam’s Substack Granted
Watch ReThinking videos on YouTube at TEDPods
Follow TED on X, Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok
ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dolly Parton's hit songs — like "9 to 5," "Jolene" and "I Will Always Love You" — have captured generation after generation. In this episode, recorded around the release of "Run, Rose, Run" (her novel co-written with James Patterson and paired with a full-length companion album), host Adam Grant talks with Dolly about her creative process, how she balances getting things right with getting things done and how she manages the hefty cup of ambition she pours herself each morning.

(This episode originally aired in 2022.)
ReThinking is produced by Cosmic Standard. Our Senior Producer is Jessica Glazer, our Engineer is Aja Simpson, our Technical Director is Jacob Winik, and our Executive Producer is Eliza Smith.

For the full text transcript, visit ted.com/podcasts/rethinking-with-adam-grant-transcripts
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.