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

Walton, Gregory M.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1035429756 ISBN 13: 9781035429752

Publisher: Headline Press, 2025

Synopsis

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

About this title

About the Author

Greg Walton, PhD, is the co-director of the Dweck-Walton Lab and a professor of psychology at Stanford University. Dr. Walton's research is supported by many foundations, including Character Lab, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. He has been covered in major media outlets including The New York Times, Harvard Business Review, The Wall Street Journal, NPR, The Chronicle of Higher Education, The Washington Post, San Francisco Chronicle, and Los Angeles Times.

From the Back Cover

'Greg Walton is one of the great psychologists of our time and Ordinary Magic is a life-changing book' Carol Dweck, author of the international bestseller, Mindset

'An eye-opening look at how we have more power to improve our lives than we realize' Adam Grant, bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential

'A kind of manual for becoming a psychologically wiser human being by one of the most respected and sincere scholars I know' Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit

'The most important popular psychology book of the year, from one of the most important psychologists in a generation, Ordinary Magic shows how to make your mind work for you' Kelly McGonigal, author of The Upside of Stress

'Do life's biggest problems feel insurmountable? Greg Walton has the answer in his remarkable book Ordinary Magic. Using cutting edge behavioural science, he shows how to break big problems into bite-sized goals we can all accomplish' Arthur C. Brooks, bestselling author of From Strength to Strength

'Required reading for anyone interested in making positive change in the world' Laurie Santos, Professor of Psychology at Yale University

From the Inside Flap

Discover the simple psychological shifts that intercept cycles of doubt, build trust and foster a sense of belonging.

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, Dr. Walton pulls back the curtain to reveal the magic at work across our lives: with our children, in our relationships, in school and in our policy.

It is easy to think that problems are out of our control. But, in fact, we have vast opportunities to steer our own lives. Ordinary Magic puts the tools for change in your hands.

Edition details

• Publisher: Headline Press
• Publication date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1035429756
• ISBN 13: 9781035429752
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 464