Curious: The Desire to Know and Why Your Future Depends on It

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If you feel curious about something, chase it no matter how random. Epistemic curiosity is more and more important in modern technological society, and curiosity is built upon itself, so whatever short-term loss you may encounter as a result of pursuing a random curiosity will typically more than be offset by the gains created by a stronger curiosity drive. (A significant portion of the book is devoted not to curiosity, but on the seemingly random nature of innovation, in which legends like Charles Darwin and Steve Jobs were able to change the world because they had insights made possible due only to pursuits of superficially unrelated topics. The classic Steve Jobs calligraphy course is cited here. Yes, I love innovation and creativity, but this does nothing to scientifically examine curiosity or provide practical advice on how to cultivate it.) I was motivated to read _Curious_ because my girlfriend and I were interested in understanding the difference in our relative levels of curiosity. We observed that I demonstrate particularly more curiosity than she does. For example, I regularly struggle to not compulsively, and rudely, take out my phone during dinner to search for an answer to some unknown question that arises during dinner conversation. I am also often distracted by the exploration of some random topic, be it virtual reality, or artificial intelligence, or crustacean aquaculture. We wanted to know if there were methods to help her discover topics of interest, particularly in the context of searching for an interesting career path. You can see some of that in T-Rex’s book choices. She’s got quite the collection. And this is the thing about books. It’s like leaping across lily pads. You might find one you like and from there you discover another and then maybe something in that leads you to one that’s a bit different. A journey of discovery without even setting foot outside your house. There’s just so much to learn and it’s all made so accessible by the clear, punchy writing and stunning artwork that we’re very much spoiled by when it comes to children’s books. Though I should add - not yet accessible enough in a world where not every child owns a book or has access to a library. Imagine if they did - imagine the great equalisers that books could one day be. Transporting us to other places

Okay, I might win the medal for bad parenting, but in theory, I think I am aware of how to do it better, and this book is a concise summary of a common sense approach to stimulation of curiosity. My message was clear: I worked at a real place, I only wanted five minutes on the schedule, I did not want a job. And I was polite.

CURIOSITY FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB

I went to see F. Lee Bailey. Bailey was the most famous criminal trial attorney in the country at that point, having been the lawyer for Sam Sheppard and Patty Hearst. It was an epiphany. That’s how my brain worked—lots of ideas, just not organized like the periodic table.

I also realized that curiosity had saved my ass that Thursday afternoon. I’ve been curious as long as I can remember. As a boy, I peppered my mother and my grandmother with questions, some of which they could answer, some of which they couldn’t. The point was to follow my curiosity, and I ranged as widely as I could. I sat down with two CIA directors. With both Carl Sagan and Isaac Asimov. I met with the man who invented the most powerful weapon in history and the richest man in the world. I met with people I was scared of; I met people that I really didn’t want to meet. We're living through uncertain and extraordinary times. For Never Show a T-Rex a BookauthorRashmi Sirdeshpande, returning to children's books and sharing stories is a source of comfort and curiosity - and a way to explore the world without leaving your chair...

CURIOSITY DISCUSSION STARTERS

Digital technologies are severing the link between effort and mental exploration. The web erodes our penchant for epistemic curiosity focused on understanding. “Google can answer anything you want, but it can’t tell you what you ought to be asking."