In an age of phony certainty and performative confidence, Simone Stolzoff offers something radical: permission not to have all the answers. This spectacular, deeply researched book shows that the most successful people and institutions are those who invite doubt and dissent.--Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Power of Regret and Drive

How to Not Know is a deeply insightful and refreshingly honest exploration of uncertainty--how it shapes our choices, relationships, and sense of self. Drawing from psychology, history, Zen philosophy, and lived experience, this compelling book is an invitation to find clarity not in certainty, but in curiosity.--Charles Duhigg, best-selling author of Supercommunicators and The Power of Habit

A must-read for our time--wise, compassionate, and deeply human. It will help you find steadiness amid life's unpredictability and discover the freedom that comes from not having all the answers.--Lori Gottlieb, New York Times best-selling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

It's rare for a book to be so insightful and narratively compelling. How to Not Know will change the way you approach uncertainty, helping you navigate the unknown with confidence and grace.--Annie Duke, best-selling author of Thinking In Bets

Simone Stolzoff makes a convincing case that learning to tolerate uncertainty has become an immensely valuable skill in our current moment of technological and political upheaval.--Cal Newport, New York Times best-selling author of Slow Productivity and Deep Work

Clear, grounded, and profound, this book will change how you meet uncertainty.--Anne-Laure Le Cunff, neuroscientist and author of Tiny Experiments

At a moment when reading the news sometimes feels like playing Russian roulette, this makes for a fascinating, surprisingly uplifting look at the biases that make us want to predict the future and the unexpected benefits of surrendering control.-- "Publishers Weekly"

Publisher: W. W. Norton & Company

Pub date: 2026-05-12

Length: 224 pages