"Maggie Jackson’s incisive and timely book is a provocative exploration of the surprising benefits of not knowing. Richly researched and briskly written, it dismantles the stigma around uncertainty — and shows how this state of mind can jolt us from intellectual complacency and foster creativity, resilience, and mutual understanding. Uncertain is a triumphant ode to the wisdom of being unsure.” – Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of The Power of Regret, Drive, and When

"Once I started reading I could not stop. Jackson is a great thinker and storyteller and this is her best work yet. Beautiful, inspirational, compelling, and urgently needed, Uncertain is that rare book that will change the way you think." – Sherry Turkle, MIT Professor of the Social Studies of Science and Technology and New York Times-bestselling author of Reclaiming Conversation and The Empathy Diaries

"It’s all too easy to seek the comforting simplicity of the certain. With cutting-edge science and insights both surprising and practical, Uncertain shows how cultivating an open and unsettled mindset can help us to spark curiosity, compassion, and creativity." – Gretchen Rubin, New York Times-bestselling author of The Happiness Project and Life in Five Senses

"Possibly nothing is more critical to the survival of humanity at this moment than an understanding of what it means to be uncertain. Maggie Jackson brings her usual wit, clarity, and precision to a central topic in human cognition. This wonderful book is enjoyable as well as important." – Michael I. Posner, National Medal of Science-winning psychologist and author of Educating the Human Brain and Images of Mind

"Powerful." – Bill McKibben, author of The End of Nature

“Anyone in a leadership position will recognize how this brilliant book captures those moments when you really don’t know or you don’t trust the conventional wisdom. This outstanding book is for anyone who wants to understand the mindset of uncertainty, a challenge that is more important than ever in a world of accelerating change.” —Douglas L. Peterson, president and chief executive officer of S&P Global

"We humans are quite fond the idea of certainty, of knowing what comes next. Jackson’s insightful book Uncertain is essential reading, highlighting that, rather than causing anguish or fear, embracing uncertainty can help us navigate our way through an increasingly complex and ever-changing world." – Zan Boag, editor-in-chief of New Philosopher magazine

“After reading this groundbreaking book, things that felt threatening can feel like doable challenges, even exciting possibilities. Uncertain is truly a book for our times.” — Ellen Galinsky, president of the Families and Work Institute and author of the best-selling Mind in the
Making

Maggie Jackson is an award-winning author and journalist known for her pioneering writings on social trends, particularly technology’s impact on humanity. Winner of the 2020 Dorothy Lee Book Award for excellence in technology criticism, Distracted was compared by FastCompany.com to Silent Spring for its prescient critique of technology’s excesses, named a Best Summer Book by the Seattle Post-Intelligencer, and was a prime inspiration for Google’s 2018 global initiative to promote digital well-being. Maggie Jackson’s expertise has been featured in The New York Times, Business Week, Vanity Fair, Wired.com, O Magazine, and The Times of London; on MSNBC, NPR’s All Things Considered, Oprah Radio, The Takeaway, and on the Diane Rehm Show and the Brian Lehrer Show; and in multiple TV segments and film documentaries worldwide. Her speaking career includes appearances at Google, Harvard Business School, and the Chautauqua Institute. Jackson lives with her family in New York and Rhode Island.