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Reviews
Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected by Tania Luna, Leeann Renninger
andyreadsfantasy's review
5.0
I listened to the audiobook.
5 stars!!! This book opened my eyes to the importance of the unexpected. It gave me a new perspective…and any book that can do that is high on my recommendation list.
5 stars!!! This book opened my eyes to the importance of the unexpected. It gave me a new perspective…and any book that can do that is high on my recommendation list.
dangrous's review
informative
fast-paced
3.0
This was fine. I got a couple good pieces of info out of it, but it was both a little surface level and also a bit broad, shoving things under the "surprise" label that shouldn't really have been there. It was also way more like a self-help book than about making surprises for others. Still interesting, though.
nelsta's review against another edition
4.0
Could surprise—a powerful emotional enhancement—be one of the major contributing factors to the rise of anxiety? I’ve long wondered what causes anxiety and why some are more susceptible to it than others. How did I avoid crippling anxiety while many of my family and friends have not? Surprise may hold the answer.
Surprise is unlike most books I have ever read. It combines scientific discovery, personal anecdotes, and professional conjecture to arrive at its central thesis: we are actively removing surprise from our lives and its removal is harming us.
We have made our lives more predictable with each subsequent innovation. A prime example used in the book is meteorology. Whereas humans used to just accept that the weather was more or less fickle, now we get upset if predictions are wrong. When rain falls on a day that was supposed to be sunny, we are surprised. Anxiety is the anticipation of the possibility of that surprise and the negative emotions that might accompany it.
Basically, the more predictable our lives become, the less resilient we are to surprises and the more anxious we become. I was sufficiently convinced by the authors’ argument that I have adopted this pattern of thinking into my life. Surprises—both good and bad ones—are essential. They condition us and make us more resilient. Emotional resiliency is, in my opinion, one of the most important things a human can have in today’s world.
Surprise is unlike most books I have ever read. It combines scientific discovery, personal anecdotes, and professional conjecture to arrive at its central thesis: we are actively removing surprise from our lives and its removal is harming us.
We have made our lives more predictable with each subsequent innovation. A prime example used in the book is meteorology. Whereas humans used to just accept that the weather was more or less fickle, now we get upset if predictions are wrong. When rain falls on a day that was supposed to be sunny, we are surprised. Anxiety is the anticipation of the possibility of that surprise and the negative emotions that might accompany it.
Basically, the more predictable our lives become, the less resilient we are to surprises and the more anxious we become. I was sufficiently convinced by the authors’ argument that I have adopted this pattern of thinking into my life. Surprises—both good and bad ones—are essential. They condition us and make us more resilient. Emotional resiliency is, in my opinion, one of the most important things a human can have in today’s world.
samsolariusleo's review
4.0
Luna and Renninger suggest many helpful ways to create surprise in your daily life and make life more fun and exciting. While some readers have rightfully pointed out that some of the advice were obvious and commonly-known, I felt that a lot of the advice given were new and innovative, and it inspired me to look out for opportunities to incorporate surprise in my life too!
Luna and Renninger's writing is clear and easy to read, and incorporates lots of mini surprises waiting for readers to discover. It was very refreshing to read academic writing that has been written in such a fun and exciting voice, and I love the little case studies that help contextualise the concepts so well.
What I found especially helpful was the little page of summary at the end of every chapter as I could revise what I had just read and try to apply it to a hypothetical situation. While I haven't started applying them in my life yet, I found myself looking for surprises whenever I'm out shopping and then filing them away in my 'Surprise File' for future use.
I look forward to using these principles to surprise my friends, family, and customers soon!
Luna and Renninger's writing is clear and easy to read, and incorporates lots of mini surprises waiting for readers to discover. It was very refreshing to read academic writing that has been written in such a fun and exciting voice, and I love the little case studies that help contextualise the concepts so well.
What I found especially helpful was the little page of summary at the end of every chapter as I could revise what I had just read and try to apply it to a hypothetical situation. While I haven't started applying them in my life yet, I found myself looking for surprises whenever I'm out shopping and then filing them away in my 'Surprise File' for future use.
I look forward to using these principles to surprise my friends, family, and customers soon!
henkda's review
5.0
Loved it.
A practical guide to why surprise matters in your life, and how to do about cultivating surprise--in others and yourself.
I checked this out from the local library, but plan to get my own copy so I can write all over it, and use it to help create more surprises.
A practical guide to why surprise matters in your life, and how to do about cultivating surprise--in others and yourself.
I checked this out from the local library, but plan to get my own copy so I can write all over it, and use it to help create more surprises.
wellington299's review
5.0
4.75 stars
Especially after hearing the authors work for a company that makes surprise, I harbored a lot of thoughts. The writing is on the whimsical side. What would you expect more from people who specialize in surprises?
At the end of each chapter, the authors offer a bite size summary which helps a lot. I took a liking to the ideas of "living in the fog", "Burying a cookie" and "Red Thread".
It is lacking in a lot of hard facts, like neurological scans(I hate those any way), with more stories. I couldn't imagine actually buying their services to surprise me (or someone else). However, their book has numerous ideas I will buy into.
Especially after hearing the authors work for a company that makes surprise, I harbored a lot of thoughts. The writing is on the whimsical side. What would you expect more from people who specialize in surprises?
At the end of each chapter, the authors offer a bite size summary which helps a lot. I took a liking to the ideas of "living in the fog", "Burying a cookie" and "Red Thread".
It is lacking in a lot of hard facts, like neurological scans(I hate those any way), with more stories. I couldn't imagine actually buying their services to surprise me (or someone else). However, their book has numerous ideas I will buy into.
cdubiel's review
5.0
This is a short book, but it took me a long time to read and absorb. Before I return it to the library, I plan to make some notes. There is a lot in this book about cultivating surprise in our everyday lives, but there is also a lot about creating the experience for customers - I feel like the library could use a shot of that.
maylingkuo's review
4.0
probably 3.5 stars, but since it's well-organized and i found the 'cheat sheets' at the end of each section very helpful, i'm bumping it up. i initially picked this up to refresh my mind for work, as i organize programs and work with speakers. interestingly, i had many personal takeaways and found myself nodding my head in many sections about relationships. in fact, right away, i built surprise into a couple of gestures, prompted by this book!
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