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Ozan Varol
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Think Like a Rocket Scientist: Simple Strategies You Can Use to Make Giant Leaps in Work and Life Hardcover – April 14, 2020

by Ozan Varol (Author)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,933 ratings
Editors' pick Best Nonfiction
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* One of Inc.com's "6 Books You Need to Read in 2020 (According to Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, and Adam Grant)"

* Adam Grant's # 1 pick of his top 20 books of 2020

* One of 6 Groundbreaking Books of Spring 2020 (according to Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Dan Pink, and Adam Grant).



A former rocket scientist reveals the habits, ideas, and strategies that will empower you to turn the seemingly impossible into the possible.



Rocket science is often celebrated as the ultimate triumph of technology. But it's not. Rather, it's the apex of a certain thought process -- a way to imagine the unimaginable and solve the unsolvable. It's the same thought process that enabled Neil Armstrong to take his giant leap for mankind, that allows spacecraft to travel millions of miles through outer space and land on a precise spot, and that brings us closer to colonizing other planets.




Fortunately, you don't have to be a rocket scientist to think like one.




In this accessible and practical book, Ozan Varol reveals nine simple strategies from rocket science that you can use to make your own giant leaps in work and life -- whether it's landing your dream job, accelerating your business, learning a new skill, or creating the next breakthrough product. Today, thinking like a rocket scientist is a necessity. We all encounter complex and unfamiliar problems in our lives. Those who can tackle these problems -- without clear guidelines and with the clock ticking -- enjoy an extraordinary advantage.




Think Like a Rocket Scientist will inspire you to take your own moonshot and enable you to achieve liftoff.
Previous page
  1. Print length
    368 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    PublicAffairs
  4. Publication date
    April 14, 2020
  5. Dimensions
    6.5 x 1.55 x 9.6 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1541762592
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1541762596
  8. See all details
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From the Publisher

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN

  • The single principle Elon Musk used to revolutionize the aerospace industry (and how you can use the same principle to transform your life)
  • An unstoppable astronaut training strategy that you can use to nail your next presentation or product launch
  • How invisible rules constrain your thinking (and what to do about it)
  • The one word you can use to boost your creativity
  • What George Costanza and rocket scientists have in common, and what you can learn from both in starting your next project
  • What you should do first in tackling an audacious goal (and what you should NEVER do when tackling an audacious goal)
  • What Einstein’s biggest blunder can teach you about how to launch your next project
  • The fascinating story of the billion-dollar author and her eight-year-old secret weapon
  • Why doing “nothing” is more valuable than you think
  • and much more

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Smart and witty, Varol's masterful analysis explains complicated scientific principles and connects them to ordinary life for a mainstream audience."―Publishers Weekly

"Varol's polymathic background--rocket scientist, law professor, public speaker--makes him an engaging guide for this book, which cannily blends memoir, pop science, and self-help manual...A charming and insightful airplane read on innovation."―Kirkus Reviews

"The scientific method of observing, developing a hypothesis, testing it and revising as needed has survived centuries for a reason: It works. And, as bona fide rocket scientist Ozan Varol shows, that approach--plus boundless curiosity--is handy whether you're designing a Mars lander or figuring out what to have for dinner."―Discover Magazine

"But reading this encouraging book is one small way to help counter a downward trend and enrich America's psyche. Today, America longs for people with this very can-do attitude. Varol's optimistic look at the past can become America's present and future."―The Epoch Times

"Thinking like a rocket scientist is not rocket science! Packed with witty writing, insightful advice, and invigorating stories, this must-read book will change the way you see the world--and empower you to change the world itself."―Susan Cain, New York Times-bestselling author of Quiet

"When the stakes are high, the unknowns are threatening, and the problems seem insurmountable, you need a superhero -- which means you need Ozan Varol. He'll show you how to master the cognitive skills of a rocket scientist. And by the time you finish reading his endlessly fascinating book, your thinking will be bigger, better, and bolder."―Daniel H. Pink, New York Times-bestselling author of When, Drive, and A Whole New Mind

"This is not just an engrossing read--it's bursting with practical insights. Ozan Varol's dazzling debut might change how you approach problems. Houston, this book has solutions."―Adam Grant, New York Times-bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, and host of the TED podcast WorkLife

"You're smarter than you think. Ozan Varol makes a compelling case for each of us to level up and to contribute at a level we've talked ourselves out of."―Seth Godin, New York Times-bestselling author of This Is Marketing

"I love Ozan Varol. He's a brilliant mind, a warm and kind heart, and the exact type of spirit we need putting resilient vibes into the world right now."―Neil Pasricha, New York Times-bestselling author of Book of Awesome

"Ozan Varol is like Nassim Taleb meets Daniel Kahneman."―Clara Shih, Board Member of Starbucks; CEO of Hearsay Social

"Ozan Varol is one of my favorite thinkers on thinking. If you liked Smartcuts or are a fan of Farnam Street, you'll LOVE Think Like A Rocket Scientist. The fun stories and clarity of writing makes this manual on thinking bigger and better a pleasure to read--and I dare say it'll change your mind."―Shane Snow, Bestselling author of Smartcuts and Dream Teams

"If you looked up the word 'polymath' in the dictionary, you may see a picture of Ozan Varol."―Nir Eyal, Bestselling author of Hooked and Indistractable

"In this new book, Ozan Varol provides a toolkit for making better decisions (and 'giant leaps'!) even in the midst of a turbulent environment. After reading it, you might be inspired to take your own moonshot."―Chris Guillebeau, New York Times-bestselling author of The $100 Startup

"The rocket scientists I know are technical, of course. But they are also among the biggest dreamers the world has ever seen. Ozan Varol has written a fascinating, practical, and mind-expanding book about how we can all benefit from thinking like a rocket scientist. This book will make you look at the world with a different lens and will help you make your own seemingly crazy moonshot a reality."
―Julian Guthrie, New York Times-bestselling author of How to Make a Spaceship, The Billionaire and the Mechanic, and Alpha Girls

"A wonderful book--a sort of vade mecum of critical thinking."―Barbara Oakley, co-creator of Learning How to Learn, the world's most popular online course

"Perfectly captures the spirit of being 'responsibly irresponsible,' an essential trait for moonshot takers the world over."―Obi Felten, X, the moonshot factory (formerly known as Google X)

About the Author

Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist turned award-winning professor and bestselling author. A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Ozan moved to the United States by himself at 17 to attend Cornell University and major in astrophysics. While there, he served on the operations team for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers project that sent two rovers to Mars.



Ozan then pivoted and became a law professor to influence others to make giant leaps on Earth. His work has been featured in various domestic and foreign media, including the Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, BBC, TIME, CNN, and the Washington Post. You can follow him at ozanvarol.com.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ PublicAffairs (April 14, 2020)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 368 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1541762592
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1541762596
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.5 x 1.55 x 9.6 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 1,933 ratings

About the author

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Ozan Varol

Ozan Varol

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Ozan Varol is a rocket scientist, award-winning law professor, and author of non-fiction books. A native of Istanbul, Turkey, Ozan grew up in a family of no English speakers. He moved to the United States by himself at 17 to attend Cornell University and major in planetary sciences. While there, he served on the operations team for the 2003 Mars Exploration Rovers project that sent two rovers to Mars. He later became a law professor to influence others to make interplanetary leaps on this planet. He has written numerous award-winning articles that are taught in colleges and graduate schools. His work has been featured in domestic and foreign media, including BBC, TIME, CNN, Washington Post, Slate, and Foreign Policy. He writes about contrarian thinking at http://ozanvarol.com.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
1,933 global ratings
Simple strategies to think bigger
5 Stars
Simple strategies to think bigger
Very well written and I’m savoring and re reading parts so I don’t forget. The photos are just 2 of the areas I’ve underlined! I’m truly inspired to think bigger. What could I do? Instead of “should”. I’m inspired to return to being curious and daydream. I’m inspired to approach problems differently.
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Top reviews from the United States

WisdomQuest
5.0 out of 5 stars Someday, Rocket Scientists May Save the World
Reviewed in the United States on July 13, 2020
Verified Purchase
Books on improving your thinking, life, leadership, etc., are a dime a dozen. They have all started to sound the same, so I hesitated to pick this one up. I also hoped the rocket scientist angle was solid and in-depth and not a shallow gimmick.

I was presently surprised, Varol delivers. He has produced a solid, insightful and practical book on thinking. He details nine lessons from the world of space exploration that can, and should be, applied to your business and everyday life. The often hard-learned events in spaceflight are clear and obvious in the application.

He probably should move the comments about Darwin to chapter on failure. Those holding up evolution aren't taking its collapse very gracefully (see Darwin's House of Cards by Bethell, Darwin's Doubt by Meyer, Darwin Devolves by Behe, etc.). And if Varol believes Sagan's naturalistic philosophy (p. 14) that we are no more than a "pixel" among the universe, science says otherwise (Improbable Planet, and Why The Universe is The Way it Is by Hugh Ross). All the more reason to change the world, because if we are just a "pale blue dot," why bother?

Those things certainly do not distract from what is an immersive and important book in a genre polluted by forgettable musings. Someday, rocket scientists may save the world.
4 people found this helpful
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Great read
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2023
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Great read, full of captivating stories and behind the scenes of rocket science, connected to concepts we can use in everyday life and business.
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Kelly Schuknecht
4.0 out of 5 stars “The journey cannot end once the mission is accomplished. That’s when the real work begins.”
Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2021
Verified Purchase
First of all, this is NOT a leisurely read. I read 10 pages of a non-fiction book every day. Sometimes I’ll read more if I can finish up a section or a chapter by reading a few more pages. I found myself doing the exact opposite with this book. I would look to see where a section ended, and sometimes I would only read 8 or 9 pages if the next section would take me over 10 pages for the day.

The book is amazing, but it is packed with SO MUCH INFORMATION! In one ten-page block, the author covers a story about Einstein related to Pestalozzi’s principles and thought experiments. He then goes deeper into thought experiments and segues into a story about Nikola Tesla, then Leonardo da Vinci, then Galileo. Next he discusses Austrian physicist Erwin Schrödinger who performed an experiment that killed his cat which then leads to a lesson around idioms (related to curiosity), i.e. “curiosity killed the cat.” He then tells the story of how instant photography was invented, which is related to the curiosity of a child, which then leads to a story about a Kindergarten class. Then he brings up Einstein again and weaves that with a story about Isaac Newton. ALL OF THIS IN TEN PAGES!!!

At the end of the book Varol offers some resources for readers to take a deeper dive into what they learned in the book. I will definitely be doing this, because I think, for me, it will need to take some time and study the principles from this book in order to put them into action.

As Varol says in the book:

“The journey cannot end once the mission is accomplished. That’s when the real work begins.”

I thought this book was fantastic…I just felt a little overwhelmed by the end of it!
11 people found this helpful
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Gabe
5.0 out of 5 stars good read
Reviewed in the United States on April 23, 2024
Verified Purchase
Thought provoking and basic knowledge one can use daily. Gives good modern examples that one can correlate with and use to their advantage
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Miles H.F. Wen
5.0 out of 5 stars reminded me of my PhD training
Reviewed in the United States on May 26, 2023
Verified Purchase
Very well written book with good reference stories. The whole concepts delivered in the book were already part of my PhD training back in the days. But this book serves as a good reminder that we need to always seek changes and always treat today as Day 1.
2 people found this helpful
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Aporia101
5.0 out of 5 stars Masterpiece of Storytelling and Actionable Insights
Reviewed in the United States on April 14, 2020
Verified Purchase
Think Like a Rocket Scientist is a masterpiece of storytelling and actionable insights. It is refreshingly compelling and captivating (turns out thinking like a rocket scientist is useful for non-rocket scientists). Varol ties together diverse topics (actual rocket science, business, law, psychology) to illustrate nine thinking concepts and brings them to life through striking imagery, wit, humor, and stories of his time at NASA. He pulls in quotations from optimal sources to convey his points with authority. Varol builds suspense through each chapter and then silences it in ways that empower you with practical solutions. He sprinkles in the perfect amount of self-deprecation, sarcasm, and life experience. And his command of both the subject matter and the English language provides for an overwhelmingly satisfying read (e.g., perfectly placed repetition of introductory phrases to drive a point home, choice analogies, and masterful wordplay). He shows you how a concept works in practice by walking you through carefully crafted illustrations. He even organized the book to mirror the stages of a rocket. Insight after Insight. Story after story. It's brilliant. EVERYONE SHOULD READ THIS BOOK!
49 people found this helpful
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Jacqueline W.
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice cover. Good bones. Good strategies.
Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2021
Verified Purchase
I love Ozan Varol and have subscribed to his newsletter for a couple of years now. I like the book overall and appreciate the strategies he offers. He has helped me re-tool my thinking, in ways that can also apply to daily life- not just in the workplace. My one complaint, is that I find the book to be overly anecdotal at times. The examples and stories of events in the past are fascinating, however I often find myself wanting Varol to cut to the chase and tell me what he has to say.
One person found this helpful
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Jon Vick
5.0 out of 5 stars If you're in my industry, please don't read this book.
Reviewed in the United States on October 28, 2020
Verified Purchase
I bought this book as a gift for a friend who had mentioned it. When I received the copy to send to her, I read the first few pages before putting it in the box, and then promptly ordered myself another copy.

The book was an absolutely fantastic read. It puts together concrete ways of thinking about the problems you likely try to solve at your job every day (and if you don't, it's because you didn't even know you needed to be solving them).

As soon as I finished the book, I promptly ordered copies for all of my direct reports and suggested it to all of the members of a team I'm on. Highly recommended if you're trying to solve some tough problems or if you want to stand out at your company as someone who can take a better approach to problem solving.
3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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Gabino Rosillo
5.0 out of 5 stars great book!
Reviewed in Mexico on July 19, 2022
Verified Purchase
It is interesting the stories that happened inside NASA. Challenger and Columbia disasters are explained in detailed which i consider a great experience. This things happens not only in NASA but other companies and personal life.
It’s great how ozan approach and linked all this topics.
I really enjoy the book form the very beginning to the end.
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Anna Preußner
5.0 out of 5 stars Absolut lesenswert!
Reviewed in Germany on April 1, 2024
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Tolles Buch! Absolut lesenswert, interessant und schön geschrieben.
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome
Reviewed in India on November 3, 2023
Verified Purchase
The Moonshot Thinking implated in me.The idea to fail intelligently rather than mediocre success..touched.A great book to read and learn
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Stephanie B.
5.0 out of 5 stars I never thought I could learn to think like a rocket scientist...
Reviewed in Canada on April 19, 2021
Verified Purchase
... but Ozan Varol's book makes it possible! This book is absolutely REVOLUTIONARY, and I loved every minute I spent reading it. My team does a quarterly book review, and this book was the latest one that we decided to read. I received the book on a Sunday and, in the first sitting, I'd read 100 pages, making notes as I went, and highlighting key passages I wanted to come back to (hint, almost every page has highlighted passages!). I finished the book in 2 days - it was *that* good. There are so many great points to ponder, and this book is most assuredly going to help me, both personally and professionally, to reframe the way that I look at situations and experiences. If I could give this book 10 stars, I would - without hesitation. Amazing.
3 people found this helpful
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Alexandre Barbosa
5.0 out of 5 stars Recomendo muito!
Reviewed in Brazil on March 19, 2021
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Excelente livro! Aborta conceitos muito interessantes, baseados na experiência rica do autor
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