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  • How Not to Be Wrong

  • The Art of Changing Your Mind
  • By: James O'Brien
  • Narrated by: James O'Brien
  • Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (1,281 ratings)

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How Not to Be Wrong cover art

How Not to Be Wrong

By: James O'Brien
Narrated by: James O'Brien
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Summary

Brought to you by Penguin.

There's no point having a mind if you never change it.

In his best-selling How to Be Right, James provided an invigorating guide to how to talk to people with bad opinions. And yet the question he always gets asked is: 'if you're so sure about everything, haven't you ever changed your mind?'

In an age of us vs them, tribal loyalties and bitter divisions, the ability to change our minds may be the most important power we have. In this intimate, personal new book, James' focus shifts from talking to other people to how you talk to yourself about what you really think. Ranging across a dazzling array of big topics, cultural questions and political hot potatoes, James reveals where he has changed his mind, explains what convinced him and shows why all of us need to kick the tyres of our opinions, check our assumptions and make sure we really think what we think we do. 

Coloured with stories of changing minds from the incredible guests on his podcasts and callers to his radio show, and spanning big ideas like press regulation and Brexit through to playful subjects like football and dog-ownership, How Not to Be Wrong is packed with revelations, outrage, conversations and lots of humour. 

Because in a world that seems more divided than ever, if you can't change your own mind you'll never really be able to change anyone else's.

©2020 James O'Brien (P)2020 Penguin Audio

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A very honest and I think important book.

I enjoyed this book as well as the previous.
its quite a beautiful, and brave thing to dissect and address the way you think and the reasonings behind your beliefs, admit your mistakes and grow. seems like a rare talent these days.

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Transformative

A must-read for those who aspire to a happy, healthy life. Simple, honest, clear and powerful words that will, I hope, bring transformative insights to those who listen to it with an open mind. A book I am recommending to everyone I know!

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Honest and moving

I expected this book to be a continuation of How to be Right, but it was very different. Instead of 'look how ridiculous these opinions are', it was very much 'look at how ridiculous I was'. From realising he needed help, to the far reaching impact of acknowledging the effect of childhood trauma, James O'Brien shows rare humility. Want to be more open minded? OR more importantly, do you consider yourself to be quite open minded enough, thank you very much? This is the book for you.

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Raw and reflexive

If you’re someone who’s even remotely interested in being reflexive about the nagging conscience that one’s views may not be the be all and end all, then this is the book for you.

Even though I don’t necessarily agree with all his views, what this book gives is a potential roadmap to the reader about how they may go about being self-reflexive and accepting that they may (and will) sometimes be wrong

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Jobsworthy

An essential read for everyone - as you’ll hear yourself as part of the system that O’Brien cleverly unpicks and shares the lessons that need to be learnt.

In summary, we are a horrible bunch of people and should and can do better.

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A view changer

Really insightful would really recommend, nice to see into different people's lived experience and how it changes minds

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thank-you

This was everything I'd hoped for and more, after listening to Jews Don't Count it is another step to helping me understand how to become better. Great companion piece to How to be Right as well.

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Amazing!

Beautifully written and compelling from the start, I've just listened to this audiobook from start to finish in one sitting, and am still not sure where the time went! Thanks audible for the availability of this book, and thanks James O'Brien for taking the time to read it to me.

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I was so wrong about being wrong!

Great funny book by the amazingly talented LBC host MrJamesOb. Was a easy listen book with thoughtful insights and moments that make you think hard about your own life veiws /values.

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An eye and ear opening experience.

This is a very honest and entertaining admission by James that everyone should learn from.

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