Alina Tugend

New York Times columnist Alina Tugend describes how embracing mistakes can make us smarter, healthier, and happier. In Better By Mistake: The Unexpected Benefits of Being Wrong she examines the tension between the idea that we must make mistakes in order to learn and the reality that we often get punished for making mistakes, and thusly avoid them at all costs. She looks at cutting-edge behavioral studies―such as the high-stakes world of health care and aviation, where mistakes can cost lives―how to craft a sincere apology and how to accept responsibility for mistakes.

What to do with books you won’t re-read? Alina Tugend, regular contributor and writer of the Short Cuts column for The New York Times wrote an essay (Times Select) with some suggestions. She’s joined first by Tom Wayne, co-owner of Prospero's Bookstore in Kansas City, and ...