Maya Shankar – The Other Side of Change: Who We Become When Life Makes Other Plans
Summary: Maya Shankar, a cognitive scientist and former White House advisor, explores how we navigate identity disruption when life forces us down unexpected paths — whether through injury, loss, career derailment, or other major upheavals. Drawing on cutting-edge research in behavioral science and deeply personal stories (including her own experience as a promising violinist whose career ended due to injury), she reveals that our sense of self is far more fluid and resilient than we imagine. The book offers practical, science-backed strategies for reframing identity loss not as failure but as an opportunity for reinvention, showing how we can lean into uncertainty and discover new versions of ourselves we never knew were possible. Shankar demonstrates that the skills we develop in one domain — the „cognitive toolkit“ we build — can be transferred and transformed when we’re forced to change direction, making change less about losing who we were and more about becoming who we’re meant to be.
Why we like it: Shankar uniquely combines rigorous science with raw vulnerability, avoiding both toxic positivity and defeatism to offer a genuinely empowering roadmap through life’s most disorienting transitions. Unlike most self-help books that focus on goal-setting and control, this one teaches us how to thrive precisely when our carefully laid plans fall apart — making it essential reading for anyone facing unexpected change or wondering who they might become on the other side of disruption.