Amanda Ripley on Changing Education and Building Resilience

In 'The Unthinkable', Amanda Ripley delves into the human responses to some of history’s most epic disasters, from the explosion of the Mont Blanc munitions ship in 1917 to the World Trade Center attacks on September 11, 2001. She consults leading brain scientists, trauma psychologists, and other disaster experts to understand the psychological and neurological aspects of survival. The book outlines the 'survival arc' of denial, deliberation, and decision, and provides practical advice on increasing one’s chances of survival in disaster scenarios. It also explores themes such as crowd psychology, the brain’s fear circuits, and the role of heroism and resilience in the face of disaster.

This book is the revised, expanded, and up-to-date revision of Doug Lemov’s study of the craft of teaching. It includes new and updated teaching techniques, the latest evidence from cognitive science and culturally responsive teaching practices, and an expanded companion video collection. The techniques help teachers build students’ background knowledge, move learning into long-term memory, and connect their teaching with the curriculum content for tangible improvement in learning outcomes. The book also includes extensive discussions of research connecting the techniques to cognitive and social sciences and updates on issues in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion.

In High Conflict, Amanda Ripley delves into the phenomenon of 'high conflict,' which is distinct from the useful friction of healthy conflict. High conflict involves good-versus-evil feuds that lead to an 'us versus them' mentality, altering brain behavior and increasing feelings of superiority while worsening the conflict. The book follows various individuals in different contexts, including a conflict expert in California, a Chicago gang leader, and communities in Colombia, to illustrate how people get trapped in and eventually escape high conflict. Ripley highlights common forces such as conflict entrepreneurs, humiliation, and false binaries that drive high conflict and provides insights on how to transform these conflicts into productive ones by rehumanizing opponents and reviving curiosity and wonder.

In this book, Amanda Ripley follows three American teenagers who spend a year as foreign exchange students in Finland, South Korea, and Poland. Through their experiences and Ripley's research, the book reveals how these countries have transformed their education systems through rigorous teaching, focused parenting, and a strong commitment to education. The book contrasts these systems with the American education system, highlighting areas for improvement and offering insights into how other countries have achieved high educational standards.