Subtract book launch discussion with Leidy Klotz
Subtract: Book Talk with Author Leidy Klotz
The Philly chapter of Action is hosting an event this Friday April 16th at 11am-12pm EST. They are holding a Q&A conversation with Leidy Klotz on his new book, Subtract. Interested in the event? RSVP here
About the Book
Blending evidence across science and design, Subtract: The Untapped Science of Less offers a revolution in problem-solving: proving why we overlook subtraction, and how we can access its true potential
We pile on “to-dos” but don’t consider “stop-doings.” We create incentives for good behavior but don’t get rid of obstacles to it. We collect new-and-improved ideas but don’t prune the outdated ones. Every day, across challenges big and small, we neglect a basic way to make things better: we don’t subtract.
Leidy Klotz’s pioneering research shows why. Whether we’re building LEGO models or cities, grilled-cheese sandwiches, or strategic plans, our minds tend to add before taking away. Even when we do think of it, subtraction can be harder to pull off because an array of biological, cultural, and economic forces push us towards more. But we have a choice―our blind spot need not go on taking its toll on our cities, our institutions, and our minds. By diagnosing our neglect of subtraction, we can treat it.
Subtract will change how you change your world. In these pages you’ll meet subtracting exemplars: design geniuses, Nobel Prize-winners, rock-stars, and everyday heroes, who have subtracted to dismantle racism, advance knowledge, heal the planet and even tell better jokes. These and more guiding lights show how we can revolutionize not just our day-to-day lives, but our collective legacy. A paradigm shift of a book, Subtract shows us how to find more of the options we’ve been missing―and empowers us to pursue them.
About the Author
Leidy Klotz is the Copenhaver Associate Professor at the University of Virginia, where he is appointed in the Schools of Engineering, Architecture, and Business. He co-founded and co-directs the university's Convergent Behavioral Science Initiative, which engages and supports applied, interdisciplinary research.
Klotz earned a highly selective CAREER award from the National Science Foundation, one of the NSF's first awards through its INSPIRE program, and over $7 million in competitive research funding. He advises influential decision-makers that straddle academia and practice, working with the Departments of Energy and Homeland Security, the National Institutes of Health, Resources for the Future, ideas42, and Nature Sustainability. A columnist for the Behavioral Scientist, Klotz has written for venues such as Science, Nature, Fast Company, and The Daily Climate.
