Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World
Original price was: $32.00.$23.11Current price is: $23.11.
A transformative guide to rethinking our approach to goals, creativity, and life itself from a neuroscientist and entrepreneur, and the creator of the popular Ness Labs newsletter
“I loved this profound, practical, and generous book.”—Oliver Burkeman
“A thought-provoking guide to doing more trials and making fewer errors.”—Adam Grant
“One of the best productivity books that I’ve read.”—Ryder Carroll
“This book will change the way you design your goals and live your life.”—Nir Eyal
Life isn’t linear, and yet we constantly try to mold it around linear goals: four-year college degrees, ten-year career plans, thirty-year mortgages. What if instead we approached life as a giant playground for experimentation? Based on ancestral philosophy and the latest scientific research, Tiny Experiments provides a desperately needed reframing: Uncertainty can be a state of expanded possibility and a space for metamorphosis.
Neuroscientist and entrepreneur Anne-Laure Le Cunff reveals that all you need is an experimental mindset to turn challenges into self-discovery and doubt into opportunity. Readers will replace the old linear model of success with a circular model of growth in which goals are discovered, pursued, and adapted—not in a vacuum, but in conversation with the larger world.
Throughout the book, you will ask hard questions and design simple yet meaningful experiments to find the answers. You will learn how to break free from the invisible cognitive scripts that shape your life, how to harness the power of imperfection, and how to make smarter decisions when the path forward is unclear.
This is a guide to:
• Discover your true ambitions through conducting tiny personal experiments
• Dismantle harmful beliefs about success that have kept you stuck
• Dare to make decisions true to your own aspirations
• Stop trying to find your purpose and start living instead
Tiny Experiments offers not just practical tools to make sure our most vital work gets done, but a guide to reawakening our curiosity and drive in a noisy, busy, disaffected world, so that we can discover and pursue our most authentic ambitions while making a meaningful contribution.
From the Publisher
Publisher : Avery (March 4, 2025)
Language : English
Hardcover : 304 pages
ISBN-10 : 0593715136
ISBN-13 : 978-0593715130
Item Weight : 1.15 pounds
Dimensions : 6.3 x 1.05 x 9.3 inches
9 reviews for Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World
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Original price was: $32.00.$23.11Current price is: $23.11.
Walker Gilmore –
Timely and timeless. LOVE
Anne Laure Le Cunff’s Tiny Experiments is a refreshing and insightful exploration of personal growth, learning, and creativity. What sets this book apart is how seamlessly Le Cunff bridges the gap between research and real life. She has a gift for making complex research accessible without oversimplifying it, distilling insights from cognitive science, psychology, and behavioral research into practical, actionable steps.What’s most compelling though is how she personalizes the research. She doesn’t just summarize studies; she translates them into experiments that feel relevant and usable. Le Cunff invites readers to try out these insights in their own lives, turning theory into practice in a way that feels both empowering and approachable.Beyond that, Tiny Experiments isn’t just a thoughtful synthesis of existing knowledge—it’s distinctly hers. Le Cunff’s voice is warm and engaging, and her reflections on her own experiments give the book a sense of authenticity and originality. She manages to strike a balance between being a guide and a fellow traveler, encouraging readers to view growth as a process of playful experimentation rather than a rigid path to success.Insightful, personal, and deeply practical, Tiny Experiments is more than just a book about learning. It’s an invitation to engage with life more curiously and creatively. Le Cunff has created something special: a work that not only informs but also inspires.
Joe Dager –
Practical, Engaging, and Immediately Impactful!
“I devoured ‘Tiny Experiments’ by Anne-Laure Le Cunff in a single morning, cover to cover, the day it arrived. That’s how engaging and practical this book is. It’s a breath of fresh air in the often overwhelming self-help genre.Le Cunff’s approach, grounded in neuroscience and ancestral philosophy, offers a refreshing alternative to the traditional, linear goal-setting that many of us find stifling. Instead, she champions a circular growth model through ‘tiny experiments,’ turning uncertainty into an opportunity for self-discovery.What I particularly appreciated was the tangible advice and actionable steps. This isn’t just theoretical; it’s a hands-on guide to dismantling harmful beliefs, embracing imperfection, and truly living in alignment with your aspirations. The book is beautifully written and easily understood, making complex concepts accessible and immediately applicable.The quality of the content is exceptional. As someone who appreciates practical tools, I highlighted numerous passages and planned my tiny experiments before I even finished reading. This book is more than just a productivity guide; it’s a transformative approach to life and even small projects.Tiny Experiments is a must-read if you’re feeling stuck, overwhelmed by rigid goals, or simply looking for a more authentic way to navigate life. It’s a game-changer, and I wholeheartedly recommend it.
sncd –
A smarter, more engaging (dare I say fun?) way to grow
There’s a lot of productivity books out there – this one takes a very different approach that’s useful, inspiring and dare I say fun? The author brings both science and compassionate insight to the question of how we actually make progress, and outlines an iterative, experimental approach to reaching goals —small, flexible steps with learnings and adjustments that both make change and ensure that the goal is still where you want to go. It’s a refreshing and productive approach, especially for anyone who’s ever felt stuck or overwhelmed by big plans.
Nick Milo –
A supremely inspiring and practical book.
Anne-Laure upends the idea of success as a sequence of linear steps and replaces it with a wildly compelling thesis: life is a series of experiments and you are the lead scientist. The book provides a clear one-liner for designing a tiny experiment that I’ve already used to great effect in my own creative works. If you want to reawaken your curiosity and gain a healthy and holistic mindset towards your goals and intention, this is the book for you. Plus, I absolutely love the “Experimentalist Toolkit” in the appendix, it’s brilliant.
Betsy Olmstead –
Actionable and transformative- read this now!
This book is an example of what fresh perspectives, experimental data, and embracing a life of flow and joy creates. The ideas are not only smart, but transformative, and easily accessible. It’s a practical and entertaining conversation with our new best friend, and I’m totally here for it. You aren’t just a reader, you’re a collaborator too.
Amazon Customer –
Life improvement through science!
This book provides you with a framework for upgrading any area of your life, big or small, using scientific techniques – but don’t be intimidated, you don’t need to have a PhD. The author’s approachable and friendly style makes it engaging, structured, but dare I say it…fun to become the investigator and researcher of your own life, study it, collect data, and draw conclusions that have you levelling up anything in your existence from changing little unhealthy habits to approaching big work projects. The key is curiosity; if you can open up and get curious (no self-judgment!) you can make anything in your life work better, and this book shows you the way.
Venkat –
Good practical tips for life
Chy –
Nearly finished, it is life-changing, and I’m already excited for a 10th anniversary edition, lol.
Ward Roef –
Anne-Laure Le Cunff has an experimental mindset. When I heard about her book I pre-ordered the Audiobook and the Kindle and I will buy the hardcover later on because this is in my top 5 book list of all time. I have joined Ness Labs, Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s community on Circle after 4 weeks in the book launch community “Curiosity Collective” where I learned a lot about the book. It is at least a 5 star book. This is what I think about the book.The book _Tiny Experiments: How to Live Freely in a Goal-Obsessed World_ by Anne-Laure Le Cunff presents an **alternative approach to personal and professional growth**, where linear goals are replaced by an **experimental mindset**. It encourages readers to embrace **systematic curiosity**, welcome uncertainty, and see internal resistance as valuable feedback. Through **small, repeatable experiments**, readers can explore their potential, align their actions with their authentic ambitions, and follow a non-linear path where every crossroads invites adventure. The book emphasizes the importance of **mindful productivity**, harnessing natural rhythms, **embracing imperfection**, and **learning in public** to lead a balanced and fulfilling life.Three action points to enhance your life based on the book:- **Make pacts:** Create small, repeatable activities with specific actions and durations to stimulate curiosity and learn from your experiences.- **Keep field notes:** Observe and record your activities, thoughts, and emotions to identify recurring themes and gain insights.- **Apply the “Plus Minus Next” tool:** Reflect weekly on both positive and negative observations, using these insights to shape your actions for the upcoming period.The main **key takeaway** of the book is to **embrace an experimental approach to life**. Instead of pursuing rigid, linear goals, it encourages using curiosity as your compass, **designing small experiments**, and learning from the results—regardless of whether they are successful. This approach enables you to remain flexible, adapt to changing circumstances, and follow an **authentic path** that aligns with your personal values and interests.