Tania Luna

Surprise: Embrace the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected Tania Luna

Surprise: Embrase the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected is an in-depth look at the phenomenon of surprise, and how it can be managed and harnessed to great effect in our day-to-day lives.

When things go according to plan, they are essentially invisible to us. Worse still, when we overdose on predictability, we begin to feel that slow, soul-sucking torture of hypostress (the stress of not enough stimulation): blah meetings, boring weekends, and bland conversations.

Surprise is the antidote. When something unexpected happens, it?s as though someone?s turned up the vibrancy dial on our lives. And that?s not just a poetic metaphor; on a neurological level, surprise intensifies our emotions by 400%.

In Surprise: Embrase the Unpredictable and Engineer the Unexpected, the authors will show readers how the unexpected is—and can be—used to great effect in our day-to-day lives: in our relationships, jobs, conversations with strangers, and even in our daily commutes. They will reveal the science of surprise via colorful anecdotes, interviews with notable people who have successfully harnessed the power of surprise, and fascinating scientific studies: what exactly goes on in your brain when someone at a cocktail party suddenly yells out “fire!?, or when you walk into your office and discover a birthday cake on your desk.

As our world becomes more and more unpredictable, thriving in the face of uncertainty and tolerating surprise will become an essential skill. And as society dives deeper into the ocean of information that characterizes the modern world, the skillful application of surprise will become increasingly important. It is our brain?s mechanism for breaking through the noise, capturing attention, and engaging deeply with our environments. Companies will need it to earn loyalty. Teachers will need it to reach their students. Singles will need it to be alluring. Couples will need it to stay together. And all of us will need it to pluck ourselves out of our busyness and truly come alive.