Radical Surrender: Letting Go in a World Addicted to Control

In her new book, Radical Surrender, Anna Lembke—Stanford professor, doctor, and New York Times bestselling author of Dopamine Nation, with over 1.5 million copies sold—offers readers inspiring stories and transformative tools for letting go in a world engineered for prediction and control.

Blending relatable stories with neuroscience, Dr. Lembke makes the bold claim that we are a generation addicted to control. As the ultimate optimizers, we live in constant fear of taking a false step, making the wrong choice, and missing out on our best lives. The result? An epidemic of anxiety, loneliness, boredom, and self-loathing shame.

She argues that the antidote to the endemic narcissism and nihilism that pervade our self-obsessed, hyper-rational, disenchanted universe, is living a surrendered life. Using her personal story of loss and subsequent existential reckoning as a powerful entry point, Dr. Lembke defines surrender as the moment we acknowledge a power greater than ourselves and embrace uncertainty. Less mastery and a return to mystery.

Science-based and deeply inspiring, Radical Surrender is the perfect book for anyone seeking stronger family and work relationships, more peace in their everyday existence, and a deeper connection with the natural world.