Our Favorite TED Talks

TED is a global community, welcoming people from every discipline and culture who seek a deeper understanding of the world. They believe passionately in the power of ideas to change attitudes, lives and, ultimately, the world. We asked our staff to share their favorite TED Talks and paired them a few books that may help you expand your understanding on the topic. This is what they came up with. (Click on the book covers to find the books in our catalog)


Matt Walker: Why Sleep Matters Now More Than Ever


Wim Hof: Standing the Ice with Our Minds


Amy Tan: Where Does Creativity Hide


Rita Pierson: Every Kid Needs a Champion


Dr. Mark Holder: Three Words That Will Change Your Life


Pamela Meyer: How to Spot a Liar


Temple Grandin: The World Needs All Kinds of Minds


Other TED Talks We Like (With Dewey Locations of Books on Similar Topics)

  1. Michael Sandel: What’s the Right Thing to do? / 172.2 and 301.417 and 320
  2. Mariana Atencio: What makes you special? / 155.4 and 158
  3. Simon Sinek : How great leaders inspire action / 303.34 and 658.4
  4. Brené Brown : The power of vulnerability / 158
  5. Tim Urban : Inside the mind of a master procrastinator / 155.2
  6. Julian Treasure : How to speak so that people will listen / 658.45 and 808.51
  7. Robert Waldinger : What makes a good life? Lessons from the longest study on happiness / 158.1 and 170.44
  8. Chimamanda Adichie : The danger of a single story / 305.8 and 372.21
  9. Angela Lee Duckworth : Grit: The power of passion and perseverance / 179.9, 155.4 and 158.1
  10. Elif Shafak : The revolutionary power of diverse thought / 321.8 and 331.4133