Drive: What Motivates Us

We constantly ask ourselves how to do something. But how often do we ask when? Our lives are a continuous stream of “when” decisions: when to change jobs, when to hold meetings, when to start a relationship. Yet we make those decisions based on guesswork and intuition. in his latest book When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, bestselling author Dan Pink draws on an impressive range of scientific research in the fields of psychology, biology, economics and anthropology to reveal how we can use the hidden patterns of the day to succeed in all facets of our lives.

What do 500 million tweets tell us about the ideal work schedule? How do you turn false starts into fresh starts—and which are the best 86 days to begin again? Why should you never have surgery—or let your kid take a standardized test—in the afternoon? Should you deliver bad news or good news first during a job performance review? How can the right kind of nap boost your productivity and creativity? Why are sports teams that are slightly behind at halftime more likely to win? Why is lunch (not breakfast) the most important meal of the day? And why is a break list as significant as a to-do list?

Mr. Pink is the author of several bestsellers, including Drive, A Whole New Mind, and To Sell is Human.