Maggie Jackson

Hi, I’m Maggie Jackson, the author most recently of UNCERTAIN: The Wisdom and Wonder of Being Unsure (Prometheus, 2023). I write about crucial aspects of life that are little understood and often under siege: home, attention, and now – in my new book – the uncertain mind. I love what I do and think that more than ever it’s crucial to ask hard questions about what kind of humans we want to be. Nominated for a National Book Award and named to three "Best Books of 2023" lists, UNCERTAIN explores why we should seek not-knowing in times of angst and flux. A scientific adventure tale set in AI labs, c-suites, operating rooms, and more, Uncertain has been featured widely in the global press and praised as “remarkable and persuasive” (Library Journal), “incisive and timely…triumphant” (Dan Pink), and “surprising and practical” (Gretchen Rubin). My previous book, DISTRACTED (2nd Ed., 2018), inspired a global conversation on the costs of fragmenting our focus in a technological age and won the Dorothy Lee Award in 2020. A former columnist for the Boston Globe, I have written for The New York Times and other publications worldwide. My work has been translated into multiple languages and featured in numerous anthologies. I have been interviewed in media around the globe, including MSNBC, NPR, Oprah Radio, and The Sunday Times (UK). Equal parts a people-person and a lover of silence and reflection, I live in New York City and Rhode Island. What makes me tick: time with my family, good books, conversation, learning something new, a buzzing café or a scintillating museum, and year-round ocean swimming, mainly in the Atlantic Ocean. (Wetsuit in winter!)