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Four new books explore how AI can help-and hinder-our productivity: Co-Intelligence, by Ethan Mollick; The Singularity Is Nearer, by Ray Kurzweil; The Mind's Mirror, by Daniela Rus and Gregory Mone; and Slow Productivity, by Cal Newport.

Researchers discovered a silver lining when a fire at a supplier's factory forced a temporary shutdown at the plant of a consumer goods manufacturer: The downtime led to a flood of employee ideas for improvements.

In times of tumult, we need comfort, healing, and inspiration. A good way to find them is by appreciating the vast and wondrous things that transcend us, say several new books.

Toxoplasma gondii, which is estimated to infect 10% to 50% of the population, affects your brain and makes you disinhibited and less risk-averse. It also makes you 29% more likely to found a start-up.

A new study reveals a silver lining: This syndrome may actually make you more likable.

The star of the 2018 Oscar-winning documentary "Free Solo" talks about how he prepares for climbs, the way he thinks about risk, and what's next now that he has achieved his lifelong ambition to scale El Capitan.

Is your transformative company program having trouble getting traction? New research from Europe suggests that a little humor might propel it forward.

The conventional wisdom tells us that we learn from failure, but new research suggests it often has the opposite effect: When things go wrong, people feel threatened and tune out.

The field of neuromarketing, sometimes known as consumer neuroscience, studies the brain to predict and potentially even manipulate consumer behavior and decision making. Over the past five years several groundbreaking studies have demonstrated its potential to create value for marketers. But those interested in using its tools must still determine whether that's worth the investment and how to do it well. "Neuromarketing" loosely refers to the measurement of physiological and neural signals to gain insight into customers' motivations, preferences, and decisions. Its most common methods are brain scanning, which measures neural activity, and physiological tracking, which measures eye movement and other proxies for that activity. This article explores some of the research into those methods and discusses their benefits and drawbacks. Potential users of neuromarketing should be cautious about partnering with specialist consulting firms--experts warn that the field is plagued by vendors who oversell what neuromarketing can deliver. One neuroscience and business professor suggests using a checklist: Are actual neuroscientists involved in the study? Are any of the consultancy's methods, data, or tools published in peer-reviewed journals? Is its subject pool representative?--a question that is particularly important for global brands. Do the consultants have marketing expertise along with scientific knowledge? Do they have a track record of success? And can they prove when challenged that they will offer insights beyond what can be gleaned through traditional methods?

While every organization inevitably must replace its CEO, most firms are ill-prepared for succession. In this article, HBR senior editor Eben Harrell reviews the most salient studies of succession planning and offers context from the experts. Some key takeaways: (1) Though turnover among CEOs is rising, only 54% of boards are grooming a specific successor, and 39% have no viable internal candidate. The consequences of poor planning are serious: Companies that scramble to find replacements forgo an average of $1.8 billion in shareholder value. (2) Grooming leaders takes years but pays off: Chief executives who have gone through executive development at "CEO factories" like GE deliver superior operating performance. But directors need to get more involved. The majority don't understand the capabilities of the executives below the CEO, and only about a quarter participate in their evaluations. (3) The trend toward external hires is growing, and outsiders command higher median pay. But studies suggest that on the whole, insider CEOs deliver better returns. (4) More researchers are studying the traits of the ideal CEO. So far they're finding that younger CEOs outperform their older counterparts, that execution matters more than interpersonal strengths, and that a military background makes leaders more honest, but this line of inquiry is in its early days, and the jury is still out.