The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 1,602 ratings

Price: 15.75

Last update: 12-23-2024


About this item

“The world needs this book.” —Brené Brown, Ph.D., New York Times bestselling author of Dare to Lead and Atlas of the Heart

An instant New York Times bestseller

As featured in The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post

Named a Best Book of 2022 by NPR and Financial Times

From the #1 New York Times–bestselling author of When and Drive, a new book about the transforming power of our most misunderstood yet potentially most valuable emotion: regret.

Everybody has regrets, Daniel H. Pink explains in The Power of Regret. They’re a universal and healthy part of being human. And understanding how regret works can help us make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and bring greater meaning to our lives.

Drawing on research in social psychology, neuroscience, and biology, Pink debunks the myth of the “no regrets” philosophy of life. And using the largest sampling of American attitudes about regret ever conducted as well as his own World Regret Survey—which has collected regrets from more than 15,000 people in 105 countries—he lays out the four core regrets that each of us has. These deep regrets offer compelling insights into how we live and how we can find a better path forward.

As he did in his bestsellers Drive, When, and A Whole New Mind, Pink lays out a dynamic new way of thinking about regret and frames his ideas in ways that are clear, accessible, and pragmatic. Packed with true stories of people's regrets as well as practical takeaways for reimagining regret as a positive force, The Power of Regret shows how we can live richer, more engaged lives.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Yorka
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Power of Regret is a real joy, a great read/audio.
    Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2023
    One book at a time, one talk at a time and one creative "Bunko Bonus" at a time. Daniel Pink offers readers opportunities to personally participate in the building of each book. I consider myself fortunate to have a through line that moves through each book in tandem with my work year after year. (Uncanny!)
    I frequently reference an earlier publication when describing the last book. Always new takeaways, media formats and giveaways.
    The quality and quantity of the research (including the creation of The American Regret Survey a massive database of individual regrets - in their own words)
    From the book cover design to the rich and valuable reference The Power of Regret is bookworm cool!
    I discovered that I do have regrets. By understanding the four core regrets made this abundantly clear. Hearing individual stories (in the "voice" of the participants) adds flavor to the emotional tone of the survey.
    I enjoyed the research studies measuring emotions of Gold, Silver and Bronze Olympic metal winners. Fascinating research design that reinforced the disappointing experience of winning Silver.
    "Temporal Discounting" is one of numerous
    concepts worth exploring in depth.
    "Fortune Favors the Bold!" -- Affairs of the
    Heart and The World of Work are "fertile soil'
    for Boldness Regret
    "....I could've been somebody!"
  • Carole Duff
    4.0 out of 5 stars A quick, easy, and helpful read
    Reviewed in the United States on November 18, 2024
    Another “big book” by Daniel Pink, this time, a handy-dandy guide about how to make good use of regret. Well researched and documented with actionable take-aways.
  • Maia Hope
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Compelling Perspective on Regret
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2024
    Daniel Pink does it again! He has a way of digging deep into a topic and sharing the content in a meaningful and practical way.
  • Dr. Bruce C. Walker
    5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful, thought provoking and well written
    Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2022
    This was the 4th book of Dan's that I purchased and read (Drive, A Whole New Mind, and When were the others). I really enjoyed this book! It was well written, easy to read, and very thought provoking. As someone who has tried hard to block out any regrets and put a positive spin on everything, this really made me stop and think. He brought out comments and thoughts from the World Regret Survey, then followed up his conclusions with the scientific literature. I am a college professor (Business Management) and I have used Drive and AWNM as required reading in a class. TPOR is probably my favorite of the four I've read. Great job, Dan!
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A nice change of pace read.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 12, 2024
    This book is a lesson in viewing passed regrets as lessons learned for moving forward in the future.
  • Reid McCormick
    3.0 out of 5 stars I regret to inform you...
    Reviewed in the United States on September 27, 2024
    Do I regret buying this book? No. Is it my favorite book? No.
    When I college I had a lot of debates regarding regret. I thought regret was good. Most of my friends and acquaintances believed in living a life with no regrets. So I was so happy to find a book regarding the power of regret.
    Regret is a powerful thing. It teaches us who we were and who we want to become. It shows us what we value.

    If you believe regret is powerful then this book won't give you much more information. The author gives a lot of examples and a little research, but I didn’t feel like I learned much else. I did find the categories of regret to be interesting, but that only helps in the conversation and not much else.

    Good book, that’s all.
  • Kevin Holtsberry
    4.0 out of 5 stars Pink helps you understand how regret actually works and how to make sense of it
    Reviewed in the United States on November 22, 2022
    I am probably rounding up on this one as I like Daniel Pink so much (his Pinkcast is great). Again, why no half stars Goodreads? Say 3.5 or so.

    There are two elements in this book. The academic part of the unpacking and structuring on regret. Lots of research, lots of anecdotes, etc. Pink helps you understand how regret actually works and how to make sense of it.

    The second part is how to use this to live a better life. This is the hard part as it requires thinking about your life in often uncomfortable ways and making changes. Never easy.

    Two insights 1) the basics matter: take care of your health, finances, relationships. Good eating and exercise habits go a long way. Save more, spend less. Connections with friends, co-workers and family are important.

    2) Concentrate on the big decisions when thinking of regret. Good enough works for an awful lot of choices but some choices require a different lens. When in doubt, take the risk, reach out, do the right thing.

    What makes this tough is that it is so easy to get lost in the details, to let bad habits carry you along. Years or even decades later you end up with regret even as you wonder what went wrong. Despite all the social science, I think there is an art to all of this. Some people just seem better at living into the big moments and learning from their mistakes.

    Comically, I feel like I should have thought about these things 25 years ago...
  • Matt Hulett
    5.0 out of 5 stars Digestible Force For Self Improvement
    Reviewed in the United States on April 16, 2022
    Daniel Pink delivers yet another fantastic non-fiction work. Pink has always done a great job of taking a complex subject into a very digestible, easy-to-understand framework. His storytelling in this book was exceptional and I found myself consuming the book very quickly. I felt like this was one of his most personal books as well. The whole notion of turning one's regrets as a source to learn and grow from is very compelling. I strongly recommend this book.

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