feeling lucky

I read a piece about the neuroscience and self-fulfilling prophecy of "feeling lucky" by Nobuko Nakano in the Guardian earlier this year and liked it so much that I suggested the author's book for a review in C & I.

Lucky people: A neuroscientist's guide to attracting luck, cultivating success and leading a happier life
Nobuko Nakano
Gallery Books 2026
ISBN 978-1-3985-5118-3

My review of the book is now out in the October issue of Chemistry & Industry:

As luck would have it

Chemistry & Industry Volume 90, Issue 10, October 2026, Page 36

access via:

Wiley Online Library (paywalled PDF of the whole review section)

SCI (premium content, ie members only)

The book is really slim and doesn't have a lot more to offer beyond the content of the Guardian piece, so the recommendation would be to read that. Here's my thumbs down paragraph which didn't quite make it into print:

She loses me (and probably many scientist readers) completely in the last chapter, when she extorts the benefits of prayer as a neuropsychological path to self-improvement (without proscribing which deity you should pray to). Meditation I could have handled, but the insistence on prayer made me feel my luck just deserted me.

 

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My brand new list of book reviews is here.