Radical Surrender

In her new book, Radical Surrender, Anna Lembke—Stanford professor, doctor, and New York Times bestselling author of Dopamine Nation, with over 1.5 million copies sold—offers readers inspiring stories and transformative tools for letting go in a world engineered for certainty and control.

Using her personal story of loss and subsequent existential reckoning as a powerful entry point, Dr. Lembke opens the door to a vital dimension of life that has been neglected in modern society: spiritual surrender. Lembke defines spiritual surrender as the moment we recognize that the exertion of our will is insufficient to a thriving life and instead release our grip on control and embrace uncertainty and openness. Less mastery and a return to mystery.

Dr. Lembke makes the claim that recapturing our spiritual lives is the antidote to the endemic narcissism and nihilism that pervade our self-obsessed, hyper-rational, disenchanted universe. Blending relatable stories with cutting-edge neuroscience and research, she argues that the gifts of a surrendered life include stronger family and work relationships, greater happiness and confidence as a parent, and enhanced coping for our increasingly complex world.

Science-based and deeply inspiring, Radical Surrender is an invitation to spiritual awakening in the tradition of Anne Lamott, Kate Bowler, and others—and the perfect book for anyone seeking more joy, peace, and wisdom in these tumultuous times.