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Renowned organizational psychologist and bestselling author Adam Grant will discuss his latest book, Vibe: The Secrets of Strong Connections in a Lonely World, on Monday, Oct. 19, at Vanderbilt University. Grant will be in conversation with acclaimed author Ann Patchett beginning at 6:30 p.m. in Langford Auditorium, 2209 Garland Ave. Doors will open at 5:30 p.m.
The event is hosted by the Jean and Alexander Heard Libraries and Dialogue Vanderbilt in collaboration with Parnassus Books.
Tickets for the talk are $36.50 each (plus Eventbrite fees) and include one general admission seat and a pre-signed copy of Vibe, to be published by Viking Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House, on Oct. 13. There will be no signing line for book personalizations or an author photo line at this event.
About the book
Grant, a No. 1 New York Times bestselling author, illuminates the surprising science behind strong connections in his new book.
A vibe, or special connection between people that creates a spark, is an engine of happiness and success. Yet building meaningful ties is one of the most pressing problems of our time. As social media forces face-to-face interaction behind digital screens, communication gets outsourced to AI, and the world becomes more polarized than ever, our loneliness crisis shows no signs of slowing.
To reveal how we can forge faster, stronger and more enduring bonds, Grant offers groundbreaking studies, expert insights and myth-busting stories. Filled with the eye-opening takeaways that have brought millions of readers to his work, Vibe teaches us that similarity is not necessary for solidarity, chemistry doesn’t always happen quickly, and closeness doesn’t always take time.
Along the way, Grant introduces us to a crew of astronauts who learned to trust people they don’t like; a comedy troupe that swears by taking time apart as a key to staying together; a band that grew closer by learning to fight more; and a journalist who designed a gathering that led to 78 marriages. Grant also reveals his personal struggles to find his place as a shy introvert and the lessons that propelled his transformation into an enthusiastic convener. Through these examples and more, he uncovers the keys to creating deeper relationships and tighter communities.
Vibe will change how you approach your interactions. No matter how good you are at connecting, you can always get better—and help others get better, too.
About the author
Grant is an organizational psychologist at the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, where he has been the top-rated professor for seven straight years. His books have sold millions of copies, he is one of TED’s most popular speakers, and his podcasts have more than 100 million downloads. He hosts Re: Thinking and co-hosts The Curiosity Shop with Brené Brown. Grant has been recognized as the world’s second-most influential management thinker and one of Fortune’s 40 Under 40. He received his B.A. from Harvard University and his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan, and he is a former Junior Olympic springboard diver and magician. He lives in Philadelphia with his wife, Allison Sweet Grant, a novelist and poet; their two cats (who don’t get along); and their three children (who mostly do).
About the moderator
Patchett is the author of novels—most recently the No. 1 New York Times bestselling Whistler—as well as works of nonfiction and children’s books. Her novel The Dutch House was a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize. She has been the recipient of numerous honors, including the PEN/Faulkner Award, the National Humanities Medal, the 2026 Library of Congress Prize for American Fiction, the 2026 PEN/Audible Literary Service Award in recognition of her humanistic voice as a novelist and her dedication to independent bookselling, and, most recently, the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation’s Richard C. Holbrooke Distinguished Achievement Award for “a writer whose body of work reflects the prize’s mission of fostering peace, social justice and global understanding.” Patchett is also the owner of Parnassus Books in Nashville, Tennessee, and a prominent spokesperson for independent booksellers.