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The Explorer's Gene: Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map – How Neuroscience and Behavioral Psychology Explain Our Primal Urge to Explore
New York Times bestselling author of Endure, Alex Hutchinson returns with a fresh, invigorating investigation into how exploration, uncertainty, and risk-taking shape our behavior and wellbeing. For fans of On Trails and Range alike, The Explorer’s Gene makes the case not just that humans are wired to seek the unknown, but that thriving in the modern world depends on pushing our mental and physical boundaries to new places.
Off the beaten path, on unmarked trails, we are wired to explore. More than just a need to get outside, the search for the unknown is a specific, primal urge that has shaped the history of our species and continues to mold our behavior in ways we are just beginning to understand. In fact, the latest neuroscience suggests that exploration is an essential ingredient of human life. Exploration, it turns out, isn’t merely a hobby—it’s our story.
In this long-awaited follow-up to his New York Times bestseller Endure, Alex Hutchinson dives headfirst into a fascinating and provocative new field of research, examining how exploration is a fundamental part of what makes us human and revealing how, even in our fully mapped modern world, the pursuit of the unknown remains an indispensable mindset in all walks of life.
And yet, it has never been easier to live an exploration-free life, without the struggle and uncertainty that true exploration—of places, experiences, and ideas—requires. With the digital world designed to exploit the neural circuitry behind our drive to explore, we receive the illusion of novelty without accompanying growth. This despite mounting evidence that our lives are better—more productive, more satisfying, and more fun—when we ditch the maps on our phones and find our own way.
From paddling the lost rivers of the northern Canadian wilderness to the ocean-spanning voyages of the Polynesians, The Explorer’s Gene combines riveting stories of exploration with cutting-edge insights from behavioral psychology and neuroscience. The end result offers a singular approach to finding meaning in our past struggles, embracing the possibility of failure in our future, and crucially, recognizing when our present is good enough.
Off the beaten path, on unmarked trails, we are wired to explore. More than just a need to get outside, the search for the unknown is a specific, primal urge that has shaped the history of our species and continues to mold our behavior in ways we are just beginning to understand. In fact, the latest neuroscience suggests that exploration is an essential ingredient of human life. Exploration, it turns out, isn’t merely a hobby—it’s our story.
In this long-awaited follow-up to his New York Times bestseller Endure, Alex Hutchinson dives headfirst into a fascinating and provocative new field of research, examining how exploration is a fundamental part of what makes us human and revealing how, even in our fully mapped modern world, the pursuit of the unknown remains an indispensable mindset in all walks of life.
And yet, it has never been easier to live an exploration-free life, without the struggle and uncertainty that true exploration—of places, experiences, and ideas—requires. With the digital world designed to exploit the neural circuitry behind our drive to explore, we receive the illusion of novelty without accompanying growth. This despite mounting evidence that our lives are better—more productive, more satisfying, and more fun—when we ditch the maps on our phones and find our own way.
From paddling the lost rivers of the northern Canadian wilderness to the ocean-spanning voyages of the Polynesians, The Explorer’s Gene combines riveting stories of exploration with cutting-edge insights from behavioral psychology and neuroscience. The end result offers a singular approach to finding meaning in our past struggles, embracing the possibility of failure in our future, and crucially, recognizing when our present is good enough.
304 pages, Hardcover
Published March 25, 2025
264 people are currently reading
5108 people want to read
About the author
Alex Hutchinson
14 books322 followersAlex Hutchinson is the author of the New York Times bestseller Endure: Mind, Body, and the Curiously Elastic Limits of Human Performance. He is a National Magazine Award-winning science journalist and Outside magazine’s longtime Sweat Science columnist. Before journalism, he was a postdoctoral physicist and a long-distance runner for the Canadian national team. He lives in Toronto.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
August 2, 2025
I've been putting off writing this review up, because I have multiple, conflicting feels about this book. In the pro column, we have a pretty reasonable overview of a bunch of different contemporary approaches to understanding human behaviour, including explanations of the predictive cognitive model, studies around risk taking, learning, navigation and challenge seeking, and delayed gratification. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend the book to someone wanting a less dense, personable read that covers these topics. There is a lot of crappy science in the non-fiction market out there, and I wouldn't include this in that list at all.
The neutral - Hutchinson's approach is more to sprinkle his narrative with science than to write a science-centered explainer. This will suit many people, but can irritate, as sometimes he is picking up single studies without really placing them into a clear broader context (as per the above, I don't think this was distorting- nothing jarred, just annoying).
The not-so-great: Hutchinson's motivation for writing the book seems to be to valourise his own strong love for hiking into scarcely or currently unpopulated areas, with difficult terrain, and fantasising about being the first people to be there. This leads his to some odd places in writing the book - I am not convinced that the various topics he covers does indeed add up to a unified set of "exploration" characteristics at all, and most have absolutely nothing to do with hiking or navigation or migration (which he seems to assume is associated with the desire to 'explore'). But worse, it leads to a really uncomfortable approach to Indigenous peoples and their lands. Hutchinson himself admits this about 2/3rds of the way into the book, when he discusses his shock at the criticisms leveled at Adam Shoalts. To give Hutchinson credit, he then deep dives into the arguments around whether "wilderness" is a useful concept, and whether "firsting" is an ecologically harmful perspective. But this comes after a several chapters reimagining the feelings of, among others, Burke and Wills, and Hutchinson does little to reimagine any of this content.
As someone educated in Australian schools in the 1980s, I know a large amount about Burke and Wills. And one thing that should be pointed out, is that everywhere they travelled, and ultimately died, was peopled. What killed Burke and Wills was not the inevitability of wild spaces, but a worldview that approached exploration as something individual, heroic and Western. Aboriginal people have engaged carefully with Australian ecosystems for many climatically varied millenia, and approached traversing it as a community exercise, based on knowledge, people and goods exchange, and rooted in deep care encapsulated and expressed through sophisticated ideas and stories. They did not charge off with camels into spaces they did not understand and without respect for the people who did. I say this here, because I remain unconvinced that Hutchinson's concept of "exploration" is a valid one for understanding human achievement or behaviour. He mentions that many park rangers are increasingly attracted to the idea of "no rescue" zones in parks, an idea he points out he is attracted to because it would recreate conditions of risk that would provide more 'authentic' experiences. But he fails to mention that the reason they are popular with park rangers is because of the extent of funds, people and stress resources and harm to ecology caused by rescue efforts for those living out their fantasies of being Burke or Wills, or even more mythically, of being people disconnected to the web of human communities. Humans do get sick of being among lots of other humans. More importantly, many of us are chronically nature-deprived, living in environments denuded of dirt, trees and the myriad of other species this planet thrives with. So being in a forest, with just your loved ones, can feel amazing. Relying on your capacity for navigation, for endurance and physical exertion are also all things we feel better for - but these are not singular skills. As a species, humans actually kinda really suck at navigation. Indigenous cultures developed powerful counters to this, training and land immersion that can achieve great feats. We can push ourselves harder, solve more things, when we have support (precisely why personal training is such a boom industry). We are collective people, who achieve together, and this to me is the piece that Hutchinson lacks. Guides - a class he scorns for tourism and travel - can be connectors that help us leave the right kind of footsteps behind us. And recognising that land is not wild - people belong to it, just as it belongs to people - is a way to avoid being helicoptered out of ravines you just blundered into.
The neutral - Hutchinson's approach is more to sprinkle his narrative with science than to write a science-centered explainer. This will suit many people, but can irritate, as sometimes he is picking up single studies without really placing them into a clear broader context (as per the above, I don't think this was distorting- nothing jarred, just annoying).
The not-so-great: Hutchinson's motivation for writing the book seems to be to valourise his own strong love for hiking into scarcely or currently unpopulated areas, with difficult terrain, and fantasising about being the first people to be there. This leads his to some odd places in writing the book - I am not convinced that the various topics he covers does indeed add up to a unified set of "exploration" characteristics at all, and most have absolutely nothing to do with hiking or navigation or migration (which he seems to assume is associated with the desire to 'explore'). But worse, it leads to a really uncomfortable approach to Indigenous peoples and their lands. Hutchinson himself admits this about 2/3rds of the way into the book, when he discusses his shock at the criticisms leveled at Adam Shoalts. To give Hutchinson credit, he then deep dives into the arguments around whether "wilderness" is a useful concept, and whether "firsting" is an ecologically harmful perspective. But this comes after a several chapters reimagining the feelings of, among others, Burke and Wills, and Hutchinson does little to reimagine any of this content.
As someone educated in Australian schools in the 1980s, I know a large amount about Burke and Wills. And one thing that should be pointed out, is that everywhere they travelled, and ultimately died, was peopled. What killed Burke and Wills was not the inevitability of wild spaces, but a worldview that approached exploration as something individual, heroic and Western. Aboriginal people have engaged carefully with Australian ecosystems for many climatically varied millenia, and approached traversing it as a community exercise, based on knowledge, people and goods exchange, and rooted in deep care encapsulated and expressed through sophisticated ideas and stories. They did not charge off with camels into spaces they did not understand and without respect for the people who did. I say this here, because I remain unconvinced that Hutchinson's concept of "exploration" is a valid one for understanding human achievement or behaviour. He mentions that many park rangers are increasingly attracted to the idea of "no rescue" zones in parks, an idea he points out he is attracted to because it would recreate conditions of risk that would provide more 'authentic' experiences. But he fails to mention that the reason they are popular with park rangers is because of the extent of funds, people and stress resources and harm to ecology caused by rescue efforts for those living out their fantasies of being Burke or Wills, or even more mythically, of being people disconnected to the web of human communities. Humans do get sick of being among lots of other humans. More importantly, many of us are chronically nature-deprived, living in environments denuded of dirt, trees and the myriad of other species this planet thrives with. So being in a forest, with just your loved ones, can feel amazing. Relying on your capacity for navigation, for endurance and physical exertion are also all things we feel better for - but these are not singular skills. As a species, humans actually kinda really suck at navigation. Indigenous cultures developed powerful counters to this, training and land immersion that can achieve great feats. We can push ourselves harder, solve more things, when we have support (precisely why personal training is such a boom industry). We are collective people, who achieve together, and this to me is the piece that Hutchinson lacks. Guides - a class he scorns for tourism and travel - can be connectors that help us leave the right kind of footsteps behind us. And recognising that land is not wild - people belong to it, just as it belongs to people - is a way to avoid being helicoptered out of ravines you just blundered into.
November 26, 2024
What if the drive to explore the world is also the key to understanding yourself?
In The Explorers Gene, the author masterfully unravels the essence of human curiosity through captivating stories of exploration. With rich detail and thoughtful analysis, the book examines the deep-rooted incentives and motivations that drive us to travel, discover, and push boundaries.
What makes this book truly compelling is its ability to turn outward exploration into an inward journey. Its actionable insights encourage readers to reflect on their own approach to navigating life, offering a fresh perspective on personal growth and decision-making. This blend of philosophical depth and self-inquiry will linger in your mind, inviting you to view your own life through the lens of exploration and discovery.
In The Explorers Gene, the author masterfully unravels the essence of human curiosity through captivating stories of exploration. With rich detail and thoughtful analysis, the book examines the deep-rooted incentives and motivations that drive us to travel, discover, and push boundaries.
What makes this book truly compelling is its ability to turn outward exploration into an inward journey. Its actionable insights encourage readers to reflect on their own approach to navigating life, offering a fresh perspective on personal growth and decision-making. This blend of philosophical depth and self-inquiry will linger in your mind, inviting you to view your own life through the lens of exploration and discovery.
July 28, 2025
DNF - really enjoyed the first couple of chapters. But then each chapter kept using its own short story to try and stretch an anecdote to match one of Hutchinsons theories. After the 3rd one, it starts to all loose meaning.
Main idea - we explore to minimize surprise. As we experience more, we must do more grandiose things to keep learning about the world and minimize surprise even more.
Main idea - we explore to minimize surprise. As we experience more, we must do more grandiose things to keep learning about the world and minimize surprise even more.
June 25, 2025
It’s fun to think about adventures. I enjoyed the fusion of science and experience, and the philosophical musings along the way. Explore-exploit is everywhere.
September 9, 2025
Another bang up job from Hutchinson. What a mad lad. Got me all fired up to go back into the field and repeat what I thought at the time was the most unpleasant experience of my life. I think in contrast to the last book of his I read, endure, for which the central thesis was basically “we aren’t really sure”, this one seemed more settled. On another note, there are few things I love more than hearing about the contrivances scientists go through to put a rat in a situation. Godspeed you brave rodents.
July 24, 2025
Interesting, not captivating
June 9, 2025
Much more than an exploration of classic exploration (think cutting through a jungle or marching along an Arctic plateau), this is a book of exploration itself, big and grand even when it's just thinking on new thoughts or what's really at the end of the street. I don't think there's another book like this, and Im sure to reflect on it's themes for a long time.
November 21, 2025
Listened to audiobook. I previously enjoyed the author's book on Endurance, so was excited to check this one out. Learned a lot about exploration, but never was super excited to turn on this audiobook if that makes sense. Probably could have just been a long form article.
May 11, 2025
Not sure what I expected, but found this book very slow and overly analytical. Would not read again.
May 15, 2025
Why do we seek newness and adventure? I picked up the book The Explorer’s Gene by Alex Hutchinson to perhaps find an answer to this age-old question. The book didn't directly answer my question, but it provoked much thought. Hutchinson introduces his thesis—a variant of the DRD4 [dopamine receptor 4] gene is associated with people who are more likely to take risks, embrace change, seek adventure, and try new things. Hutchinson introduces the explorer gene theory with an analysis and brief history of human migration patterns early in the book, then links it to today, stating that our nomadic history has left an imprint on us. But the link between historic nomadic patterns and a gene expression that is present in just 20% of the population [Genetic Literacy Project] seemed a stretch. As I did more research, I discovered that the majority of studies focused on the link between the DRD4 gene and disorders such as ADHD and psychiatric conditions such as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and addictive behaviors, which Hutchinson does allude to in chapter 3, Chasing Dopamine. Is this phenomenon, the link between various psychiatric conditions and restless and exploratory behaviors (or lack thereof), a coincidence or causal, I wondered?
Some of Hutchinson’s chapters are more intriguing than others, including chapter 7, Time Horizon, where he explores the links between aging, being physically active, and exploratory behaviors. He also discusses why we like predictability—notably why we like movie sequels and why our music tastes are mostly solidified by our teens and early twenties. The chapter ends with a discussion on risk-averse behaviors revealed in various studies on older adults and schizophrenic patients. Apparently, in some older adults, risk-averse behavior was prevalent (not surprising), but the studies also revealed that 21% of schizophrenic patients also showed extreme risk-averse behaviors. The links, however, between both groups, he states, are unclear (p. 128). I’d say so. This is where too much scientific analysis confuses the issue, which is how I felt reading the book. Hutchinson includes several scientific analyses that, loosely at best, appear to support the explorer gene theory.
The chapter I enjoyed the most was chapter 4, where Hutchinson introduces the training story of the Swedish speed skater Nils Van der Poel. Hutchinson delves into Poel’s unique training plan for the 2022 Olympics, which defied traditional training strategies. Endurance athletes will find Poel’s approach mind-blowing. Poel did not skate for months but instead engaged in eight hours of intense aerobic exercise 5 days a week. Hutchinson links Van der Poel’s behavior to his thesis of exploration, stating, “The crux of exploring, the explore-exploit framework, is that by definition you’re not choosing what superficially appears to be the best available option” (p. 78).
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It reminded me to try new things, to keep active, and to have an explorer's mindset, even if it’s trying out a new restaurant or listening to a new type of music.
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/20...
Some of Hutchinson’s chapters are more intriguing than others, including chapter 7, Time Horizon, where he explores the links between aging, being physically active, and exploratory behaviors. He also discusses why we like predictability—notably why we like movie sequels and why our music tastes are mostly solidified by our teens and early twenties. The chapter ends with a discussion on risk-averse behaviors revealed in various studies on older adults and schizophrenic patients. Apparently, in some older adults, risk-averse behavior was prevalent (not surprising), but the studies also revealed that 21% of schizophrenic patients also showed extreme risk-averse behaviors. The links, however, between both groups, he states, are unclear (p. 128). I’d say so. This is where too much scientific analysis confuses the issue, which is how I felt reading the book. Hutchinson includes several scientific analyses that, loosely at best, appear to support the explorer gene theory.
The chapter I enjoyed the most was chapter 4, where Hutchinson introduces the training story of the Swedish speed skater Nils Van der Poel. Hutchinson delves into Poel’s unique training plan for the 2022 Olympics, which defied traditional training strategies. Endurance athletes will find Poel’s approach mind-blowing. Poel did not skate for months but instead engaged in eight hours of intense aerobic exercise 5 days a week. Hutchinson links Van der Poel’s behavior to his thesis of exploration, stating, “The crux of exploring, the explore-exploit framework, is that by definition you’re not choosing what superficially appears to be the best available option” (p. 78).
Overall, I enjoyed the book. It reminded me to try new things, to keep active, and to have an explorer's mindset, even if it’s trying out a new restaurant or listening to a new type of music.
https://geneticliteracyproject.org/20...
June 10, 2025
So we are wired to explore. Some of us even have a gene that's common to exploring. The author takes us on quite a journey of discovery into history, philosophy, psychology, operations analysis, and even quantum physics. At times you are thinking you are obtuse as it's so deep. Motivation beyond behavior for reward, to play, and the immense unknown. He discusses running, video games, social media and technology as well as society pushing us to passive exploring and not active exploring. There is much here to answer that timeless question about why you climbed a mountain.
September 1, 2025
Fascinating. I’ve asked myself similar questions and thought about exploration and curiosity a lot. I found this book and Hutchinson’s conclusions satisfying. I like how he pulls research and ideas from different disciplines as well.
March 20, 2025
This book is all about how and why humans explore, creating maps and landscape ideas.
It also talks about the future of exploring.
All very scientific.
I want to thank Mariner Books for sending me a finished copy.
It also talks about the future of exploring.
All very scientific.
I want to thank Mariner Books for sending me a finished copy.
May 1, 2025
I love this kind of book. A journalistic approach to why we push ourselves to go beyond. A combo of science and adventure. A great book to listen to while biking and running. The writer's got the cred to give his opinion that's for sure. Good one.
May 15, 2025
Alex Hutchinson and Michael Easter have honed the skill of using short, captive adventure stories to outline cutting edge science - whether the science pans out or not. I personally love this style of book.
March 26, 2025
I enjoyed Alex Hutchinson’s previous book, Endure, so I had high hopes for The Explorer’s Gene. Fortunately, it did not disappoint and, in my opinion, was even more wide-ranging and better written and organized than its predecessor.
The author managed to weave together findings from history, genetics, psychology, philosophy, and economics to present what is essentially a unified theory on why humans explore. (A full fifth of the book is citations, which is always a good sign for nonfiction.) As you might expect from all these inputs, it’s not a simple answer: a variety of factors, including dopamine receptors, age, and experience mediate a game theory calculation of how much we should try new things versus exploiting the knowledge we already have.
After setting up the requisite science and math to explain why we explore, the author then delves deeper into how this creates meaning in our lives. He even delves into exploration as it relates to new ideas, not just physical exploration or daring new choices. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book since I read it two weeks ago, as it seems to apply to so many contexts and choices we make.
Unlike many authors, Hutchinson takes both the “popular” and “science” aspects of “popular science” seriously. The writing is clear and contains many examples while exploring a number of complicated topics. You can also hear his voice in his writing; he inserts himself into the book with anecdotes of his own adventures, but not to excess. This book strikes a lot of balances that most science writing can’t quite manage, and it’s an impressive feat. Not only did I learn a ton — and as someone with a degree in psychology, I wasn’t sure I would — I found the book inspiring. I might just get off my butt and do some more exploring.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
The author managed to weave together findings from history, genetics, psychology, philosophy, and economics to present what is essentially a unified theory on why humans explore. (A full fifth of the book is citations, which is always a good sign for nonfiction.) As you might expect from all these inputs, it’s not a simple answer: a variety of factors, including dopamine receptors, age, and experience mediate a game theory calculation of how much we should try new things versus exploiting the knowledge we already have.
After setting up the requisite science and math to explain why we explore, the author then delves deeper into how this creates meaning in our lives. He even delves into exploration as it relates to new ideas, not just physical exploration or daring new choices. I haven’t been able to stop thinking about this book since I read it two weeks ago, as it seems to apply to so many contexts and choices we make.
Unlike many authors, Hutchinson takes both the “popular” and “science” aspects of “popular science” seriously. The writing is clear and contains many examples while exploring a number of complicated topics. You can also hear his voice in his writing; he inserts himself into the book with anecdotes of his own adventures, but not to excess. This book strikes a lot of balances that most science writing can’t quite manage, and it’s an impressive feat. Not only did I learn a ton — and as someone with a degree in psychology, I wasn’t sure I would — I found the book inspiring. I might just get off my butt and do some more exploring.
Huge thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
July 12, 2025
I loved Hutchinson's last book Endure and I've been a long-time reader of his Sweat Science column; the former was one of my favourite non-fiction books ever, with a clever narrative structure and clear sets of throughlines throughout that were a pleasure to read. That's why I gave this a chance all the way to the end and didn't give up when I probably should have.
There were some trademark hints of Hutchinson's insight into the athlete psyche when profiling interpid voyagers and a zany speed skating athlete but overall it felt like a half-baked hash of watered down, rejigged summaries of what's hot in middle-class Western self-help (play is good! explore before exploiting 50x every chapter!) with the thin verneer of his scientific background attempting to bring it all together as something expressing truth about the human condition.
There were some trademark hints of Hutchinson's insight into the athlete psyche when profiling interpid voyagers and a zany speed skating athlete but overall it felt like a half-baked hash of watered down, rejigged summaries of what's hot in middle-class Western self-help (play is good! explore before exploiting 50x every chapter!) with the thin verneer of his scientific background attempting to bring it all together as something expressing truth about the human condition.
July 10, 2025
The subtitle drew me in: “Why We Seek Big Challenges, New Flavors, and the Blank Spots on the Map.” I relate to the first two! Third one, not so much. Cover pic of a guy cross-country skiing on a mountain summit? Definitely not! But I buy it and reconnect immediately with Alex’s winsome, accessible genius. (Not many people have the incredible combo of a Master's in Journalism from Columbia and a PhD in Physics from Cambridge!) He wins me over right at the epigraph from Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin’s ‘Physiologie du goùt’ which reads: “To say that we should not change wines is a heresy; the tongue becomes saturated, and after the third glass even the best bottle yields but an obtuse sensation.” He breaks the book into three sections: 1) Why We Explore, 2) How We Explore, and 3) What Exploring Means Now. “Why We Explore” splits into 3 key points: anthropological, biological, neuroscientific. In the first point we learn “no other mammal moves around like we do” (page 21 / anthropological) and that “if you artificially boost dopamine levels in the brain, monkeys ramp up exploratory behavior” (page 43 / biological), and that people “like a frisson of uncertainty: Will this pen shock me? Is this roll stuffed with wasabi? What brand is this ad selling, anyway?” (page 63 / neuroscientific). The book helped me understand the heuristic known as the “explore – exploit dilemma” in which “a single instance of exploring will likely yield a worse-than-usual outcome, but the collective effect of repeatedly breaking free of your usual routines will be better outcomes—a faster commute, for example—in the long term. By breaking old habits, the uncertainty bonus helps you build better ones.” He teaches us that “What makes exploring hard—the uncertainty, the struggle, the possibility of failure—is, at least in part, what makes it rewarding” and that “to harness the power of exploring, then, we need to understand why we’re drawn to the unknown, what we’re seeking there, and how we can do it better.” There’s a lot of brilliance here! I was stunned into contemplation by the “Wundt Curve” he shares on page 65 which says that “in the Dark Room the situation is too simple” and in the Jungle “the situation is so complex we can’t make sense of it" … and, sort of like the last bowl of porridge, the Sweet Spot offers some “intermediate novelty and complexity” which makes it jusssssssst right. Sort of a parallel to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s concept of hitting flow. From there “How We Explore” and “What Exploring Means Now” offer a steady stream of insights (I especially enjoyed Chapter 10 on “Rediscovering Play” and Chapter 11 on “The Effort Paradox”.) If you are curious, if you itch for the other, this book will affirm and expand your awareness and understanding. A really wonderful book.
March 22, 2025
Over the past few years, I have discovered how rewarding a trip into the unknown - which in my case preferably means a wide open space with no people around me - can be. The thrill of getting out of my comfort zone was something new and intriguing to me, so I was glad to find a lot of theoretical background to my experience in this book.
It is a fine example of popular science writing, combining personal experience with hard data and studies from disciplines such as genetics, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, computational cognitive science, and psychology-and with stories of explorers from ancient times to the present (including my favorite,Adam Shoalts). I agree with the book's main thesis, that "true exploration [...] is hard, and that's a big part of what we love about it," as well as its conclusion:
“My fears about the imminent end of exploration were based on the assumption that blank spots on the map are a finite resource that might someday run out. But I’ve come to appreciate a much broader conception of what counts as a blank spot worth exploring: not just swaths of untrammeled wilderness, or even packs of unopened hockey cards, but obscure corners of my neighborhood, and unexpected career opportunities, and unfamiliar cuisines. The trajectory of adulthood is toward ever greater efficiency, narrower focus, and well-worn routines that make each day more and more similar to the last. Exploration is the antihabit, the antidote to a diminished palette of life choices. We’re wired to seek out the unknown, to embrace the challenges we find there, and to find meaning in the pursuit.”
Thanks to the publisher, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
It is a fine example of popular science writing, combining personal experience with hard data and studies from disciplines such as genetics, evolutionary biology, neuroscience, computational cognitive science, and psychology-and with stories of explorers from ancient times to the present (including my favorite,Adam Shoalts). I agree with the book's main thesis, that "true exploration [...] is hard, and that's a big part of what we love about it," as well as its conclusion:
“My fears about the imminent end of exploration were based on the assumption that blank spots on the map are a finite resource that might someday run out. But I’ve come to appreciate a much broader conception of what counts as a blank spot worth exploring: not just swaths of untrammeled wilderness, or even packs of unopened hockey cards, but obscure corners of my neighborhood, and unexpected career opportunities, and unfamiliar cuisines. The trajectory of adulthood is toward ever greater efficiency, narrower focus, and well-worn routines that make each day more and more similar to the last. Exploration is the antihabit, the antidote to a diminished palette of life choices. We’re wired to seek out the unknown, to embrace the challenges we find there, and to find meaning in the pursuit.”
Thanks to the publisher, Mariner Books, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.
September 21, 2025
My boss read this on a long-haul pane trip and thought I’d enjoy it and I did! The author has a great foundation to be writing it, having done his doctorate and familiar with reading research articles, which forms the basis for much of the book. The book is very readable though, placing it on the side of popular science I enjoy, i.e. not too dumbed down even if it requires me to read carefully to grasp some of the points.
In many of the chapters, there are key research ideas that provide the guts of the content, which is then illustrated with personal and/or historical anecdotes that help tell the story. I certainly remember some of these stories well – the Polynesian and central American migrations, Canadian and Australian continental exploration, the Danish (?) speedskater – although I can’t necessarily recall which research points were associated with these.
Why do we explore then? Genetics plays a part – our brains are wired to find solvable challenges to remain interested and avoid boredom, but not unsolvable ones which are frustration. Why should we explore? Trying new things provides options which can then be winnowed down to those which will provide the best chance of a good outcome. When should we stop exploring? Before getting lost, although this might be harder than it looks, and some of us might be more inclined to stay lost in the process of exploring rather than finishing one of the paths.
I found this a very practical book, although because I am currently in a research-oriented role, and consider myself naturally curious, I may have a bias toward this kind of book. For me, strategies to manage my curiosity were useful, but I suspect there is advice for some who need to become more curious that would be useful also. I will be looking for a copy I can hold onto!
In many of the chapters, there are key research ideas that provide the guts of the content, which is then illustrated with personal and/or historical anecdotes that help tell the story. I certainly remember some of these stories well – the Polynesian and central American migrations, Canadian and Australian continental exploration, the Danish (?) speedskater – although I can’t necessarily recall which research points were associated with these.
Why do we explore then? Genetics plays a part – our brains are wired to find solvable challenges to remain interested and avoid boredom, but not unsolvable ones which are frustration. Why should we explore? Trying new things provides options which can then be winnowed down to those which will provide the best chance of a good outcome. When should we stop exploring? Before getting lost, although this might be harder than it looks, and some of us might be more inclined to stay lost in the process of exploring rather than finishing one of the paths.
I found this a very practical book, although because I am currently in a research-oriented role, and consider myself naturally curious, I may have a bias toward this kind of book. For me, strategies to manage my curiosity were useful, but I suspect there is advice for some who need to become more curious that would be useful also. I will be looking for a copy I can hold onto!
July 19, 2025
"The trajectory of adulthood is toward ever greater efficiency, narrower focus, and well-worn routines that make each day more and more similar to the last. Exploration is the antihabit, the antidote to a diminished palette of life choices"
Why do we explore? What do we gain? And how do we nurture this element of our humanity in a world that increasingly demands less of it? Alex Hutchinson attempts to rigorously answer these questions in his new book. The substance is very intuitive: exploring is good but sometimes you also have to exploit what you already have/know instead; there are cognitive and often tangible benefits when one puts the effort into exploring; natural behaviours like play are forms of exploration and efficiently help us learn and grow so should be nurtured. The scientific and anthropological research Hutchinson drew on was also very interesting, lots of cool little tidbits there. I knocked off a star because the presentation felt inaccessible at times. Mind you I read this very late at night after my kids fell asleep so maybe this is simply a reflection of my own mental state. But I often had to remind myself what certain jargon meant in order to follow the thorough treatment of what were usually simple ideas. Which is good, it's good to be thorough, not to water down the science. At the same time I wouldn't broadly recommend this book to anyone as I do with Hutchinson's earlier work "Endure". "The Explorer's Gene" is more geared to a niche audience that loves scientific rigour and is interested in the mechanics of a theory rather than the Cole's Notes. If that's you, I definitely recommend this book.
Why do we explore? What do we gain? And how do we nurture this element of our humanity in a world that increasingly demands less of it? Alex Hutchinson attempts to rigorously answer these questions in his new book. The substance is very intuitive: exploring is good but sometimes you also have to exploit what you already have/know instead; there are cognitive and often tangible benefits when one puts the effort into exploring; natural behaviours like play are forms of exploration and efficiently help us learn and grow so should be nurtured. The scientific and anthropological research Hutchinson drew on was also very interesting, lots of cool little tidbits there. I knocked off a star because the presentation felt inaccessible at times. Mind you I read this very late at night after my kids fell asleep so maybe this is simply a reflection of my own mental state. But I often had to remind myself what certain jargon meant in order to follow the thorough treatment of what were usually simple ideas. Which is good, it's good to be thorough, not to water down the science. At the same time I wouldn't broadly recommend this book to anyone as I do with Hutchinson's earlier work "Endure". "The Explorer's Gene" is more geared to a niche audience that loves scientific rigour and is interested in the mechanics of a theory rather than the Cole's Notes. If that's you, I definitely recommend this book.
June 21, 2025
I’d give it a 3.5 star. First of all, the positives. I love reading about exploring - that’s why I picked up the book in the first place. It’s hard to go wrong discussing the joys of discovering something new. And I definitely appreciated that Hutchinson made clear that the important part is that it’s new to you. If you’ve never run more than 5km in your life, running a marathon is an exploration. If you’re Kipchoge you know you can run a marathon, that’s no exploration. Instead, Kipchoge explores by seeing if he can run sub 2 hours.
It was certainly interesting applying theories and thought experiments related to exploring in the traditional sense to exploring in every day life, although I feel like the combined use of studies and anecdotes didn’t quite work for me.
The biggest negative I had from this book was that I didn’t have a good sense of what it’s trying to be - is it promoting exploration? Is it promoting a balance between exploration and exploitation? Is it critiquing the new world of social media? It was a bit too jumbled and therefore hard to get too invested in, but overall the content was good enough to earn a 3.5.
It was certainly interesting applying theories and thought experiments related to exploring in the traditional sense to exploring in every day life, although I feel like the combined use of studies and anecdotes didn’t quite work for me.
The biggest negative I had from this book was that I didn’t have a good sense of what it’s trying to be - is it promoting exploration? Is it promoting a balance between exploration and exploitation? Is it critiquing the new world of social media? It was a bit too jumbled and therefore hard to get too invested in, but overall the content was good enough to earn a 3.5.
April 19, 2025
I loved Alex Hutchinson's previous book, Endure. As a runner, that book gave me so much interesting information that I found personally relevant.
This book isn't as directly linked to me -- though data and probabilities have been important to my career. With respect to the book's big topic, I'm not much of an explorer. However, this was not critical as the book is well written and also has a lot of interesting information - starting with the stories about the islands of the South Pacific, and much later with the stories about Etienne Brule and Joseph Campbell.
The book covers the main topic of exploring very well. Alex also reviews the psychology and physiology of risk taking, in general. Of all the books I have read, I think that this one uses the word hippocampus more than any other.
Alex is a very good science writer. He does a wonderful job of explaining the science behind many of the concepts/issues. He supports his work with numerous references to studies and/or history books.
The Explorer's Gene is a great read for anyone interested in these topics.
This book isn't as directly linked to me -- though data and probabilities have been important to my career. With respect to the book's big topic, I'm not much of an explorer. However, this was not critical as the book is well written and also has a lot of interesting information - starting with the stories about the islands of the South Pacific, and much later with the stories about Etienne Brule and Joseph Campbell.
The book covers the main topic of exploring very well. Alex also reviews the psychology and physiology of risk taking, in general. Of all the books I have read, I think that this one uses the word hippocampus more than any other.
Alex is a very good science writer. He does a wonderful job of explaining the science behind many of the concepts/issues. He supports his work with numerous references to studies and/or history books.
The Explorer's Gene is a great read for anyone interested in these topics.
March 23, 2025
Thank you to Mariner publishers for my #gifted copy. My opinions are my own.
Exploration of the unknown is as human as is the search for stability--after all, it's how we spread to cover the planet (and keep spreading). Alex Hutchinson is a natural explorer, not only of the physical world but also of new fields of study, and in branching out from his previous book--Endure--to explore new areas of study, the idea of the dual attractions of "explore" and "exploit" what has already been found intrigued him. He spends this work explaining why uncertainty is so alluring--why the call of the unknown pulls at us in so many areas of our lives. But he also gets at the root of what exploration really is, what we are seeking in our exploration, and how we can do it better. I found his prose to be engaging, sprinkled as it was with equal parts research and anecdote. This is not only a fascinating read, but an eminently giftable one.
Exploration of the unknown is as human as is the search for stability--after all, it's how we spread to cover the planet (and keep spreading). Alex Hutchinson is a natural explorer, not only of the physical world but also of new fields of study, and in branching out from his previous book--Endure--to explore new areas of study, the idea of the dual attractions of "explore" and "exploit" what has already been found intrigued him. He spends this work explaining why uncertainty is so alluring--why the call of the unknown pulls at us in so many areas of our lives. But he also gets at the root of what exploration really is, what we are seeking in our exploration, and how we can do it better. I found his prose to be engaging, sprinkled as it was with equal parts research and anecdote. This is not only a fascinating read, but an eminently giftable one.
March 30, 2025
The Explorer's Gene examines human exploration broadly, going beyond traditional expeditions to investigate why humans explore everything from new foods to music.
The Explorer's Gene is made of 3 parts:
1) Why do we explore
2) How we explore
3) What does exploring mean
Written in an engaging style that combines narrative stories with scientific research, it's comparable to Malcolm Gladwell's work but with stronger research foundations.
It has a comprehensive scope and accessibility. It investigates human and animal exploratory behavior.
The book connects external exploration to internal growth, offering insights into decision-making and personal development.
It blends entertainment and scientific rigor, appealing to readers interested in human behavior, science writing, and self-discovery.
Disclosure: The publisher sent me an ARC, and I interviewed the author on my WanderLearn Show.
The Explorer's Gene is made of 3 parts:
1) Why do we explore
2) How we explore
3) What does exploring mean
Written in an engaging style that combines narrative stories with scientific research, it's comparable to Malcolm Gladwell's work but with stronger research foundations.
It has a comprehensive scope and accessibility. It investigates human and animal exploratory behavior.
The book connects external exploration to internal growth, offering insights into decision-making and personal development.
It blends entertainment and scientific rigor, appealing to readers interested in human behavior, science writing, and self-discovery.
Disclosure: The publisher sent me an ARC, and I interviewed the author on my WanderLearn Show.
May 14, 2025
La verdad es que sabía que este libro iba a ser muy atinado para el momento y no falló.
Se sintió como una clase de un profesor muy bueno. Había explicaciones, anécdotas propias del autor pero también muchas exploraciones históricas y de exploradores reales, muchos experimentos explicados y utilizados para entender mejor.
Una idea que es de las últimas que comparte y que se me ha quedado: no lo sabemos todo y hay que tener más sed por explorar. Me encanta lo que reconoce: está en nuestra esencia como hombres el explorar, el deseo de más.
BONUS: termina hablando de los deseos
Son bastante interesante todos los experimentos y descubrimientos recientes, sobre todo el de la dopamina y nuestra sociedad que está motivada por cumplir metas y conquistar.
Algo que me gustó mucho de este libro es que cita información muy actualizada.
¡Ya lo quiero leer otra vez!
Se sintió como una clase de un profesor muy bueno. Había explicaciones, anécdotas propias del autor pero también muchas exploraciones históricas y de exploradores reales, muchos experimentos explicados y utilizados para entender mejor.
Una idea que es de las últimas que comparte y que se me ha quedado: no lo sabemos todo y hay que tener más sed por explorar. Me encanta lo que reconoce: está en nuestra esencia como hombres el explorar, el deseo de más.
BONUS: termina hablando de los deseos
Son bastante interesante todos los experimentos y descubrimientos recientes, sobre todo el de la dopamina y nuestra sociedad que está motivada por cumplir metas y conquistar.
Algo que me gustó mucho de este libro es que cita información muy actualizada.
¡Ya lo quiero leer otra vez!
August 9, 2025
I discovered this book after listening to Alex Hutchinson speak on Rich Roll's podcast, and I would say that it is a worthwhile read! The first section of the book dives into the evolution of exploration and how different exploratory-genes appear in a variety of animals. This was not so interesting for me. But the later - more gripping - half applies the explore-exploit dilemma to modern life, detailing some great expeditions in human history and whether exploration still exists in the 21st century. I would have enjoyed a few more chapters that go into specifics on how to live a life that prioritizes exploration over comfort, helping the reader apply the book to their own life.
May 21, 2025
4.0 stars. Physicist, journalist, runner Hutchinson chose not to exploit the success of his bestseller Endure with a sequel on endurance sports. He went a different direction, as the subtitle of this book says, to explore why we seek new challenges. From ancient to contemporary explorers, he discusses how genes, the quest to map the world, the rewards of effort and play are part of the mix. Very well-written, like Hutchinson's previous books and Sweat Science articles. I will be thinking about finding a balance between explore and exploit for a long time.
July 12, 2025
I am an outdoors person with a good bit of exploring in my background, while also being someone who appreciates scientific research. However, I was fairly bored reading this book and found the narrative on research studies to be very laborious to read. I hope I never hear again about a "multi-arm bandit" study. There is a bit of interesting history on past explorers but not enough to keep me engaged for long. It took far too long to read this book after a fantastic opening chapter about his adventure in a remote Canadian wilderness with his wife and children.
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