Safe Danger has been named a “Must Read” by Malcolm Gladwell’s Next Big Idea Club!
Curated by bestselling authors Malcolm Gladwell, Adam Grant, Susan Cain, and Daniel Pink, and ranging from psychology to creativity, from business to happiness, the Next Big Idea Club selects books that cover material that is science-based, groundbreaking, and truly life-changing.
Praise for Ben Swire’s Safe Danger.
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"Safe Danger is a blueprint for building cultures where connection and creativity become the norm—not the exception. With the insight of a designer and the heart of a humanist, Ben Swire shows how small risks can lead to big breakthroughs—in teams, in culture, and in ourselves."
Tim Brown
Author of Change by Design and
Chair of IDEO -
"A must-read for any human at work. With a mix of humor, psychology, and real-world exercises, this warm and witty book teaches you how to take small, fun, manageable risks that help you build trust, unlock creativity, and reconnect with what excites you."
Mollie West Duffy
Bestselling co-author of No Hard Feelings: The Secret Power of Embracing Emotions at Work -
"I didn’t expect a book about risk to be so fun. But I guess that’s exactly the point! Safe Danger doesn’t just lay out the facts and tell you why taking small risks matters—it actually gives you an experience and makes you feel it."
Jad Abumrad
Creator of Radiolab, More Perfect, and Dolly Parton’s America -
“If I know anything, it is that people can only do their best work when they are connected and trust each other. Safe Danger takes what we dismiss as 'just fun' and reveals it as the secret to deep, lasting connection. For those who understand the powerful role play brings to impact, Ben Swire has delivered a gift. Leaders who want to cultivate impactful, thriving teams need to get their hands on this book!”
Megan Summers
Global Head of Production, Facebook -
"Safe Danger offers a research-backed roadmap to building more effective teams—showing how small, playful risks can unlock the psychological safety and authentic trust that we all need to thrive."
Laurie Santos
Professor of Psychology at Yale, and host of The Happiness Lab Podcast -
"Ben Swire is one of the most thoughtful creative minds I’ve had the chance to work with—brilliant, disarming, and endlessly curious. In Safe Danger, he captures something quietly radical: the idea that the smallest risks—when approached with care and play—can spark the deepest connections. This book is part toolkit, part manifesto, and entirely heart. It’s a gift to anyone who wants to build trust, fuel purpose, and do work that actually matters. I’ve seen Ben’s methods in action—and I can say from experience, they work."
Matthew Hassett
Founder and CEO of Loftie -
"Delightful and profound, Safe Danger delivers on its provocative title. Author Ben Swire offers a timeless guide to living a fuller and more innovative life while becoming a better leader. With its engaging stories and practical creative activities, this may be one of the most useful management books you will read this year."
Amy Edmondson
Amy C. Edmondson, Novartis Professor of Leadership, Harvard Business School; author of Right Kind of Wrong: The Science of Failing Well, and the person whose work brought the term “psychological safety” into everyday life. -
"Safe Danger is a powerful exploration of the paradoxes that make us human—our craving for safety and our longing for aliveness. With heart, depth, and practical wisdom, this book invites us to expand our comfort zones, not by abandoning security, but by redefining it. A must-read for anyone seeking to grow beyond their fears—and looking for tools that will actually help make it happen."New List Item
Dr. Scott Barry Kaufman
Host of The Psychology Podcast and bestselling author of Transcend.oes here -
"Safe Danger shows us how to use strategic play to superpower both our professional and personal endeavors. Swire has gifted us the playbook for how to play with others to do the best work of your life."
Ryder Carroll
Creator of the Bullet Journal method -
"Our story about risk is getting in the way of creating the future we need. Ben opens the door for teams to come alive, wake up and make an impact."
Seth Godin
Author of This Is Strategy and
This Is Marketing -
"There are no two better words to describe brilliant team cultures than Safe Danger. Ben Swire has captured the essence of what makes great teams great, effective leaders beloved, and innovative companies soar. No platitudes, and all hard and fast advice born from the front lines of creative work."
Todd Henry
Host of the Daily Creative podcast and author of The Accidental Creative and Herding Tigers -
"The world doesn’t need another book about innovation, but it does need this one. Ben’s take is refreshing, logical, and eye opening."
Clayton Ruebensaal
Chief Creative Officer, Comcast -
"A must-read for anyone who’s tired of playing it safe—but also afraid to shake things up. Safe Danger is a beautiful, practical guide to practicing courage in small, meaningful ways. In a world that often demands we stay polished and protected, Ben Swire makes the case for something wilder, more alive: small, playful risks that help us build trust, unlock creativity, and reconnect with what excites us. With wit, wisdom, and a generous spirit, he offers real-world tools for anyone—leaders, creatives, and teams—ready to do brave, transformative work. Read it, use it, and watch your team—and yourself—transform."
Andrea Stangarone
Director of Design Operations, Yahoo! -
"Safe Danger is about more than team-building—it is about the invisible forces that shape our relationships, our creativity, our very sense of belonging. Swire is a brilliant guide, reminding us that risk is not just the domain of thrill-seekers or disruptors but is woven into the fabric of human connection. Through small, playful, intentional acts of courage, we can transform not just our teams, but ourselves."
Jordan Harbinger
Host of The Jordan Harbinger Show -
"Calling all reluctant heroes... Ben Swire’s book, Safe Danger, is an amazing combination of fantastic storytelling, useful advice, and has an authentic practical application element for any leader who is striving to build a great team. I think it would be useful for leaders in a wide variety of fields from Fortune 100 companies, sports teams, and entrepreneurs leading creative people. It’s well done and useful. Buy this. Read it. Apply it. Your future self will thank you for it."
Ryan Hawk
Host of The Learning Leader Show; author of Welcome to Management, The Pursuit of Excellence, and The Score That Matters -
"Safe Danger is a practical roadmap for navigating the emotional fundamentals that lead to workplace transformation. With a mix of playful challenges and sharp insights, Ben Swire shows how small, low-stakes risks can build real trust, unlock creativity, and help teams actually connect (not just pretend to). It’s not just smart—it’s very doable and refreshingly human."
Victoria Lubomski
Senior Director of HR and Global Business Services at Boston Consulting Group (BCG) -
"Creativity blooms when risk and play hold hands. Ben Swire reveals that when we dive joyfully into the things we’re most uncertain about, we can forge deeper connections, ignite fresh ideas, and make surprising discoveries. In Safe Danger, he shows us how."
Alex Gallafent
Executive Director, IDEO -
"True dialogue doesn't begin with risk—it starts with trust. Safe Danger offers a thoughtful, practical approach to building the psychological safety that allows curiosity, connection, and even productive disagreement to flourish. Through creative exercises and compelling storytelling, Ben Swire provides an essential toolkit for anyone looking to spark meaningful growth in their team, classroom, or community."
Eli Woolery
Lecturer in the Design Program at Stanford, and co-host of the Design Better Podcast
