For this week’s picks, I offer you three great reads on the theme of Uncertainty:

1. UNCERTAINTY: Turning Fear and Doubt Into Fuel for Brilliance: This is a terrific new book by my friend Jonathan Fields: thinker, writer, blogger, and mensch. Jonathan tells his own story of uncertainty — how he gave up a generous income as a Wall Street lawyer at one of the most powerful firms in the country, to make $12 an hour as a personal trainer, and later — with a wife and newborn baby to support — to launch a successful yoga center in NYC. But his own story is only the starting point — this book is chock full of research, anecdotes of other “fear alchemists,” and exercises you can use to walk through your own fear. Jonathan is a charming and engaging writer who somehow manages to make fear fun. Check out the book trailer, above.

2. The Silent Crowd: Overcoming Your Fear of Public Speaking, by Sam Harris: This is the most brilliant essay I have ever read on overcoming the fear of public speaking. And I’ve read a LOT of them. I also enjoyed seeing Sam Harris, who is known for his abstract, big-think style, direct his mighty intellect into such a confessional and compassionate piece.

3. Easily Embarrassed? Study Finds People Will Trust You More: Here’s a new piece from Science Daily on a line of research I’ve been following for a while: why embarrassment is nothing to be embarrassed about. People prone to this emotion have been found to be more trustworthy, generous, and even monogamous!

Have a wonderful weekend.