From home to work and everywhere in between, behavioral scientist Leidy Klotz demonstrates that a thriving inner world requires thoughtful engagement with our surroundings. Our physical environment determines our habits, feelings, and relationships in ways that we don’t often consider, until now. In a Good Place offers new practical wisdom, backed by Klotz's research and rigorous insight, to help us live happily and productively in space.

Immersing readers in locations from beach huts to modern offices, from the backyard where we once played to the college dorm where we forged lifelong bonds, he illuminates how consciously connecting with our physical spaces can increase our mental wellness.

So many books address how to live a good life. This one is about where.

Klotz recently took time to tell us more about the book, and some other books that have influenced his work. 

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Porchlight Book Company: Writing a book is no small undertaking. What compelled you to write this one?

Leidy Klotz: I have a career I love and tenure, which means I can set an idealistic goal for my books: to share ideas that are new, true, and important. “True” means supported by science and reason. “New” means there’s something to say that hasn’t been said before. “Important” means readers can use these ideas to make their lives better.

For In a Good Place, the newest, truest, and most important thing I felt I could work on was the following:

“When we want to improve ourselves, we look inward—to feelings, meditation apps, and therapy. When we want to improve our spaces, we look outward—to paint colors and tile patterns, or even the quality of light and air.

We treat mind and matter as distinct problems requiring distinct solutions. And in doing so, we fail to imagine how improving our surroundings could enhance our minds, or ways in which we might use our minds to improve our surroundings.”

Filling that gap is what compelled me to write this book.

PBC: If there is only one thing a reader takes away from reading this book, what would you hope it to be?

LK: I hope readers realize that they have more agency than they thought—to not only shape their physical surroundings, but to do so in the ways that matter most to their wellbeing.

PBC: What is one unanswered question you encountered as you wrote the book that you are most interested in answering now?

LK: We seem to appreciate that our homes and offices affect our lives in a big way. But it still seems like we have a knowledge-to-action gap when it comes to actually doing something about these spaces where we spend our lives.

PBC: One of the great things about books is that they tend to lead readers to other books. What book[s] related to this topic would you recommend people read after (or perhaps even before) reading your book?

LK: Everyone reading this should read Joyful by Ingrid Fettell Lee and The Extended Mind by Annie Murphy Paul. Both are a rare combination of new, true, and important at the intersection of psychology and design. And both are beautifully written, in very different ways.

PBC: What is your personal favorite book? 

LK: I have so many favorite books, depending on my mood and the context. When I think “Porchlight Bulk Buy,” I think Made to Stick by Dan and Chip Heath. That book transformed my life and career when I encountered it, and I teach it to hundreds of students each year. If you communicate, or want to, you need to read that book.

PBC: What are you reading now?

LK: I just finished Bittersweet by Susan Cain. I realize it didn’t exactly fly under the radar, but I think it should get even more attention than it has. It’s not an easy idea to read about, but doing so with Susan as a guide has changed how I think about life and happiness and fulfillment. So many books put into words what we already knew to be true. Bittersweet shook up my entire mental model of life, in the best way possible.

(Editor's Note: To dive deeper, watch our Managing Director Sally Haldorson in conversation with Susan Cain about the book.)

PBC: Do you have any future projects in the works that we can look forward to?

LK: I’m devoting this year to spreading the word about In a Good Place and my last book, Subtract. That looks like a lot of speaking, podcasts, reader’s groups, etc… I used to think of these things as outreach, but they’re also an amazing learning opportunity for me. (I have several ideas for my next big writing project but am not letting myself choose a direction until 2027 at the earliest.)

About the Author

Leidy Klotz is a behavioral scientist and engineering professor at the University of Virginia who studies how and why humans design. He has written for the Washington Post, Fast Company, Scientific American, and Harvard Business Review; has published his work in top journals like Nature and Science; and has been interviewed on Hidden Brain, Freakonomics, Mindscape, and The Atlantic’s How to Build a Happy Life. Klotz has advised clients ranging from the Departments of Energy and Homeland Security to CapitalOne and Amazon. You can follow him online on LinkedIn, Substack, and at leidyklotz.com.