Time for another book review! Today, I’ll cover Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don’t Know by Adam Grant and how its lessons can help you get a shorter federal prison term. This book hit home for me because it emphasizes the value of rethinking your assumptions, something I’ve found to be essential to get the best outcome possible, including a shorter sentence and earlier release from federal prison.
In Think Again, Grant talks about the importance of intellectual humility—recognizing that you don’t have all the answers and being willing to question your own beliefs, presuming you actually want a shorter prison term! For anyone facing sentencing, this mindset is essential. It means accessing your actions, letting go of excuses, and being open to feedback from others.
Grant explains that many people fall into one of three unproductive roles: the preacher (who insists they’re right), the prosecutor (who blames others (that was me!!), or the politician (who tries to say the right thing to look good). Embracing either of these three roles will lead to a longer federal prison term and more time in federal prison. Instead, Grant encourages you to embrace intellectual humility, which means accepting that you might be wrong and being open to exploring new ideas.
One story in the book that really stood out was about the 1949 Mann Gulch wildfire. Firefighters tragically lost their lives because they stuck to their training, holding onto their tools when they should have dropped them to run faster. I see this as a clear metaphor for someone preparing for sentencing. You might be holding onto a version of events or a defense strategy that’s slowing you down, when in reality, you need to adapt and rethink your approach.
Think Again also stresses learning from your mistakes, which is key when preparing for sentencing. You can’t afford to cling to outdated beliefs or place blame elsewhere. Your Judge, I promise you, wants to see someone who’s taken responsibility for their actions and is willing to grow from them. The book encourages you to think about your past decisions as outdated software—you need to upgrade your approach to get the best outcome possible.
One of the biggest traps is overconfidence, and I’ve seen it time and again (including in my own case.) They think they know how the court will respond or believe they’ve done enough to prepare. Grant explains how cognitive entrenchment—sticking to old beliefs despite new information—can blind you to better opportunities. Being overconfident about your sentencing strategy can result in missed chances to show the court why you are a candidate for leniency.
Defensiveness is another pitfall Grant warns about. It’s natural to want to defend yourself when facing criticism, but being defensive signals to the court that you haven’t fully accepted responsibility. We have always advised clients to separate their egos from their actions and own their mistakes without excuses.
Finally, Grant talks about the value of listening to feedback from others, whether it’s your attorney, our team, family members. This can be tough, but vital if you want to approach your sentencing properly. Grant’s story about Daryl Davis, an African American man who convinced over 200 Ku Klux Klan members to leave the organization, shows how powerful listening and asking the right questions can be. When you listen and rethink your approach, you allow yourself the chance to grow.
In short, Think Again offers lessons that can help you rethink your approach to sentencing. It’s not just about admitting guilt—it’s about showing the court that you’ve reflectedon your actions, learned from them, and are committed to doing the work (and not just talking about it). By embracing intellectual humility, letting go of defensiveness, and being open to feedback, you prepare yourself to get the best outcome possible at every stage.
As you prepare for sentencing, ask yourself: Are you holding onto outdated beliefs or strategies that no longer serve you? What can you rethink to approach this process with honesty, responsibility, and “individual humility?”
Justin Paperny
P.S. Here is a link to our government investigation course, which I reference in this podcast.
