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In a Good Place

How the Spaces Where We Live, Work, and Play Can Help Us Thrive

Coming Soon

Contributors

By Leidy Klotz, PhD

Formats and Prices

On Sale
Apr 28, 2026
Page Count
272 pages
Publisher
Little Brown Spark
ISBN-13
9780316567367

Price

$29.00

Price

$39.00 CAD

Format

Format:

  1. Hardcover $29.00 $39.00 CAD
  2. ebook $15.99 $20.99 CAD

The physical spaces we inhabit impact us so much more than we realize. From home to work and everywhere in between, learn how to get more out of your spaces, and yourself.  

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

Weaving together lessons ranging from ancient monuments to modern office layouts, from the backyard where we once played and explored to the college dorm where we forged lifelong bonds, behavioral scientist Leidy Klotz illuminates how our physical environment determines our habits, our relationships, and even who we are. Readers learn:
  • How physical spaces build the very skills that our screens erode
  • How to perform as well in neutral territory as we do on our “home turf”
  • Why some office layouts invite conversation and others kill it
  • How to tell if a design choice will stand the test of time
  • How navigating a new place primes your brain for learning
  • What physical spaces teach us about drawing emotional boundaries 
  • How places can keep memories alive
  • And much more

Whether you’re picking a venue for your next birthday party, renovating your kitchen, or deciding which neighborhood to move to, Klotz provides the scientific grounding and practical wisdom for creating spaces that foster genuine belonging.

  • “Leidy Klotz provides a fascinating exploration of an overlooked idea: The spaces in which you live and work really matter! I came away bursting with new ideas about improving the spaces in my own life.”
    Cal Newport, New York Times bestselling author of Deep Work, Digital Minimalism, and Slow Productivity
  • In a Good Place changes how you see the rooms, streets, and shared spaces of your life, and what they make possible. Blending rigorous science with lived experience, Leidy Klotz creates a clear, generous guide to shaping spaces that support us in living well."
    Ingrid Fetell Lee, Author of Joyful: The Surprising Power of Ordinary Things to Create Extraordinary Happiness; founder of The Aesthetics of Joy
  • “Our ancestors read landscapes for survival. Now we scroll through phones in climate-controlled rooms and wonder why we’re anxious. In a Good Place gives us the tools to reconnect with our physical world. With science, clarity, and practical wisdom, Leidy Klotz reveals territory no one else has explored. This is a genuinely original and important book.”
    Michael Easter, New York Times bestselling author of The Comfort Crisis and Scarcity Brain; author of the Two Percent newsletter
  • “I loved this book from the very first page. Its powerful insights into how the spaces we inhabit shape our well-being and sense of belonging offer a fresh new perspective for leaders and educators alike. Combining research with practical advice, Leidy Klotz makes the invisible influence of our environments accessible and actionable. For anyone who wants to create spaces where people can truly thrive, In a Good Place is the perfect guide.”
    Amy C. Edmondson, author of Right Kind of Wrong and The Fearless Organization; Novartis Professor of Leadership at Harvard Business School
  • "Leidy Klotz [...] changes the world you live in, revealing opportunities you didn’t even know were there."
    Jonathan Barzilay, Chief Operating Officer, PBS

Leidy Klotz, PhD

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.
 

Learn more about this author