Epstein
Barker
Screenshot 2026-04-09 at 10.31.34 PM
Join us for an in-person & virtual
Live Talks Los Angeles event:
Tuesday, May 12, 2026, 8pm
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David Epstein
in conversation with Eric Barker

discussing his book,
Inside the Box:
How Constraints Make Us Better

 

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Glorya Kaufman Performing Arts Center
at Vista Del Mar
3200 Motor Avenue
Los Angeles, CA 90034
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PURCHASE IN-PERSON EVENT TICKETS
Tuesday, May 12, 8pm
$50 General Admission ticket + signed book
$25 General Admission tickets

PURCHASE VIRTUAL EVENT TICKETS (US Orders Only)
Tuesday, May 19, 6pm PT/9pm ET
$48 Virtual Admission + signed book (includes shipping to US addresses only). Includes access to watch the event on May 19 at 6pm PT/9pm ET and on video-on-demand for five days.

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How do we do more with less? From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Range, why limits are the key to stimulating creativity, innovation, collaboration, and personal contentment.
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David Epstein
is the author of the number one New York Times bestseller Range and the New York Times bestseller The Sports Gene. He has master’s degrees in environmental science and journalism and has worked as a senior writer for Sports Illustrated and as an investigative reporter for ProPublica.

Eric Barker is the author of The Wall Street Journal bestseller Barking Up the Wrong Tree, which has been translated into 19 languages and was even the subject of a question on “Jeopardy!” Over 500,000 people have subscribed to his newsletter. His work has been covered by The New York Times, The Atlantic, The Financial Times, and others. Eric has given talks at the Aspen Ideas Festival, Google, the United States Military Central Command (CENTCOM), the Olympic Training Center and the National Security Agency. His latest bestseller, Plays Well with Others, was released by HarperCollins in May of 2022.
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“David Epstein is one of my favorite writers, and Inside the Box is my favorite of his books—wonderfully personal, blessedly practical, full of stories I found myself retelling. A gift for anyone who, like me, needs to be reminded that less can be more.”—Angela Duckworth, bestselling author of Grit
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We live in a world that gives us seemingly infinite choices and prizes freedom above all else. We have an unprecedented number of options regarding what to do, who to be, and how to spend our time. All that choice is wonderful; it is also overwhelming. The irony is that total freedom can be paralyzing, and unlimited resources don’t necessarily lead to the biggest breakthroughs. In fact, overvaluing complete freedom can be disastrous for everything from starting a company to harnessing creativity to finding personal satisfaction.
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David Epstein argues that all of us—individuals, businesses, institutions, even societies—can benefit from narrowing our options. He dives into the science and practice of constraints, exploring exactly when and how guardrails can be beneficial, whether we’re working with limited resources or using self-imposed boundaries to tap unexpected wells of focus and innovation.
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Original, galvanizing, and deeply researched, Inside the Box tells absorbing stories of people and organizations that embraced constraints to transform themselves, and the world—as well as a few that struggled from a lack of limits. Epstein reveals how boundaries create breakthroughs, and how setting the right constraints can help you become the most creative, productive, and satisfied version of yourself.