A road map for rewiring our brains to unlearn harmful beliefs, heal broken bonds, and transform our communities

“An intimate text on how we really change, deep underneath it all. Give this book to everyone you love who is stuck in a heartbreaking worldview.”—adrienne maree brown, author of Loving Corrections and Emergent Strategy

FINALIST FOR THE PUBLISHING TRIANGLE'S AMBER HOLLIBAUGH AWARD FOR LGBTQ+ SOCIAL JUSTICE WRITING (2026)

The beliefs that hold us back—inherited prejudices, self-limiting thoughts, destructive patterns—often feel permanent. But what if they're not? In Radical Unlearning, you’ll learn about how neuroplasticity—the brain's ability to form new neural pathways—plays a key role in how we learn (and unlearn) behaviors and biases. Journalist and activist Lewis Raven Wallace likens the process to how footpaths are created by countless people walking the same route over years. We can choose to disrupt existing neural connections, to create new paths that lead to meaningful change.

Weaving personal stories with scientific research, Wallace shows how anyone can break free from harmful patterns and beliefs, no matter how deeply ingrained. This book invites you to begin your own unlearning journey with practical exercises and reflection questions. It includes insights from people who have fundamentally changed their worldviews such as:

• A former white nationalist who is now a transgender anti-racist activist
• An ex-Israeli soldier who has transformed into a radical anti-Zionist advocate
• Wallace’s own grandmother, who overcame decades of racism and transphobia in her 80s

Our mental patterns don't just affect us—they shape how we treat others and form the foundation of larger social problems. Radical Unlearning is a road map for collective healing and growth, proof that transformation flourishes in community. With this book, you'll learn how to let go of harmful beliefs and practice new ways of thinking that foster connection, empathy, and justice.