Full Stack Human: The Mindset Upgrade You Need to Stay Human in a World Ruled by Technology
https://www.fullstackhumanbook.com/
Authors: Dara Simkin & Tāne Hunter
Publisher: Wiley Australia
Publication date: 25 February 2026
If you feel fried, frazzled or one minor inconvenience away from moving into a cave, you’re not alone. We’re living through the most complex moment in human history with a nervous system designed for the African savannah.
Turns out combining ancient biology, archaic institutions and superhuman technology is a recipe for a mental operating system meltdown.
Here’s the truth: You’re not broken. Your brain wasn’t built for this.
Full Stack Human: The Mindset Upgrade You Need to Stay Human in a World Ruled by Technology (Wiley Australia, Feb 2026) is a smart, subversive and surprisingly actionable field guide for staying human when the world won’t stop updating.
Written by Australia’s leading voice in play at work Dara Simkin, and systems scientist and world-class communicator Tāne Hunter, Full Stack Human puts the power of possibility back in our hands at a time when we need it most.
Rather than another manual promising productivity hacks and ‘self-optimisation’, Full Stack Human shows readers how to rewire their internal operating system. It’s a manifesto for professionals and entrepreneurs who won’t accept being automated into irrelevance.
“It’s not our fault,” says Dara. “We’re running outdated software in an environment our nervous systems weren’t built to handle. When people remember how to play they come alive again. That’s the spark we want readers to reclaim.”
Tāne agrees. “Everywhere we look, the narrative is fear: AI will replace us, the future is bleak, everything is collapsing. But the data tells a different story. Intelligent optimism isn’t soft, it’s a strategic advantage. When you combine neuroscience with imagination and agency, humans become extraordinary.”
Readers will learn how to:
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Understand why their amygdala keeps acting like every email is a threat
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Turn obstacles into adventure through cognitive flexibility
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Break free from achievement addiction and rethink productivity
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Use serious play to spark creativity and resilience
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Build intelligent optimism to counter fear narratives and doomscroll culture
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Unleash radical curiosity for better problem solving, leadership and innovation
Backed by neuroscience, behavioural psychology and stories from the authors’ work with businesses and communities around the world, the book arrives at a moment when the world is scrambling to cope with rapid automation, rising burnout and a culture that mistakes exhaustion for achievement.
Full Stack Human is essential reading for anyone who refuses to sacrifice their humanity for success.
Dara and Tane are available for radio interviews, media interviews, podcast interviews and article contributions.
About us:
Dara Simkin is Australia’s leading voice in play at work and the founder of Culture Hero, a learning experience design consultancy specialising in evidence-based play interventions that strengthen organisational adaptability, collaboration and human capability in an era defined by rapid technological change. Having spent more than a decade designing experiential learning for organisations across tech, finance, healthcare, retail and the public sector, her applied research with RMIT University's Behavioural Business Lab on Playful Work Design has demonstrated measurable gains in engagement, belonging and learning adaptability in enterprise. Her work is shaped by collaborations with pioneers like Dr Stuart Brown of the National Institute for Play, IDEO's Play Lab and a beloved global toy foundation, helping to grow recognition that play is not frivolous but a core mechanism for resilience, creativity and adaptive thinking. Dara is an ADHD advocate and passionate improviser.
Tāne Hunter is a systems scientist, world-class science communicator and founder of Future Crunch, a thought leadership and research company that explores the frontiers of science and technology. He is a former cancer researcher who traded the lab for a front-row seat to the future, having worked at the Melbourne Royal Children’s Hospital diagnosing rare genetic diseases and at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre using AI to improve cancer treatment. Through ongoing research and 500+ keynotes worldwide, he connects these breakthrough discoveries to their rippling effects across society, business and the global economy. His work shows that solving our biggest challenges isn't about better technology—it's about better choices at the intersection of human ingenuity, collaboration and the tools we build. He is the co-founder of Fix the News, a global evidence-based good-news platform read in over 190 countries. Tāne is also a former professional mountain biker and avid sailor.
Together they bring more than 25 years of combined experience across systems thinking, organisational and behavioural psychology, innovation and science communication.
Contact details:
MEDIA CONTACT: Erin Huckle, [email protected] / 0432 213 506
