By Virginia Ironside
http://www.amazon.com/Youre-Old-Im-Get-Used/dp/B004J8HY9O/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296958063&sr=1-1
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
There are no footnotes, no references, no further readings. This book is all Virginia Ironside, and it is delightful.
If you’re over 50, you’ll love this book. It is full of amusing little stories — just short vignettes with which you will quickly identify.
Ironside is a story teller. In her section on “Public Speaking” (now, I wonder how I discovered that section!), “The prospect of reciting ‘To Autumn’ by Keats at a school concert when I was young reduced me to a gibbering wreck. My palms sweated, my legs trembled, my heart thundered and I felt sick. Now — I can hardly bear to admit this — if anyone asks who would like to deliver a eulogy at a funeral, I feel my hand shooting up before they’ve even got the words out. . . “ (p. 51).
On “Exercise” Ironside writes, “My exercise routing involves getting out of bed, going downstairs, having a bath, going upstairs to sit at a computer, going downstairs for a cup of coffee, and occasionally walking to my car. . . “ (p. 66).
What I especially liked is not just the great writing, the directness Ironside has with readers, her honesty and straightforwardness, her willingness to self-disclose with abandon, but the great quotations she incorporates throughout the book.
She quoted Kingsley Amis who, “on being asked at seventy whether he had sex, replied that he was delighted when his libido vanished because he suddenly realized that for sixty years he’d been ‘chained to an idiot.’”
She quoted Logan Pearsall Smith, lexicographer, who said, “Another sunny day! Thank God I don’t have to go out and enjoy it!”
She quoted John Barrymore, who said, “Die? Certainly not. No Barrymore would allow such a conventional thing to happen to him.”
She quoted Eleanor Roosevelt, who said, “Beautiful young people are accidents of nature but beautiful old people are works of art.”
She quoted Francis Bacon (along with three others at the beginning of Chapter 17, “Time,”), who said, “I will never be an old man. For me old age is always fifteen years older than I am.”
Besides the numerous quotations scattered throughout the book (and there are nearly one or two per page), each chapter also begins with a well-chosen quotation or poem. Those scattered throughout the book are so neatly incorporated, so quietly and elegantly subsumed by her narrative, that they simply add to the attractiveness and glow of what Ironside writes.
I have never really thought of myself as “old.” And yet, when I read Ironside’s musings about ailments, memory, confidence, spare time, death, sex, recession, work, downsizing, looks, young people, travel, funerals, boring for Britain, alone again, old friends, time, never again, wisdom, and grandchildren (all of her chapter titles), I realize (a sudden, uncontrollable, internal yell!), “Holy Shit, I AM old!” This material is entertaining simply because Ironside is so witty, charming, endearing, and cool. (My mother never liked reading anything about getting old, because it reminded her too much of her stage of life. I find such writing illuminating and supportive — just like the last portion of Ironside’s book title: “Get Used to It!”
My wife and I have taken ten cruises. This is what Ironside says about cruises: “ . . . the rub about cruises and old people is that so many other oldies have the same idea. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to be trapped on a floating prison with dozens of people with crutches all over the place . . .” (p. 134). She continued in another paragraph, this quotation put into brackets: “(I also don’t want, incidentally, to sleep in a room the size of a small coffin in a bed the size of a schoolgirl’s pencil case, nor do I especially want to learn Flower Arranging on the lower deck portside on Friday afternoon, not indulge in Scarf-Tying Class on Monday morning in the Royal Tea Lounge on the Promenade Deck . . .” (p. 134). My wife and I don’t attend the ship’s activities either. What we like on the cruises we take are 1) excursions, 2) time to relax and read, 3) great food that my wife doesn’t have to think about or cook, and 4) moderately good entertainment (sometimes even outstanding). What makes this book fun is reading about another person’s impressions. The world is full of characters, and Ironside, for all her warmth and charm, is truly a character.
There is no question that Ironside celebrates the great things about being old. Look, for example, about how she describes getting ready for a funeral: “Arranging a funeral isn’t difficult or distressing. On the contrary, it’s a real pleasure to organize things when someone dies. It gives you a sense of control, a feeling of doing something for the person who’s gone, and it also gives you something to take your mind temporarily off the disaster that has just befallen you, so that you’re not completely overwhelmed” (p. 145).
This is the kind of book for which you dress in your most casual attire, take it out to the back porch, find a comfortable chaise lounge in the shade, have a tall glass of iced tea or lemonade nearby, settle down and relax, and leisurely read at a sedate, undemanding, slow pace knowing, in advance, that it will bring pleasure, contentedness, and true happiness. It’s like being next to a cracklin’ fire, all wrapped up in a warm, snuggly blanket, on a cold, crisp snowy winter’s evening, huddled down in your favorite lazy-boy recliner. Now, that’s indulgence!
You’re old, I’m old . . . Get used to it! — 20 reasons why growing old is great can be purchased at Amazon.
Monday, April 30, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
The shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains
By Nicholas Carr
http://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393072223/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296940283&sr=1-1
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
If you have read Sharon Begley’s book, Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain (Ballantine Books, 2007), or read Shawn Achor’s book, The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work (Crown Business, 2010), then you are already familiar with the subject of neuroplasticity — the basis of and foundation for neurogenesis (brain growth).
Also, I wrote an essay on the subject on my blog, and if you Google “neuroplasticity,” you will be overwhelmed with available information and ways to positively iinfluence it.
What’s the point? If you understand neuroplasticity (which Carr explains in his book), it makes all of the arguments Carr offers in this book more reasonable, substantial, and valid. Basically, he argues (as pioneer researchers Michael Merzenich and Eric Kandel did before him) that our brains “change in response to our experiences. The technologies we use to find, store, and share information can literally reroute our neural pathways” (front flyleaf). (According to the research on neuroplasticity, this isn’t even a debatable issue.)
One of the essential points of the neuroplasticity research it that neural pathways are expanded by mechanisms such as "axonal sprouting" in which undamaged axons grow new nerve endings to reconnect neurons whose links were injured or severed. Undamaged axons can also sprout nerve endings and connect with other undamaged nerve cells, forming new neural pathways to accomplish a needed function that are unused are discontinued.
The downside to neuroplasticity is also essential to his argumentj. There is a process, called “synaptic pruning,” in which connections that are inefficient or infrequently used are allowed to fade away. The effects of old technology — the old ways we had for receiving, storing, and using information — are discontinued and supplanted by the newer technologies. The downside is simply the loss of that intellectual ethic. It is precisely Marshall McLuhan’s point that Harrison shares, “ . . . an honest appraisal of any new technology, or of progress in general, requires a sensitivity to what’s lost as well as what’s gained” (p. 212).
What I loved about this book was the way Carr offered readers the history behind such changes. That is, with the case of every new information technology (throughout civilization), there is an accompanying intellectual ethic. The way humans have adapted and changed is chronicled and supported. If you have any interest in the history of the media, or how writing was developed, or how the technology of the book, or the legacy of the oral world took place, Carr explains it all. His examples are well-selected, scientific explanations are well-described, and recent advances in cognitive science are carefully and meticulously provided.
I thought Harrison’s warning in his final chapter, “A Thing Like Me,” was especially apt: “As the many studies of hypertext and multimedia show, our ability to learn can be severely compromised when our brains become overloaded with diverse stimuli online. More information can mean less knowledge. . . “ (p. 214).
In that same final chapter, Harrison stated the following (which pleased me greatly): “A series of psychological studies over the past twenty years has revealed that after spending time in a quiet rural setting, close to nature, people exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory, and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper” (p. 219). Here, here! (He adds on the next page, “It’s not only deep thinking that requires a calm, attentive mind. It’s also empathy and compassion” (p. 220).)
There are 31 pages of notes and further readings, and most of the references used are recent. Some, obviously, are older (like St. Augustine, Francis Bacon, William James, Lewis Mumford or Marshall McLuhan), to support observations Harrison makes regarding earlier technologies.
Carr is an excellent writer and, thus, the reading is engaging and entertaining. Not only that, it is challenging and thought-provoking. There is just so much information in this book to digest and consider and weigh. If you are interested in the process of learning (throughout history), the effects of technology (across civilizations), what is taking place in our society (around the world), how our brains work, or simply want to read an excellent book, this one is a great choice.
I’ll leave readers here with one of Harrison’s parting notes, “What matters in the end is not our becoming but what we become” (p. 222).
The shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393072223/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296940283&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393072223/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296940283&sr=1-1
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
If you have read Sharon Begley’s book, Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain (Ballantine Books, 2007), or read Shawn Achor’s book, The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work (Crown Business, 2010), then you are already familiar with the subject of neuroplasticity — the basis of and foundation for neurogenesis (brain growth).
Also, I wrote an essay on the subject on my blog, and if you Google “neuroplasticity,” you will be overwhelmed with available information and ways to positively iinfluence it.
What’s the point? If you understand neuroplasticity (which Carr explains in his book), it makes all of the arguments Carr offers in this book more reasonable, substantial, and valid. Basically, he argues (as pioneer researchers Michael Merzenich and Eric Kandel did before him) that our brains “change in response to our experiences. The technologies we use to find, store, and share information can literally reroute our neural pathways” (front flyleaf). (According to the research on neuroplasticity, this isn’t even a debatable issue.)
One of the essential points of the neuroplasticity research it that neural pathways are expanded by mechanisms such as "axonal sprouting" in which undamaged axons grow new nerve endings to reconnect neurons whose links were injured or severed. Undamaged axons can also sprout nerve endings and connect with other undamaged nerve cells, forming new neural pathways to accomplish a needed function that are unused are discontinued.
The downside to neuroplasticity is also essential to his argumentj. There is a process, called “synaptic pruning,” in which connections that are inefficient or infrequently used are allowed to fade away. The effects of old technology — the old ways we had for receiving, storing, and using information — are discontinued and supplanted by the newer technologies. The downside is simply the loss of that intellectual ethic. It is precisely Marshall McLuhan’s point that Harrison shares, “ . . . an honest appraisal of any new technology, or of progress in general, requires a sensitivity to what’s lost as well as what’s gained” (p. 212).
What I loved about this book was the way Carr offered readers the history behind such changes. That is, with the case of every new information technology (throughout civilization), there is an accompanying intellectual ethic. The way humans have adapted and changed is chronicled and supported. If you have any interest in the history of the media, or how writing was developed, or how the technology of the book, or the legacy of the oral world took place, Carr explains it all. His examples are well-selected, scientific explanations are well-described, and recent advances in cognitive science are carefully and meticulously provided.
I thought Harrison’s warning in his final chapter, “A Thing Like Me,” was especially apt: “As the many studies of hypertext and multimedia show, our ability to learn can be severely compromised when our brains become overloaded with diverse stimuli online. More information can mean less knowledge. . . “ (p. 214).
In that same final chapter, Harrison stated the following (which pleased me greatly): “A series of psychological studies over the past twenty years has revealed that after spending time in a quiet rural setting, close to nature, people exhibit greater attentiveness, stronger memory, and generally improved cognition. Their brains become both calmer and sharper” (p. 219). Here, here! (He adds on the next page, “It’s not only deep thinking that requires a calm, attentive mind. It’s also empathy and compassion” (p. 220).)
There are 31 pages of notes and further readings, and most of the references used are recent. Some, obviously, are older (like St. Augustine, Francis Bacon, William James, Lewis Mumford or Marshall McLuhan), to support observations Harrison makes regarding earlier technologies.
Carr is an excellent writer and, thus, the reading is engaging and entertaining. Not only that, it is challenging and thought-provoking. There is just so much information in this book to digest and consider and weigh. If you are interested in the process of learning (throughout history), the effects of technology (across civilizations), what is taking place in our society (around the world), how our brains work, or simply want to read an excellent book, this one is a great choice.
I’ll leave readers here with one of Harrison’s parting notes, “What matters in the end is not our becoming but what we become” (p. 222).
The shallows: What the Internet is doing to our brains can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Shallows-What-Internet-Doing-Brains/dp/0393072223/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296940283&sr=1-1
Monday, April 16, 2012
The last speakers: The quest to save the world's most endangered languages
By K. David Harrison
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Speakers-Worlds-Endangered-Languages/dp/1426204612/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296874998&sr=1-1
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
If you are a world traveler as I am, you are likely to find this book fascinating. Why? The question is answered in Harrison’s first paragraph of the book: “My journey as a scientist exploring the world’s vanishing languages has taken me from the Siberian forests to the Bolivian Altiplano, from a fast-food restaurant in Michigan to a trailer park in Utah. In all these places I’ve listened to last speakers — dignified elders — who hold in their minds a significant portion of humanity’s intellectual wealth” (p. 9).
Did you know that “80 percent of languages [are] yet to be documented”? Did you know that “the Yupik of Alaska name 99 distinct sea ice formations”? Did you know that “positive attitudes are the single most powerful force keeping languages alive . . . ?”
Talk about taking a position on language use, enjoy this: “‘English Only’ is one of the most intellectually ruinous notions ever perpetuated upon American society, and one of the most historically naïve. We have always been a multilingual society, even before we were a nation” (p. 13).
I found his first chapter, “Becoming a Linguist,” absolutely riveting. His educational background, how he became language proficient, and his various travels and experiences. All of this information excites me not just because I am a world traveler but because I have an interest in language and people.
If you are interested in words, languages, and nonverbal communication, as I am, then his chapters on “The Power of Words,” “Finding Hidden Languages,”“Six Degrees of Language,” and “Saving Languages,” will be especially interesting. Harrison is a good writer, and he brings his stories to life through clear descriptions, excellent word choice (what would you expect?), and by talking directly to the reader.
In the first of these chapters, “The Power of Words,” Harrison says, “At some deeper level, human cognition may be the same no matter what tongue one speaks. But languages package knowledge in radically different ways, facilitating certain means of conceptualizing, naming, and discussing the world” (p. 59). To me, this is fascinating stuff. It is in this chapter, too, where the slaughter of a sheep is described in great detail and following exactly the Monchak (a migratory tribe in Mongolia) routine. Of this experience, Harrison writes: “Collecting words during a sheep slaughter could not have been further from a dry academic discussion of how grammar is constructed. Yet it revealed a richness and precision about the Monchak way of talking, indeed of how they apprehend the world” (p. 69).
Incidentally, the chapter on “Finding Hidden Languages” has nothing to do with nonverbal communication — like Edward T. Hall’s book, The Hidden Dimension (Anchor, 1990).
A “hidden language” is defined by Harrision in this way: “. . . some
communities are known only locally and have managed by chance or design
to avoid being identified in official records, censuses, and surveys and
by scientists. I propose to refer to languages that have eluded prior
notice by outsiders as ‘hidden languages’” (p. 119). Harrison’s
description of the tiniest Koro village in India, called Kichang was
exhilarating. (Pp. 123-127) This is just one of many, many stories
throughout the book that were truly galvanizing — like his trip via the
Trans-Siberian Railway to Tofalaria with its language of Tofa — “This
corner of the world lies virtually untouched, inhabited by only about
800 souls, most of them native Tofa hunters and reindeer herders, along
with a few Russians who have migrated or married into the community” (p.
223). Unbelievable, fascinating, and engaging.
The chapter titled “Six Degrees of Language” is named after the famous trivia game, “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” and the point is a simple one: “We are all connected, and it is language, not film, that plays the greatest role in spinning the links between us” (p. 153). Harrison end this chapter saying, “Because it is so powerful in shaping our worldview and our self-view, I cannot regard people being coerced — no matter how subtly — into abandoning their languages as anything other than a form of violence. It represents an erasure of history, of creativity, of intellectual heritage. . . .” (P. 177).
In the final chapter, “Saving Languages,” Harrison mentions seven ways in his section “How to Save a Language.” And even though they are listed and discussed, Harrison admits: “We may not know for decades which strategies [for saving a language] succeed. But we can observe and admire their efforts [those who make the attempt], and perhaps as scientists or outsiders contribute to their cause” (p. 270).
I loved this book, and I know those who travel and those who love language will appreciate Harrison’s explorations, stories, and passion. But, if you enjoy good writing, excellent story-telling, and a fascinating read, you’ll enjoy this book, too.
The last speakers: The quest to save the world’s most endangered languages can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Speakers-Worlds-Endangered-Languages/dp/1426204612/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296874998&sr=1-1
http://www.amazon.com/Last-Speakers-Worlds-Endangered-Languages/dp/1426204612/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296874998&sr=1-1
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
If you are a world traveler as I am, you are likely to find this book fascinating. Why? The question is answered in Harrison’s first paragraph of the book: “My journey as a scientist exploring the world’s vanishing languages has taken me from the Siberian forests to the Bolivian Altiplano, from a fast-food restaurant in Michigan to a trailer park in Utah. In all these places I’ve listened to last speakers — dignified elders — who hold in their minds a significant portion of humanity’s intellectual wealth” (p. 9).
Did you know that “80 percent of languages [are] yet to be documented”? Did you know that “the Yupik of Alaska name 99 distinct sea ice formations”? Did you know that “positive attitudes are the single most powerful force keeping languages alive . . . ?”
Talk about taking a position on language use, enjoy this: “‘English Only’ is one of the most intellectually ruinous notions ever perpetuated upon American society, and one of the most historically naïve. We have always been a multilingual society, even before we were a nation” (p. 13).
I found his first chapter, “Becoming a Linguist,” absolutely riveting. His educational background, how he became language proficient, and his various travels and experiences. All of this information excites me not just because I am a world traveler but because I have an interest in language and people.
If you are interested in words, languages, and nonverbal communication, as I am, then his chapters on “The Power of Words,” “Finding Hidden Languages,”“Six Degrees of Language,” and “Saving Languages,” will be especially interesting. Harrison is a good writer, and he brings his stories to life through clear descriptions, excellent word choice (what would you expect?), and by talking directly to the reader.
In the first of these chapters, “The Power of Words,” Harrison says, “At some deeper level, human cognition may be the same no matter what tongue one speaks. But languages package knowledge in radically different ways, facilitating certain means of conceptualizing, naming, and discussing the world” (p. 59). To me, this is fascinating stuff. It is in this chapter, too, where the slaughter of a sheep is described in great detail and following exactly the Monchak (a migratory tribe in Mongolia) routine. Of this experience, Harrison writes: “Collecting words during a sheep slaughter could not have been further from a dry academic discussion of how grammar is constructed. Yet it revealed a richness and precision about the Monchak way of talking, indeed of how they apprehend the world” (p. 69).
Incidentally, the chapter on “Finding Hidden Languages” has nothing to do with nonverbal communication — like Edward T. Hall’s book, The Hidden Dimension (Anchor, 1990)
The chapter titled “Six Degrees of Language” is named after the famous trivia game, “Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon,” and the point is a simple one: “We are all connected, and it is language, not film, that plays the greatest role in spinning the links between us” (p. 153). Harrison end this chapter saying, “Because it is so powerful in shaping our worldview and our self-view, I cannot regard people being coerced — no matter how subtly — into abandoning their languages as anything other than a form of violence. It represents an erasure of history, of creativity, of intellectual heritage. . . .” (P. 177).
In the final chapter, “Saving Languages,” Harrison mentions seven ways in his section “How to Save a Language.” And even though they are listed and discussed, Harrison admits: “We may not know for decades which strategies [for saving a language] succeed. But we can observe and admire their efforts [those who make the attempt], and perhaps as scientists or outsiders contribute to their cause” (p. 270).
I loved this book, and I know those who travel and those who love language will appreciate Harrison’s explorations, stories, and passion. But, if you enjoy good writing, excellent story-telling, and a fascinating read, you’ll enjoy this book, too.
The last speakers: The quest to save the world’s most endangered languages can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Last-Speakers-Worlds-Endangered-Languages/dp/1426204612/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1296874998&sr=1-1
Monday, April 9, 2012
The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives
By Shankar Vedantam
http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Advantage-Principles-Psychology-Performance/dp/0307591549
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I liked this book. It is well-written, the stories are engaging, the research is impressive, and, overall, the author’s point is not only well-presented, but it is well-supported too.
I have always believed there was a hidden brain. “The reason people have no awareness of the hidden brain is that it is usually not accessible through introspection” (p 43). I loved Vance Packard’s book, The Hidden Persuaders (Ig Publishing, 2007). It was published 40 years ago, and when it came out, I read it from cover-to-cover and found it informative and insightful.
I enjoyed all of the various ways Vedantam applied his argument (that there is such a thing as a hidden brain). He applied it to work and play, mental disorders, bias, gender and privilege, disasters, terrorism, extremism, the death penalty, politics and race, and genocide.
One of the things that makes this book a fantastic read is that Vedantam tells the stories in such detail, and with great specificity and exactness, that it is easy for readers to identify with the characters and the scenes. This is truly an art, and for readers it offers great pleasure — even though not all the stories are positive and uplifting.
What is absolutely outstanding about this book is that it creates a paradigm shift. That is, once you read this book, and once you know what is going on in your brain, you begin to look at life differently. That is, you become more cautious, more sensitive, and
more aware. It isn’t that you won’t be guided by your hidden brain ever again, because many of the responses we make because of it are part of our nature; “there is nothing we can do about it” (p. 254).
This is the reason this book is so important: “But there is something we can do about our actions. We can choose to allow our actions to be guided by reason rather than instinct . . . But putting reason ahead of instinct and intuition is also what sets us apart from every other species that has ever lived. Understanding the hidden brain and building safeguards to protect us against its vagaries can help us be more successful in our everyday lives. It can aid us in our battle against threats and help us spend our money more widely. But [understanding the hidden brain and putting reason ahead of instinct] can also do something more important than any of those things. It can make us better people” (p. 255).
“. . . Reason is our only rock against the tides of unconscious bias. It is our lighthouse and our life jacket. It is — or should be — our voice of conscience” (p. 255). That is the same message I taught my basic, speech-communication students for 22 years. Your only protection is to relax, be patient, take your time, do not make a hasty judgment, collect the necessary facts, and draw only tentative, qualified conclusions until all the facts are in. That is the important story in this book, and that is precisely why it’s essential reading.
The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Advantage-Principles-Psychology-Performance/dp/0307591549
http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Advantage-Principles-Psychology-Performance/dp/0307591549
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II, Ph.D.
I liked this book. It is well-written, the stories are engaging, the research is impressive, and, overall, the author’s point is not only well-presented, but it is well-supported too.
I have always believed there was a hidden brain. “The reason people have no awareness of the hidden brain is that it is usually not accessible through introspection” (p 43). I loved Vance Packard’s book, The Hidden Persuaders (Ig Publishing, 2007). It was published 40 years ago, and when it came out, I read it from cover-to-cover and found it informative and insightful.
I enjoyed all of the various ways Vedantam applied his argument (that there is such a thing as a hidden brain). He applied it to work and play, mental disorders, bias, gender and privilege, disasters, terrorism, extremism, the death penalty, politics and race, and genocide.
One of the things that makes this book a fantastic read is that Vedantam tells the stories in such detail, and with great specificity and exactness, that it is easy for readers to identify with the characters and the scenes. This is truly an art, and for readers it offers great pleasure — even though not all the stories are positive and uplifting.
What is absolutely outstanding about this book is that it creates a paradigm shift. That is, once you read this book, and once you know what is going on in your brain, you begin to look at life differently. That is, you become more cautious, more sensitive, and
more aware. It isn’t that you won’t be guided by your hidden brain ever again, because many of the responses we make because of it are part of our nature; “there is nothing we can do about it” (p. 254).
This is the reason this book is so important: “But there is something we can do about our actions. We can choose to allow our actions to be guided by reason rather than instinct . . . But putting reason ahead of instinct and intuition is also what sets us apart from every other species that has ever lived. Understanding the hidden brain and building safeguards to protect us against its vagaries can help us be more successful in our everyday lives. It can aid us in our battle against threats and help us spend our money more widely. But [understanding the hidden brain and putting reason ahead of instinct] can also do something more important than any of those things. It can make us better people” (p. 255).
“. . . Reason is our only rock against the tides of unconscious bias. It is our lighthouse and our life jacket. It is — or should be — our voice of conscience” (p. 255). That is the same message I taught my basic, speech-communication students for 22 years. Your only protection is to relax, be patient, take your time, do not make a hasty judgment, collect the necessary facts, and draw only tentative, qualified conclusions until all the facts are in. That is the important story in this book, and that is precisely why it’s essential reading.
The Hidden Brain: How Our Unconscious Minds Elect Presidents, Control Markets, Wage Wars, and Save Our Lives can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Advantage-Principles-Psychology-Performance/dp/0307591549
Monday, April 2, 2012
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work
By Dhawn Achor
http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Advantage-Principles-Psychology-Performance/dp/0307591549
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
There are sixteen pages of notes that support 210 pages of text. Right from the outset, this is a good sign. Clearly, Achor has done his homework, and it shows throughout the text as he documents his observations, conclusions, and recommendations. Also, it isn’t just the research, it is the range of the author’s information that makes it impressive.
A book with this title, I have to admit, makes me skeptical at the outset. There are so many “self-help” books out there, I assumed that this was just another one of the same. Happily, I was quickly disabused of this notion. This book in no way is typical of other self-help books; it is truly unique and deserves your attention.
I loved the author’s explanation of his upbringing — being from Waco, Texas, and going to Harvard on a dare. Just as Achor looked at his opportunity at Harvard as a privilege, especially after visiting Africa, talking to his guide, Salim, and finding that Soweto students saw education as a privilege, I realized my opportunity for an education at the University of Michigan (UofM) was truly a privilege — especially after talking to people around the world (with an emphasis on East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) where I worked for nine months) and realizing how people viewed the UofM. It was an eye-opener, and it changed my viewpoint, my study habits, and my whole approach.
I firmly believe that the author is correct when he discussed the pattern of focusing on the negative (pp. 11-12) that pervades schools and society at large, too. And Achor’s thesis supported throughout the book is a simple one: “We become more successful when we are happier and more positive” (p. 15). I realize that this isn’t a new discovery, but 1) it is nice to have it revisited, 2) it is pleasant to see the evidence that supports the thesis, and 3) the way the author develops the thesis is terrific. I loved the statement, and all students should be aware of it: “It turns out that our brains are literally hardwired to perform at their best not when they are negative or even neutral, but when they are positive” (p. 15).
Achor’s seven principles, when given the “eyeball test,” appear practical, accurate, and worthwhile. 1) The happiness advantage, 2) the fulcrum and the lever (“This principles teaches us how we can adjust our mindset (our fulcrum) in a way that gives us the power (the lever) to be more fulfilled and successful”), 3) The tetris effect (self-fulfilling prophecies), 4) falling up, 5) the Zorro circle (when “our rational brains can get hijacked by emotions”), 6) the 20-second rule (the need to make “small energy adjustments,” and 7) social investment (using friends, peers, and family members to propel yourself). When you read each chapter, you realize the value of his principles and the accuracy of his labels.
One of the things that makes this book a great read is the author’s sense of humor. On page 23, for example, he says, “the head of his Ph.D. program estimated the average academic journal article is read by only seven people. This is an extraordinarily depressing statistic, because I know that number has to include the researcher’s mom.” On page 27, he says, “Great, you might say, for squirrel monkeys — but for the most part, we don’t hire monkeys in our organizations (at least not on purpose).” In brackets on page 68, he says, after asking battle-weary bankers to sing “Row, row, row, your boat” over and over again at one of his talks: “(At least this time I remembered to specify that they sing it in their own heads, not out loud — a detail I once forgot on Wall Street, where I quickly learned the true definition of ‘tone deaf.’)”
This is a book for everyone, and the reason “is supported by some of the most rigorous cutting-edge research in neuroscience. . . . Once our brains were discovered to have such built-in plasticity [neuroplasticity], our potential for intellectual and personal growth suddenly became equally malleable. As you’re about to read over the next seven sections, studies have found numerous ways we can rewire our brains to be more positive, creative, resilient, and productive — to see more possibility wherever we look” (pp. 29-30). Now, I ask you, knowing this book offers practical steps for change (based on clear evidence), why wouldn’t anyone want to increase their positive outlook, creativity, resiliency, and productivity? It’s a no-brainer.
Let me give you just one example of his practical approach. “With this in mind,” Achor says on page 51, “here are a number of proven ways we can improve our moods and raise our levels of happiness throughout the day.” There are seven ways discussed. This happens throughout the book, and it makes it possible to see happiness as something we can acquire, build, or improve. Despite the research, the studies he shares, and the serious discussions about happiness, Achor’s writing is engaging and accessible. He talks directly to his readers, and his writing is loaded with examples and illustrations, personal experiences, anecdotes, and well-explained (easy-to-understand) research. Also, he shares his experiences with emotions attached. For example, “Adrenaline shot through my body as I reached for the shiny handle of the Cambridge Police cruiser. . . . “ (p. 87).
If you want to have some fun; if you like learning new things; if you are seeking improvement in your life; if you just plain enjoy good writing (and a good read); and, perhaps, most important with respect to the author’s thesis and the title of this book, if you want to take advantage of “the Happiness Advantage” (the application of positive psychology in your life), this book is a great choice. I highly recommend it.
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Advantage-Principles-Psychology-Performance/dp/0307591549
http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Advantage-Principles-Psychology-Performance/dp/0307591549
Book review by Richard L. Weaver II
There are sixteen pages of notes that support 210 pages of text. Right from the outset, this is a good sign. Clearly, Achor has done his homework, and it shows throughout the text as he documents his observations, conclusions, and recommendations. Also, it isn’t just the research, it is the range of the author’s information that makes it impressive.
A book with this title, I have to admit, makes me skeptical at the outset. There are so many “self-help” books out there, I assumed that this was just another one of the same. Happily, I was quickly disabused of this notion. This book in no way is typical of other self-help books; it is truly unique and deserves your attention.
I loved the author’s explanation of his upbringing — being from Waco, Texas, and going to Harvard on a dare. Just as Achor looked at his opportunity at Harvard as a privilege, especially after visiting Africa, talking to his guide, Salim, and finding that Soweto students saw education as a privilege, I realized my opportunity for an education at the University of Michigan (UofM) was truly a privilege — especially after talking to people around the world (with an emphasis on East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) where I worked for nine months) and realizing how people viewed the UofM. It was an eye-opener, and it changed my viewpoint, my study habits, and my whole approach.
I firmly believe that the author is correct when he discussed the pattern of focusing on the negative (pp. 11-12) that pervades schools and society at large, too. And Achor’s thesis supported throughout the book is a simple one: “We become more successful when we are happier and more positive” (p. 15). I realize that this isn’t a new discovery, but 1) it is nice to have it revisited, 2) it is pleasant to see the evidence that supports the thesis, and 3) the way the author develops the thesis is terrific. I loved the statement, and all students should be aware of it: “It turns out that our brains are literally hardwired to perform at their best not when they are negative or even neutral, but when they are positive” (p. 15).
Achor’s seven principles, when given the “eyeball test,” appear practical, accurate, and worthwhile. 1) The happiness advantage, 2) the fulcrum and the lever (“This principles teaches us how we can adjust our mindset (our fulcrum) in a way that gives us the power (the lever) to be more fulfilled and successful”), 3) The tetris effect (self-fulfilling prophecies), 4) falling up, 5) the Zorro circle (when “our rational brains can get hijacked by emotions”), 6) the 20-second rule (the need to make “small energy adjustments,” and 7) social investment (using friends, peers, and family members to propel yourself). When you read each chapter, you realize the value of his principles and the accuracy of his labels.
One of the things that makes this book a great read is the author’s sense of humor. On page 23, for example, he says, “the head of his Ph.D. program estimated the average academic journal article is read by only seven people. This is an extraordinarily depressing statistic, because I know that number has to include the researcher’s mom.” On page 27, he says, “Great, you might say, for squirrel monkeys — but for the most part, we don’t hire monkeys in our organizations (at least not on purpose).” In brackets on page 68, he says, after asking battle-weary bankers to sing “Row, row, row, your boat” over and over again at one of his talks: “(At least this time I remembered to specify that they sing it in their own heads, not out loud — a detail I once forgot on Wall Street, where I quickly learned the true definition of ‘tone deaf.’)”
This is a book for everyone, and the reason “is supported by some of the most rigorous cutting-edge research in neuroscience. . . . Once our brains were discovered to have such built-in plasticity [neuroplasticity], our potential for intellectual and personal growth suddenly became equally malleable. As you’re about to read over the next seven sections, studies have found numerous ways we can rewire our brains to be more positive, creative, resilient, and productive — to see more possibility wherever we look” (pp. 29-30). Now, I ask you, knowing this book offers practical steps for change (based on clear evidence), why wouldn’t anyone want to increase their positive outlook, creativity, resiliency, and productivity? It’s a no-brainer.
Let me give you just one example of his practical approach. “With this in mind,” Achor says on page 51, “here are a number of proven ways we can improve our moods and raise our levels of happiness throughout the day.” There are seven ways discussed. This happens throughout the book, and it makes it possible to see happiness as something we can acquire, build, or improve. Despite the research, the studies he shares, and the serious discussions about happiness, Achor’s writing is engaging and accessible. He talks directly to his readers, and his writing is loaded with examples and illustrations, personal experiences, anecdotes, and well-explained (easy-to-understand) research. Also, he shares his experiences with emotions attached. For example, “Adrenaline shot through my body as I reached for the shiny handle of the Cambridge Police cruiser. . . . “ (p. 87).
If you want to have some fun; if you like learning new things; if you are seeking improvement in your life; if you just plain enjoy good writing (and a good read); and, perhaps, most important with respect to the author’s thesis and the title of this book, if you want to take advantage of “the Happiness Advantage” (the application of positive psychology in your life), this book is a great choice. I highly recommend it.
The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work can be purchased at Amazon.com: http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Advantage-Principles-Psychology-Performance/dp/0307591549
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