Books
Check out these books from the Greater Good Science Center, as well as other noteworthy titles on subjects explored by the GGSC.
Greater Good Books
Are We Born Racist? New Insights from Neuroscience and Positive Psychology
By Jason Marsh, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, and Jeremy Adam Smith (Co-Editors)Beacon Press, 2010, 149 pages
This collection of essays, many of which first appeared in Greater Good, draws on cutting-edge science to explore the psychological roots of prejudice—and how we can overcome it.
Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents
By Christine CarterBallantine Books, 2010, 256 pages
The GGSC's Christine Carter distills the wisdom she has been sharing for years in her parenting blog, offering research-based tips for happier, healthier children and families.
The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness
By Dacher Keltner, Jason Marsh, and Jeremy Adam Smith (Co-Editors)W. W. Norton & Company, 2010, 316 pages
An anthology of essays from the first five years of Greater Good magazine, highlighting ground-breaking research and trailblazing ideas on the roots of compassion, empathy, altruism, and happiness.
Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life
By Dacher KeltnerW. W. Norton & Company, 2009, 352 pages
The acclaimed book from Greater Good Science Center co-founder and faculty director Dacher Keltner, providing a thorough and engaging overview of the science the GGSC covers--the "science of a meaningful life."
Social Connections
The Social Animal
By David BrooksRandom House, 2011, 448 pages
The hidden sources of love, character, and achievement. Brooks explores the unconscious mind and how it shapes the way we live.
Connected
By Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. FowlerBack Bay Books, 2011, 368 pages
Christakis and Folwer guide us through the burgeoning field of social network science, offering sharp reminders of the extraordinary role other people play in shaping our lives, for better or worse.
Alone Together
By Sherry TurkleBasic Books, 2011, 384 pages
Turkle illustrates how the lines between reality and virtual reality are becoming increasingly blurred.
Virtually You
By Elias AboujaoudeW.W. Norton, 2011, 349 pages
Aboujaoude, describes the ways we reinvent ourselves online and says that the problem with our “e-personality” is its intense focus on ourselves.
Join The Club
By Tina RosenbergW.W. Norton, 2011, 385 pages
Rosenberg, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, delves deeply into stories of people who’ve developed savvy ways to exploit social, cultural, and political forces for positive change.
The Lonely American
By Jacqueline Olds and Richard SchwartzBeacon Press, 2010, 240 pages
Psychiatrists Jacqueline Olds and Richard Schwartz, describes America's obsession with living separately from others and the corresponding (often hidden) costs to our psychological health
Loneliness
By John Cacioppo and William PatrickW. W. Norton & Company, 2009, 336 pages
Cacioppo and Patrick explain how we are wired to read human faces for social cues, but that lonely people are less skilled at this and, therefore, have more trouble maintaining meaningful relationships.
Social Intelligence
By Daniel GolemanBantam, 2007, 416 pages
A groundbreaking synthesis of findings from social and biological sciences, revealing that we are “wired to connect” and our relationships have a surprisingly deep impact on every aspect of our lives.
Help for the Helper
By Babette Rothschild and Marjorie RandW. W. Norton & Company, 2006, 231 pages
The authors examine the literature from neurobiology and social psychology to explain how therapists suffer from an excess of empathy for their clients, and then they present strategies for dealing with burnout and stress.
Bowling Alone
By Robert D. PutnumTouchstone Books by Simon & Schuster, 2001, 544 pages
Putnam shows how we have become increasingly disconnected from one another and how social structures have disintegrated.
Transcending Differences
Are We Born Racist? New Insights from Neuroscience and Positive Psychology
By Jason Marsh, Rodolfo Mendoza-Denton, and Jeremy Adam Smith (Co-Editors)Beacon Press, 2010, 149 pages
This collection of essays, many of which first appeared in Greater Good, draws on cutting-edge science to explore the psychological roots of prejudice—and how we can overcome it.
Whistling Vivaldi
By Claude M. SteeleW.W. Norton & Company, 2010, 242 pages
Steele offers studies and stories that show how stereotypes can affect group members' lives in subtle but powerful ways, especially when it comes to academic performance.
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
By Beverly Daniel TatumBasic Books, 1997, 288
An expert on the psychology of racism argues that our discomfort broaching the subject of race exacerbates racial divisions and inequalities.
Education
NutureShock
By Po Bronson and Ashley MerrymanTwelve, 2011, 352 pages
NurtureShock unravels how many of modern society's most popular strategies for raising children are in fact backfiring because key points in the science of child development and behavior have been overlooked.
The Mindful Child
By Susan K. GreenlandFree Press, 2010, 240 pages
Greenland offers a simple “how to” approach to mindfulness to parents who want to practice with their children.
Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents
By Christine CarterBallantine Books, 2010, 256 pages
The GGSC's Christine Carter distills the wisdom she has been sharing for years in her parenting blog, offering research-based tips for happier, healthier children and families.
Whistling Vivaldi
By Claude M. SteeleW.W. Norton & Company, 2010, 242 pages
Steele offers studies and stories that show how stereotypes can affect group members' lives in subtle but powerful ways, especially when it comes to academic performance.
The Path to Purpose
By William DamonFree Press, 2009, 240 pages
Looks at how children are hampered in their search for meaning, and how concerned adults can help them find it.
Roots of Empathy
By Mary GordonThe Experiment, 2005, 304 pages
Mary Gordon explains how best to nurture empathy and social emotional literacy in all children—and thereby reduce aggression, antisocial behavior, and bullying.
The Triple Bind
By Stephen HinshawBallantine Books, 2009, 256 pages
According to Hinshaw, girls are pressured to excel at both traditional "female" roles and traditional "male" roles, while being 100% perfect all of the time. Hinshaw suggests ways to help young women thrive despite these cultural pressures.
Play = Learning
By Dorothy Singer, Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, and Kathy Hirsh-PasekOxford University Press, 2008, 288 pages
How play motivates and enhances children's cognitive and social-emotional growth.
Building Emotional Intelligence
By Linda LantieriSounds True, 2008, 155 pages
Lantieri, with contributions from Daniel Goleman, offers practical techniques to help children calm their bodies and focus their minds.
The Homework Myth
By Alfie KohnDa Capo Press, 2007, 256 pages
Why our kids get too much of a bad thing.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
By Carol DweckBallantine Books, 2007, 288 pages
Dweck shows that how we learn and grow is largely determined by whether we have a "fixed" or "growth" mindset. The good news is that most of us can learn to use a growth mindset to achieve success and happiness.
The Power of Play
By David ElkindDa Capo Lifelong Books, 2007, 240 pages
Elkind argues that our fast-paced, screenladen, and safety-obsessed way of life is destroying spontaneous, creative, child-led play, with unhappy consequences.
Critical Lessons
By Nel NoddingsCambridge University Press, 2006, 319 pages
Nel Noddings advocates critical thinking and self-knowledge as the best ways to reinvigorate our woefully inadequate school systems.
Happiness and Education
By Nel NoddingsCambridge University Press, 2004, 320 pages
When parents are asked what they want for their children, they usually answer that they want their children to be happy. Why, then, is happiness rarely mentioned as a goal of education?
The Compassionate Classroom
By Jane Dalton and Lyn FairchildZephyr Press, 2004, 166 pages
Dalton and Fairchild are interested in encouraging students to get to know and appreciate themselves, their community, and the world around them.
Leave No Child Behind
By James ComerYale University Press, 2004, 352 pages
Comer offers a plan with real promise to improve the lives of children well beyond their time in the classroom.
Kids Working it Out
By Tricia S. Jones and Randy ComptonJossey-Bass, 2003, 360 pages
Offers educators and parents a guide to the most current and effective school-based conflict resolution programs, and shows how these programs can make a positive difference in our schools.
Punished by Rewards
By Alfie KohnMariner Books, 1999, 448 pages
Kohn discusses why rewards, including praise, fail to promote lasting behavior change or enhance performance and frequently make things worse.
Why Are All the Black Kids Sitting Together in the Cafeteria?
By Beverly Daniel TatumBasic Books, 1997, 288
An expert on the psychology of racism argues that our discomfort broaching the subject of race exacerbates racial divisions and inequalities.
Emotional Intelligence
By Daniel GolemanBantam, 1995, 384 pages
This is the seminal book on emotional intelligence, written for a general audience.
Family & Couples
Mindful Birthing
By Nancy BardackeHarperOne, 2012, 384 pages
Bardacke shares the science and stories behind her Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting Program, and explains how to incorporate mindfulness into daily life.
When Parents Hurt
By Joshua ColemanHarperCollins, 2007, 312 pages
Compassionate strategies when you and your grown children don't get along.
The Path to Purpose
By William DamonFree Press, 2009, 240 pages
Looks at how children are hampered in their search for meaning, and how concerned adults can help them find it.
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success
By Carol DweckBallantine Books, 2007, 288 pages
Dweck shows that how we learn and grow is largely determined by whether we have a "fixed" or "growth" mindset. The good news is that most of us can learn to use a growth mindset to achieve success and happiness.
Forgive for Love
By Fred LuskinHarperOne, 2007, 240 pages
Luskin lays out a seven-step program designed to help long-term partners learn to forgive each other for simply being human.
Kids Working it Out
By Tricia S. Jones and Randy ComptonJossey-Bass, 2003, 360 pages
Offers educators and parents a guide to the most current and effective school-based conflict resolution programs, and shows how these programs can make a positive difference in our schools.
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work
By John GottmanOrion, 2000, 288 pages
It only takes Gottman five minutes to predict, with 91 percent accuracy, which couples will eventually divorce.
Raising An Emotionally Intelligent Child
By John Gottman, with Joan DeclaireSimon & Schuster, 1998, 240 pages
This is a great book for learning how to emotion coach your child, written by a highly regarded researcher.
Work & Career
All Rise
By Robert W. FullerBerrett-Koehler Publishers, 2006, 200 pages
Fuller's second book on "rankism," elaborating on his vision for replacing a “rankist” world with a “dignitarian” one, in which dignity is recognized as a human right.
Making Good
By Wendy Fischman, Becca Solomon, DeborahGreenspan, and Howard GardnerHarvard University Press, 2004, 208 pages
Harvard researchers explore how professional success and professional ethics don’t necessarily go hand-in-hand.
Emotional Intelligence
By Daniel GolemanBantam, 1995, 384 pages
This is the seminal book on emotional intelligence, written for a general audience.
Flow
Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 1990, 336 pagesFlow, a state of deep enjoyment, creativity, and total involvement with life, is something we can cultivate with practice, according to this influential book.
Mind & Body
Mindful Birthing
By Nancy BardackeHarperOne, 2012, 384 pages
Bardacke shares the science and stories behind her Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting Program, and explains how to incorporate mindfulness into daily life.
Real Happiness
By Sharon SalzbergWorkman Publishing, 2011, 208 pages
Shares the lessons and wisdom Salzberg has developed over 30 years of teaching meditation, distilled into a 28-day program.
Fully Present
By Susan Smalley and Diana WinstonDeCapo, 2010, 260 pages
Smalley highlights research encouraging readers to try mindfulness themselves, and Winston explains how.
The Wise Heart
By Jack KornfieldBantam, 2009, 448 pages
Jack Kornfield explains the Buddhist concept of mindfulness and how it can be used for personal transformation.
Counterclockwise
By Ellen LangerBallantine Books, 2009, 240 pages
Langer argues that, as we grow older, our physical limitations are largely determined by the way we think about ourselves and what we're capable of.
Spark
By John J. RateyLittle, Brown, and Company, 2008, 304 pages
Ratey, a physician, argues that exercise has a “profound impact on cognitive abilities” and “is simply one of the best treatments we have for most psychiatric problems.”
Building Emotional Intelligence
By Linda LantieriSounds True, 2008, 155 pages
Lantieri, with contributions from Daniel Goleman, offers practical techniques to help children calm their bodies and focus their minds.
The Mindful Way through Depression
By Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon Kabat-ZinnThe Guilford Press, 2007, 273 pages
The book draws from both Eastern meditative traditions and cognitive therapy to create a mindful way out of depression.
The Mindful Brain
By Daniel J. SiegelW. W. Norton & Company, 2007, 387 pages
Daniel shows readers how personal awareness and attunement can improve life by boosting well-being, resilience, emotional balance, and other physiological benefits.
Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain
By Sharon BegleyBallantine Books, 2007, 304 pages
Begley explains neuroplasticity: how experience can shape the brain’s structure—and, in turn, change the way our minds and bodies function.
The Brain That Changes Itself
By Norman DoidgePenguin, 2007, 427 pages
Explores the significance of neuroplasticity, where thoughts and experience can change the shape of the brain over time, engaging the reader with stories of miraculous recovery.
Coming to Our Senses
By Jon Kabat-ZinnHyperion, 2005, 631 pages
Jon Kabat-Zinn expands upon the themes of his earlier books: that Buddhist-based meditation and mindfulness techniques can relieve stress and stimulate healing.
Destructive Emotions
By Daniel GolemanBantam, 2004, 448 pages
Reporting on a ground-breaking dialogue between scientists and the Dalai Lama, this book explores how can we can develop peace with ourselves and others.
The Art of Happiness
By The Dalai LamaRiverhead Books, 1998, 352 pages
A handbook for living. This is the book that kicked off the genre of happiness books, and it remains a cornerstone of the field of positive psychology.
Everyday Blessings
By Jon and Myla Kabat-ZinnHyperion, 1998, 416 pages
The inner workings of mindful parenting of children of all ages.
Wherever You Go, There You Are
By Jon Kabat-ZinnHyperion, 1994, 304 pages
Sequel to "Full Catastrophe Living," Jon further delves into meditation and mindfulness theory.
Peace is Every Step
By Thich Nhat HanhBantam, 1992, 160 pages
Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how to make positive use of the very situations that usually pressure and antagonize us through mindful practices.
Full Catastrophe Living
By Jon Kabat-ZinnDelta, 1990, 512 pages
Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness.
Big Ideas
The Mindfulness Revolution
By Edited by Barry BoyceShambhala, 2011, 288 pages
Some of the top experts on mindfulness explain what it is, why we should practice it, and how to apply it at work, at home, and beyond.
The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness
By Dacher Keltner, Jason Marsh, and Jeremy Adam Smith (Co-Editors)W. W. Norton & Company, 2010, 316 pages
An anthology of essays from the first five years of Greater Good magazine, highlighting ground-breaking research and trailblazing ideas on the roots of compassion, empathy, altruism, and happiness.
Positivity
By Barbara FredricksonCrown Archetype, 2009, 288 pages
Fredrickson lays out the science of positivity in a book that promises to change the way people look at feeling good.
The Empathic Civilization
By Jeremy RifkinPenguin, 2009, 674 pages
Rifkin believes that we humans are in a race for survival in a world of crisis, dependent on our ability to organize around an empathic approach to our planet.
Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life
By Dacher KeltnerW. W. Norton & Company, 2009, 352 pages
The acclaimed book from Greater Good Science Center co-founder and faculty director Dacher Keltner, providing a thorough and engaging overview of the science the GGSC covers--the "science of a meaningful life."
Destructive Emotions
By Daniel GolemanBantam, 2004, 448 pages
Reporting on a ground-breaking dialogue between scientists and the Dalai Lama, this book explores how can we can develop peace with ourselves and others.
Full Catastrophe Living
By Jon Kabat-ZinnDelta, 1990, 512 pages
Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness.
Forgiveness
The Forgiving Life
By Robert D. EnrightAmerican Psychological Association, 2012, 384 pages
Guides readers through the path to forgiveness, drawing on Enright's decades of research.
Beyond Revenge
By Michael McCulloughJossey-Bass, 2008, 320 pages
McCullough argues that forgiveness is truly a biological adaptation, naturally selected for its benefits to us as individuals and as a species.
Altruism, Intergroup Apology, Forgivness, and Reconciliation
By Samuel P. OlinerParagon House, 2008, 328 pages
Samuel Oliner argues it's time for apology and forgivenss on a global scale.
Forgive for Love
By Fred LuskinHarperOne, 2007, 240 pages
Luskin lays out a seven-step program designed to help long-term partners learn to forgive each other for simply being human.
The Anatomy of Peace
By The Arbinger InstituteBerrett-Koehler, 2006, 231 pages
This book demonstrates that treating others humanely can resolve conflict better than direct confrontation.
On Apology
By Aaron LazareOxford University Press, 2004, 320 pages
Explains what makes an effective apology and explores apology's role in forgiveness and reconciliation.
Forgiving and Reconciling
By Everett L. WorthingtonIVP Books, 2003, 268 pages
Considers forgiveness as an act of altruism rather than a strictly personal benefit.
Forgive for Good
By Frederic LuskinHarperOne, 2003, 240 pages
Outlines both the benefits of forgiveness and Luskin's nine-step method for giving up grudges.
Helping Clients Forgive
By Robert D. Enright and Richard P. FitzgibbonsAmerican Psychological Association, 2000, 376 pages
Discusses forgiveness in psychotherapeutic and clinical settings.
No Future Without Forgiveness
By Desmond TutuImage, 1999, 304 pages
Tutu urges forgiveness as a way to peace, even in the wake of atrocities.
Exploring Forgiveness
By Edited by Robert D. Enright and Joanna NorthUniversity of Wisconsin Press, 1998, 208 pages
A collection of essays that offer different perspectives on forgiveness, from the scientific to the personal.
Forgive and Forget
By Lewis B. SmedesHarperOne, 1984, 192 pages
Discusses the role of forgiveness in healing after others hurt us.
Gratitude
Learn more about the science of gratitude through our Expanding Gratitude project.
A Simple Act of Gratitude
Hyperion, 2011, 240A memoir on how a man's resolution to write 365 thank you letters in one year changed his life.
Living Life as a Thank You
Viva Editions, 2009, 224Presents a simple, but comprehensive program for incorporating gratitude into one's life, and reaping the many benefits that come from doing so.
Thanks!
By Robert EmmonsHoughton Mifflin Harcourt, 2007, 256 pages
How the science of gratitude can make you happier.
The Psychology of Gratitude
By Robert A. Emmons and Michael E. McCulloughOxford University Press, 2004, 384 pages
This is a collection of academic articles on the science of gratitude.
Altruism
Moral Origins
By Christopher BoehmBasic Books, 2012, 432 pages
Our moral sense is a defense mechanism. From the days of Darwin to today, biologists--and now Boehm--understand altruism as the key to thriving and surviving in groups.
Pathological Altruism
By Edited by Barbara Oakley, Ariel Knafo, Guruprasad Madhavan, and David Sloan WilsonOxford University Press, 2011, 496 pages
Altruism is good, but too much of it can trigger burnout--or worse--depression. "Hyperempathy" and "pathological" altruism make us sick and endanger our precarious world.
SuperCooperators
By Martin Nowak and Roger HighfieldFree Press, 2011, 352 pages
With claims like: cancer is a "failure of the body's cells to cooperate," Novak re-tells the story of evolution as a story about cooperation, not competition.
The Price of Altruism
By Oren HarmanW. W. Norton & Company, 2011, 451 pages
If evolution has yielded goodness, then why wasn't Darwin concerned about the survival of the nicest? Harman tells a story of human kindness through one human's story, that of American genius George Price.
Altruism in Humans
By C. Daniel BatsonOxford University Press, 2011, 336 pages
We lose time to save the whales and we lose sleep over a heartbroken friend. With this, Baston posits the remarkable thesis that we humans have the capacity to care for others for their own sakes.
Connected
By Nicholas A. Christakis and James H. FowlerBack Bay Books, 2011, 368 pages
Christakis and Folwer guide us through the burgeoning field of social network science, offering sharp reminders of the extraordinary role other people play in shaping our lives, for better or worse.
The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness
By Dacher Keltner, Jason Marsh, and Jeremy Adam Smith (Co-Editors)W. W. Norton & Company, 2010, 316 pages
An anthology of essays from the first five years of Greater Good magazine, highlighting ground-breaking research and trailblazing ideas on the roots of compassion, empathy, altruism, and happiness.
Why We Cooperate
By Michael TomaselloThe MIT Press, 2009, 232 pages
Nature and nurture interact to inform, and reform, cooperative behavior. Infants and apes are both able to share, but only the two-year-old will pick up that thing you dropped in front of her.
29 Gifts
By Cami WalkerDa Capo Lifelong Books, 2009, 256 pages
Walker’s life is in a downward spiral until she takes unusual advice from a friend: to give away 29 gifts in 29 days.
Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life
By Dacher KeltnerW. W. Norton & Company, 2009, 352 pages
The acclaimed book from Greater Good Science Center co-founder and faculty director Dacher Keltner, providing a thorough and engaging overview of the science the GGSC covers--the "science of a meaningful life."
The Lucifer Effect
By Philip ZimbardoRandom House, 2007, 576 pages
What makes good people do bad things? How can moral people be seduced to act immorally? Zimbardo explores how we are all susceptible to the lure of the dark side.
Giving
By Bill ClintonKnopf, 2007, 256 pages
How each of us can change the world. Clinton urges us to seek out what each of us, “regardless of income, available time, age, and skills,” can do to help, to give people a chance to live out their dreams.
The Altruistic Species
By Andrew M. Flescher and Daniel L. WorthenTempleton Press, 2007, 304 pages
Biology, psychology, philosophy, and religion all inform the answer to the age-old questions on altruism; on whether it is essential to the human experience, or whether it even exists at all.
Why Good Things Happen to Good People
By Stephen Post and Jill NeimarkBroadway Books, 2007, 320 pages
Post and Neimark make the case that giving to others—in small doses and from a young age—will help you “be happier… healthier… and even live longer.”
Do Unto Others
By Samuel P. OlinerBasic Books, 2004, 304 pages
Oliner explores why ordinary people perform extraordinary acts of courage, compassion, and self-sacrifice.
Unto Others
By Elliott Sober and David Sloan WilsonHarvard University Press, 1998, 416 pages
Unselfish behavior exists--without pretense and without hidden motives. Our capacity for generosity as a goal in itself is the most important feature of people and perhaps of other species.
The Altruistic Personality
By Samuel P. Oliner and Pearl M. OlinerTouchstone, 1992, 448 pages
Why, during the Holocaust, did some people risk their lives to help others while some stood passively by? Samuel Oliner, a Holocaust survivor, provides some surprising answers in this compelling work.
Compassion
The Better Angels of Our Nature
By Steven PinkerViking Adult, 2011, 832 pages
Pinker's controversial claim: Violence has been diminishing for millennia and we may be living in the most peaceful time in our species's existence. This book backs it up with exhaustive evidence.
Self-Compassion
By Kristin NeffWilliam Morrow, 2011, 320 pages
Learn to be kind to yourself. A society obsessed with competition doesn't always make that an easy thing to do, but seeking after self-compassion, not self-esteem, is our ticket to happiness.
The Power of Compassion
By Pamela Bloom and Joan Halifax RoshiHampton Roads Publishing, 2010, 256 pages
Compassion is powerful, but it is also contagious. Forty first-person stories make it abundantly clear that extraordinary acts of kindness are nothing out of the ordinary.
The Compassionate Mind
By Paul GilbertNew Harbinger Publications, 2010, 544 pages
We're angry, fearful, depressed--and we can't help it. Societies that encourage us to compete with each other make it difficult to exercise compassion towards ourselves and others.
A Call to Compassion
By Karen ArmstrongKnopf, 2010, 222 pages
Drawing on foundational texts across many world religions, Armstrong describes the building blocks of compassion and challenges readers to begin applying these practices to the way they relate to others.
The Compassionate Instinct: The Science of Human Goodness
By Dacher Keltner, Jason Marsh, and Jeremy Adam Smith (Co-Editors)W. W. Norton & Company, 2010, 316 pages
An anthology of essays from the first five years of Greater Good magazine, highlighting ground-breaking research and trailblazing ideas on the roots of compassion, empathy, altruism, and happiness.
Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life
By Dacher KeltnerW. W. Norton & Company, 2009, 352 pages
The acclaimed book from Greater Good Science Center co-founder and faculty director Dacher Keltner, providing a thorough and engaging overview of the science the GGSC covers--the "science of a meaningful life."
Emotional Awareness
By The Dalai Lama and Paul EkmanTimes Books, 2008, 288 pages
Dialogue discussing how people can cultivate compassion, minimize the harmful effects of emotions like anger, and achieve balance in their emotional lives.
The Science of Compassionate Love
By Beverley Fehr, Susan Sprecher, and Lynn G. UnderwoodWiley-Blackwell, 2008, 488 pages
This anthology of essays is grounded in current literature on altruism and compassionate love: the specific brand of love that is giving the self for the good of the other.
Field Notes on the Compassionate Life
By Marc Ian BaraschRodale, 2005, 367 pages
Field Notes on the Compassionate Life chronicles Barasch's attempts to better understand people who so powerfully embody the better side of human nature.
The Compassionate Classroom
By Jane Dalton and Lyn FairchildZephyr Press, 2004, 166 pages
Dalton and Fairchild are interested in encouraging students to get to know and appreciate themselves, their community, and the world around them.
The Hand of Compassion
By Kristen Renwick MonroePrinceton University Press, 2004, 392 pages
The Hand of Compassion is the latest of several books to use the Holocaust as a basis for studying altruism and compassion.
Humanity
By Jonathan GloverYale University Press, 2001, 480 pages
Hiroshima and the Holocaust have something in common, and Humanity sets out to exploit the disturbing similarities in ways that can potentially empower us all to resist the call to cruelty.
Toward a Caring Society
By Pearl M. Oliner and Samuel P. OlinerPraeger, 1995, 256 pages
Promoting a sense of personal responsibility for the well-being of others is perhaps the greatest moral challenge we face. And making our social institutions more caring is perhaps our greatest call to action.
Empathy
The Moral Molecule
By Paul J. ZakDutton Adult, 2012, 256 pages
A look at the hormone oxytocin's role in trust and how that may be the basis of a well-functioning economic system.
The Social Neuroscience of Empathy
By Jean Decety and William Ickes (Co-Editors)The MIT Press, 2009, 272 pages
This edited volume takes a social neuroscience approach to empathy by examining empathy at multiple levels including biological, cognitive, and social, written for an academic audience.
Empathy
By Jean Decety (Editor)The MIT Press, 2011, 336 pages
This edited volume explores current research on empathy, theories about empathy, and the relationship between empathy and clinical and medical practices for an academic audience.
Born for Love
By Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz (Co-Editors)Harper, 2010, 384 pages
Szalavitz and Perry examine the development of empathy in children, why it is crucial for society, and how it may be threatened in the modern world.
The Science of Evil
By Simon Baron-CohenBasic Books, 2011, 256 pages
Baron-Cohen reports on what he has learned about the link between empathy and cruelty over more than two decades of research.
Why Empathy Matters
By J.D. TroutPenguin Books, 2009, 320 pages
Originally titled The Empathy Gap, this book considers how our predilection for empathy can actually work against both personal and societal interests.
Roots of Empathy
By Mary GordonThe Experiment, 2005, 304 pages
Mary Gordon explains how best to nurture empathy and social emotional literacy in all children—and thereby reduce aggression, antisocial behavior, and bullying.
Mirroring People
By Marco IacoboniPicador, 2008, 336 pages
Iacoboni examines the function of mirror cells, which allow us to understand others' actions and intentions.
The Empathic Civilization
By Jeremy RifkinPenguin, 2009, 674 pages
Rifkin believes that we humans are in a race for survival in a world of crisis, dependent on our ability to organize around an empathic approach to our planet.
The Age of Empathy
By Frans de WaalHarmony Books, 2009, 291 pages
De Waal shares stories of pets who comfort their distressed owners and indicate that the roots of empathy are not limited to humans, and in fact go far back in the evolutionary chain.
From Detached Concern to Empathy
By Jodi HalpernOxford University Press, 2001, 115 pages
Halpern considers ways for physicians to bring empathy into their practices to minimize the sense of detachment patients often feel while also allowing the physician to maintain objectivity.
Emotional Intelligence
By Daniel GolemanBantam, 1995, 384 pages
This is the seminal book on emotional intelligence, written for a general audience.
Happiness
Flourish
By Martin E.P. SeligmanFree Press, 2011, 368 pages
Redefining what Positive Psychology is all about, Seligman now considers, What is it that enables you to cultivate your talents, to build lasting relationships with others, and to contribute meaningfully to the world--in short, to flourish?
The Happiness Project
By Gretchen RubinHarper Paperbacks, 2011, 336 pages
Rubin decides to work on changing one aspect of her life each month for a year, following a recipe for self-improvement culled from the works of happiness researchers and her own observations.
Raising Happiness: 10 Simple Steps for More Joyful Kids and Happier Parents
By Christine CarterBallantine Books, 2010, 256 pages
The GGSC's Christine Carter distills the wisdom she has been sharing for years in her parenting blog, offering research-based tips for happier, healthier children and families.
The Geography of Bliss
By Eric WeinerTwelve, 2009, 368 pages
Weiner takes us on a journey around the world to discover what makes some cultural groups happier than others.
Positivity
By Barbara FredricksonCrown Archetype, 2009, 288 pages
Fredrickson lays out the science of positivity in a book that promises to change the way people look at feeling good.
Curious?
HarperCollins Publishers, 2009, 355Todd Kashdan writes on the benefits of curiosity, mindfulness, and embracing uncertainty through science, story, and practical exercises.
The How of Happiness
By Sonja LyubomirskyPenguin, 2008, 384 pages
Much of our happiness is within our power to control—roughly 40 percent, according to research by psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky.
Happiness
By Ed Diener and Robert Biswas-DienerWiley-Blackwell, 2008, 304 pages
Happiness documents not just what happy people have in common, but the concrete benefits of happiness. For starters, happy people are more successful and more creative, and they have more friends.
Happier
By Tal Ben-ShaharMcGraw-Hill, 2007, 244 pages
Happiness is a skill you can develop no matter how happy you currently are.
Happiness: Lessons From a New Science
By Richard LayardPenguin, 2006, 320 pages
Since 1950, postwar capitalism has led to an unprecedented standard of living in the West. Yet it has not translated into an equal upsurge in human happiness.
Stumbling on Happiness
By Daniel GilbertKnopf, 2006, 277 pages
Daniel Gilbert’s engaging and surprising new book, Stumbling on Happiness, won’t teach you how to become happy, but it will convince you of how difficult that goal is to achieve.
The Happiness Hypothesis
By Jonathan HaidtBasic Books, 2006, 320 pages
Why do some people find meaning, purpose, and fulfillment in life while others do not? Jonathan Haidt’s book draws on ancient wisdom and modern science to answer this question.
Happiness: A History
Grove Press, 2006, 560 pagesThroughout history happiness has been equated with the highest human calling, argues McMahon, and our modern belief of happiness is the product of a dramatic revolution in human expectations beginning in the 18th century.
The Handbook of Positive Psychology
Oxford University Press, 2005, 848 pagesThe first systematic attempt to bring together leading scholars of the emerging field of positive psychology, this book gives readers an analysis of what the foremost experts believe to be the fundamental strengths of humankind.
Happiness and Education
By Nel NoddingsCambridge University Press, 2004, 320 pages
When parents are asked what they want for their children, they usually answer that they want their children to be happy. Why, then, is happiness rarely mentioned as a goal of education?
Positive Psychology in Practice
By P. Alex Linley, Stephen Joseph, and Martin E. P. SeligmanWiley, 2004, 770 pages
This book distinguishes itself by not only reporting on breakthroughs in positive psychology, but by emphasizing how these findings can be applied.
Flourishing
By Corey Keyes and Jonathan HaidtAmerican Psychological Association, 2002, 335 pages
Distinguished scholars explore what it means to lead a life wel-lived, expanding the scope of psychological research to encompass happiness, well-being, courage, and other positive qualities.
Authentic Happiness
By Martin E. P. SeligmanFree Press, 2002, 336 pages
A foundational text in positive psychology, explaining how to realize your potential for lasting fulfillment.
The Art of Happiness
By The Dalai LamaRiverhead Books, 1998, 352 pages
A handbook for living. This is the book that kicked off the genre of happiness books, and it remains a cornerstone of the field of positive psychology.
Flow
Harper Perennial Modern Classics, 1990, 336 pagesFlow, a state of deep enjoyment, creativity, and total involvement with life, is something we can cultivate with practice, according to this influential book.
Mindfulness
Mindful Birthing
By Nancy BardackeHarperOne, 2012, 384 pages
Bardacke shares the science and stories behind her Mindfulness-Based Childbirth and Parenting Program, and explains how to incorporate mindfulness into daily life.
The Mindfulness Revolution
By Edited by Barry BoyceShambhala, 2011, 288 pages
Some of the top experts on mindfulness explain what it is, why we should practice it, and how to apply it at work, at home, and beyond.
The Mindful Child
By Susan K. GreenlandFree Press, 2010, 240 pages
Greenland offers a simple “how to” approach to mindfulness to parents who want to practice with their children.
Fully Present
By Susan Smalley and Diana WinstonDeCapo, 2010, 260 pages
Smalley highlights research encouraging readers to try mindfulness themselves, and Winston explains how.
Curious?
HarperCollins Publishers, 2009, 355Todd Kashdan writes on the benefits of curiosity, mindfulness, and embracing uncertainty through science, story, and practical exercises.
Building Emotional Intelligence
By Linda LantieriSounds True, 2008, 155 pages
Lantieri, with contributions from Daniel Goleman, offers practical techniques to help children calm their bodies and focus their minds.
The Mindful Way through Depression
By Mark Williams, John Teasdale, Zindel Segal, and Jon Kabat-ZinnThe Guilford Press, 2007, 273 pages
The book draws from both Eastern meditative traditions and cognitive therapy to create a mindful way out of depression.
The Mindful Brain
By Daniel J. SiegelW. W. Norton & Company, 2007, 387 pages
Daniel shows readers how personal awareness and attunement can improve life by boosting well-being, resilience, emotional balance, and other physiological benefits.
Train Your Mind, Change Your Brain
By Sharon BegleyBallantine Books, 2007, 304 pages
Begley explains neuroplasticity: how experience can shape the brain’s structure—and, in turn, change the way our minds and bodies function.
Coming to Our Senses
By Jon Kabat-ZinnHyperion, 2005, 631 pages
Jon Kabat-Zinn expands upon the themes of his earlier books: that Buddhist-based meditation and mindfulness techniques can relieve stress and stimulate healing.
Destructive Emotions
By Daniel GolemanBantam, 2004, 448 pages
Reporting on a ground-breaking dialogue between scientists and the Dalai Lama, this book explores how can we can develop peace with ourselves and others.
Everyday Blessings
By Jon and Myla Kabat-ZinnHyperion, 1998, 416 pages
The inner workings of mindful parenting of children of all ages.
Wherever You Go, There You Are
By Jon Kabat-ZinnHyperion, 1994, 304 pages
Sequel to "Full Catastrophe Living," Jon further delves into meditation and mindfulness theory.
Peace is Every Step
By Thich Nhat HanhBantam, 1992, 160 pages
Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how to make positive use of the very situations that usually pressure and antagonize us through mindful practices.
Full Catastrophe Living
By Jon Kabat-ZinnDelta, 1990, 512 pages
Using the wisdom of your body and mind to face stress, pain, and illness.
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