The Art of Noticing

by Ellen J. Langer

This book is the culmination of research on mindlessness and mindfulness conducted by Dr. Langer over the past 35 years. Each of the one-liners in this book has been derived from this research and paired together with original artwork created over the past 17 years. When we become more mindful, we become happier, healthier, and more effective. It is literally and figuratively enlivening. Thinking about what each one means should itself promote mindfulness and encourage a more artful life.

Genres: Psychology, Philosophy

101 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

About the author

Ellen Langer, Yale PhD, Harvard Professor of Psychology, artist. Among other honors, she is the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship and three Distinguished Scientist Awards, the World Congress Award, the NYU Alumni Achievement Award, and the Staats award for Unifying Psychology, and has authored eleven books and over 200 research articles on the illusion of control, perceived control, successful aging, decision-making, to name a few of the topics. Each of these is examined through the lens of her theory of mindfulness. Her research has demonstrated that by actively noticing new things—the essence of mindfulness—health, well being, and competence follow. Her best selling books include Mindfulness; The Power of Mindful Learning; On Becoming an Artist: Reinventing Yourself Through Mindful Creativity; and her most recent book, Counterclockwise: Mindful Health and the Power of Possibility.

In addition to other honors, she has been a guest lecturer in Japan, Malaysia, Germany, Australia, Mexico, Switzerland, and Argentina.

The citation for the APA distinguished contributions award reads, in part, “…her pioneering work revealed the profound effects of increasing mindful behavior…and offers new hope to millions whose problems were previously seen as unalterable and inevitable. Ellen Langer has demonstrated repeatedly how our limits are of our own making.”

Reviews

[Zach]

"AND not OR." (Ellen J. Langer)
"Mistakes are cues to be in the present." (Ellen J. Langer)

A wonderful book with pithy statements grounded in advice about noticing more and practicing mindfulness.

[Julie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I didn’t care for this book. The exercises seemed redundant. I stopped liking the book about 1/3 of the way thru, and just couldn’t finish it. I guess maybe this isn’t the sort of book you have to read cover to cover. Maybe pick and choose which sections seem interesting to you.