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The Other Way: Happiness Through Critical Thinking
There is a discovery here that everybody should know about. By connecting the dots; explore what is common between a mobile application that searches for happiness; the anecdotes of a cocaine addict; Gestalt Therapy and the concept of 'Flow'.Unlike what the general literature around finding meaning and happiness suggests, the only right way is not about taking a positive approach to life and making simple habitual changes...Take 'The Other Way' through brutal realism, critical thinking, re-questioning of basic values we have unknowingly internalized and acknowledging what is broken in our society.Based on more than 40 scientific and literary resources ranging from Paul Piff, Richard Easterlin, Walter Mischel to Daniel Kahneman and Ursula LeGuin; and using the domain expertise of the author in the fields of Psychology and Sociology 'The Other Way' proposes a unique and valuable perspective and to its readers. This book is guaranteed to offer you a fresh, mature view about life and give you a sense of purpose to work and better our world. On the personal level it aims to be a lantern, guiding you through tough questions you have to ask yourself, thus showing the way to heightened personal and societal awareness.Discover how art can help you in ways you never thought possible.Discover how the never mentioned psychological effects of sports are vital for a vibrant and happy mind.Discover how our mistaken beliefs about the justice and beauty of our world is making us miserable and find the right/grounded perspective based on science and critical thinking.Discover what "the economy of unhappiness" is and how central a role money plays in regulating our emotions.'The Other Way' is for the critically inclined, and for those who want to change the world someday.Get this book and see the world in ways you have never seen before.
- GenresPsychology
208 pages, Paperback
First published January 23, 2016
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 28, 2016
When I saw the words 'Critical Thinking' in the title of this book, I was immediately intrigued. I am long past the lure of self-help books, having read enough of them in my life to know that if they really helped, then you wouldn't need so many of them. So I hoped that this book would look at 'happiness' from a scientific and critical point of view, viewing the world for what it is rather than what much of the self-help industry tells you it should be.
The book succeeded in some respects, but not in others. On the plus side, there were some excellent points made about different ways to find happiness. The author made much of the idea of 'flow' - that magical state where one is so absorbed in what one is doing that all other concerns and worries seem to disappear. In today's almost hyperactive society, this does seem like a difficult thing to achieve much of the time and so it's emphasis was useful. The author also discusses the place of money in our society and the sacrifices that it's accumulation demands upon us. He sees the capitalist system as a game and although he recognises that it is impossible to drop out of the game and thrive, he offers advice for ways to transcend the game and continue to find happiness within it. And then he discusses what he terms the 'Experiencing Self' and the 'Remembering Self' and considers how we find balance between the two (which in many ways is a reiteration of the concept of flow.)
Although the author draws on a number of the sciences, psychology in particular, I still felt that the book hinted at the flowery nebulousness of most other self-help books. The specifics were surrounded by assertions and I got to the end feeling vaguely unsatisfied. Despite the title stating that the book offers 'another way' to happiness, I got the sense that in fact this was more of the same way. Granted, there were more concrete examples than most and there was an impressive list of resources and references at the end but for me the book sits in the middle ground between what I thought it was going to be and what I hoped it wasn't. That is not to say there aren't a number of useful take-homes that come out of reading it - there most definitely are. But it wasn't as groundbreaking as I had expected. It gets a good, solid 3 stars.
I received a copy of this book from StoryCartel in exchange for an honest review.
The book succeeded in some respects, but not in others. On the plus side, there were some excellent points made about different ways to find happiness. The author made much of the idea of 'flow' - that magical state where one is so absorbed in what one is doing that all other concerns and worries seem to disappear. In today's almost hyperactive society, this does seem like a difficult thing to achieve much of the time and so it's emphasis was useful. The author also discusses the place of money in our society and the sacrifices that it's accumulation demands upon us. He sees the capitalist system as a game and although he recognises that it is impossible to drop out of the game and thrive, he offers advice for ways to transcend the game and continue to find happiness within it. And then he discusses what he terms the 'Experiencing Self' and the 'Remembering Self' and considers how we find balance between the two (which in many ways is a reiteration of the concept of flow.)
Although the author draws on a number of the sciences, psychology in particular, I still felt that the book hinted at the flowery nebulousness of most other self-help books. The specifics were surrounded by assertions and I got to the end feeling vaguely unsatisfied. Despite the title stating that the book offers 'another way' to happiness, I got the sense that in fact this was more of the same way. Granted, there were more concrete examples than most and there was an impressive list of resources and references at the end but for me the book sits in the middle ground between what I thought it was going to be and what I hoped it wasn't. That is not to say there aren't a number of useful take-homes that come out of reading it - there most definitely are. But it wasn't as groundbreaking as I had expected. It gets a good, solid 3 stars.
I received a copy of this book from StoryCartel in exchange for an honest review.
February 13, 2016
This is a fascinating book of philosophical reasoning. It first crushes some of the unrealistic facets of optimism, and then shows you that it’s alright that they aren’t correct. You can still be happy without deceiving yourself and others.
The book is well-written and well-researched. I’m not in complete agreement with everything the author asserts, but he intelligently presents his point of view in an easily understandable form. I’m in complete agreement that happiness has more to do with your reactions than anything else.
The book is well-written and well-researched. I’m not in complete agreement with everything the author asserts, but he intelligently presents his point of view in an easily understandable form. I’m in complete agreement that happiness has more to do with your reactions than anything else.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews