Best Behavioral Psychology
Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet has the power to permanently change how we see introverts and, equally important, how they see themselves. In our culture, which emphasizes group work from elementary school through the business world, everything seems geared toward extroverts. With Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking , Cain explores introversion through psychological research old and new, personal experiences, and even brain chemistry, in an engaging and highly-readable fashion. Introverts are to extroverts what women were to men at that time--second-class citizens with gigantic amounts of untapped talent. The bias against introversion leads to a colossal waste of talent, energy, and, ultimately, happiness. At first I thought I was taking on an enormous challenge, because in my mind, the successful lawyer was comfortable in the spotlight, whereas I was introverted and occasionally shy. But I soon realized that my nature had a lot of advantages: I was good at building loyal alliances, one-on-one, behind the scenes; I could close my door, concentrate, and get the work done well; and like many introverts, I tended to ask a lot of questions and listen intently to the answers, which is an invaluable tool in negotiation. Abraham Lincoln was revered as a man who did not “offend by superiority,” as Emerson put it. Here are two to consider: (1) Introverts perform best in quiet, private workspaces—but unfortunately we’re trending in precisely the opposite direction, toward open-plan offices. (2) If you want to get the best of all your employees’ brains, don’t simply throw them into a meeting and assume you’re hearing everyone’s ideas. Ask people to put their ideas in writing before the meeting, and make sure you give everyone time to speak. A: The best thing parents and teachers can do for introverted kids is to treasure them for who they are, and encourage their passions. (3) Not calling them “shy”--they’ll believe the label and experience their nervousness as a fixed trait rather than an emotion they can learn to control. Studies suggest that many of the most creative people are introverts, and this is partly because of their capacity for quiet. A Reader’s Guide for Quiet:The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking By Susan Cain. They are the ones who prefer listening to speaking, reading to partying; who innovate and create but dislike self-promotion; who favor working on their own over brainstorming in teams. Although they are often labeled "quiet," it is to introverts that we owe many of the great contributions to society-from van Gogh’s sunflowers to the invention of the personal computer. Passionately argued, impressively researched, and filled with indelible stories of real people, Quiet shows how dramatically we undervalue introverts, and how much we lose in doing so. QUIET talks about the New Groupthink, the value system holding that creativity and productivity emerge from group work rather than individual thought. QUIET talks about “restorative niches,” the places introverts go or the things they do to recharge their batteries.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"My entire life has been on hold since this started, I get home from work too exhausted to do anything except veg out for a couple hours and go to bed, and even weekends aren't much better. I learned that the job situation I'm currently in - the non-stop deadline demands, interruptions, never being able to work quietly or alone no matter how difficult a project was, phones ringing incessantly, people in my face all day long, etc. And as enlightening as it was to learn how many of the traits I've beat myself up for over the years are just a product of my introverted temperament (being highly sensitive, shutting down when subjected to stimulation overload, preferring to think a thing through before I speak - something I never get to do at work, as if it takes me more than 5 seconds to say something, I get interrupted and cut off), the most important thing I got from this book is that it's okay to be myself, it's okay to feel the way I do. I am not weak or a failure because I don't feel or behave like my extremely extroverted boss (who thrives in high-energy crisis mode, and is bored unless he's doing 10 things at once - and expects the rest of us to keep up). I also found the information on the history of the "rise of the Culture of Personality" completely fascinating, it really gave me a new insight as to just exactly how we 'grew' this tendency to value extroversion over introversion. I know I will meet resistance from my boss (I'd love for him to read this book, but unfortunately I know he won't), and I know I won't instantly fix everything in one day, and that I'll probably always need to be able to stretch myself a bit to do things that are not ideal for me ... but this book taught me that there are ways to make that work, too, if you understand and honor the need for recharging around such tasks, instead of trying to force yourself to do them 8 hours a day with no break. The wealth of information and insights in this book cannot be overstated - especially if you are an introverted type of person who has always felt there was something not quite right about you, or that you somehow needed to change to fit in or succeed. Thank you, Susan Cain, from the bottom of my heart (which is finally beating at a more normal speed because I'm not panicked about going to work for the first time in months)."
"As somebody who has been called at some point or another the gamut of terms associated with introversion, from "shy" (which I don't object) to "anti-social" (which I most certainly consider unfair), I found in Susan Cain's "Quiet," the validation and appreciation many introverts have been searching for. In "Quiet," Ms. Cain explains the rise of the Extrovert Ideal in the 1920s and how it is that today we associate talkative, risk-taking, and action-oriented people with intelligence, beauty, power and success. She interviews scientists who have conducted hundreds of studies to test different theories in an effort to determine how much of our temperament is a result of genetics and/or of our free will. For those still deciding on a career, the author reminds readers that research shows that introverts are not reward-seeking like extroverts, but rather motivated by the enjoyment they find in pursuing an activity; in other words, by being in what psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi calls the "flow"."
"Susan did a great job turning studies, interviews and technical details into easy to digest chapters that make the book fun to read."
"A comforting and confirming resource for us introverts who are being driven crazy by the noise and chaos which increases daily."
"As an introvert I found it very helpful, it explained who I am that the way I see the world and how I socialise is quite normal, not to judge myself against extroverts, that to limit my social contract is quite normal and that I can get overwhelmed by too much happening around me and that quiet time is important to my well-being."
"I was impressed by her insights, particularly in correcting the misconception that introverts have a problem with communication skills."
Why have people from different cultures and eras formulated myths and stories with similar structures? Maps of Meaning addresses these questions with a provocative new hypothesis that explores the connection between what modern neuropsychology tells us about the brain and what rituals, myths and religious stories have long narrated.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'd strongly recommend Jordan Peterson's YouTube channel as an accompaniment... or if you decide MoM is a bit too much."
"Two other inmates have ordered it while my brother finishes it."
"The author reports that he over edited it and that he was working out his ideas as he wrote."
"This book was difficult to read my goodness!"
"This sort of technical verbiage is necessary for the point he makes, but the exposition is flawed in a particular way: Peterson spends an incredible amount of time repeating relatively simple points over and over in increasingly dense and complicated language while at the same time dropping hints of more nuanced ideas and alternative perspectives that, while interesting, remain largely underdeveloped. But these figures are part of a larger dialogue in areas such as philosophy, psychology and sociology: for example, Jung was responding to Freud and in turn had his own critics; Nietzsche, of course, has an incredibly prominent place in philosophy and has had countless books, articles and dialogues written in response to his own ideas. Philosophy and more broadly all of the humanities have spent millenia dealing with issues such as the meaning of truth, the nature of being, and why humans behave the way they do; needless to say, there is a huge body of work devoted to fleshing out these core ideas. For example, the order-chaos axis which forms such a crucial part of most of this work is certainly an idea which demands more thought and discussion. But these discussions are already happening in fields such as comparative mythology, literature and sociology. I feel it would be an understatement to say that all philosophy done today is still grappling with Hegel's ideas: the past 250-odd years has basically been just been one large engagement with his legacy, and his figure still looms large over the entirety of the humanities."
"Want a real education?"
"This is, perhaps, the most difficult book I have ever read."
"Book of the century."
In this book, Jung examines some of the most contested and crucial areas in the field of analytical psychology, including dream analysis, the primitive unconscious, and the relationship between psychology and religion.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"Terrifically accurate to even today’s mentality of approaching the unconscious."
"Lots of great insights."
"Thoroughly enjoy the material - Jung is fascinating."
"It is an old book, so a bit musty, but a great gift to a CG Jung fan."
"Arrived on time, book new and in perfect conditions !"
"A most excellent read."
"I recommend this book not because it is cutting edge but because the author is brilliant and his observations of life are peppered throughout the book."
Best Behaviorism Psychology
Why have people from different cultures and eras formulated myths and stories with similar structures? Maps of Meaning addresses these questions with a provocative new hypothesis that explores the connection between what modern neuropsychology tells us about the brain and what rituals, myths and religious stories have long narrated.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I'd strongly recommend Jordan Peterson's YouTube channel as an accompaniment... or if you decide MoM is a bit too much."
"Two other inmates have ordered it while my brother finishes it."
"The author reports that he over edited it and that he was working out his ideas as he wrote."
"This book was difficult to read my goodness!"
"This sort of technical verbiage is necessary for the point he makes, but the exposition is flawed in a particular way: Peterson spends an incredible amount of time repeating relatively simple points over and over in increasingly dense and complicated language while at the same time dropping hints of more nuanced ideas and alternative perspectives that, while interesting, remain largely underdeveloped. But these figures are part of a larger dialogue in areas such as philosophy, psychology and sociology: for example, Jung was responding to Freud and in turn had his own critics; Nietzsche, of course, has an incredibly prominent place in philosophy and has had countless books, articles and dialogues written in response to his own ideas. Philosophy and more broadly all of the humanities have spent millenia dealing with issues such as the meaning of truth, the nature of being, and why humans behave the way they do; needless to say, there is a huge body of work devoted to fleshing out these core ideas. For example, the order-chaos axis which forms such a crucial part of most of this work is certainly an idea which demands more thought and discussion. But these discussions are already happening in fields such as comparative mythology, literature and sociology. I feel it would be an understatement to say that all philosophy done today is still grappling with Hegel's ideas: the past 250-odd years has basically been just been one large engagement with his legacy, and his figure still looms large over the entirety of the humanities."
"Want a real education?"
"This is, perhaps, the most difficult book I have ever read."
"Book of the century."
Best Cognitive Psychology
Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization. Copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS) The. Untethered Soul begins by walking you through your relationship with your thoughts and emotions, helping you uncover the source and fluctuations of your inner energy. The accuracy and simplicity of this work is a measure of its pure mastery.”. ― James O’Dea , past president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). It may take more than one reading and many hours of introspection, but The Untethered Soul is a must-read for anyone in search of greater understanding of themselves and of the truth.”. ― Louis Chiavacci , senior vice-president of Merrill Lynch, ranked in Barron’s top fifteen US Investment Advisors. “This publication has released boundless joy for the hungry souls of the world.”. ― Ma Yoga Shakti Saraswati, founder of Yogashakti International Mission and recipient of Hinduism Today’s Hindu of the Year 2000 award. Singer bridges these two great traditions in a radiant treatise on how to succeed in life from our spiritual quest to our everyday tribulations. With great eloquence, wit, and compelling logic, Singer’s brilliant book completes this thought by showing them to be two poles of the same selfless devotion.”. — Ray Kurzweil , National Medal of Technology recipient and author of The Singularity Is Near. Singer takes the reader on a journey that begins with consciousness tethered to the ego and ends having taken us beyond our myopic, contained self-image to a state of inner freedom and liberation. Michael A. Singer’s book is a priceless gift to all who have futilely searched and yearned for a richer, more meaningful, creative life.”. — Yogi Amrit Desai , internationally recognized pioneer of modern yoga.
Reviews
Find Best Price at Amazon"I read the audio version of this book multiple times, bought copies of it for clients, and shared it with friends. After reading Michael's book, I simply allowed irrelevant, erroneous, totally made up thoughts to just float on by without attaching my emotions to them. It means you're no longer an emotional puppet on the string of everyone else's behavior, attitudes, decisions, choices, etc. I LOVED the audio version of the book because the person who read it was perfect for the content. I've read TONS of other books on similar topics but the way Michael conveyed the material was unique and different and I really GOT IT!"
"Some of the points made in The Untethered Soul are: 1. Learn to relax and stay open no matter what. Do not identify with the experiences you are observing. Facing the fact of bodily death can help you to realize that all of the observed is temporary. Do not allow painful experiences from the past to influence the present. If you want a life full of joy and love you must make a commitment to having a life full of joy and love. Learn how to live from your heart, not from your ego. The Untethered Soul is my second most favorite book on the subject of how to transcend the ego and how to realize the true Self and directly experience that perfect infinite consciousness that has only joy and love and has no suffering. My most favorite book on that subject is THE SEVEN STEPS TO AWAKENING which is a collection of quotes by these seven authors: 1."
"I see life and the spiritual journey differently, and though I do believe we all should strive for a happier life and a more peaceful spirit, I don't believe it is desirable to live without some unhappiness, some worries, some fears. The author contradicts himself many times, but more importantly doesn't indicate any awareness that he has contradicted himself. Thus, while the author makes many statements throughout that I agree with, he also constantly is making other statements that contradict previous ones, giving me the impression that he is just writing a stream of consciousness of statements cherry-picked to resonate with a broad range of spiritual-enlightenment-seekers, without much regard to whether those statements gel together to form a cohesive whole. Structure. I would not want to take that away from anyone, but sadly, it is not the book for me."