Mindfulness is an approach to living that involves an open, active attention to the present moment in a non-judgemental fashion. In this way, we can observe our thoughts and feelings without becoming swept away by them. We can experience various thoughts and emotions, but they are not who we are. By being able to observe our thoughts …Read More
THE Answers to God, the Universe, and Everything
Nov 24, 2011
Please read my story at the end of this blog that ties into Chopra and Mlodinow’s new book War of the Worldviews: Science vs. Spirituality – it’s surreal and makes you go, “Hmmmm.” Is the universe conscious? What’s the connection between mind and brain? Does the brain dictate behavior? What is the nature of time? …Read More
The Road to Expertise – Nature or Nurture?
Oct 16, 2011
“America’s Got Talent!” proclaims the title of the popular TV show. A more provocative question is, “Does anyone have talent?” A dichotomy regarding expertise exists, especially in America. For one, we hear things like “Practice makes perfect” that extol the virtues of working hard as the road to greatness. On the other hand, we hear how some …Read More
Why Marriages Succeed or Fail – Book Recommendation
Aug 24, 2011
Lately I have been studying the work of Dr. John Gottman, a psychologist and researcher who has been studying relationships for over thirty years. He published his findings in the book “Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, And How You Can Make Yours Last.” Based on his research, Gottman is able to predict, with over 90 percent …Read More
“Reality Is Broken” by Jane McGonigal (Book Recommendation)
Aug 9, 2011
I’ve been a gamer a long time – basically, since video games were first invented. I date myself but, as a kid, I played the first arcade games – landmark games such as Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Frogger, and Galaga. Ahh, such fond memories! I had an Atari 2600, then a …Read More
“The Geography of Bliss” by Eric Weiner (Book Recommendation)
Jul 18, 2011
Eric Weiner’s The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World is an absolute treat. Weiner is a journalist and a veteran foreign correspondent for National Public Radio and a self-professed curmudgeon. As the book implies, Weiner chronicles his quest to discover why people in some countries (e.g., Iceland, Switzerland, Thailand) …Read More
“The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains” by Nicholas Carr (Book Recommendation)
Jun 11, 2011
I recently enjoyed the audiobook version of Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains. Yes, I did the audiobook version. Sometimes while I was driving. At double playback speed. Yes, I get the irony…or hypocrisy? In The Shallows, Mr. Carr chronicles the history of various ways we have dessimated information …Read More
“The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us” (Book Recommendation)
May 12, 2011
I recently completed the audiobook version of The Invisible Gorilla: How Our Intuitions Deceive Us is by scholars and professors Christopher Chabris, Ph.D. and Daniel Simons, Ph.D. As the name implies, they describe the results and implications of fascinating research on the fallibility and shortcomings of human perception, attention, and memory. They introduce concepts such as “change …Read More
“The Roots of Buddhist Psychology” by Jack Kornfield (Audiobook Recommendation)
May 2, 2011
I recently completed that audiobook The Roots of Buddhist Psychology by Dr. Jack Kornfield, who is a Buddhist psychologist. Dr. Kornfield is highly regarded author and lecturer who has been a Buddhist practioner since the late 1960s. He has lived and studied in Thailand, Burma, and India throughout various times of his life, so you …Read More
“Mindsight” by Dr. Daniel Siegel (Book Recommendation)
Feb 20, 2011
I recently completed the audiobook version of Mindsight by Dr. Dan Siegel. He provided the reading and, fortunately, possesses a wonderfully soothing and engaging speaking voice. Dr. Siegel is a Harvard-trained psychiatrist, neurobiologist, researcher, lecturer, author, and professor at the UCLA School of Medicine. I’ve seen Dr. Siegel present a number of times and, along …Read More