What We Ache for: Creativity and the Unfolding of Your Soul

William Von Hippel (Author)

The Social Paradox: Autonomy, Connection, and Why We Need Both to Find Happiness

5,A Next Big Idea Club Must Read of February 2025"Von Hippel presents a radically new way to understand why human happiness has diminished. What's more, he offers superlative advice for how to get back on track." --Sonja Lyubomirsky, New York Times bestselling author of The How of HappinessFrom the author of The Social Leap comes this thought-provoking exploration into humans' two core evolutionary needs, for connection and autonomy, how the modern world has thrown them out of whack, and how we can rebalance them to improve our lives.Why do people who have so much--leading comfortable lives filled with unprecedented freedom, choice, and abundance--often feel so unhappy and unfulfilled? This phenomenon is a defining paradox of our time and one we endlessly seek to solve. In The Social Paradox, psychologist William von Hippel argues that we need to think about this problem in a new way. By changing our perspective, we might finally see the solution, bringing us greater happiness and more satisfying relationships.The key is to understand the interplay between our two most basic psychological needs--for connection and autonomy. Evolution made us dependent on one another for survival, ...

Mary-Frances O'Connor (Author)

The Grieving Body: How the Stress of Loss Can Be an Opportunity for Healing

5,The follow-up to celebrated grief expert, neuroscientist, and psychologist Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor's The Grieving Brain focuses on the impact of grief--and life's other major stressors--on the human body. Coping with death and grief is one of the most painful human experiences. While we can speak to the psychological and emotional ramifications of loss and sorrow, we often overlook its impact on our physical bodies. Dr. Mary-Frances O'Connor specializes in the study of grief, and in The Grieving Body she shares vital scientific research, revealing imperative new insights on its profound physiological impact. As she did in The Grieving Brain, O'Connor combines illuminating studies and personal stories to explore the toll loss takes on our cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems and the larger implications for our long-term well-being.The Grieving Body addresses questions about how bereavement affects us, such as: Can we die of a broken heart?What happens in our bodies when we're grieving?How do our coping behaviors affect our physical health?What is the cognitive impact of grief?Why are we more prone to illness during times of enormous stress?and moreResearch-backed, warm, ...

Crystal C. Hall (Author)

Antiracist by Design: Reimagining Applied Behavioral Science

6,How to confront the challenge of creating antiracist behavioral design--and how to successfully implement the solutions. Behavioral science has been celebrated as a field whose insights can design a better world, but its color-blind approach has perpetuated unjust systems. With over three decades of collective experience at the forefront of applied behavioral science, authors Hall and Hernandez expose the consequences of this failure and the dangers of inaction. While our hesitancy is understandable--applied behavioral science alone won't dismantle structural racism--we've confused limitations with powerlessness. This book provides a call to action. Antiracist By Design provides the tools and a roadmap to an antiracist approach to applied behavioral science, including a step-by-step guide to reimagined behavioral design processes, "fan fiction" with antiracist makeovers to classic studies, and a revised behavioral map template that prompts users to consider systemic barriers. Written for anyone who wants to make the world a more just place, Hall and Hernandez use scholarly research alongside accessible stories (from Mozart and Chris Rock to the TV show Insecure) to illuminate ...