Bruce M. Hood Knihy

We all desire happiness, yet our minds often hinder us. When we become trapped in our thoughts, we fixate on our flaws, compare ourselves to others, and overlook the positives in our lives. A world-leading psychologist and happiness expert reveals that connection, not self-care, is the true key to happiness. Through seven transformative lessons, he guides us to break free from negative thought patterns and reconnect with what truly matters: Alter Your Ego, Avoid Isolation, Reject Negative Comparisons, Become More Optimistic, Control Your Attention, Connect With Others, and Get Out of Your Own Head. Drawing on decades of research in neuroscience and developmental psychology, this work presents a groundbreaking perspective on the roots of well-being and the barriers we face. With practical insights throughout, the author shows how we can leverage scientific findings to rewire our thinking and enhance our lives. Esteemed figures praise the book for its clear, valuable lessons and scientific backing, calling it a roadmap to better well-being and a comprehensive guide to understanding what genuinely fosters happiness.

"You may not believe it, but there is a link between our current political instability and your childhood attachment to teddy bears. There's also a reason why children in Asia are more likely to share than their Western counterparts and why the poor spend more of their income on luxury goods than the rich. Or why your mother is more likely to leave her money to you than your father. What connects these things? The answer is our need for ownership. Award-winning psychologist Bruce Hood draws on research from his own lab and others around the world to explain why this uniquely human preoccupation governs our behavior from the cradle to the grave, even when it is often irrational, and destructive. What motivates us to buy more than we need? Is it innate, or cultural? How does our urge to acquire control our behavior, even the way we vote? And what can we do about it? Timely, engaging, and persuasive, Possessed is the first book to explore how ownership has us enthralled in relentless pursuit of a false happiness, with damaging consequences for society and the planet - and how we can stop buying into it." --

“In an account chock full of real-world examples reinforced by experimental research, Hood’s marvelous book is an important contribution to the psychological literature that is revealing the actuality of our very irrational human nature.” — Science In the vein of Malcolm Gladwell’s Blink, Mary Roach’s Spook, and Dan Ariely’s Predictably Irrational, The Science of Superstition uses hard science to explain pervasive irrational beliefs and behaviors: from the superstitious rituals of sports stars, to the depreciated value of houses where murders were committed, to the adoration of Elvis.

A fascinating and engaging examination of why we believe in the supernatural.