Customer Reviews

Curious?: Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life

5 star:		(60)
4 star:		(16)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(5)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

Like many people, I have kept tabs on the tremendous explosion of books describing or promising happiness. I tend to read them for the science, and occasionally think some strategy or tidbit of advice is worth trying out. Unfortunately, it has gotten harder and harder to find a book that offers anything new, gives me an expanded perspective, or excites me to do something more in my life.

This energetically-written book does all of those things. It's an exciting trip through a way of looking at life that embraces challenge, uncertainty, and unfamiliar territory and gives readers some great tools - and a lot of enthusiasm - for transforming anxious and ambivalent moments into a force for growth and fulfillment. The science is top-notch and cutting-edge, and flows satisfyingly into strategies and exercises for unleashing the curious explorer that lurks within us. Unlike many books, Curious? doesn't simply argue that more is always better. Curiosity can lead to troubling places and create distress, too. The book takes a frank look at this side of curiosity.

Personally, I especially appreciated Dr. Kashdan's call to make the mundane mysterious. Too often, we get complacent and allow the most important things in our lives (people, jobs, values, our capacity to think deeply about the world) to settle in place like concrete. This book is a great wake-up call.

Curious? stimulates readers to reveal for themselves the opportunities and magic that lie all around.

For years I have contended that there was something missing which played an integral role in the development of happiness. Many books have been published with ultra focus on positive affect and "rolling with the punches", but they are incomplete without the consideration of curiosity. This book delves into a key feature of the psyche that has been overlooked for far too long. Kashdan contends that curiosity can be developed and cultivated to predisposition you for happiness in your day to day life - this is exciting news. All too often we find ourselves in jobs we don't like, social functions we abhor and blame each for our discontent. We have learned to buy many things in attempt to discover our happiness when learning to seek the novelty in day to day interactions may prove to be the keystone to development of happiness. Kashdan sets us on the path to learning, defining and developing our own curiosity. He provides the toolkit for the reader to become a curious explorer which his ground breaking book claims will allow the reader to enhance our day to day happiness.

Kashdan's writing style in Curious? is scholarly, eloquent and attainable. Throughout the book Kashdan illustrates his research using clear analogies which draw his concepts within reach of a broad spectrum of audiences.

Instead of oversimplifying Curious? Kashdan constructs his framework through a meta-analysis of his own and other prominent scholars' research results. It is apparent that Curious? is a result of Kashdan's collaborations, life experiences and observations through clinical counseling; the book does not rests on one man's narrow ideas. What makes Kashdan's observations especially strong is the fact that he has taken great lengths to maintain a macro view on his own ideas as they have formed, followed by drilling down on concepts and applying his mastery. The ideas presented are well thought out and as a result the book is thought provoking. Many will find themselves taking notes and pondering the concepts delivered along with their own outlook on life and happiness.

Brains lusting for the new/seeking a fulfilling life: I found a slew of concepts in Kashdan's book to be especially interesting. Naturally the overlying theme is that that seeking a fulfilling life is a found through seeking the new, i.e. being curious. One concept I found particularly intriguing was Kashdan's ideas surrounding conclusion/completion of a learning period. Often times we are caught up in getting things done and "checking the box" so to speak. Kashdan asks us what is next after the conclusion? Curious? addresses completion/conclusion of novelty seeking events as a fundamental problem to happiness which ultimately leads to our stagnation. This not only intuitively sounds correct, it is spot on. Think of how many times in your life you pick up a new hobby or even when you start a new job. At the start of things your mind is racing with excitement and a desire to learn all that you can. You become nearly obsessed with this knowledge seeking and time seems to fly by with states of flow, seamless efficiency and prowess, ensue. These are days, weeks, etc. that fly by without a moment's notice when competencies are at their highest. Once you learn the new job or master a hobby it is less interesting and you typically derive less joy from it. However if you take a lesson from this book you can find ways to seek the novel in the routine or mundane.

Curious? is jam packed with powerful concepts and alerts the reader to key common disconnects many of us have regarding happiness. I enjoyed seeing some "frank speak" and a fresh writing style from Kashdan throughout the book. I found myself chewing up the text and jotting notes in the margins. Kashdan accomplishes what so many scholarly writers attempt; he cleverly blends complex research into attainable concepts.

Negative Reviews:
I read several of the negative reviews prior to deciding to buy the book. One common theme I picked up on was a lack of comfort from several reviewers' ability to read/learn about some of the dark sides of curiosity or Kashan's occasional "disturbing drug references", etc. While these references may have been uncomfortable/offensive for some it would be remiss to discount and otherwise outstanding work. I found these comments to be edgy in some cases but always in good taste and often providing levity or a smile to the reader. I prefer a writer who doesn't put the blinders on and stays true to himself/herself - Kashdan didn't shy, not even from the uncomfortable topics; a great book for all.

This is an author to put on your watch list - I will be looking for his next effort!

The world of positive psychology officially has too many books about happiness. Those are good books---I won't single them out by name here---but now that we are all sitting around in a state of flourished, self-satisfied contentment, what do we do now?

In Curious, Todd Kashdan digs deeper, suggesting that a sense of curiosity, wonder, and meaning is the core of a "fulfilling life." This book is an intriguing mix of narrative, science, and practical advice. Kashdan illustrates how the science of curiosity can be put to use in daily life and how curiosity affects things as diverse as intimacy, purpose, mindfulness, relationship quality, intelligence, and, yes, even happiness. Importantly, he is candid and realistic about the dark aspects of curiosity, such as morbid interests, gossip, and obsessions.

There's a lot to say about this book---it covers an incredible amount of ground---but I suppose what it all comes down to is that I got a lot of out it. It's a provocative and illuminating book.

This is one of what seems to be an exploding genre, I would guess based largely on the success of Daniel Gilbert's "Stumbling on Happiness," where academic psychologists doing work related to positive psychology take their basic area of research and try to translate it for a mass audience. Others include "The Happiness Hypothesis" by Haidt, "Positivity" by Fredrickson, "Happiness" by the Dieners, "The How of Happiness" by Lyubomirsky, etc.. A cynic would say they are cashing in (as Colbert might say--let the market decide), but being more generous one might say they are simply trying to make psychological science accessible. Either way, you can't really blame them. Most of these folks do good research and such work should have accessible outlets. Todd Kashdan, the author of "Curious" is not at this point among the top academic psychologists in these areas (as are, say, Fredrickson or Haidt or Diener--Kashdan after all is very productive but also still pretty young) but he has done some useful research, he has some interesting stories, and his style probably appeals to a more youthful market niche.

The fundamental insight of this book, that simply reframing life events by using the lens of curiosity can help a person thrive, is useful. It made me think some about how I might reframe the way I approach situations that cause me anxiety--being in unfamiliar and crowded places, for example--by drawing on my abundant curiosity . What, I'm trying to ask myself, is interesting to observe in this unfamiliar and crowded place. Beyond the basic insight, however, this particular book does not add a lot to the positive psychology genre. The chapter on relationships, for example, is fine--lots of research shows that good relationships matter a lot for well-being. But that is pretty widely discussed elsewhere. This book also teeters on that slippery slope of many pop psychology books promising to have the one panacea for happiness. At points the book is reasonable and notes that curiosity works for some people and can help some of the time, but it alone is not enough. At other points, however, it slips into grand and problematic claims such as "what is the central ingredient to creating a fulfilling life? The answer is curiosity." Not really. Curiosity has its place, as does this book, but the major problem in the pop positive psychology genre is the claim that the answer to "creating a fulfilling life" is as simple as whatever the author's line of research happens to be. In fact, each line of research, however worthy, is just a part of a much bigger puzzle.

Wow, this book is something different. I generally run from any book that smacks of self-help, because the author is always trying to fix the reader. This book is something else entirely. In it, Dr. Kashdan answers everyone who is interested in that proverbial question, "How do I create a life that has meaning?" He uses the insights he has gained as a clinical psychologist, weaves in scientific facts about how people think and act, gives real world examples of people he calls "curious explorers," and provides activities for anyone who wants to up their game when it comes to using curiosity for adding zest to life. Readers are invited to join Dr. Kashdan on a journey of fun exploration that ends in knowing how to use curiosity to infuse life with meaning and joy. A must read!

Todd Kashdan has written a very delightful book which is full of great advice, insights and information we could all use to make our lives better.

Ask anyone about their biggest goal in life and most will respond with some variation of happiness. But according to Kashdan, seeking happiness can result in being on "an endless, fruitless treadmill of `happiness seeking'. "Instead of constantly trying to be happy, we should focus on building a rich, meaningful life, guided by our core values and interest."

Todd quotes Sylvan Tomkins, "... there is no human competence which can be achieved in the absence of a sustaining interest." If we are to lead a fulfilling life, we must harness our curiosity.

Most people believe that to be happy we need to have certainty in our lives. When we understand everything, when we know what to expect in the future, when we are in total control we become stagnant.

"When we are curious we are open to expanding ourselves and to explore. Curiosity creates possibilities; the need for certainty narrows them."

The book explores the advantage of being curious, why our brains lust for the new, how to create lasting interest and passions, how curiosity can enhance our relationships, how we can reduce our anxiety by increasing our curiosity, the dark side of curiosity and finishes with ways to discover meaning and purpose in life.

The book is fun to read - with many examples cited from Todd's personal life and from years as a psychologist. The writing is well researched and completely documented and there is a section of exercises to help expand curiosity in your life. In addition, there are some 45 pages of notes and references for those wishing to explore the subject deeper.

Todd states that the five major benefits from being curious are: Better health, intelligence, meaning and purpose in life, better and more meaningful social relationships and happiness.

I think most people make the mistake of seeking certainty and predictability in their lives. According to Todd, a better way of living is to be open to new experiences. Seek out the novel. Be curious.

A great read. Highly enlightening. I believe anyone can gain from reading this book.

I felt drawn to this book. Was it the bright yellow color with the large simple letters of Curious? that drew me? I don't know. I just knew I wanted to read this book. Todd Kashdan wrote a wonderfully exciting book, "Curious?" on exploring our curious behavior. What he wrote resonated within me on how we are programmed early on to live inside the box. Color within the lines. Don't forget to cross your t's and dot your i's kind of life. The formal rigid box society tries to constrain us in causes our spirit to be crushed and we just learn to be, but not live.

Todd's focus was how we need to revive that curious spirit and embrace life to the fullest. I enjoyed this book. It even provoked people to ask me what I was reading during my breaks. The banana colored book drew people in like monkeys to bananas. Dr. Todd knows his stuff. He includes extensive notes and references to back up his book. No cotton candy fluff here. This is a must read for anyone in the psychiatric field, human relations, behavioral sciences and the like. It wasn't a dry read either. We all know those kind of stale books and this isn't one of them. You might even get an eyebrow uplifted by a colleague "Curious?" to know what you are reading!

Todd examines both sides of curiosity including the darker side. Don't we all have that hidden down in us? You know, like bungee jumping off the Grand Canyon, but most of us only dream of the darker side. Some dark curiosities are really dangerous though, like sexual compulsions, obsessions, etc. However, the theme is to live a curious life and explore,(but be safe). I think what Todd quoted from Deepak Chopra best sums up this book; "I wake up with the hope this day is even more uncertain than yesterday. It is the unknown that we live, breathe, and move in all the time thinking it is known. If a life can be a series of perpetual surprises, that's the most joyous experience you can have." You won't regret reading this book!

The book is quite a departure from what you might expect from the silly, self-help-inspired title. It's an elegant paean to digging deeper, to being curious, to being ready to learn, and to not taking the easiest answers. There are quite a few reviews here now, but let me try to add some of why this book is so important...

I taught university students at a reasonably good, large, public university. (No, I promise I won't offer a "and this generation is less BLANK than the previous.) The students were bright and friendly. And had no interests and no curiosities. They might watch television or play video games, but none collected anything. They might play tennis or volleyball, but no one hiked, sailed, kayaked, canoed, surfed, snorkeled, or dove. They might be Republicans or Democrats, but were never Socialists, activists, organizers, or well informed. They had Facebook pages, but never wrote poetry, went birdwatching, used a camera more complicated than their cellphone camera, programmed a computer, acted on stage, played a musical instrument, or repaired their own cars. They had no interest in traveling to exotic locales, no knowledge of literature that wasn't assigned in their courses, and little interest beyond what was on the next test.

These are normal folks in America in the 21st century. They lack curiosity.

I 'm not a fan of "self-help" books per se, but this book seems to fall into a better category.....It's more like the manual that comes with your latest electronic purchase with a bit of science thrown in and a "troubleshooting" guide in the back.....

The book itself is written well and flows nicely....it's more like reading a novel than a "how to" instructional drama. The author covers a lot of territory without breaking pace, and he gives us many ideas to swish around our heads....

One of the most revealing topics is called "The difficulties that Interfere with strong connections," where he goes on to say that boredom is one of the top reasons why couples decide to break up or get therapy. Once the blissful feelings fizzle out, the shallow conversations and lethargy set in..... I believe once you see something and can put your finger on it, you have choices as to which way you need to proceed. I highly recommend this book for everyone and feel the author genuinely cares and understands the problems facing the world today.

With a blend of psychology and science, Todd Kashdan shows us how to become a curious person and how to inject curiosity into our daily lives. When we think of being "curious", we might first think of young children finding a salamander for the first time or building a snow man and discovering the intricacies of a snowflake. True wonder and curiosity go hand-in-hand. The book "Curious?" is dedicated to those of us over 30 who want to really develop and increase (or maintain) a curious spirit and outlook in life and it provides concrete strategies for doing so.

Dr. Kashdan does well at defining what "Curiosity?" is and gives examples of people who have become intimately aware of their curious side. We learn that the element of curiosity can drive us to do brand new things we may never have considered instead of living the status quo.

He shares "that sometimes joy is central to our life explorations and at other times the sole purpose is to release tension and find meaning." Curious? is not a touchy-feely book, rather it is a blueprint to helping add the unknown to life and encouraging readers to seek this unknown and "go for it". Readers learn to dissect the moments in their day and discover that some are more onerous than others and that discovering what is most enjoyable in life will help to foster passionate living. Readers will also discover how to awaken interest and curiosity. Curiosity must be desired to breed curiosity--this is half the battle. Dr. Kashdan carefully explains how changing perspective in life will architect the life of a curious explorer.

We are encouraged to become curious explorers in life and to live life with a curious heart. Dr. Kashdan leads us away from certainty and towards curiosity. He cites that "Curiosity creates possibilities while certainty narrows them". We are challenged to adopt a curious nature and discover the subtle changes that happen in day to day living. Scheduling time for novelty is important for health and well-being according to Dr. Kashdan and he leads the reader into developing passions and lasting interests.

I personally come from a background of existentialism and find that my "search for meaning" finds curiosity at it's core. It is the beauty of the search and journey in life that makes life interesting and worth living. Dr, Kashdan drives these concepts home again and again providing real life examples, examples of scientific experiments and ways to foster living curiously through the development of long-lasting interests and passions.

I am a young, retired woman with MS and am constantly pursuing developing new interests and hobbies to bring meaning to my life. This book helped me to awaken new passions like martial arts and Flamenco guitar--two things I currently do and intend to do for the long haul. I pursued them because I was curious about them and knew they would challenge me. This book can help you develop the same kind of curiosity with a very logical blueprint for living.

I highly recommend it!