Customer Reviews

Human Moments: How to Find Meaning and Love in Your Everyday Life

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In Dr. Ned Hallowell's last book, "Connect," he emphasized the importance of "connectedness" to physical, emotional, and mental health. These connections can be with family, friends, colleagues, animals, art, music, ritual, faith, nature, or even history -- and people who have such connections live longer, stay healthier, and find greater enjoyment in their lives and relationships. Dr. Hallowell's new book, "Human Moments," continues to explore the foundations of health in his trademark style of warmth and honesty that makes you feel as if he is speaking just to you. Human moments are those funny, joyful, warm, sad, poignant, inspiring, crazy, loving moments that, in the rush and stress of our daily lives, can so easily be overlooked. Human moments are the building blocks of connections. Hallowell's skill and gift is the ability to present his ideas in a manner so personal and approachable that it truly motivates readers to look at their own lives, values, and relationships, and change them for the better. My belief in the value and importance of Dr. Hallowell's work is not just idle talk. As the head of an organization that builds "connections" with children, parents, and teachers around the world, I have purchased well over a hundred copies of "Human Moments," and Dr. Hallowell's last book, "Connect," and given them out to our employees. I consider it one of the best investments I could possibly make in their health, and the health of the children, families, and communities we serve.

I happened to order this book from Amazon before Sept 11, 2001 and was so lucky to have it on hand during this week of horrible sadness, as we all watched the WTC and Pentagon destroyed in a few inhumane moments. The good doctor has given us powerful medicine to heal our world in these pages. This book has a simple message -- we need to take the time to love and care for one another, nothing else much matters. With the backdrop of tragedy this week to drive his message home, the book took on a timeliness never intended. The way we treat one another, the love we share, this alone gives our world meaning. Not preachy at all, the book teaches by stories, his and others, of what human moments are made of -- his poignant recounting of his grandmother's Christmas Eve tradition of driving the family into town from Cape Cod for a Boston Bruins game in the 1950's, his total fear and lack of confidence at becoming a medical doctor as he began his internship, his hesistation to propose to his second wife and near miss at great happiness with her and their three children. Hallowell does something brave that so many authors shy away from. He tells the truth. This is pretty shocking stuff when so many experts, pundits, philosophers, and writers make every effort NOT to reveal their weaknesses. By doing so, he is showing us how we can share our humanness too. He reminds us how to risk being human; be willing to admit how hard being alive can be, be vulnerable, be honest. Build a real world on real caring and consideration for others. Trust the one compass that always shows the way -- love.

On September 11 our lives changed -- in ways still unknown. And that same week I started reading Human Moments, Dr. Hallowell's newest book. It is helping me get through this horrible time. From his inspiration and wisdom I am finding more meaning and fulfillment in my everyday world. I am learning to recognize and make the most of the situations we all experience--and how everyday encounters with others can become rich and lasting memories. Human Moments is the book I'm recommending to my book club for our first selection of the year. Joyce Leuchten, Mountain Lakes, NJ

I got this book soon after my dad passed away at the age of 88. Reading this book provided a welcome opportunity to reflect on what is important in life and how to nurture the best in myself, my family, and friends. Hallowell's book addresses serious topics with a light touch. It is humorous, poignant, and wise. I particularly liked the sections that touch on the importance of making time for our children and our elders. I recommend it for anyone who is seeking a daily life that is less harried, task-driven, and mechanized. Buy it, keep it on your night table, and read a few pages at the end of each day. You won't be disappointed.

By Finn from Norway (sorry about spelling mistakes etc.) :

I'm a person with a higher eduaction, and a patient persion, and one with a high level of self awarnece.

After reading the first few chapters, and understanding that the author is simply telling a lot of simple everyday stories to make you realize there's a lot out there to be happy about, like the wind blowing and the sun ricing, etc, etc,... I ended up putting the book away.

He is right of course !

And to some depressed and stressed people with low self conciousness who have never noticed the small joys in life, this could very well be very worth wile reading, and highly recomenndable.

But I guess, for most, it's a bit too simple.

I'm 44 by the way.

Es un libro escrito de una manera muy bonita, en donde por medio de pequeños relatos (momentos humanos), el autor muestra la importancia de las pequeñas o grandes circunstancias por las cuales discurre nuestra vida. Recomiendo sinceramente su lectura pues muestra y reinvindica lo verdaderamente importante...

A friend gave this book to me, in some misguided notion that because I was interested in ADHD I'd be interested in this book, whose author has written some books on ADHD. I couldn't make it past the introduction, with "Duckie" and "Skipper." A cast of WASP characters straight out of central casting with their "canton china bowls" full of Pepperidge farm goldfish.

Then the next section is an "invitation" to readers. An invitation to supply the author with more "human moment" material for his next book. Hey, what a deal. You write his books for him, so the author can make money from your stories. That must be one of those Human Moments (tm) where he connects with people. Got it.

Just look at the description of the book from the author or publisher, above:

"Human Moments(tm) is unlike any book available today. Renowned author Edward Hallowell proposes a simple, effective way to find happiness and love in this totally unique guide to living a fulfilling life"

HUMAN MOMENTS....TM? Is he for real??? Is this guy really thinking he can trademark "human moments"? That's embarrassing.

TOTALLY UNIQUE GUIDE..... did a high school student write this?