From Publishers Weekly
Post, a professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University, outlines, as the book's subtitle puts it, "the exciting new research that proves the link between doing good and living a longer, healthier, happier life." With former Psychology Today features editor Neimark, Post cites a raft of studies (some of it funded by his Institute for Research on Unlimited Love) showing that qualities like gratitude, celebration, forgiveness and compassion are not only good for the recipients of your generosity-they're good for you too, leading to better health and longer life. Post details a self-help program based on his Love and Longevity Scale, tested on 339 college students, to measures how high you score on each quality. He also offers anecdotes (like the story of a five-year-old girl who forgave the shooter whose bullet paralyzed her) and advice to illustrate how to practice altruistic qualities. Forgiveness, for example, can be pursued through a Buddhist breathing meditation or by communing with a higher power. Post's advice to spend time helping others is grounded not only in research but in an optimistic faith in human nature.
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Review
Advance Praise for Why Good Things Happen to Good People
“In writing so compellingly about the importance of lifelong giving, Stephen Post and Jill Neimark have actually modeled their own principle by giving all of us a gift. Bringing together a summary of new scientific data on altruism, a compendium of moving stories of human compassion, and a new survey tool to assist in self-examination, this book convincingly demonstrates that ‘love your neighbor as yourself’ can indeed provide a joyful path towards a fulfilled life.”
—Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, director, Human Genome Project and author of The Language of God
“Stephen Post and Jill Neimark make the scientific case for generosity eloquently, humanely, and compellingly. This book meets Nietzsche’s criterion for good philosophy: ‘Change your life!’”
—Martin E. P. Seligman, PhD, Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, and author of Learned Optimism and Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment
“In my entire lifetime I have never read a book that presents the benefits of giving for the giver as well as this one does, and using such powerful science in the process.”
—Robert H. Schuller, founder of The Crystal Cathedral
“Stephen Post and Jill Neimark have brought together the main findings from the new science of genuine love and translated them into helpful, practical advice that the reader can easily apply. Those who take this book to heart will surely make their lives better, and will help to make the world a better place as well.”
—Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD, professor of psychology, Claremont Graduate University, and author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
“This book is chock-full of good stuff. Read, enjoy and be uplifted!”
—Millard Fuller, founder and president of the Fuller Center for Housing and founder of Habitat for Humanity
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