What a fantastic new book by Dr. Richard Davidson! I am excited to share insights gleaned from this book (and the supporting research) with my students. I will admit that at times the stories take away from the science, and that it would be nice to have images to bring the science to life. Still, Dr. Davidson's research is important, and this book does a solid job of communicating its significance.

So. Much. Talking.

TLDR:
You need these four things to be resilient even under stress—
· Awareness: Learn to be fully present with your emotions so that you can embrace all of life’s ups and downs.
· Connection: Grow meaningful relationships and a sense of belonging by cultivating kindness and appreciation.
· Insight: Learn to know yourself through self-inquiry, so that you can break free from old narratives.
· Purpose: Connect with your core values and guiding motivation to create clarity and make sound decisions.

This entire book is endless stories and research about these four things. There’s not really an action plan at the end or steps, just a lot of talk about their Healthy Minds app and lots of stories and research about needing these four things in life. I already actively work to incorporate all four in my daily life so this didn’t offer me anything new.

If you don’t know why those four goals are important for your mental health, this book will explain it. It is not really designed to help you do them though.

I read an ARC of this book via netgalley.

creating opportunities to improve our lives. It was an essential tool in my practice as a therapist, offering effective ideas for therapeutic interventions.