Synopses & Reviews
Praise for Gratitude Works!
"Gratitude Works! works wonders for me. Not only does it provide a more realistic and plausible approach to cultivating the disposition of gratitude than have any previous books, it also clearly affirms the connection between an attitude of gratitude and our likelihood of actively helping others. Gratitude actually causes people to become joyful givers, and we reap the benefits. Now that is big news for sure!"
Stephen G. Post, Ph.D., Stony Brook University School of Medicine; bestselling author, The Hidden Gifts of Helping
"If you're intrigued by gratitudeits history, its benefits and rewards, how to cultivate it, and how it 'works'and you want to hear about it from the world's preeminent expert on the topic, you have come to the right place. There is no better book about gratitude on the market."
Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ph.D., author, The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want and The Myths of Happiness: What Should Make You Happy, but Doesn't, What Shouldn't Make You Happy, but Does
"Gratitude has been the key that's opened so many doors to God's grace and mercy in our lives. A grateful heart and a thankful perspective is what has fueled our passion to fulfill His purpose on our lives as individuals and together as a family for the past 25 years. Read this book and see how and why gratitude works!"
The Katinas, contemporary Christian music group
"The world's leading authority on gratitude has given us a deeply heartfelt and practical guide to its healing, strengthening, and mood-lifting powers. A wonderful combination of science, soul, and immediately helpful ideas and practices." Rick Hanson, Ph.D., author, Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, and Wisdom
Review
"Gratitude Works! is a must read! Robert Emmons, the world's leading gratitude researcher, offers a science-based prescription for transforming our lives personally and professionally through the power of gratitude. Gratitude Works! is one of those books you will want to share with all the people you care about. It is a gift to us all."—
David J. Pollay, author of The Law of the Garbage Truck: How to Stop People from Dumping on You
"Everyone on this planet has one common wish: to be happy. When I allowed gratitude to enter my everyday life, I found my happiness and my performance skyrocketed. I always enjoy listening to Dr. Emmons talk about this amazing topic. Read this book!"—Ed Tseng, author of Game. Set. Life. - Peak Performance for Sports and Life
Synopsis
A purposeful guide for cultivating gratitude as a way of lifeRecent dramatic advances in our understanding of gratitude have changed the question from "does gratitude work?" to "how do we get more of it?" This book explores evidence-based practices in a compelling and accessible way and provides a step-by-step guide to cultivating gratitude in their lives. Gratitude Works! also shows how religious, philosophical, and spiritual traditions validate the greatest insights of science about gratitude.
- New book from Robert Emmons the bestselling author of Thanks
- Filled with practical tips for fostering gratitude as a way of life
- Includes scientific research as well as religious and philosophical insights to show how gratitude can work in our lives
From Robert Emmons, the bestselling author of Thanks, comes a resource for cultivating a life of gratitude practices.
Synopsis
"Gratitude is important not only because it helps us
feel good, but also because it inspires us to
do good. Gratitude heals, energizes, and transforms lives...
Gratitude takes us outside our scope so we see ourselves as part of a larger, intricate network of sustaining relationships, relationships that are mutually reciprocal."
From the Preface
From Robert Emmons, the best-selling author of THANKS!, comes a vital resource that shows us how to tap into the power and grace of gratitude. Emmons draws on a wide array of research, including his own, to show that the practice of gratitude can have dramatic and lasting effects on and in our lives. It can lower blood pressure, improve immune function, promote happiness and well-being, and spur acts of helpfulness, generosity, and cooperation.
The organic metaphor of "growing gratitude" is a powerful image for conveying basic truths of how we reap the benefits of a more gratitude-filled life. We do not acquire gratitude; we cultivate it through daily practices that make it a deeply ingrained disposition. This accessible book provides a twenty-one-day, step-by-step guide for cultivating gratitude practicesthe concrete things you can do to grow your mind and direct your actions toward a more grateful worldview. Through practice, giving thanks grows from the ground of one's being. Grateful feelings, once buried, can surface if we take the time to notice and reflect.
A French proverb states that gratitude is the memory of the heartit is the way that the heart remembers. If you want to be a grateful person then you must remember to remember. Gratitude Works! will show you how.
About the Author
Robert A. Emmons, Ph.D., is professor of psychology at the University of California, Davis. He is past president of the American Psychological Association's Division 36, The Psychology of Religion. Emmons is founding editor and editor-in-chief of The Journal of Positive Psychology.
Table of Contents
Preface v
Acknowledgments xi
1 The Challenge of Gratitude 1
2 Journaling for Gratitude 19
3 Beyond the Journal: Gratitude Letters and Visits 49
4 Growing Gratitude Through Spiritual Disciplines 75
5 The Biggest Obstacle to Gratitude—and Its Remedy 105
6 Gratitude, Suffering, and Redemption 131
7 The Twenty-One-Day Gratitude Challenge 159
Notes 173
Additional Readings 185
About the Author 186
Index 188