Synopses & Reviews
The author of The Willpower Instinct delivers a controversial and groundbreaking new book that overturns long-held beliefs about stress. and#160;
More than forty-four percent of Americans admit to losing sleep over stress. And while most of us do everything we can to reduce it, Stanford psychologist and bestselling author Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., delivers a startling message: Stress isnand#8217;t bad. In The Upside of Stress, McGonigal highlights new research indicating that stress can, in fact, make us stronger, smarter, and happierand#151;if we learn how to embrace it.
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The Upside of Stress is the first book to bring together cutting-edge discoveries on the correlation between resilienceand#151;the human capacity for stress-related growthand#151;and mind-set, the power of beliefs to shape reality. As she did in The Willpower Instinct, McGonigal combines science, stories, and exercises into an engaging and practical book that is both entertaining and life-changing, showing you:
- how to cultivate a mind-set to embrace stress
- how stress can provide focus and energy
- how stress can help people connect and strengthen close relationships
- why your brain is built to learn from stress, and how to increase its ability to learn from challenging experiences
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McGonigaland#8217;s TED talk on the subject has already received more than 7 million views. Her message resonates with people who know they canand#8217;t eliminate the stress in their lives and want to learn to take advantage of it. The Upside of Stress is not a guide to getting rid of stress, but a guide to getting better at stress, by understanding it, embracing it, and using it.
Review
Praise for Kelly McGonigal and
The Willpower Instinct:
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"Tired of the endless debate about whether man possesses free will or is predestined to lounge about gobbling Krispy Kreme donuts while watching TV?and#160;If you want action, not theory, The Willpower Instinct is the solution for the chronically slothful."and#160;
and#8212; USA Today
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and#8220;Refreshingly easy to read and peppered with stories of people who have successfully used its methods, The Willpower Instinct is a new kind of self-help book. Using science to help explain the and#8220;whyand#8221; and strategies for the and#8220;how,and#8221; McGonigal has created a book that will appeal to those who want to lose a few pounds as well as those who are eager to understand why they just cannot seem to get through their to-do list. A must-read for anyone who wants to change how they live in both small and big ways.and#8221;
and#8212; Bookpage
and#160;and#8220;A fun and readable survey of the field, bringing willpower wisdom out of the labs.and#8221;
and#8212; TIME magazine
and#8220;The Willpower Instinct combines the braininess of a Malcolm Gladwell bestseller with the actual helpfulness of an Idiotsand#8217; Guide to not being lazy. If you are trying to lose weight, train for an athletic event, become more successful at work, rid yourself of toxic habitsand#8230;heck, if youand#8217;re HUMAN, you need to read this book.and#8221;
and#8212; Library Thing
and#8220;This book has tremendous value for anyone interested in learning how to achieve their goals more effectively. McGonigal clearly breaks down a large body of relevant scientific research and its applications, and shows that awareness of the limits of willpower is crucial to our ability to exercise true self control.and#8221;
and#8212; Jeffrey M. Schwartz, M.D., author of the bestselling Brain Lock
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and#8220;What a liberating book! Kelly McGonigal explains the scientific reality of willpower, exploding the myths that most of us believe. Stronger willpowerand#8212;based on inspiring facts, not oppressive nonsenseand#8212;is finally within everyoneand#8217;s reach.and#8221;
and#8212; Geoff Colvin, author of Talent Is Overrated
About the Author
Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., is a health psychologist and lecturer at Stanford University, as well as a fitness instructor and meditation teacher. Her work has been included in
The New York Times, the
Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, TIME, Psychology Today, Readerand#8217;s Digest, and
O, The Oprah Magazine, as well as on NPR and MSNBC. Her research has appeared in journals such as
Motivation and Emotion, the
Journal of Happiness Studies, and the
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. McGonigal lives in Palo Alto and New York City.