Thanks!: How Practicing Gratitude Can Make You Happier

This book reports the findings of the new positive psychology that maintaining a grateful attitude towards life can have beneficial effects mentally, socially and even physically. Emmons reports his own psychological experiments and those of others working in the field, including the now famous Martin E. P. Seligman (author of  Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment ).While the book is science based it is written especially with the general public in mind, and is not in any way boring or overly technical. Emmons includes plenty of anecdotes to make the material human and easy to relate to. At only two hundred and nine pages it is a short read, but contains enough material to convince you to change your attitude and your life. Quite copious notes are provided if you want to follow up any of the topics mentioned in more detail. If you want a more professional, scientific report of this material you should read Emmons' book  The Psychology of Gratitude (Series in Affective Science) .The book covers the topics:The psychology of gratitude, including how and why it works, such as the fact that we gain enhanced social relationships when we realize that someone has done something special for us,How the emotion of gratitude works in our body, for example "... the welling we feel in the throat, the warmth ...",Gratitude in a religious context, ranging over Christianity, including Pentecostalism, Judaism, Islam, and Buddhism,Obstacles to grateful living, such as forgetfulness and feeling an obligation to repay the kindness,Can we feel gratitude in difficult times, and,Practical methods of increasing a sense of gratitude.While reading this book I started writing a "gratitude journal" in which I 'count my blessings' each day. I have found that this technique forces one to look at the good things, rather than the bad, and that this can quite alter ones perception of 'reality'. Previously when something bad happened I would tend to say "Today was bad", but now those feelings are balanced by my list of small but valuable good events, so I can see that the whole day was not bad. I recommend this book especially if you are a suffer of depression, but anyone can benefit making their good life even better.

The media could not be loaded.  "Gratitude has never, until recently, been examined or studied by scientific psychologists. It is possible that psychology has ignored gratitude because it appears, on the surface, to be a very obvious emotion, lacking in interesting complications: we receive a gift--from friends, from family, from God--and then we feel pleasurably grateful. But while the emotion seemed simplistic even to me as I began my research, I soon discovered that gratitude is a deeper, more complex phenomenon that plays a critical role in human happiness. Gratitude is literally one of the few things that can measurably change people's lives."~ Robert Emmons from Thanks!A Professor at the University of California, Davis, Robert Emmons is one of the world's leading experts on the science of gratitude.This book is packed with wisdom on both the scientific underpinnings of gratitude as well as practical steps we can engage in to make it a bigger part of our lives."I intend this book to provoke intellectual interest as well as self-examination; I hope to provide you with information that might inspire you to make life altering decisions.""The scientific literature suggests that happy individuals are also more creative, helpful, charitable, and self-confident, have better self-control, and show greater self regulatory and coping abilities. Happy people, the facts clearly show, are flourishing and successful people."Here are a few Big Ideas:1. Happiness - It's a good thing to develop.2. 25% Happiness Boost - How? Gratitude.3. Gratitude Sleeping Pills - Pop these before bedtime.4. Flourishing Relationships - 5:1 again.5. Emotional Incompatibility - Swap out the bad with the good!So, if you're feeling funky, or just want to boost your flourishing to even more extraordinary heights, remember to get your gratitude on and act like a happy person!!!(More goodness--including PhilosophersNotes on 250+ books at http://www.brianjohnson.me)

Thanks! is an amazing book filled with research on the topic of thanksgiving written in an easily readable and enjoyable fashion. The book was life transforming for me, something I would not say glibly, as it taught me the power of gratitude to not only be happier, but to see life through a more positive lens. I would highly recommend this book to anyone struggling with depression or for those who simply desire to grow happier not by changing their entire life, but altering their perspective on their entire life. Thank you, Dr. Emmons for the hard work, time and energy you obviously put into this book. Thank you for your dedication to the study of gratitude. Your book is a great blessing!Pierre M. EadeAuthor, Born to Grow

good pleasant read. Read it through or refer back like a text book. Besides it makes you feel good.

another excellent book on gratitiude

good

Thoroughly disappointed in this book. HOWEVER if you are a practicing Christian, this book will be perfect for you.Examples throughout the book were either taken from fictional works, or the Bible. Works which are obviously out of copyright time. He did do some tests himself with 'patients' with motor problems. Fair enough. But what about ordinary people who do not wish to follow a religious format?I'd read this was the best book ever written on gratitude. I bought this book because having read the brilliant Jeff Foster I felt gratitude for life, at present, not related to the past nor future, was something I wanted to explore in more depth. It was not in this book. There are only his own opinions and his own conclusions which are Christian based, and all examples from outdated commentaries or fiction.If you are looking for an 'enlightening' book which points the way forward to developing understanding for awakening appreciation for all life force, be this for other life forms on this planet, our planet or in a quantum, oneness sense, you wont find it here.His advice is all Christian based ideology, which is perfectly acceptable if you take that path.I particularly disliked his allusion of the Iraqi football team being ungrateful, due to their culture. He mentions Buddhism many times, but his opinions and knowledge of Buddhist principles are sketchy at best.The one star rating I gave is because I see that this book is only suitable for practicing Christians.

A great book! I can highly recommend this book - easily read and enjoyable causing you to think about your own attitude toward the simple joys of life. We could all do with a good dose of gratitude - read it, learn and pass it on to your kids! :)

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