Books › Altered traits
Altered traits
336 pages
An illuminating, evidence-based journey into how deep meditation physically and psychologically rewires the human brain.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like sitting in on a fascinating masterclass taught by two pioneers of cognitive neuroscience. It moves at a steady, engaging pace, stripping away the commercialized hype surrounding modern wellness to reveal the profound, evidence-based reality of neuroplasticity. The mood is deeply intellectual yet inherently hopeful, grounding ancient contemplative practices in cutting-edge data and physiological research. The prose translates complex scientific findings into accessible, gripping storytelling, making the mechanics of the human brain feel both approachable and awe-inspiring. It is a highly rewarding experience for analytically minded readers, skeptics, and dedicated practitioners alike, offering a clear-eyed, scientifically rigorous understanding of how targeted mental training can fundamentally alter our deepest personal traits.
- Mood
- contemplative
- intellectual
- hopeful
- Tone
- authoritative
- optimistic
- analytical
- earnest
- Pace
- steady
- Themes
- the science of mindfulness · neuroplasticity · evidence-based transformation · cultivating compassion
- The writing
- Clear, research-driven, and narrative-focused, translating complex cognitive neuroscience into accessible, gripping storytelling.
- The arc
- Moves from a curious exploration of popular mindfulness myths to a profound, scientifically grounded appreciation for human neuroplasticity.
- Who it's for
- Analytically minded readers and practitioners who want to look past the wellness hype to understand the hard science of how meditation actually changes the brain.
About the book
More than forty years ago, two friends and collaborators at Harvard, Daniel Goleman and Richard Davidson were unusual in arguing for the benefits of meditation. Now, as mindfulness and other brands of meditation become ever more popular, promising to fix everything from our weight to our relationship to our professional career, these two bestselling authors sweep away the misconceptions around these practices and show how smart practice can change our personal traits and even our genome for the better. Drawing on cutting-edge research, Goleman and Davidson expertly reveal what we can learn from a one-of-a-kind data pool that includes world-class meditators. They share for the first time remarkable findings that show how meditation - without drugs or high expense - can cultivate qualities such as selflessness, equanimity, love and compassion, and redesign our neural circuitry. Demonstrating two master thinkers at work, The Science of Meditation explains precisely how mind training benefits us. More than daily doses or sheer hours, we need smart practice, including crucial ingredients such as targeted feedback from a master teacher and a more spacious worldview. Gripping in its storytelling and based on a lifetime of thought and action, this is one of those rare books that has the power to change us at the deepest level.
Description from Open Library.
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