Mindfulness: Choice and Control in Everyday Life - Hardcover

Langer, Ellen J.

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0002720612 ISBN 13: 9780002720618

Publisher: The Harvill Press, 1991

Synopsis

In this short entertaining book, Ellen Langer brings the essence of 15 years of original research in social psychology directly to bear on our daily lives. Central to her work is the double-edged concept of mindfulness/mindlessness. When we are mindless, we are like programmed robots, treating information in a single-minded, rigid way. When we are mindful we are alert to the present moment, sensitive to context, and above all freed from the tyranny of old mind-sets. Using amusing anecdotes and a minimum of jargon, the author shows how to avoid the consequences of mindlessness and to reap the benefits of mindfulness - in health, education, work, creativity, overcoming addictions, avoiding burning out, and increasing our control and potential as we grow older.

About this title

Review:

"Stretches our minds in startling new directions."
-- Howard Gardner

"Ellen Langer has succeeded in writing a book that, in one bite, manages to be scientifically interesting, immensely practical, and dramatically absorbing. It is about the mindsets that lead human beings--even the smartest of them--to become stupid and 'mindless.' Its power as drama in demonstrating that mindlessness leads not only to the banality of dullness, but to a giving up of life itself. In a series of fascinating research studies, Dr. Langer demonstrates that the young can be made more creative, the man in charge made more effective, and the elderly kept from giving in to and dying of their age."
-- Jerome Bruner, author of" Actual Minds, Possible Worlds"

"One simply can't finish this book and not see the world in the same way."
-- Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law School

"A provocative, engaging essay on the relation between our mindstates and our actions, by an astute and irrepressible social scientist who obviously enjoys playing with bold ideas."
-- Jerome Kagan, Harvard University"
"
"A landmark work of social psychology."
-- "Booklist"

"Langer. . . .has shown us the power of "mindfulness.""
-- "Psychology Today

""Extremely provocative. . . . This book cannot be read mindlessly."
-- Robert Abelson, Yale University"

""
""
"
Female First, 1/18/15
"Mindfulness is the book which changed it all."
Blogging on Business (UK), 3/14/15
"More relevant now than ever before."

Stretches our minds in startling new directions.
Howard Gardner

Ellen Langer has succeeded in writing a book that, in one bite, manages to be scientifically interesting, immensely practical, and dramatically absorbing. It is about the mindsets that lead human beingseven the smartest of themto become stupid and mindless. Its power as drama in demonstrating that mindlessness leads not only to the banality of dullness, but to a giving up of life itself. In a series of fascinating research studies, Dr. Langer demonstrates that the young can be made more creative, the man in charge made more effective, and the elderly kept from giving in to and dying of their age.
Jerome Bruner, author of" Actual Minds, Possible Worlds"

One simply can t finish this book and not see the world in the same way.
Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law School

"A provocative, engaging essay on the relation between our mindstates and our actions, by an astute and irrepressible social scientist who obviously enjoys playing with bold ideas."
Jerome Kagan, Harvard University"
"
A landmark work of social psychology.
"Booklist"

"Langer. . . .has shown us the power of "mindfulness.""
"Psychology Today

""Extremely provocative. . . . This book cannot be read mindlessly."
Robert Abelson, Yale University"

""
""
"
Female First, 1/18/15
Mindfulness is the book which changed it all.
Blogging on Business (UK), 3/14/15
More relevant now than ever before.
"

"Stretches our minds in startling new directions."

-- Howard Gardner

"Ellen Langer has succeeded in writing a book that, in one bite, manages to be scientifically interesting, immensely practical, and dramatically absorbing. It is about the mindsets that lead human beings--even the smartest of them--to become stupid and 'mindless.' Its power as drama in demonstrating that mindlessness leads not only to the banality of dullness, but to a giving up of life itself. In a series of fascinating research studies, Dr. Langer demonstrates that the young can be made more creative, the man in charge made more effective, and the elderly kept from giving in to and dying of their age."

-- Jerome Bruner, author of Actual Minds, Possible Worlds

"One simply can't finish this book and not see the world in the same way."

-- Alan Dershowitz, Harvard Law School

"A provocative, engaging essay on the relation between our mindstates and our actions, by an astute and irrepressible social scientist who obviously enjoys playing with bold ideas."

-- Jerome Kagan, Harvard University

"A landmark work of social psychology."

-- Booklist

"Langer. . . .has shown us the power of mindfulness."

-- Psychology Today

Book Description:

A classic in social psychology about the concept of mindfulness

About this edition

• Publisher: The Harvill Press
• Publication date: 1991
• ISBN 10: 0002720612
• ISBN 13: 9780002720618
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 256