Why Good Things Happen to Good People: How to Live a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life by the Simple Act of Giving - Softcover

Post PH.D., Stephen; Neimark, Jill

Softcover

ISBN 10: 076792018X ISBN 13: 9780767920186

Publisher: Harmony/Rodale, 2008

Synopsis

A longer life. A happier life. A healthier life. Above all, a life that matters--so that when you leave this world, you'll have changed it for the better. If science said you could have all this just by altering one behavior, would you?

Dr. Stephen Post has been making headlines by funding studies at the nation's top universities to prove once and for all the life-enhancing benefits of caring, kindness, and compassion. The exciting new research shows that when we give of ourselves, especially if we start young, everything from life-satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly affected. Mortality is delayed. Depression is reduced. Well-being and good fortune are increased. In their life-changing new book, Why Good Things Happen to Good People, Dr. Post and journalist Jill Neimark weave the growing new science of love and giving with profoundly moving real-life stories to show exactly how giving unlocks the doors to health, happiness, and a longer life.

The astounding new research includes a fifty-year study showing that people who are giving during their high school years have better physical and mental health throughout their lives. Other studies show that older people who give live longer than those who don't. Helping others has been shown to bring health benefits to those with chronic illness, including HIV, multiple sclerosis, and heart problems. And studies show that people of all ages who help others on a regular basis, even in small ways, feel happiest.

Why Good Things Happen to Good People offers ten ways to give of yourself, in four areas of life, all proven by science to improve your health and even add to your life expectancy. (And not one requires you to write a check.) The one-of-a-kind "Love and Longevity Scale" scores you on all ten ways, from volunteering to listening, loyalty to forgiveness, celebration to standing up for what you believe in. Using the lessons and guidelines in each chapter, you can create a personalized plan for a more generous life, finding the style of giving that suits you best.

The astonishing connection between generosity and health is so convincing that it will inspire readers to change their lives in ways big and small. Get started today. A longer, healthier, happier life awaits you.

About this title

Review

Advance Praise for Why Good Things Happen to Good People

"In writing so compellingly about the importance of lifelong giving, Stephen Post and Jill Neimark have actually modeled their own principle by giving all of us a gift. Bringing together a summary of new scientific data on altruism, a compendium of moving stories of human compassion, and a new survey tool to assist in self-examination, this book convincingly demonstrates that 'love your neighbor as yourself' can indeed provide a joyful path towards a fulfilled life."
--Francis S. Collins, MD, PhD, director, Human Genome Project and author of The Language of God

"Stephen Post and Jill Neimark make the scientific case for generosity eloquently, humanely, and compellingly. This book meets Nietzsche's criterion for good philosophy: 'Change your life!'"
--Martin E. P. Seligman, PhD, Fox Leadership Professor of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, and author of Learned Optimism and Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment

"In my entire lifetime I have never read a book that presents the benefits of giving for the giver as well as this one does, and using such powerful science in the process."
--Robert H. Schuller, founder of The Crystal Cathedral

"Stephen Post and Jill Neimark have brought together the main findings from the new science of genuine love and translated them into helpful, practical advice that the reader can easily apply. Those who take this book to heart will surely make their lives better, and will help to make the world a better place as well."
--Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, PhD, professor of psychology, Claremont Graduate University, and author of Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

"This book is chock-full of good stuff. Read, enjoy and be uplifted!"
--Millard Fuller, founder and president of the Fuller Center for Housing and founder of Habitat for Humanity

About the Author

Stephen Post, PhD, is a professor of bioethics at Case Western Reserve University's School of Medicine. He is president of the Institute for Research on Unlimited Love, and his work has appeared in top journals such as JAMA, Science, and The Lancet.

Jill Neimark is a journalist, novelist, and former features editor for Psychology Today whose work has appeared in The New York Times, The Economist, and Discover.

About this edition

• Publisher: Harmony/Rodale
• Publication date: 2008
• ISBN 10: 076792018X
• ISBN 13: 9780767920186
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 320