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Great concept, but read like a textbook. Would love the cliff notes version!
A very interesting and transcendental book that has altruism (or his lack in some chapters) as a main theme.The title might be a little misleading, as it does not cover just the science and psychology of kindness alone, but if also gives a very integralistic context on when, where, why or how it should be applied in everyday life, in the global context, also considering the past, the present and the future.At times it might seem that the author wanted to dive into a universal theory of altruism,...
My dear friend, Barbara Reynolds, who now lives in Petaluma, CA informed me in a handwritten letter that she’d seen Matthieu Ricard on some talk show and was intrigued about his book, ALTRUISM. It inspired me to order my own copy from Amazon.com. I’m glad I did.This book is almost like a text book about how to live a more enriched and fulfilling life by being compassionate through love and sharing. I loved the many lines and tips I received. It took me a long time to read as I wanted to enrich m...
A looooooooooooooong read, but full of fine gems and things to discuss, debate, and consider.
Ricard presents an reasonably uncontroversial thesis: Altruism leads to a better world, so building altruistic institutions is the moral thing to do. Unfortunately, he is a little bit too credulous of Social Science (and particularly small-sample experimental social science). Fine, but not recommended.
This is the book that never ends. It just goes on and on, my friends. Ricard is ultimately unconvincing, but he makes some great observations on happiness. Ricard insists that we are born altruistic, yet spends the majority of the first half insisting that we can learn altruism and reiterating how we can do it (with pretty good advice), which defeats his point that it's inherent. The second half of the book is completely irrelevant to altruism and is just a collection of research on how we can s...
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.There was a lot to get through in this book but everything was relevant. We all have the capacity for altruism as shown in the research the author presents. With more effort we can improve society with more attention and cultivation of this.
Somehow Aspirational, Down-to-Earth, Factual, Pulling-no-Punches, and Generally Enjoyable all at Once...I picked this book up with slight trepidation. I mean Altruism in general - I'm very for it! However I wasn't too sure what the angle was going to be, and just what was going to flesh out this reasonably massive tome.Really shouldn't have worried. Immediately Ricard drew me in with a dive into the sophistication of morally good behaviour - kind of like the non-fiction version of that episode o...
Altruism would have been to make this book a lot shorter. As with all self-help, what matters is if it resonates. Maybe this is the book you need now, but it didn't do it for me. I felt it lost the forest for the trees. Be nice. OK. Nuff said. That doesn't really take 864 pages. I don't think the central point requires all the scientifical and Buddhist stuff, etc.
This book is only partly successful in that it successfully discusses how altruism can positively change an individual and by extension the world, but it never successfully explains how this would be globally effective in modern society (with sociopaths, Ayn Rand devotees, etc.).
There is a lot in this book, to like and/or dislike; if you are a devout meat eater, you may not wish to read this book. It gives insight into trying to be a better person, for yourself, your family and the planet. There are many hidden agendas that are brought to the forefront by companies, people, and the government. It also shows how far money changes people and how truly consumable a society we have become but only because we have been taught. Truly a read that makes one think.
I wanted to love this book. It started off strong but soon it started preaching to the converted.I'm sure there will be a lot of nodding heads from people who are already inclined to believe in Altruism and compassion, which I do.I could find nothing here that was going to change peoples behaviors or beliefs.
altruism makes you feel better and is a part of human behaviour
An interesting premise, presenting many statistics to support the argument that altruism is essential. Whilst I agree with the overall tone, I found the book quite 'preachy' and felt that the main message could have been sold in half the page count.
This is an absolute must read if one is interested in more than a "Fox News" perspective of the world. I feel deeply moved after completing this work. It's importance speaks for itself. I'm glad some obscure librarian had this book on display at my local library. I will always treasure this find. It has deeply impacted my life.
I thought the book was really good. I do think that there were some problems, though. I wasn't quite convinced by his argument that there's altruism in nature. There's some, but there's also a lot of predatory behavior. But I do think that book is needed and worthwhile.
I can only describe this book as the synthesis of what I believe in. This book can be broken down into two parts: the psychology of altruism and how humans must apply altruism to our global interactions if we intend on continuing to inhabit this planet. If you are new to the concept of sustainable development, this is a great place to start. Ricard cites dozens, if not hundreds of fantastic books to delve deeper with. I also found it to be one of the most rewarding reads I've ever completed; fro...
I finished this over a month ago. However, I wanted to take the time to formulate a review because it's SO good. In all fairness, I didn't technically read it, but rather listened (thanks Hoopla/St Louis County Library!). As such, I don't have an easy way to reference quotes, etc.That said, he mentions several times in the book wanting to present an overview of Altruism. If 800 pages or a 30 hour audio book counts as an overview, I can't imagine what he thinks of as in depth.Ricard touches on no...
A lovely set of information on a topic I passionately care about, but the book is written like a sermon with no feedback loop and reminds me of a boring lecture. Too much strained effort to make the author's point of view "valid" by way of research that is either not directly supporting the author's view, or is sketchy at best. It isn't clear what the author is advocating for, and my initial hopes for this book have been massively let down.
Deep and powerful One of the best books I have read in a long time. This well researched, lengthy tome shows so much about humanity and our potential. I do not know how this book will ultimately change my life,but I know it will.