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Neurowisdom: The New Brain Science of Money, Happiness, and Success
From a course they created for professionals, Mark Waldman and Chris Manning adapted their lectures, and present simple brain exercises, based on the latest neuroscience research, to guide listeners on what makes us happy, wealthy, and wise.The promise of their original class--and now of this book--is to help people create more "wealth" in their lives, defined as the combination of money, happiness, and success. The book presents both the scientific background and sets of NeuroWisdom exercises that will help everyone transform their environment into a more meaningful and enjoyable place. By spending just a few minutes each day, these exercises reduce neurological stress and increase happiness, motivation, and productivity. The "worry" centers of the brain are turned off and the optimism circuits are turned on. Work becomes more pleasurable and creativity is increased, enabling the brain to anticipate and solve problems more efficiently.
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Published January 31, 2017
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September 16, 2022Whatever my faults, I rarely struggle to pinpoint how I feel about a piece of work. I’m not an indecisive person. But I found myself struggling to rate this book for several reasons. I want to note that I do not think the author of this book is a bad person. I could feel the authenticity from the page. There was something very genuine and real in the words, and many of the questions and pieces of advice were thoughtful. It was written by a business professor, so I do acknowledge this perception and how it influences the work.
I loved the juxtaposition of mindfulness and empathy within the business world. And to be clear, I think empathy should be cultivated wherever, however and whenever. Always. It is one of the most vital traits we can cultivate EVER. However, there are many reasons why the corporate world (and capitalism as a whole) is not compatible with mindfulness.
Okay. Let’s get into it.
A study that was used as evidence in this work is the Harvard Study of Happiness, which is one of the longest human studies ever conducted. Several studies have since analyzed the correlation between money and happiness and found consistent but unsurprising results. Happiness is strongly correlated with money until basic needs are met, which was most consistently valued at 75k USD. As wealth disparity increases, this number will so to change.
Here’s my problem with this. The book NEVER MENTIONS that after basic needs are met, MONEY HAS NO AFFECT ON HAPPINESS. Note the distinction: overall happiness, not temporary spikes in happiness. This is a great example of how studies, facts and statistics can be skewed if framed in the right way. To leave out the capping point of money’s effect on happiness is to completely undercut the findings. In fact, this omission highlights my core frustration with this book. It asks the wrong questions.
I wish people, not just authors, would be less focused on the questions they ask and more intentionally focused on the FRAMING of their own perceptions that leads them to asking those questions. A core question of the book is: “If you could be the happiest person in the world or the wealthiest, which would you choose?”. According to this book, participants often answer “the happiest” until they reflect on what they can DO with money.
Billionaires such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, etc are regularly mentioned in this work and not in a negative way. In fact, they are seen as benevolent for sharing their wealth. The book creates a very inspiring picture of what you can do when you’re a billionaire. Who you can help. Warren Buffet and his friends are CURRENTLY AS WE SPEAK trying to get nearly 60k railroad workers to not go on strike for being treated unfairly / underpaid. Railroad workers can be docked “points” for A DOCTOR’S VISIT through an arbitrary points system. You cannot ethically become a billionaire. You can’t. You have to exploit the environment and the working class to become a billionaire. So, I ask, even if they shared their wealth, is it really outweighing all the terrible effects that come with such wealth disparity?
Here are the questions the book asks and which ones I believe would have better served the core message.
They ask:
“If I could be the wealthiest person in the world or the happiest, which would I choose?”
I ask:
“What are the cultural, societal and psychological influences that lead me to value money as I do? Do I value it above human life? Animals? Environment? My time? My labor? Relationships? How have these influences further shaped my understanding of inherent value within the world?”
They ask:
“As a billionaire / millionaire, how can I help people with the money I have?”
I ask:
“Is the distribution of money something that will actually help people and communities over time or is this a trivial fix for much larger systemic issues? Can I truly create everlasting change while upholding the very systems that create wealth disparity? Furthermore and most importantly:
Do I actually want to see wealth distribution on a mass scale or is this just something that makes me feel like I’m a good person so I can wash my hands and be done with it? Does this keep me from asking more difficult and important questions?
They ask:
“How can I be mindful in a capitalistic and corporate world?”
I ask:
“What privileges have I been afforded to not be able to think of money as a means to live, but instead as a concept that can bring ME happiness? Instead of prizing mindfulness, would I produce more good if I instead decided to look at wealth disparity as it really is, instead of a means of personal gain?”
Here’s my point. Money exists because we allow it to, because we choose to believe in it. We choose to uphold these systems. we choose to participate. What could we do if instead of upholding the framing / perceptions we are given, we chose to expand our minds and try for something better? Something that could perhaps benefit ALL and not just a few.
I loved the juxtaposition of mindfulness and empathy within the business world. And to be clear, I think empathy should be cultivated wherever, however and whenever. Always. It is one of the most vital traits we can cultivate EVER. However, there are many reasons why the corporate world (and capitalism as a whole) is not compatible with mindfulness.
Okay. Let’s get into it.
A study that was used as evidence in this work is the Harvard Study of Happiness, which is one of the longest human studies ever conducted. Several studies have since analyzed the correlation between money and happiness and found consistent but unsurprising results. Happiness is strongly correlated with money until basic needs are met, which was most consistently valued at 75k USD. As wealth disparity increases, this number will so to change.
Here’s my problem with this. The book NEVER MENTIONS that after basic needs are met, MONEY HAS NO AFFECT ON HAPPINESS. Note the distinction: overall happiness, not temporary spikes in happiness. This is a great example of how studies, facts and statistics can be skewed if framed in the right way. To leave out the capping point of money’s effect on happiness is to completely undercut the findings. In fact, this omission highlights my core frustration with this book. It asks the wrong questions.
I wish people, not just authors, would be less focused on the questions they ask and more intentionally focused on the FRAMING of their own perceptions that leads them to asking those questions. A core question of the book is: “If you could be the happiest person in the world or the wealthiest, which would you choose?”. According to this book, participants often answer “the happiest” until they reflect on what they can DO with money.
Billionaires such as Bill Gates, Warren Buffet, etc are regularly mentioned in this work and not in a negative way. In fact, they are seen as benevolent for sharing their wealth. The book creates a very inspiring picture of what you can do when you’re a billionaire. Who you can help. Warren Buffet and his friends are CURRENTLY AS WE SPEAK trying to get nearly 60k railroad workers to not go on strike for being treated unfairly / underpaid. Railroad workers can be docked “points” for A DOCTOR’S VISIT through an arbitrary points system. You cannot ethically become a billionaire. You can’t. You have to exploit the environment and the working class to become a billionaire. So, I ask, even if they shared their wealth, is it really outweighing all the terrible effects that come with such wealth disparity?
Here are the questions the book asks and which ones I believe would have better served the core message.
They ask:
“If I could be the wealthiest person in the world or the happiest, which would I choose?”
I ask:
“What are the cultural, societal and psychological influences that lead me to value money as I do? Do I value it above human life? Animals? Environment? My time? My labor? Relationships? How have these influences further shaped my understanding of inherent value within the world?”
They ask:
“As a billionaire / millionaire, how can I help people with the money I have?”
I ask:
“Is the distribution of money something that will actually help people and communities over time or is this a trivial fix for much larger systemic issues? Can I truly create everlasting change while upholding the very systems that create wealth disparity? Furthermore and most importantly:
Do I actually want to see wealth distribution on a mass scale or is this just something that makes me feel like I’m a good person so I can wash my hands and be done with it? Does this keep me from asking more difficult and important questions?
They ask:
“How can I be mindful in a capitalistic and corporate world?”
I ask:
“What privileges have I been afforded to not be able to think of money as a means to live, but instead as a concept that can bring ME happiness? Instead of prizing mindfulness, would I produce more good if I instead decided to look at wealth disparity as it really is, instead of a means of personal gain?”
Here’s my point. Money exists because we allow it to, because we choose to believe in it. We choose to uphold these systems. we choose to participate. What could we do if instead of upholding the framing / perceptions we are given, we chose to expand our minds and try for something better? Something that could perhaps benefit ALL and not just a few.
April 5, 2020
There is a lot of excellent information and practical advice on effective methods to live healthier and happier. There was, for instance, good information on mindfulness and how it can better your life - both work and home - in tangible, practical ways. For these reason I definitely recommend the book.
However, I was frustrated with the initial posit that "studies" have shown that wealth/money makes one happier. Those studies are clearly only from a certain class/work force in, if not exclusively the US, then absolutely only in capitalistic western countries. Further, there is no follow through as to if those people were happier by obtaining said wealth, if they followed through on their good deeds, etc. It was a study done in hypotheticals. So if you push past the ignoring of other ways of life, other cultures and values, and other worldwide studies on happiness, it is a worthwhile read.
However, I was frustrated with the initial posit that "studies" have shown that wealth/money makes one happier. Those studies are clearly only from a certain class/work force in, if not exclusively the US, then absolutely only in capitalistic western countries. Further, there is no follow through as to if those people were happier by obtaining said wealth, if they followed through on their good deeds, etc. It was a study done in hypotheticals. So if you push past the ignoring of other ways of life, other cultures and values, and other worldwide studies on happiness, it is a worthwhile read.
April 5, 2020
I don't know why people are not reading such wonderful book. I personally feel this book is very easy read and do it you can do it manual. I have read several books which are based on psychology and neuroscience but this one is very easy and beautiful read. I think authors have written in very straight forward manner that reader can easily get those details with less time. I personally recommend this book to every reader who is willing to understand their mind.
July 12, 2018
Saviugdos žanro knyga apie motyvaciją, būtinybę medituoti, fiksuoti savo būseną. Didesnioji knygos dalis - mintys apie paslaptingas smegenų zonas bei savo vertės apmąstymą.
August 1, 2022
Will re read.
November 18, 2025
Knyga apie tai, kaip veikia smegenys bei, kokius pratimus atlikti, norint jas suaktyvinti bei sukoncentruoti dėmesį. Patarimai ir pratimai, padeda pasidaryti savo įžvalgas. Labai dažnai kartojamas tekstas ilgainiui pabosta ir atrodo kaip užsikirtusi plokštelė. Nuolatinis priminimas "nusižiovaukite ir pasirąžykite", priversdavo nusižiovauti kiekvieną kartą (jau nusižiovavote?) :) O apie kitus patarimus teks paskaityti patiems.
September 24, 2022
Forgettable book. My reading of this book leaves me with an odd taste and to use a cooking analogy, you can have all the correct ingredients but if they are mixed improperly, they deliver a bad result. As such, this book, talks about "Neurowisdom" citing a bunch of vague university research to describe areas of the brain which do specific functions. Then it goes on to associating to these areas behaviors which should help you make "money" and thus "happiness" and it starts going through a garden variety of techniques like visualization, mindfulness, awareness, reciting them one after the other as if their simple mention would bring wisdom and the mere knowledge of the area of the brain engaged would make a difference.
It seems to me that a similar book could be written titled "kneewisdom" citing all the areas of the knee which get triggered by the same set of behaviors described here, but in the end: Does all this knowledge add any value? IMO hardly.
In sum, this looks like some pop-sci + the secret + CBT + some $$ making tips put all in a blender and packaged. Unfortunately I think this is one of the books which contribute to give a bad name to the self-help genre.
Personally I am very interested in Neuroscience and everything it adds to understanding ourselves, but I think there are much better books that address this topic.
It seems to me that a similar book could be written titled "kneewisdom" citing all the areas of the knee which get triggered by the same set of behaviors described here, but in the end: Does all this knowledge add any value? IMO hardly.
In sum, this looks like some pop-sci + the secret + CBT + some $$ making tips put all in a blender and packaged. Unfortunately I think this is one of the books which contribute to give a bad name to the self-help genre.
Personally I am very interested in Neuroscience and everything it adds to understanding ourselves, but I think there are much better books that address this topic.
November 20, 2019
DNF at 25%
Snooze city. Not the neuroscience leaning book on meditation or mindset I was looking for. It might be more useful for others but I didn’t find a lot of new information and found most of it was presented in a sterile textbook way lacking illustrative examples
Snooze city. Not the neuroscience leaning book on meditation or mindset I was looking for. It might be more useful for others but I didn’t find a lot of new information and found most of it was presented in a sterile textbook way lacking illustrative examples
June 16, 2017
all hail Mindfulness!
November 12, 2018
More a book on personal mediation and self awareness. Not necessarily a bad book, but not what I expected based on the books presentation
May 2, 2022
Long and boring, learned something, other things I already knew from other books.
March 8, 2024
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Great pointers and practical skills that we all ought to be using on a regular basis
August 31, 2024
I picked up this book because I wanted to better understand the brain. As they say, we know more and more about it, yet this knowledge reveals that there is still much left to discover. The author has taken this subject very seriously, which at times can make the reader feel overwhelmed by the language and the detail in some of the descriptions. Unfortunately, I am not a fan of many long descriptions, but I understand their use in this book because the brain can be described at great length. The book was intriguing at times, while at other times, I felt exhausted. Nonetheless, I liked the book and learned a few things about people.
November 24, 2017
The book was not what I expected when I picked it up. It turned out to be kind of a simple how to manual on mindfulness, and meditation. The subject matter reminded me of that found in “10% happier” by Dan Harris. But as Mr. Harris’s book also included his personal experiences in trying to implement the material I enjoyed his book more.
I did a lot of yawning in making my way through this book. The authors would say that is a good thing. I’m not so sure.
I did a lot of yawning in making my way through this book. The authors would say that is a good thing. I’m not so sure.
December 13, 2018
This book is another wonderful addition to my library of similar reads, but something I found that sets this apart from many others is that along with the wealth of research and knowledge here, are a myriad of simple techniques to boost your productivity and mood in less than a minute. I definitely recommend this for those interested in learning more about how a mindfulness practice can improve our lives.
started-dnf
March 21, 2023I don't have the patience for this book at this time. As numerous reviewers have pointed out, it's title sets up the expectation of "Neuro..." neurological things about our brains and how the connect with the issues in the subtitle. Instead, I got lessons on what times to ring a gong and when to yawn that are supposed to make me rich.
I might return to it someday, but certainly not today!
I might return to it someday, but certainly not today!
April 7, 2020
This is a great Business and Personal Development book.
If you only apply one chapter. You life and effectiveness will improve.
I highly recommend this book.
Let's Grow!
While you are staying inside ... try going inside yourself.
If you only apply one chapter. You life and effectiveness will improve.
I highly recommend this book.
Let's Grow!
While you are staying inside ... try going inside yourself.
January 20, 2023
This book was free on audible, so I gave it a listen. It gave me a headache. Some of the Neurosci tips and mindfulness exercises were okay but the over emphasis on using all these to enable the path of greed was nauseating.
April 11, 2019
Helps to analyse yourself through Experiential learning.
March 16, 2017
yawning is key to success. #BOOM
December 15, 2016
I received an e-copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
I give this book 4.5 stars. I love neurology books, as well as books focused on the science behind positive thinking and success. This book seamlessly melds science with simple yet powerful techniques to improve your productivity and success. I expected this book to be similar to the many I've already read, but it wasn't. The research the authors used to support their techniques wasn't new, but the information and techniques were. I had no idea about the power of yawning, and found a number of exercises I plan to utilize on a regular basis, such as having a Curiosity Board. I appreciated the simplicity and accessibility of the exercises/
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand the neuroscience behind positive thinking, and why the techniques in this book work.
I give this book 4.5 stars. I love neurology books, as well as books focused on the science behind positive thinking and success. This book seamlessly melds science with simple yet powerful techniques to improve your productivity and success. I expected this book to be similar to the many I've already read, but it wasn't. The research the authors used to support their techniques wasn't new, but the information and techniques were. I had no idea about the power of yawning, and found a number of exercises I plan to utilize on a regular basis, such as having a Curiosity Board. I appreciated the simplicity and accessibility of the exercises/
I definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants to better understand the neuroscience behind positive thinking, and why the techniques in this book work.
December 2, 2016
Good book, some informations on the brain, the usual mindfulness and some other insights about emotion, social edonism and drives. Pretty clear and with a lot of tips and suggestions, this book is a little bit different from all the others that have been recently published about, more or less, the same topic. Recommended reading if you are interested about the mechanism behind the most common pulsions.
Bel libro, alcune informazioni sul cervello, la mindfulness (che come al solito non puó mancare) e alcuni insight sulle emozioni, l'edonismo sociale e le pulsioni. Molto chiaro e con molti trucchi e suggerimenti, questo libro si posiziona, secondo me, uno scalino piú in alto di tutti quelli che hanno pubblicato recentemente sull'argomento; lettura obbligata se vi interessano i meccanismi dietro le spinte che guidano gli esseri umani.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
Bel libro, alcune informazioni sul cervello, la mindfulness (che come al solito non puó mancare) e alcuni insight sulle emozioni, l'edonismo sociale e le pulsioni. Molto chiaro e con molti trucchi e suggerimenti, questo libro si posiziona, secondo me, uno scalino piú in alto di tutti quelli che hanno pubblicato recentemente sull'argomento; lettura obbligata se vi interessano i meccanismi dietro le spinte che guidano gli esseri umani.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY FOR THE PREVIEW!
January 31, 2020
Neurowisdom is more a book on self-awareness, mindful, and meditation. Not what I was expecting from the cover and blurb. But if you're willing to give it a chance, it's still a great read.
Based on a wealth of research, the book shares plenty of quick and easy techniques to boost your mood and increase your productivity in just a few minutes - all based on science. I appreciate how accessible they are - everyone can do them.
If you want to understand the science behind mindfulness and positive thinking and learn how to harness it to your advantage, pick up a copy.
Based on a wealth of research, the book shares plenty of quick and easy techniques to boost your mood and increase your productivity in just a few minutes - all based on science. I appreciate how accessible they are - everyone can do them.
If you want to understand the science behind mindfulness and positive thinking and learn how to harness it to your advantage, pick up a copy.
May 2, 2021
Second reading...
Again, I found this book to be fascinating. Including interesting theories with practical applications and easy to follow exercises.
Again, I found this book to be fascinating. Including interesting theories with practical applications and easy to follow exercises.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews