Jamil Zaki

Light Paperback (1 lb or less)

Oregon

Building Empathy in a Fractured World

A Stanford psychologist offers a bold new understanding of empathy, and shows how we can expand our circle of care, even in these divisive times Empathy is in short supply. Isolation and tribalism are rampant. We struggle to understand people who aren't like us, but find it easy to hate them. Studies show that we are less caring than we were even thirty years ago. In 2006, Barack Obama said that the United States is suffering from an "empathy deficit." Since then, things only seem to have gotten worse. It doesn't have to be this way. In this groundbreaking book, Jamil Zaki argues that empathy is not a fixed trait--something we're born with or not--but rather a skill that we can all strengthen through effort. Drawing on both classic and cutting-edge research, including experiments from his own lab, Zaki shows how we can harness this new mindset to overcome toxic cultural divisions. He also tells the stories of people who are living these principles--fighting for kindness in the most difficult of circumstances. We meet a former neo-Nazi who is now helping extract people from hate groups, ex-prisoners discussing novels with the judge who sentenced them, Washington police officers changing their culture to decrease violence among their ranks, and NICU nurses fine-tuning their empathy so that they don't succumb to burnout. Written with clarity and passion, The War for Kindness is an inspiring call to action. The future may depend on whether we accept the challenge.

The War for Kindness

1b1b6f4d-179e-4e6d-83cb-5f210209ec48-1

Hardcover (1 to 2 lbs)

Texas

"A Stanford psychologist offers a bold new understanding of empathy, revealing it to be a skill, not a fixed trait, and showing, through science and stories, how we can all become more empathetic"--

Washington

The Surprising Science of Human Goodness

Runaway cynicism is turning our world into a meaner, sicker place; director of the Stanford Social Neuroscience Lab, Dr. Jamil Zaki, is about to disrupt this narrative. For thousands of years, people have argued about whether humanity is selfish or generous, cruel or kind. In 1972, half of Americans agreed that most people can be trusted; by 2018, that figure had fallen to 30%. Different generations, genders, religions, and political parties can't seem to agree on anything, except, perhaps, on one idea: that human virtue is evaporating. Cynicism is a perfectly understandable response to a world full of injustice, harm, and inequality. But in many cases, cynicism has become the first--or only--tool that people reach for these days. It is the psychological hammer of our age, and we are treating others more and more like nails. Knee-jerk cynicism worsens social problems because our beliefs don't just reflect the world--they change it. When we expect people to be awful, we coax awfulness out of them. Cynicism is a disease, with a history, symptoms, and a cure. Through science and storytelling, Jamil Zaki imparts the secret for beating back cynicism: hopeful skepticism. This approach doesn't mean putting our faith in every politician or our funds in every celebrity backed NFT project (far from it). It means thinking critically about people and our problems, while simultaneously acknowledging and encouraging our strengths. By re-balancing how we think about each other and human nature, we can conquer cynicism--and build the world we truly want.

Hope for Cynics

91d37166-ea31-4c5f-9770-b04713b0b69c-0

Michigan

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Jamil Zaki

The War for Kindness

Jamil Zaki

The War for Kindness

Jamil Zaki

The War for Kindness

Jamil Zaki

Hope for Cynics

Jamil Zaki

Hope for Cynics