I love a book about gratitude. It's kind of my thing, if I'm honest.
This one is different from the rest, in that there's something for everyone in it, but also not everyone will give it a shot. Because it's broken into different sections that contain different research ideas and results- it might not be everyone's cup of tea. But I promise if you continue to read throughout the chapters, you'll find a chapter that suits you and encourages you in your path with gratitude!

The Gratitude Project, edited by Jeremy Adam Smith et al., is a project of the Greater Good Science Center at UC Berkeley in California. It includes chapters by a number of different authors on various aspects of gratitude.

I liked that the book took a realistic approach to what gratitude can and can not do. Take this quote from the beginning of the book, for example:

“First, gratitude is an affirmation of goodness. We affirm that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits we’ve received. This doesn’t mean that life is perfect; it doesn’t ignore complaints, burdens, and hassles. But when we look at life as a whole, gratitude encourages us to identify some amount of goodness in our life. It’s easy to miss the good, because we simply get used to it.”

The book explains that secondly, gratitude involves identifying the sources outside of ourselves that have provided us with goodness.

Research has shown that animals can experience some form of gratitude. In humans, the capacity for gratitude first starts to develop around 3 years old. On average, women tend to be more grateful than men. The more gratitude is practiced, the greater the value that the brain places on benefit to others rather than the self. Keeping a gratitude journal was identified as a good way to develop more gratitude.

Gratitude may have positive health effects by decreasing inflammation. One study found that depression can cause structural changes in the same area of the brain as what’s activated when experiencing gratitude. The book doesn’t suggest that gratitude is the psychological cure for depression, though. The authors explain that “Practicing gratitude magnifies positive feelings more than it reduces negative feelings.” That sounds quite reasonable.

Studies were discussed that have shown that gratitude improves commitment to a significant other, and also commitment to working on the relationship. The book also said that “gratitude thrives on specificity, so it’s best to be specific when expressing gratitude for something that someone has done. If one partner is contributing a lot more work around the home, the other partner is likely to start to expect it, and then they’re less likely to experience gratitude for the partner’s contribution.

The last few chapters were based on interviews with Buddhist author Jack Kornfield, comedian W. Kamau Bell, and others.

There was definitely some interesting information in this book. Overall, though, it was packed with a lot of information and research findings, and I found it a bit much, even though the research studies were explained clearly. Then again, I was struggling with depression-related concentration problems while reading it. I think it would make a good book for anyone who was looking to gain a deeper understanding of gratitude and the science behind it.



I received a reviewer copy from the publisher through Netgalley.

Hello,

I no longer have the eBook I downloaded so I am not able to read and review this title.   I am sorry for any inconvenience this has caused. Thank you for the opportunity to read this book

This book had two things going for it, right from the start. First, it’s from the Greater Good Science Center. I’m a big fan of their short and positive podcasts. Second, due to my busy schedule, I’m really enjoying shorter books and essay books at the moment. This book falls into the latter category.

This Gratitude Project: How the Science of Thankfulness Can Rewire Our Brains for Resilience, Optimism, and the Greater Good is broken into 6 units. The units are: the roots and meaning of gratitude, the Impact of gratitude, how to be grateful, how to be a grateful family, how to foster gratefulness around you and conversations about the transformative potential of gratitude. These units are unified by a common thread – focusing on acknowledging the goodness in life. And who doesn't appreciate positivity?

I really feel there is something for everyone in this book. I recommend it to all ages.

A Deep Look at Gratitude

Of course, gratitude is a hot buzzword these days. As someone who reviews a lot of books, I have seen so many on gratitude, including gratitude journals specifically for children, women, and other groups of people. But I've never seen a book quite like this. It is a collection of long and short essays by several authors that take a surprisingly deep dive into the concept of gratitude. The book starts with defining what it is, of course, as well as the science of it, looking at it in primates and within our own brains. The book then discusses the impact that gratitude can have on us personally and how gender and culture can shape it differently and affect its impact. The third part is about how you can cultivate it within yourself, work with a gratitude journal (and how to approach it if gratitude exercises make you feel bad), and rounds out the discussion by looking at how grief and loss can affect gratitude The book also talks about cultivating gratitude as a family, with several articles being about gratitude for the couple before discussing how to nurture gratitude in children. As someone who felt underappreciated by my ex-husband, some of these chapters could have been beneficial! The book goes further than the nuclear family, though, also looking at how gratitude can be projected outward and cultivated at school, work, and other places. If you're looking for a simple book on gratitude, this is not it. But if you think you would appreciate looking at it from a variety of angles, including some surprising ones, you may very well enjoy this book as much as I did.

Fascinating book!!! It dives right into the science and implications of gratitude. As a lover of neuroscience and anything brain and biology based, I loved reading about how being grateful can literally change the brain! As opposed to the traditional books on gratitude that tell you all the many ways you can be grateful, this book really shows how being grateful can impact us as a person and why it is important.

The Gratitude Project was a good and easy-to-read book. However, most of the information I have already heard about or known. I was hoping to learn new ideas or ways to improve my gratitude in life, and this book focused more on the research and statistics. The chapters do cover a range of ideas, and not every article is for every person. The book's premise did not match the contents, and the information read more like a thesis or research project.

I struggled with rating this but feel it's a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

#TheGratitudeProject #NetGalley

This was a great book on the important topic of gratitude. It was nice to read something where you could tell the author has researched the topic extensively to provide a look at gratitude. The book was easy to read though, as it was not textbook in its approach. It delved into the positivity of gratitude and how we can explore it to better our lives.

I received an arc of this book from Netgally in exchange for an honest review.

Not very surprising. Those that are more gracious are more grateful and happy. Was hard to get through. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I can whole-heartedly say that this was a well-researched book from the Greater Good Science Center that had many contributors and facts to support it's thesis. Although this book isn't one that I would typically choose, it made tons of great points and insights into the topic of gratitude.

I was hoping that this book would read more as a self help book. Unfortunately, it was not but instead was more of a research paper filled with case studies, statistics, and personal stories to back up its claims.

This book goes in depth on Gratitude and all of its facets. Gratitude is ultimately an affirmation of goodness. We acknowledged that there are good things in the world, gifts and benefits that we've received. True gratitude involves a humble dependence on others. Others have given us gifts, whether big or small, to help us achieve the goodness in our lives. When you're grateful, you have the sense that someone else is looking out for you. Gratitude is not just about how we give thanks to others but about how we receive things in the world. It has been tested that gratitude could be a helpful part of therapy and could reduce depression among people with chronic disease. Keeping a gratitude journal has many benefits, especially mental.

If you are grateful at a young age, you tend to have higher GPAs, participate in more extra-curricular activities, and have a stronger desire to contribute to society. Ultimately, we must realize that you cannot get through life without the benefits and the gifts and the strengths and the social resources and the intellectual resources of other people. You have to admit to yourself that you are not whole without others.

Gratitude strengthens our connections with other individuals. If we're willing and and able to look, we can find a reason to feel grateful even to people who have harmed us; there is always a lesson to takeaway from every situation. We need to accept gratitude into our lives as well as putting it back out to others.

The Gratitude Project features a series of articles explaining the science behind how gratitude can have a positive affect on our lives, minds and bodies. However, as mentioned in the introduction of the book, not every article will appeal to all readers. The chapters cover a wide range of topics, from implementing gratitude practice in schools, to using gratitude to strengthen intimacy in relationships, and using gratitude to foster collaboration in workplaces. While this was an interesting and informative read, the texts focus on the psychology behind gratitude rather than providing advice on how to implement the practice. I also found some articles were repetitive. This book will appeal to readers who already maintain a gratitude practice and want to learn how gratitude logs or journals can have a positive affect, not just on mental health, but also how it can improve their relationships with others, be it within the home or at work.

The Gratitude Project was not at all what I expected but was still pleasantly surprised in the thorough research put into this book. There is a load of knowledgeable information on how to live a life of gratitude and it’s benefits.

The Gratitude Project; How Cultivating Thankfulness Can Rewire Your Brain for Resilience, Optimism, and the Greater Good is a fantastic book that explains the benefits of gratitude and how to better practice it in your day to day life.

This collection of essays explains some of the science behind gratitude and the transformation it can have when cultivated. I've been a proponent of gratitude for many years and found this book very informative, but would also be a great beginners guide for those trying to learn more about the effects gratitude can have on your mindset.

Many thanks to New Harbinger Publications and NetGalley for the advance copy.

I didn't expect anything less than a well-researched book from the Greater Good Science Center. As an avid consumer of positive psychology, many of the ideas in this book are things that I've heard before, but the science and research behind them are well-laid out and top notch. This book is essentially a series of essays organized into topics, which made it good for bite-sized reading. Overall, I enjoyed!

I received an electronic copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

We hear a lot about the importance of gratitude in our lives.  But why is living with this emotional response and belief so important?  For those who are interested in taking a deep dive into the topic, this book collects a number of essays and comes with a good imprimatur.  The essays lean toward the academic so be prepared but time spent with this title will be time well spent. Read the book in order or browse.  Either way you will be rewarded as you learn more about how the science of thankfulness can "rewire our brains for resilience, optimism and the greater good."


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

This book was received as an ARC from New Harbinger Publications, Inc. - New Harbinger in exchange for an honest review. Opinions and thoughts expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was waiting for a book like this because we get this topic a lot at our library. Many people underestimate the power of gratitude and humility and the affects it has on positivity. I know this book is going to be well circulated and I especially appreciated the examples and research done by various experts incorporation with personal experiences. We'll be looking forward to sharing this title with our community and seeing their positive reactions.

We will consider adding this title to our Non-Fiction collection at our library. That is why we give this book 5 stars.

Get out your highlighter. There were so many gems. My favorite, “Perhaps gratitude can be part of the solution to the problems generated by inequality.” For me this set up the promise of hope that the devides in our society can be overcome. Several of the essays confirmed this idea with the research they highlighted.
All of the contributors wrote in easy to understand language. Many of the chapters included practical advice to include increasing gratitude in families, schools, and work places.
After finishing The Gratitude Project, I am determined to include more gratitude in my life.
What the world needs now is more gratitude.

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a really thorough book on how gratitude can be expressed and interpreted to improve our lives.

This book consists mostly of studies that talk about the impact or expression of gratitude and anecdotes from people on how to use or incorporate gratitude into your life. While we all may know that being grateful is good for us, this book does a deep dive on how and why that may be. The book also acknowledges the different ways gratitude is expressed culturally around the world.

Overall it's an interesting and informative read.

Can gratitude bring you happiness and more positive views about world around you? It might.

This is a great self-help book, full of advices and scientific research about gratitude and how to become more mindful in our lives.

I highly recommend it.