Jackson Library

Tal Ben-Shahar & Happiness  [about Ben-Shahar]

Tal Ben-Shahar. The question of happiness : on finding meaning, pleasure, and the ultimate currency  • catalog record

"Why are our levels of emotional wealth decreasing despite an overall increase in material wealth? Is it possible to be successful and happy? How can we become happier? The Question of Happiness is a philosophical and psychological investigation into the nature of happiness: providing a new way of thinking about what happiness actually is, and exploring how we can be happier in relationships, at work, and in school. Tal Ben-Shahar's ideas are both rigorous and accessible, building on academic work while remaining practical and clear." – Amazon.com

Arthur C. Brooks & Gross National Happiness [about Brooks]

Arthur C. Brooks. Gross National Happiness : Why Happiness Matters for America -- and How We Can Get More of It • catalog record

"Brooks examines vast amounts of evidence and empirical research to uncover the truth about who is happy in America, who is not, and--most important--why. He finds that there is a real 'happiness gap' in America today, and it lies disconcertingly close to America's cultural and political fault lines. The great divide between the happy and the unhappy in America, Brooks shows, is largely due to differences in social and cultural values. The values that bring happiness are faith, charity, hard work, optimism, and individual liberty. Secularism, excessive reliance on the state to solve problems, and an addiction to security all promote unhappiness. What can be done to maximize America's happiness? Replete with the unconventional wisdom for which Brooks has come to be known, Gross National Happiness offers surprising and illuminating conclusions about how our government can best facilitate Americans in their pursuit of happiness." -- Amazon.com

Laura Nash; Howard Stevenson. "Success That Lasts," Harvard Business Review, Feb 2004, 82(2):102-109

Abstract: Laura Nash and Howard Stevenson interviewed and surveyed hundreds of professionals to study the assumptions behind the idea of success. They then built a practical framework for a new way of thinking about success--a way that leads to personal and professional fulfillment instead of feelings of anxiety and stress. The authors' research uncovered four irreducible components of success: happiness (feelings of pleasure or contentment about your life); achievement (accomplishments that compare favorably against similar goals others have strived for); significance (the sense that you've made a positive impact on people you care about); and legacy (a way to establish your values or accomplishments so as to help others find future success). Unless you hit on all four categories with regularity, any one win will fail to satisfy.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi & The Flow Theory [about Csikszentmihalyi]

(required reading) Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience  • catalog record

"“Psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness and greatly improve the quality of our lives.” – Amazon.com

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. "Happiness and Creativity," The Futurist. Sep/Oct 1997, 31(5): S8-S12

Abstract: Being an engineer or a carpenter is not in itself enjoyable, but if one does things a certain way, then they become intrinsically rewarding. Flow is an almost effortless yet highly focused state of consciousness and the descriptions do not vary much by culture, gender or age. In interviews, people repeatedly mention certain key elements in their impressions of this enjoyable experience: 1. There are clear goals every step of the way. 2. There is immediate feedback to one's actions. 3. There is a balance between challenges and skills. 4. Action and awareness merged. 5. Distractions are excluded from consciousness. 6. There is no worry of failure. 7. Self-consciousness disappears. 8. The sense of time becomes distorted. 9. The activity becomes an end in itself.

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. "If we are so rich, why aren't we happy?" American Psychologist. Oct 1999, 54(10):821-827

Abstract: Ever since systematic thought has been recorded, the question of what makes men and women happy has been of central concern. Answers to this question have ranged from the materialist extreme of searching for happiness in external conditions to the spiritual extreme claiming that happiness is the result of a mental attitude. Psychologists have recently rediscovered this topic. Research supports both the materialist and the mentalist positions, although the latter produces the stronger findings. The article focuses in particular on one dimension of happiness: the flow experience, or the state of total involvement in an activity that requires complete concentration.

William Damon & The Development of Purpose  [about Damon]

William Damon. The Path to Purpose: Helping Children Find Their Calling in Life  •  catalog record

"The book is based on the findings of the Youth Purpose Project, a landmark four-year nationwide study of how young people from the ages of 12 – 26 are struggling to find their purpose in life. Citing data from the study and from other recent research, Damon tells us why most of our efforts to goad our children on to success have fallen short. Instead of helping young people find enduring, life-fulfilling goals, he concludes our emphasis on superficial, short-term success is diminishing their natural optimism and creating a generation of young people who lack confidence and direction as they try to define their futures." -- from the book site

William Damon, Jenni Menon, Kendall Cotton Bronk. "The Development of Purpose During Adolescence," Applied Developmental Science, 2003, 7(3):119-128

Abstract: This article offers a new operational definition of purpose that distinguishes it from meaning in an internalistic sense, and it reviews the existing psychological studies pertinent to the development of purpose during youth. The article identifies a number of urgent questions concerning how-and whether-young people today are acquiring positive purposes to dedicate themselves to and, if so, what the nature of today's youth purposes might be.

Viktor Frankl & Logotherapy  [about Frankl]

Viktor Frankl. Man's Search for Meaning  • catalog record

"Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl is among the most influential works of psychiatric literature since Freud. The book begins with a lengthy, austere, and deeply moving personal essay about Frankl's imprisonment in Auschwitz and other concentration camps for five years, and his struggle during this time to find reasons to live. The second part of the book, called 'Logotherapy in a Nutshell,' describes the psychotherapeutic method that Frankl pioneered as a result of his experiences in the concentration camps. Freud believed that sexual instincts and urges were the driving force of humanity's life; Frankl, by contrast, believes that man's deepest desire is to search for meaning and purpose. Frankl's logotherapy, therefore, is much more compatible with Western religions than Freudian psychotherapy. This is a fascinating, sophisticated, and very human book. At times, Frankl's personal and professional discourses merge into a style of tremendous power. "Our generation is realistic, for we have come to know man as he really is," Frankl writes. "After all, man is that being who invented the gas chambers of Auschwitz; however, he is also that being who entered those gas chambers upright, with the Lord's Prayer or the Shema Yisrael on his lips." —Amazon.com

David Guttmann. Finding Meaning in Life, at Midlife and Beyond - Wisdom and Spirit from Logotherapy  •  catalog record

"Having been mentored by Viktor E. Frankl, the founder of logotherapy, Emeritus Professor David Guttmann authored this book so general readers may understand this approach to finding meaning in life at the point when most of us begin deeply wondering over that question, at midlife and beyond. Especially in this day and age of multiple demands on our time and seemingly non-stop obligations, we too often find that it is only when the dust settles, after a work day or work week, or even after retirement, when we begin to wonder: What is the meaning of life? The purpose? This book is a new millennium venture into those questions and their answers using logotherapy, written by a sage understudy who recalls Frankl, with his logotherapy, as the 'epitome of his theory even at 80 years old, wise and witty, exuding an energy, enthusiasm and youthful spirit that belied his years by decades.' Aging does not diminish our power, our energy, and our quest for life, but reshapes it with new understandings, goals, and needs. But, says Guttmann, we live in a technical and machine-based world now, in which there is a danger of losing our souls ... This unique work provides knowledge to find meaning in life derived from the fields of philosophy, psychology, religion and gerontology, with case illustrations and vignettes to give readers both intellectual pleasure and practical guidance." -- book description

Daniel Gilbert & Affective Forecasting  [about Gilbert]

Daniel Gilbert. Stumbling on Happiness  • catalog record

“Not offering a self-help book, but instead mounting a scientific explanation of the limitations of the human imagination and how it steers us wrong in our search for happiness, Gilbert, a professor of psychology at Harvard, draws on psychology, cognitive neuroscience, philosophy and behavioral economics to argue that, just as we err in remembering the past, so we err in imagining the future. "Our desire to control is so powerful, and the feeling of being in control so rewarding, that people often act as though they can control the uncontrollable," Gilbert writes, as he reveals how ill-equipped we are to properly preview the future, let alone control it. Unfortunately, he claims, neither personal experience nor cultural wisdom compensates for imagination's shortcomings. In concluding chapters, he discusses the transmission of inaccurate beliefs from one person's mind to another, providing salient examples of universal assumptions about human happiness such as the joys of money and of having children. He concludes with the provocative recommendation that, rather than imagination, we should rely on others as surrogates for our future experience.” –Publishers’ Weekly

Daniel Kahneman & Hedonic Psychology  [about Kahneman]

Daniel Kahneman, Ed Diener, Norbert Schwarz, (eds). Well-being: the foundations of hedonic psychology  • catalog record

The nature of well-being is one of the most enduring and elusive subjects of human inquiry. Well-Being draws upon the latest scientific research to transform our understanding of this ancient question. With contributions from leading authorities in psychology, social psychology, and neuroscience, this volume presents the definitive account of current scientific efforts to understand human pleasure and pain, contentment and despair.

Richard Layard & Happiness Studies  [about Layard]

Richard Layard. Happiness: Lessons from a New Science  • catalog record

“From a distinguished economist and leading figure in the new field of happiness studies comes this revolutionary work addressing the elusive concept of happihness and how we can have more of it. Based on sophisticated, cutting-edge scientific research, Happiness integrates insights gleaned from psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and applied economics to draw surprising conclusions about the true causes of happiness and the means we have to effect it. (Hint: It probably isn’t wealth or fame.)” – Amazon.com

Sonja Lyubomirsky & Sustainable Happiness  [about Lyubomirsky]

Sonja Lyubomirsky. The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want  •  catalog record

"A groundbreaking, practical guide to attaining happiness based on innovative scientific research, The How of Happiness is a powerful contribution to the field of positive psychology and a gift to people who have sought to take their happiness into their own hands. Drawing upon years of her own pioneering research with thousands of men and women, psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky reveals that much of our capacity for happiness is within our power. Detailing an easy-to- follow plan, including exercises in new ways of thinking and understanding our individual obstacles, The How of Happiness offers a positive and empowering way to sustain a new level of joy in our lives."

Jennifer Barrett. "The 'How To' of Leading a Happy Life," Newsweek, 1/28/2008, 151(4):60

Abstract: The article provides advice on how to improve one's outlook on life, citing suggestions given by Sonja Lyubomirsky in her book "The How of Happiness." The article states that it is important to discern between depression and unhappiness because they can need different treatments. Lyubomirsky advises unhappy people to learn good coping skills, savor life's joys, and cultivate optimism.

Marina Krakovsky. "Insights: The Science of Lasting Happiness," Scientific American, April 2007, 296(4):36-37

Abstract: The article discusses the work of experimental psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky on creating lasting happiness in people. Lyubomirsky is working to exceed the genetic set point of happiness. She found that acts of gratitude, kindness, and optimism can make people happier if they keep doing them. Lyubomirsky collaborates with Kennon M. Sheldon and David A Schkade.

Elizabeth Svoboda. "Pay It Forward," Psychology Today, Jul/Aug2006, 39(4):51-52

Abstract: The article considers the correlation between good deeds and increased well-being. Stanford University psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky decided to put the kindness-fulfillment connection to the test. She asked students to carry out five weekly random acts of kindness of their choice. The students reported higher levels of happiness than a control group, with students who performed all five kind acts in one day reaping the biggest rewards by the end of the six-week study period.

Martin Seligman & Positive Psychology  [about Seligman]

(Required reading) Martin Seligman. Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment  •  catalog record | read chapter 1

"In his latest user-friendly road map for human emotion, the author of Learned Optimism proposes ratcheting the field of psychology to a new level. "Relieving the states that make life miserable... has made building the states that make life worth living less of a priority. The time has finally arrived for a science that seeks to understand positive emotion, build strength and virtue, and provide guideposts for finding what Aristotle called the `good life,' " writes Seligman. Thankfully, his lengthy homage to happiness may actually live up to the ambitious promise of its subtitle. Seligman doesn't just preach the merits of happiness e.g., happy people are healthier, more productive and contentedly married than their unhappy counterparts but he also presents brief tests and even an interactive Web site to help readers increase the happiness quotient in their own lives. Trying to fix weaknesses won't help, he says; rather, incorporating strengths such as humor, originality and generosity into everyday interactions with people is a better way to achieve happiness. Skeptics will wonder whether it's possible to learn happiness from a book. Their point may be valid, but Seligman certainly provides the attitude adjustment and practical tools for charting the course." —Publishers’ Weekly

Ed Diener, Martin E. P. Seligman. "Beyond Money," Psychological Science in the Public Interest, July 2004, 5(1):1-31

Abstract: Policy decisions at the organizational, corporate, and governmental levels should be more heavily influenced by issues related to well-being––people's evaluations and feelings about their lives. Domestic policy currently focuses heavily on economic outcomes, although economic indicators omit, and even mislead about, much of what society values. We show that economic indicators have many shortcomings, and that measures of well-being point to important conclusions that are not apparent from economic indicators alone. For example, although economic output has risen steeply over the past decades, there has been no rise in life satisfaction during this period, and there has been a substantial increase in depression and distrust. We argue that economic indicators were extremely important in the early stages of economic development, when the fulfillment of basic needs was the main issue. As societies grow wealthy, however, differences in well-being are less frequently due to income, and are more frequently due to factors such as social relationships and enjoyment at work.

Introducing positive psychology [DVD format]  •  catalog record

Abstract: "These two 30 minute programs question modern psychology's emphasis on a disease model and its obsession with explaining what is wrong with people. Armed with a growing body of data, Positive Psychology explains, celebrates, and tells all how to use what science has learned about human strengths, resilience, learned optimism, and authentic happiness. The lessons of Positive Psychology are diverse, with much to say about children and adolescents, education, finding our signature strengths, choosing work that is most rewarding for us, maintaining our health, and aging well. This series presents internationally distinguished psychologists, along with a cross- section of our fellow citizens from teenagers to ninety-two-year-olds, and from an auto mechanic to an oncology nurse in exploring these many new ideas which can change so many lives" -- Montana PBS.

Supplemental: Work-life Balance

Sharon Meers, Joanna Strober. Getting to 50/50: how working couples can have it all by sharing it all: and why it's great for your marriage, your career, your kids, and you  • catalog record | about the authors

“Getting to 50/50 is the first book I’ve read that gets it 100% right. As a frantically juggling father and spouse, I learned something valuable and new from every page. The advice is brilliant, the examples cogent and compelling, and the tone wise and humorous. For anyone who wants to enjoy a full career, be a complete parent, and remain a supportive spouse, this is the book that will help you chart the way.”—Roderick Kramer, William R. Kimball Professor of Organizational Behavior, Stanford University Graduate School of Business

Karen S. Lyness, Micael K. Judiesch. "Can a manager have a life and a career? International and multisource perspectives on work-life balance and career advancement potential," Journal of Applied Psychology, July 2008, 93(4):789-805

Abstract: The present study was the first cross-national examination of whether managers who were perceived to be high in work-life balance were expected to be more or less likely to advance in their careers than were less balanced, more work-focused managers. Using self ratings, peer ratings, and supervisor ratings of 9,627 managers in 33 countries, the authors examined within-source and multisource relationships with multilevel analyses. The authors generally found that managers who were rated higher in work-life balance were rated higher in career advancement potential than were managers who were rated lower in work-life balance.

Personal Resilience

(Required reading) Robert Brooks and Sam Goldstein. The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life  • catalog record

"In their latest book, psychologists Brooks and Goldstein (the authors of Raising Resilient Children) describe how adults can develop a "resilient mindset." According to the authors, while the word "resilient" is usually associated with people overcoming great adversity, daily stress often requires resilience. Using many examples from their clinical practice, Brooks and Goldstein outline how this mindset is best achieved. The first step is "rewriting negative scripts," or changing behavior that one repeats over and over despite its negative outcome, such as a manager yelling at his employees for being uncreative. Other strategies include developing empathy; communicating effectively; accepting oneself and others; and developing self-discipline. An appendix offers worksheets addressing the concepts covered in each of the chapters. Throughout, the authors emphasize taking responsibility for one's actions and their impact on others, as well as setting realistic short- and long-term goals. Their examples, such as the demanding manager and the couple who nag their teenage son, are familiar figures in whom readers may be able to see themselves or people they know. Although it's likely that, for many, a major change in one's approach toward life's difficulties would require the professional help that Brooks's and Goldstein's patients sought, their book does offer hope and a number of useful strategies readers can try to put into practice on their own." —Publishers’ Weekly

Timothy Butler. Getting Unstuck : How Dead Ends Become New Paths  • catalog record

"Butler, a psychotherapist and director of Career Development at Harvard Business School, says it's the ruts and dead ends in life that can provide motivation for the greatest change-provided you're willing to dig deep and confront unresolved issues from the past. Though it isn't an easy process, this self-help proves uncommonly fresh and thought-provoking. Butler's approach is built around a practical six-step process that he's used with thousands of corporate executives and students, who provide anecdotes and experiences. The book is divided into three sections: in the first, readers learn how to identify a psychological impasse and open themselves to the possibilities it hides; part two focuses on unearthing passions and interests that have been forgotten or buried; and part three is about 'Moving from Impasse to Action,' achieving the ultimate goal of change through a heightened awareness of 'the energies and possibilities that are emerging, regardless of their threat to habit, comfort and stereotyped expectations.' In the end, the real challenge may be in winnowing a single path from the wealth of options Butler uncovers." -- Publishers Weekly

Bill George. Finding Your True North (40:23 min.)

Authors George and Sims interviewed 125 leaders from a variety of sectors to discover what makes someone an authentic leader. They had some surprising results from their research.

Bill George. True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership • catalog record | book synopsis

"True North: Discover Your Authentic Leadership uses face-to-face research on the lives of 125 authentic leaders to demonstrate conclusively how readers can become authentic leaders. These interviews constitute the largest in-depth study of leadership development ever undertaken. The interviewees discussed openly and honestly how they developed their leadership, and candidly shared their life stories, personal struggles, failures, and triumphs." -- from the book site

Karen Reivich, Andrew Shatté. The Resilience Factor : 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life's Hurdles • catalog record

"The authors synthesize decades of research in cognitive psychology, particularly the work of Aaron Beck and Martin Seligman, to create seven practical strategies for bouncing back. Each strategy demonstrates how "thinking styles" affect emotions and behavior. "The secret is accurate thinking, not positive thinking," they explain. After completing a "Resilience Questionnaire," readers learn to turn off negative thoughts, avoid thinking traps, detect "icebergs"-- the basic beliefs that cause us to overreact --and restore perspective. Each strategy is illustrated with vivid examples, including acting-out teenagers, battle-torn marriages, downsized workplaces, and the loss of loved ones. This insightful book offers clear descriptions of resilient thinking and workable tools for changing our minds." -- Amazon.com

Warren G. Bennis, Robert J. Thomas & Crucible Leadership  [about Bennis, about Thomas]

Warren G. Bennis, Robert J. Thomas. "Crucibles of Leadership," Harvard Business Review, Sep2002, Vol. 80(9):39-45

Abstract: What makes a great leader? Why do some people appear to know instinctively how to inspire employees-bringing out their confidence, loyalty, and dedication-while others flounder again and again? No simple formula can explain how great leaders come to be, but Bennis and Thomas believe it has something to do with the ways people handle adversity. The authors' recent research suggests that one of the most reliable indicators and predictors of true leadership is the ability to learn from even the most negative experiences. An extraordinary leader is a kind of phoenix rising from the ashes of adversity stronger and more committed than ever. In interviewing more than 40 leaders in business and the public sector over the past three years, the authors discovered that all of them-young and old alike-had endured intense, often traumatic, experiences that transformed them and became the source of their distinctive leadership abilities. Bennis and Thomas call these shaping experiences "crucibles;' after the vessels medieval alchemists used in their attempts to turn base metals into gold. For the interviewees, their crucibles were the points at which they were forced to question who they were and what was important to them. These experiences made them stronger and more confident and changed their sense of purpose in some fundamental way. Through a variety of examples, the authors explore the idea of the crucible in detail. They also reveal that great leaders possess four essential skills, the most critical of which is "adaptive capacity"--an almost magical ability to transcend adversity and emerge stronger than before.

Warren Bennis on Crucibles (2:39 min.)

Part of the interview series "Conversation on Leadership: Growing Leaders in a Changing World" at the Center for Public Leadership, Harvard University.

Warren G Bennis, Robert J Thomas. "Crucibles," Leadership Excellence, July 2006, 23(7):15

Abstract: Leaders often point to intense, often traumatic, unplanned experiences that transform them, hone their distinctive leadership abilities, and shape a new or an altered sense of identity. The experiences that shape leaders are called "crucibles." For leaders, the crucible experience is a trial and test, a point of deep self-reflection that forces them to question who they are and what matters to them. Great leaders possess four essential skills and these same skills allow them to find meaning in what could be a debilitating experience. The four essential leadership skills are: 1. ability to engage others in shared meaning, 2. distinctive and compelling voice, 3. sense of integrity or strong set of values, and 4. critical skill of adaptive capacity or applied creativity.

Personal Narrations

Michael Jordan "Failure" Nike Commercial (30 sec.)

“…I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. That is why I succeed.”

Organizational Resilience

Diane Coutu. "How Resilience Works," Harvard Business Review, May 2002, Vol. 80(5):46-51

Abstract: Why do some people bounce back from life's hardships while others despair? HBR senior editor Diane Coutu looks at the nature of individual and organizational resilience, issues that have gained special urgency in light of the recent terrorist attacks, war, and recession. In the business arena, resilience has found its way onto the list of qualities sought in employees. As one of Coutu's interviewees puts it, "More than education, more than experience, more than training, a person's level of resilience will determine who succeeds and who fails." Theories abound about what produces resilience, but three fundamental characteristics seem to set resilient people and companies apart from others. One or two of these qualities make it possible to bounce back from hardship, but true resilience requires all three. The first characteristic is the capacity to accept and face down reality. In looking hard at reality, we prepare ourselves to act in ways that allow us to endure and survive hardships: We train ourselves how to survive before we ever have to do so. Second, resilient people and organizations possess an ability to find meaning in some aspects of life. And values are just as important as meaning; value systems at resilient companies change very little over the long haul and are used as scaffolding in times of trouble. The third building block of resilience is the ability to improvise. Within an arena of personal capabilities or company rules, the ability to solve problems without the usual or obvious tools is a great strength.

William Bridges & Transitions  [about Bridges]

(Requried reading) William Bridges. Transitions: Making Sense of Life’s Changes  • catalog record

"Whether it is chosen or thrust upon you, change brings both opportunities and turmoil. Since first published 25 years ago, Transitions has helped hundreds of thousands of readers cope with these issues by providing an elegantly simple yet profoundly insightful roadmap of the transition process. With the understanding born of both personal and professional experience, William Bridges takes readers step by step through the three stages of any transition: The Ending, The Neutral Zone, and, in time, The New Beginning. Bridges explains how each stage can be understood and embraced, leading to meaningful and productive movement into a hopeful future. With a new introduction highlighting how the advice in the book continues to apply and is perhaps even more relevant today, and a new chapter devoted to change in the workplace, Transitions will remain the essential guide for coping with the one constant in life: change." – Amazon.com

William Bridges. Managing Transitions : Making the Most of Change  • catalog record | read chapter 2

"The business world is a place of constant change, with stories of mergers, layoffs, bankruptcy, and restructuring appearing in the news every day. No matter the scale, when these kinds of changes hit the workplace, the literal, situational shifts are often not as difficult for employees and managers to work through as the psychological transitions that accompany them." - the book site

John W. Gardner & Self-Renewal  [about Gardner]

John W. Gardner. "Personal Renewal", transcript of a speech delivered to McKinsey & Company, Phoenix, AZ, November 10, 1990

"I'm going to talk about 'Self-Renewal.' One of your most fundamental tasks is the renewal of the organizations you serve, and that usually includes persuading the top officers to accomplish a certain amount of self-renewal. But to help you think about others is not my primary mission this morning. I want to help you think about yourselves.

I take that mission very seriously, and I've written out what I have to say because I want every sentence to hit its target. I know a good deal about the kind of work you do and know how demanding it is. But I'm not going to talk about the special problems of your kind of career; I'm going to talk about some basic problems of the life cycle that will surely hit you if you're not ready for them..."

 John W. Gardner. Self-Renewal: The Individual and the Innovative Society. Rev. ed. (1981) •  catalog record

"This is the most exciting and significant book that I have read in years. The subject is the self-renewal of societies and of individuals—why do some atrophy and decay, while others remain innovative and creative? There is no more vital problem than this, especially for an era of constantly accelerating change such as the present." — L. S. Stavrianos, Northwestern University

Joseph Campbell & Hero's Journey  [about Campbell]

Joseph Campbell. The hero's journey : the world of Joseph Campbell : Joseph Campbell on his life and work  •  catalog record

 “Fans of Joseph Campbell's books on comparative myth and religion will enjoy this amalgam of interviews, speeches and conversations, a spin-off of a film documentary of the same title produced by Cousineau. A spiritual autobiography of sorts, the book ranges widely, from Cro-Magnon art to Arthurian legend to marriage as a "sacrificial field," as it follows Campbell from his Catholic boyhood and early interest in American Indians to his years in Paris and Munich, through his travels and teaching at Sarah Lawrence. We watch as he discusses poetry with Robert Bly and meets Jung, who explains to him the meaning of the Hindu syllable "Om." Campbell's comments are quotable: "If marriage isn't a first priority in your life, you're not married." His prompting to "follow your bliss" here takes on the meaning of working out one's inner myths to gain a sense of direction.” – Publishers Weekly

The Hero's Journey: The World of Joseph Campbell (56:31 min.) - Nov 9, 2008

“Joseph Campbell, author of The Hero with a Thousand Faces, a scholar who achieved legendary status as an explicator of myths, is reverently profiled in this documentary that encompasses his long life and career. During his childhood in New York City, Campbell was taken to see "Buffalo Bill" Cody's Wild West Show at Madison Square Garden. Young Campbell was fascinated by the Native Americans in Cody's performing troupe and eventually became obsessed with mythology. As he came to realize that myths worldwide had the same underpinnings, he also discovered his life's work. This documentary mentions Campbell's affinity for the writings of James Joyce and Carl Jung, and there is ample footage of Campbell, casual in flannel shirts, giving lectures salted with references to Buddhism, Christianity, classical mythology, St. Augustine, and the rituals of plains Indians. In later life, Campbell is seen being honored at a banquet at which George Lucas rises to give him credit for helping to inspire the writing of Star Wars. After Campbell's death in 1987, heated controversies arose about his work, but this documentary is an overwhelmingly positive look at his writings, lectures, and personality.” -- Robert J. McNamara

 Joseph Campbell, with Bill Moyers. The Power of Myth • catalog record

This lively conversation between the late Joseph Campbell, a major comparative mythologist of the 20th century, and Bill Moyers, a highly respected journalist, took place in 1985-86 at George Lucas's Skywalker Ranch and at New York's Museum of Natural History. In this companion work to the PBS television series, we get a good deal more than the series was able to show; thus, those viewers who enjoyed the six-hour special, as well as the many readers of Campbell's myth studies, can gain from this work a fuller understanding of Campbell's wisdom, deftly brought out by Moyers's intelligent questions.

The Power of Myth, Episode 1: The Hero’s Adventure  (54:46 min.) – Campbell interviewed by Bill Moyers

About Campbell, hero types, hero deeds, Jesus Christ, the Buddha, movie heroes, Star Wars as a metaphor, an Iroquois story: the refusal of suitors, dragons, dreams and Jungian psychology, “follow your bliss,” consciousness in plants, Gaia, Chartres cathedral, spirituality vs. economics, emerging myths, “Earthrise” as a symbol.

The documentary includes 6 episodes, and was broadcast on PBS in 1988. In these interviews, Campbell discussed comparative mythology and the role of myth in human society. Includes excerpts from Campbell's seminal work The Hero with a Thousand Faces.

More episodes: Episode 2: The Message of the Myth (56:40 min.), Episode 3: The First Storytellers (56:49 min.), Episode 4: Sacrifice and Bliss Part. 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Episode 5: Love and the Goddess (56:44 min.), Episode 6: Masks of Eternity (56:45 min.)