Abstract
In this wise, humane inquiry, Csikszentmihalyi ( Flow: The Psychology
of Optimal Experience ) argues that genetically programmed behaviors
that once helped humans adapt and multiply now threaten our survival.
These traits include obsessions with food and sex, addiction to pleasure,
excessive rationality and a tendency to focus on the negative. A
University of Chicago psychology professor, the author also believes
we must free our minds of cultural illusions such as ethnocentric
superiority or identification with one's possessions. He urges readers
to find ways to reduce the oppression, exploitation and inequality
that are woven into the fabric of society. Further, he wants us to
control the direction of human evolution by pursuing challenging
activities that lead to greater complexity while opposting chaos
and conformity. Each chapter concludes with self-help questions and
mental exercises designed to help readers apply the insights of this
literate manifesto to their daily lives.
Users
Please
log in to take part in the discussion (add own reviews or comments).