{"product_id":"9780141982106","title":"The Other Side of Happiness : Embracing a More Fearless Approach to Living by Dr.Brock Bastian","description":"Pain is bad, right? In this fascinating book, Brock Bastian will  convince you otherwise. Drawing on both vivid everyday examples and  surprising laboratory findings, he shows how pain, suffering, and  struggle give us pleasure, make us kinder, focus our thoughts, and give  our life meaning'  Paul Bloom, author  of Against EmpathyIn today's culture,  happiness has become the new marker of success, while hardships are  viewed as personal weaknesses, or problems to be fixed. We increasingly  try to eradicate pain through medication and by insulating ourselves  from risk and offence, despite being the safest generation to have ever  lived. Yet in his research, renowned social psychologist Brock Bastian  has found that suffering and sadness are neither antithetical to  happiness nor incidental to it: they are a necessary ingredient for  emotional well-being.   Drawing on psychology, neuroscience and internationally acclaimed findings from Bastian's own lab, The Other Side of Happiness  encourages us to take a more fearless approach to living. The most  thrilling moments of our lives are often balanced on a knife edge  between pleasure and pain, whether it is finding your true love, holding  your new-born for the first time, finishing a marathon or even plunging  into an icy sea. This is because pain and the threat of loss quite  literally increase our capacity for happiness, as Bastian reveals,  making us stronger, more resilient, more connected to other people and  more attuned to what truly matters. Pain even makes us more mindful,  since in our darkest moments we are especially focused and aware of the  world around us. Our addiction to positivity and the pursuit of  pleasure is actually making us miserable. Brock Bastian shows that,  without some pain, we have no real way to achieve and appreciate the  kind of happiness that is true and transcendent.   'Brock Bastian skilfully  shatters the zeitgeist of positive  thinking, showing how struggle and  suffering are vital elements of a  life well lived'Adam Grant, author of ORIGINALS and OBTION B with Sheryl Sandberg'If   you're tired of all the simple minded books telling you to just cheer   up and be happy, this is the book for you!' Roy F. Baumeister, author  of  WILLPOWER: REDISCOVERING THEGREATEST HUMAN STRENGTH   'Explains   why hardship sometimes yields richer lives that are laden with  meaning,  deep social connections, and unexpected bliss. A beautifully  written  and important book that should be required reading for anyone  who's ever  wondered why well-being so oftenflourishes in unexpected  places' Adam  Alter, author of DRUNK TANK PINK\u003cbr\u003eBinding: Paperback \/ softback","brand":"Gardners","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":56225019625845,"sku":"9780141982106","price":10.99,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0612\/7193\/3106\/files\/9780141982106.jpg?v=1762228092","url":"https:\/\/backstory.london\/products\/9780141982106","provider":"Backstory","version":"1.0","type":"link"}