Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder | Dacher Keltner

Why it is included:

This book provides the biological key to unlocking flourishing thinking.

Keltner, a founding director of the Greater Good Science Center, presents the hard science proving that Awe is not just a fleeting emotion, but a fundamental survival mechanism.

He demonstrates that experiencing awe—whether through nature, music, or moral beauty—physically quiets the brain's "default mode network" (the seat of the ego and self-criticism) and activates the systems responsible for collaboration and openness.

We include it because building a new world requires a cognitive shift from "Me" to "We."

This book teaches that we do not need to wait for a grand epiphany to access this state; we can cultivate it as a daily practice. It is the essential fuel that prevents cynicism and keeps the mind open to the vast, interconnected possibilities of the future.