{"product_id":"on-desire-why-we-want-what-we-want-paperback","title":"On Desire: Why We Want What We Want - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eWilliam B. Irvine\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eA married person falls deeply in love with someone else. A man of average income feels he cannot be truly happy unless he owns an expensive luxury car. A dieter has an irresistible craving for ice cream. Desires often come to us unbidden and unwanted, and they can have a dramatic impact, \u003cbr\u003esometimes changing the course of our lives. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eIn \u003cem\u003eOn Desire\u003c\/em\u003e, William B. Irvine takes us on a wide-ranging tour of our impulses, wants, and needs, showing us where these feelings come from and how we can try to rein them in. Spicing his account with engaging observations by writers like Seneca, Tolstoy, and Freud, Irvine considers the teachings\u003cbr\u003eof Buddhists, Hindus, the Amish, Shakers, and Catholic saints, as well as those of ancient Greek and Roman and modern European philosophers. Irvine also looks at what modern science can tell us about desire--such as what happens in the brain when we desire something and how animals evolved\u003cbr\u003eparticular desires--and he advances a new theory about how desire itself evolved. Irvine also suggests that at the same time that we gained the ability to desire, we were \"programmed\" to find some things more desirable than others. Irvine concludes that the best way to attain lasting happiness is\u003cbr\u003enot to change the world around us or our place in it, but to change ourselves. If we can convince ourselves to want what we already have, we can dramatically enhance our happiness. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003eBrimming with wisdom and practical advice, \u003cem\u003eOn Desire\u003c\/em\u003e offers a thoughtful approach to controlling unwanted passions and attaining a more meaningful life.\u003cbr\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eWilliam B. Irvine\u003c\/strong\u003e is Professor of Philosophy at Wright State University, in Dayton, Ohio.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 336\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.87 x 7.87 x 4.96 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eIllustrated:\u003c\/strong\u003e Yes\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e June 18, 2007\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51753932357920,"sku":"9780195327076","price":16.98,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/86ad835f9f34a6fea21facca07dee026.webp?v=1780029822","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/on-desire-why-we-want-what-we-want-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}