{"product_id":"trying-not-to-try-ancient-china-modern-science-and-the-power-of-spontaneity-paperback","title":"Trying Not to Try: Ancient China, Modern Science, and the Power of Spontaneity - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eEdward Slingerland\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eA deeply original exploration of the power of spontaneity--an ancient Chinese ideal that cognitive scientists are only now beginning to understand--and why it is so essential to our well-being\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cb\u003e \u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e Why is it always hard to fall asleep the night before an important meeting? Or be charming and relaxed on a first date? What \u003ci\u003eis\u003c\/i\u003e it about a politician who seems wooden or a comedian whose jokes fall flat or an athlete who chokes? In all of these cases, striving seems to backfire. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e In \u003ci\u003eTrying Not To Try, \u003c\/i\u003eEdward Slingerland explains why we find spontaneity so elusive, and shows how early Chinese thought points the way to happier, more authentic lives. We've long been told that the way to achieve our goals is through careful reasoning and conscious effort. But recent research suggests that many aspects of a satisfying life, like happiness and spontaneity, are best pursued indirectly. The early Chinese philosophers knew this, and they wrote extensively about an effortless way of being in the world, which they called \u003ci\u003ewu-wei\u003c\/i\u003e (ooo-way). They believed it was the source of all success in life, and they developed various strategies for getting it and hanging on to it. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e With clarity and wit, Slingerland introduces us to these thinkers and the marvelous characters in their texts, from the butcher whose blade glides effortlessly through an ox to the wood carver who sees his sculpture simply emerge from a solid block. Slingerland uncovers a direct line from \u003ci\u003ewu-wei\u003c\/i\u003e to the Force in Star Wars, explains why \u003ci\u003ewu-wei\u003c\/i\u003e is more powerful than flow, and tells us what it all means for getting a date. He also shows how new research reveals what's happening in the brain when we're in a state of \u003ci\u003ewu-wei\u003c\/i\u003e--why it makes us happy and effective and trustworthy, and how it might have even made civilization possible. \u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e Through stories of mythical creatures and drunken cart riders, jazz musicians and Japanese motorcycle gangs, Slingerland effortlessly blends Eastern thought and cutting-edge science to show us how we can live more fulfilling lives. \u003ci\u003eTrying Not To Try\u003c\/i\u003e is mind-expanding and deeply pleasurable, the perfect antidote to our striving modern culture.\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eEdward Slingerland\u003c\/b\u003e is Professor of Asian Studies and Canada Research Chair in Chinese Thought and Embodied Cognition at the University of British Columbia. Educated at Princeton, Stanford and the University of California, Berkeley, he is an internationally renowned expert in Chinese thought, comparative religion, and cognitive science. In addition to over twenty academic journal articles in a range of fields, he has written several scholarly books, including \u003ci\u003eWhat Science Offers the Humanities\u003c\/i\u003e and a translation of the \u003ci\u003eAnalects \u003c\/i\u003eof Confucius. He lives in Vancouver with his wife and daughter.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 304\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.7 x 7.9 x 5.2 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e March 03, 2015\u003c\/div\u003e","brand":"Books by splitShops","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":51757383483680,"sku":"9780770437633","price":17.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/9764\/5344\/files\/5edbc9859bb481ddeb4437521be3e2dc.webp?v=1780100978","url":"https:\/\/ebocreations.com\/products\/trying-not-to-try-ancient-china-modern-science-and-the-power-of-spontaneity-paperback","provider":"The E-Book Oasis LLC","version":"1.0","type":"link"}