If Only : How to Turn Regret Into Opportunity

Rating:
Summary: A Successful Fusion of Science with Self-Help
Review: Professor Roese's new book has been a surprise and a delight. His ability to explain, with wide-ranging and pertinent examples we can all relate to, the scientific concepts and research results that have guided his academic career, is both impressive and long overdue in such "populist" books. This is one of the few books we will see in the personal development or self help shelves which is in fact underpinned with credible, mainstream, and up to date science. Neal Roese comes across as a wise, informative, and very accessible conversationalist, yet he does not do what is all too common in other books of this ilk...become shrill, preachy, or "therapeutic". The message of his book, which speaks to those of us who in fact DO have regrets and conflicts, and who cannot simply push them aside or "get real" as per other authors, is upbeat without the typical rah-rah naivity seen so commonly elsewhere. I would recommend this book without hesitation.

Rating:
Summary: Fascinating insights into our mental lives
Review: Why do we spend so much time thinking about things that might have happened, but did not? Why do such thoughts have so much power to haunt us and taunt us? What can we learn from these thoughts? This book offers an engaging and comprehensive analysis of these questions, and in the process it casts discerning light on some important aspects of human nature and human potential. The pitfalls, but also the opportunities, of our tendency to think about "what might have been" are described here in a way that adroitly combines relevant scientific evidence with rich and compelling anecotes and personal experience. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and contemplating the insights into human nature that it conveys. It is sure to appeal to readers who are curious about understanding their own mental lives. Strongly recommended.