This is a book about ten great ideas.Each chapter is an attempt to savor one idea that has been discovered by several of the world's civilizations - to question it scientifically, and to extract from it the lessons that apply to our modern lives.Jonathan Haidt skillfully combines two genres#151;philosophical wisdom and scientific research#151;delighting the reader with surprising insights. He explains, for example, why we have such difficulty controlling ourselves and sticking to our plans; why no achievement brings lasting happiness, yet a few changes in your life can have profound effects, and why even confirmed atheists experience spiritual elevation. In a stunning final chapter, Haidt addresses the grand question "How can I live a meaningful life?," offering an original answer that draws on the rich inspiration of both philosophy and science.

Jonathan Haidt is the Thomas Cooley Professor of Ethical Leadership at New York University's Stern School of Business. He received his Ph.D. in social psychology from the University of Pennsylvania in 1992 and then did post-doctoral research at the University of Chicago and in Orissa, India. He taught at the University of Virginia for 16 years, where he conducted the research reported in The Righteous Mind.