A Wonderful New Book Teaches How to Lead The Good Life
Posted by docapc at 3:51 pm
My good friend and colleague P. M. Forni is America’s civility expert. In his first two books, the critically acclaimed Choosing Civility and The Civility Solution, he taught readers the rules of civil behavior and ways of responding to rudeness. Now, in his new book, THE THINKING LIFE: How to Thrive in The Age of Distraction, he looks at the importance of thinking in our lives; how we do it, why we don’t do enough of it and why we need to do more of it because, serious thinking leads to the good life. “In this age that has made distraction a way of life, the essence of my message could not be simpler.” “Think if you wish to thrive. “
In 12 short chapters, Dr. Forni gives readers a remedy for the Age of Distraction, an age fuelled by the internet, Blackberries and cell phones, all of which make constant demands on our attention, diverting it from one thing to another. “True, insight can travel by Twitter, but there is no substitute for uninterrupted reflection and introspection—not if we want to discover who we really are, check if we are true to our own values, learn from our mistakes, and plan our future,” says P. M. “The fact is that a lot of what goes online is technology -driven. We often communicate because we can, not because we need to. As we do so, we forget that the shape of our lives depends on what we make time for as we go through it.”
After suggesting ways we can find time to think more, DR. Forni examines the importance of attention, reflection, introspection, self-control, positive thinking, proactive thinking, effective decision-making strategies, creative thinking, and problem-solving strategies in our daily lives, and shows readers how to improve their abilities in these areas.
Just as P.M. did with civility, he puts the importance of good thinking front and center in a book as simple and as profound as his earlier works.
P.M. FORNI is a professor at Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of Choosing Civility and The Civility Solution. His work has been featured in The New York Times and The Washington Post. He has appeared on NPR and Oprah. He lives in Baltimore, Maryland. He is also the co-founder of The Goodness Renaissance Project.
