Born to Be Good: The Science of a Meaningful Life

Keltner's book is a excellent examination of research supporting the more "bright side" of what drives humanity. There are those who suggest that man in inherently evil ... needing to be "tamed" from his animalistic ways. Side note: so many of these folks likely have quite an extensive assortment of "religious trauma" in their lives, where the fictitious concept of black/white, all or nothing, heaven or hell, yes/no, etc. is guiding their view of humanity ... in a world where one might suggest that everything is grey. :( Granted, I hold out hope for these pessimistic dears. Yet, this compilation is a beautiful exploration which doesn't push folks one way or the other. Rather, it allows us to determine our own conclusion as to what is at play. I would agree that the subtitle is a tad misleading ... but hard to rewrite. The "science behind" part is super solid! Yet, a "meaningful life" is likely so subjective a phrase that people take it to extremes. Even if we went with "the science supporting being a good human" that might be a challenge. Nevertheless, it does not detract from the outstanding material presented in this book. I got a lot out of it. Thank you Dacher Kelter for the effort put into this work.

I really enjoyed this book for several reasons, not the least of which is the positive slant on human emotion instead of the constant barrage of negative and cynical information we are exposed to every day. It is not light reading, however. It is a book that conveys scientific research into how evolution plays such a large part in human emotions, even down to facial expressions. It is a fascinating layman's look into the world of social psychology and the study of prosocial human emotion. Highly recommended!

This book brings up a lot of interesting reasons to why we should be good and that it is natural for us to be. It is a nice, easy read, and very warm hearted. I voted 4 stars because after reading the book, it did not convince me that we were "born to be good", but rather "born good". There is no mention throughout the book of reasons why people would not be good. I happened to take the book in a more literal sense, but it still holds true. There are many situations in people's lives that does not permit them to choose the most righteous path. Perhaps those of us fortunate to be born in a first world country or to a good family has the ability and the means to be good. But those of us born elsewhere, not in the greatest of situations simply can't do that to survive. This is a nice book and is very optimistic about the world. However it does not come it from everyone's perspective.

Keltner has done a masterful job of showing us how socialization really works. We are not entirely a blank slate and not entirely not one. We have a hard-wired capacity to learn language, pretty much everyone knows this by now, but we also have a hard-wired capacity to create community solidarity, and culture. We are far more inclined to attach and bond than to fight -- within our small community, at least. Keltner nails down exactly how this manifests bio-chemically. How the rational part of our brain develops, and can only develop, through social interaction, how it produces chemical rewards when we get it right, and how incredibly adaptive to our environment this makes us. He hints at, but does not quite explore the idea that when one community dominates and exploits another (where "others" are concerned, the drive to bond competes about equally with the drive to out-survive -- another theme Kelter hints at and might have explored in more depth), the dominators may quite cleverly institute policies that disrupt community connectivity among the dominated. For example, Puritans proscriptions against hugging, kissing, dancing and singing surely enhanced the ability of controlling elites to manage somewhat demoralized masses. But the book including this kind of speculation, and many others implied by recent discoveries in attachment and brain plasticity research remains to be written. Maybe Kelter will do it

The entire book can be summarized in just a few words: Darwin and evolutionary psychology are good; positive emotions are good; helping others experience positive emotions is good; the face and other non-verbals are good indicators of emotions; Dr. Paul Ekman is good; HHDL is good; jen is really good; and we can all be good if we choose to be. If you enjoy reading positive psychology, this is not a bad book. I enjoyed it as a leisurely read over a few nights. I do wish the author had used a traditional list of references and notes to summarize his sources. I suspect there are better books on the horizon for Dr. Keltner...

This book includes a breadth of examples from many cultures, art, and literature from the time of the Greeks to the modern period on the meaning of facial expressions and the effects of neuropeptides on the emotions that makes it easy and engaging to read. The focus is on the jen ratio (the balance of good and bad in one's life). The notes are invaluable for further reading on the smile, embarrassment, laughter, touch, and love among animals and humans, showing the common threads that link all of us.

this is a fascinating and fabulous book.Professor Keltner succeeds in advancing a fascinating extension of the work of Darwin. At the same time, he pulls the storyline through with instance after instance of revealing observations of modern-day behavior. His clinical work, in psych labs at Berkeley, is fascinating. At the same time he tells stories about his own daughters, which are reminiscent of those we all experience as parents. On top of this, he weaves in the most current brain research, creating an incredibly well rounded and totally readable book. I can't wait to read what's next from him. (Disclaimer: I also teach at Cal Berkeley, where Keltner is revered as a teacher and researcher. I find him to be both genuine and kind personally.)

Fascinating and well-researched, "Born to be Good" manages to present scholarly material in a very accessible way. Dacher Keltner is a good, personable story teller with a sense of humour that manages to enliven rather than to distract from his scholarship and message. A timely and meaningful book. Highly recommended.

Good