Interesting and eye-opening
589397
I'm not sure what to say other than "wow". Growing up an only child with hoarder parents is quite a childhood. My only disappointment with this book was that it felt rushed. I'm sure it was a difficult story to write, but some of the chapters had abrupt endings. However, this was well written and thoroughly engaging. I commend the author for bravely airing to the world what she had hidden for her entire life.
1839144
This book provides an interesting view of life that could be useful to many people.
4435293
This book was fantastic, and eye-opening.  I picked it up because the criticism of it by those in the media and random bloggers had me wondering what the fuss was about, and I'm so glad I did.  Most of their criticism is misplaced, in my opinion.  Sandberg presents a compelling argument for why women need to be encouraged to take control of their lives, in the business world and everywhere else.  Her arguments are backed up by solid research and illustrated nicely by her personal experiences.  As the mother of two daughters, I found lots of information here that will (I hope) help me as they approach college, grad school, and beyond. A wonderful, provocative, book.
1408602
This book contained a wealth of wonderful information - lots of history I was never previously exposed to.  It also talked about conditions in the world today and left me with the sense that the things I see and hear about every day, but tend to look away from - homelessness and poverty, unjust imprisonment - that these things are not "just the way it is", that a better world is possible.  This book helped me to better understand how interconnected we all are, how without necessarily intending to, I play a role in maintaining the suffering of other people, and how I have an opportunity to play a different role.  It's challenging for anyone to look at themselves, and the role they play in society, with a critical eye, but I think it's necessary to move forward and I appreciate this book for challenging me to do that.
735263
This book is eye-opening and thought-provoking. Even if you don't agree with every thought the author has, you have to come away from this book with a broader world view - and a realistic view of the future.
368732
Very eye-opening discoveries are discussed in this book.  As a believer (in G-d) I highly recommend it to open-minded religious and non-religious people.
2005560
"The Elusive Quest for Growth" is an eye-opening book.  Very clearly written and incisive, I join the other reviewers in recommending it strongly.

One of the most powerful and, for me, thought-provoking chapters came later in the book.  Certain ideas from political economy are applied to explain how nations that are very divided along either ethnic or income lines have lower growth rates, higher budget deficits, more governmental mismanagement and greater chances of civil war and genocide.  Ethnically unified nations with a strong middle class (South Korea is the perfect example) tend to have high growth rates and low levels of corruption.  This argument and the data Easterly used to support it absolutely blew me away.  I wanted to make special mention of it because it was not being discussed in the preceding reviews.

One other interesting argument the book makes is the feedback loop between optimism, educational self-advancement and savings/investment.  This feedback loop is another crucial contributor to growth.  I'm of course familiar with the idea of network effects but this was a very novel and valuable view to take of the concept.

Anyway, go read this book.
4484308
This documentary was eye-opening. It takes you deep into the heart-wrenching decisions that people make and their struggles leading up to those decisions. Respectfully compiled.
1758668
This is an interesting book, and I have learned so much about how our brain really works, and it is an eye opener.
1187851
this book opened up my eyes to many things. life for a black person in harlem in the 30's, life for a black person in the 50 years after slavery ended, but most of all, it opened my eyes to the astounding effects that religion can have on peoples lives. it proves karl marx's famous quote, religion is the opiate for the masses. the book is well written and very intense, although sometimes confusing.

its not the best book you will ever read, but it is certaintly worth reading just for the experience and insight it gives, while at the same time being a solid piece of literature.
2835095
No matter what your political orientation, this book is an eye-opener, interesting, and well-written.  I learned quite a lot of new information about various political decisions made by individual Presidents as well as about the professional and personal relationships forged by ex-Presidents based on their "exclusive" club.  I was pleasantly surprised, because my initial thoughts were that the book would probably be boring.  It was not.  I enjoyed reading it and have now passed it on to my father who will no doubt enjoy it as much as I did.
873798
This book really opened my eyes to a very different perspective of the world.  We really do exist in layers of energy, ranging from love to shame.  Others before him have made the same case, but not as thoroughly.  Although I'm not sure how to measure these emotions and I haven't performed the strength test, it is interesting material.
2621737
Whatever your views, this book takes more than Al Gore's flawed science into account when it takes you on its journey.  It explores and examines the story behind the why.  I suggest you read you it.  It will be eye opening.  And don't forget the appendices.  There's lots of information there as well.
1103024
An eye-opening book about the multiple dimensions of money. Kabir Seghal talks about the art and design of money, to how it's evolved historically, to how it affects us neurologically. "Coined" gave me a greater awareness of the complexity and depth money carries, well beyond its transactional value. This book will broaden your perspective about the currency we use everyday.
4942733
A fascinating look into how we think, what we want, and who we are, THE OPTIMISM BIAS will be much appreciated by anyone with a desire to understand some of the most complex puzzles about our personalities and brains.  Written in an accessible and easy-to-read manner, this book can be enjoyed by both laymen and those already familiar with the science behind neurobiology and behaviour.  Sharot's main premise, that most people are unreasonably rosy about their own future (but not the future of others), is both unique and well-supported by hers and others research.  Her hypotheses and speculations about the reasons behind the optimism bias are sensible and entertaining.  Some have complained about parts of this book being slow or tedious, but I didn't find any of it that way, and am really not sure which parts they may be referring to.  To me, this one was extremely interesting and engaging throughout.

The book really gets you thinking about the way you think, about the way you see your future, and about where you fall on the scale of being optimistic.  I suspect most readers will consider themselves to be quite optimistic, and this book will actually make you proud of it.  Sharot goes into great detail about why being optimistic is healthy, nurturing, and leads to self-fulfilling prophecies.  Her ideas about optimism's role in our everyday lives and even over the course of evolution ring true and will keep you thinking about yourself and those you know.  As you read the book you'll find yourself adjusting the way you view your own thoughts and actions as well as those of others.  Learning about the way our brains make us feel positive about the future, even in the face of awful realities, is actually quite comforting.  To know that even after disaster strikes, most people return to base levels of happiness and optimism relatively quickly, is nice.

Multiple chapters on how the brain functions ground Sharot's ideas in hard science.  Her investigations into memory of traumatic events is interesting (and a bit disturbing).  All of her experience in brain imaging and brain function lends the entire book a great deal of legitimacy.  You'll certainly come away from this one with a greater understanding (and a greater appreciation) of the sciences of neurobiology and behaviour.

Overall, this is a fascinating and thought-provoking book that will change the way you view your world, your brain, and your self.  Highly recommended.
781488
This is not the type of book that I normally read; yet, I found the dynamics between the people in the book strangely fascinating. I know, at least peripherally, many of the people mentioned in the book, including the author, and was intrigued to get a better understanding of the situation, beyond what was reported in the newspaper. This book also provides a compelling word of caution for both parents and the educational system as to how a self-centered, insecure instructor can become involved in an inappropriate relationship with a student.
783225
I almost gave this book 4 stars, but after thinking about it, I realized it really is a series of interviews and discussions by some of the most interesting people on the planet.  I found this book to be quite interesting and expansive on many of the ideas that are floating around on the major issues we face today on this planet.  Zoh is able to put the information into context without actually accepting it as God Given Fact and Truth.  It's all about presenting information and connecting dots and this book is quite helpful in that area. I think anyone who reads this, along with many of the books by the authors and scientists interviewed in this book will gain a better understanding of major issues confronting us today.