Transcript Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess By Daniel Akst

Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess By Daniel Akst PDF Download
Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess
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" This elegantly written and useful book . . . describes how, for millennia, human beings have struggled
to rein in desire." -USA Today At a time when the fallout from reckless spending and unrestrained
consumption is fueling a national malaise, Daniel Akst delivers a witty and comprehensive investigation
of the central problem of our time: how to save ourselves from what we want. Temptation reminds us
that while more calories, sex, and intoxicants are readily available than ever before, crucial social
constraints have eroded, creating a world that sorely tests the limits of human willpower. Referencing
history, literature, psychology, philosophy, and economics, Akst draw
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Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess By Daniel Akst PDF Download
About Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess:
Review 1:
First of all, this is not a traditional self-help book, with its "infallible" techniques "newly
discovered by scientists" for a better life "right now". And that's great, because the sooner we
recognize that there are no magic fixes for our problems, the better. The book does offer some
broad advice in the last chapter, but not on the form of "X-step program", and it's far from being
its central point.
This book is really an excellent essay on the subject of self-control. Akst researches literature,
philosophy, a bit of religion, and, of course psychology and neurology. Although the author
tosses a couple self-references and anecdotal evidences, he has a firm grasp on the status
quaestionis, both scientific and philosophical, of its subject -- the material covers from the
Ancient Greeks to contemporary America. And it's an easy (even repetitive about its central
thesis, but it's not a major issue), non technical, read.
Highly recommended for anyone curious about mind, psychology or moral problems.
Review 2:
The writing is poor: too many asides and pointless comments. The content is worse. The author
covers attempts to cover too much material for one book and correspondingly creates an
unreadable mishmash of content without depth. It's akin to taking a pop psychology 101 class
with a summary of 50 journal abstracts per chapter. This leaves the book unfocused and
peripatetic. I couldn't finish it.
Additional quibbles: relies on priming research, some of which has debatable significance and
limited reproducibility. Science, especially social science, is not infallible. Too much research is
accepted uncritically and without analysis. Bounces back and fourth between referencing classic
figures such as Odysseus and modern work but the connections feel contrived. Describes too
many people brilliant.
Review 3:
I actually read this book under the title _We_Have_Met_the_Enemy:_SelfControl_in_an_Age_of_Excess, but based on the reviews and the subtitle, I'm fairly certain
they're the same work.
Akst manages to cover an astonishing amount of ground in this, his study of self-control. He
draws from the ancient Greek poets and philosophers, the Judeo-Christian tradition,
enlightenment thinkers, psychologists classical and modern, founding fathers, novels, and lots
of contemporary psychology, sociology, and neuroscience. The sheer amount of information he
brings in is staggering, and he manages to keep all of it engaging and pertinent to the subject
and the reader.
Why won't you like this book, though? Two reasons: the first is if you'd like to gain more selfcontrol. You're not likely to find much here in the way of practical advice here, unless you'd like
to hear the song of the sirens as you sail past them without throwing yourself into the sea. The
final chapter gives a few pieces of advice, but this is by no means a self-help book. If that's what
you're looking for, you'll be disappointed.
Secondly, if you hold political beliefs of any kind, Akst's position is eventually going to annoy
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Temptation: Finding Self-Control in an Age of Excess By Daniel Akst PDF Download
you. Despite inequitably distributed chemical and neurological advantages and disadvantages
Akst insists that humans bear some responsibility for the choices they make and the situations
in which they find themselves, whether that is poverty or obesity. Lest you cheer at the thought
of someone championing personal responsibility, though, be forewarned that Akst would also
like to see the government step in to curtail humans' environmental impact, to make healthy
foods cheaper and unhealthy foods more expensive, and is a fan of universal, governmentprovided health care.
Why, then, should you read this book? If nothing else, it is a delightful read, and will help you
dust the cobwebs off of your liberal-arts education. By tying together millenia of brilliant thought
through the thread of self-control Akst humanizes some of that vast body of knowledge to which
many of us committed ourselves for years.
Review 4:
Good read but at the end of the day nothing astonishing.
Review 5:
a thought provoking book, I will use the message in my clinical practice hail to self control, my
mother was right
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