"Awe," writes clinical psychologist Jonah Paquette in the introduction to Awestruck, "is the rare sort of experience that can truly transform our lives." But not so rare as to be impossible to encounter and embrace in everyday life, which, Paquette goes on to argue, can make people "less stressed, healthier, happier, and more connected to those around us."
Anything that promises such incredible gains can easily sound too good to be true, but Paquette is thorough in backing up his claims. He first offers an overview of how awe has appeared throughout religious, philosophical and academic texts, then details how the experience of awe affects the human brain and body. This settled, the second half of Awestruck moves on to providing concrete and actionable ways readers can increase the amount of awe they experience on a near-daily basis. Many of these tips are inherently tied to experiencing nature, and many more draw on the same themes of mindfulness and observance that so many self-help books on similar subjects encourage.
While the methods in Awestruck may not be particularly groundbreaking or unusual, they combine with Paquette's scientific context to remind readers that experiencing awe is not an "extravagant luxury," to be enjoyed only occasionally and only by those who can afford over-the-top experiences. Instead, awe is "an essential part of a life well lived," and easy to come by, if one makes the time for it. --Kerry McHugh, blogger at Entomology of a Bookworm