Reading for Well-Being with Dr. Pozzulo Book Club

  Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (August, 2026) Look Again: The Power of Noticing What Was Always There by Tali Sharot and Cass R. Sunstein (2024) My take: Have you experienced that initial excitement of great news only to have that positive feeling wane shortly thereafter? Why doesn’t the positive feeling last very long?....habituation! What was thrilling one minute, becomes less thrilling as the hours pass. In Look Again: The Power of Noticing What was Always There, Sharot and Sunstein explore how we can dishabituate and the impact that it has on our well-being and quality of life. The authors discuss how our brains must prioritize what is “new and different” (e.g., imagine your usual walk in the woods but on this particular occasion a bear is in the distance running toward you) and as a result the brain filters out what is “old and expected”. The book examines how we can “resparkle” the positive things in our life and also re-notice the negative things (e.g., negative habits) so that...

We’re giving away a copy of July's Professor Pozzulo’s Pick. Click on read more then click here to enter to win or copy the web address and search it in your browser: https://carleton.ca/mental-health/reading-for-well-being-with-dr-pozzulo-july-2026-giveaway/

  Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (July, 2026) Born to Flourish: How New Science and Ancient Wisdom Reveal a Simple Truth to Thriving by Richard J. Davidson and Cortland Dahl (2026) My take: Why do some people navigate life’s challenges with resilience, while others are more vulnerable to stress-related disorders and poor mental health? One possible explanation lies in the ability to transform stress and anxiety into clarity, balance, and calm. In Born to Flourish: How New Science and Ancient Wisdom Reveal a Simple Truth to Thriving by Davidson and Dahl (2026), the authors explore two central questions: 1) What skills are essential for flourishing? and 2) Can we intentionally develop and strengthen our capacity to flourish? According to the authors, flourishing is a skill that can be developed through practice. With as little as 5-minutes a day we can rewire our brain for greater resilience, focus, and well-being. Davidson and Dahl created the Healthy Minds Framework highlighting four co...

  Professor Pozzulo’s Pick (June, 2026) Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How “Small” Talk Can Add Up to a Big Life , by Dr. Gillian Sandstrom (2026) My take: Ever feel like you want to chat, but everyone you know is busy? Why not venture down to your local coffee shop and strike up a conversation with the cashier, barista, or even the person standing in line? In Once Upon a Stranger: The Science of How Small Talk Can Add Up to a Big Life, Sandstrom explains the benefits of talking to strangers. If you’re anything like me, you may be thinking, “I’m not comfortable talking to strangers!”. But by the end of the book, you may be ready to give it a try. Sandstrom has made it her mission to understand why we feel anxious even thinking about talking to strangers and how pushing through our fears may give us massive well-being benefits and may even change our life. As Sandstrom demonstrates talking to strangers is a skill that can be learned and developed. The more conversations you ha...

  We’re giving away a copy of June 's  Professor Pozzulo’s Pick. Click on read more then click here to enter to win or copy the web address and search it in your browser: https://carleton.ca/mental-health/reading-for-well-being-with-dr-pozzulo-June-2026-giveaway/

   We’re giving away a copy of May 's Professor Pozzulo’s Pick. Click on read more then  click here  to enter to win or copy the web address and search it in your  browser: https://carleton.ca/mental-health/reading-for-well-being-with-dr-pozzulo-may-2026-giveaway/