Stumbling on Happiness

What would you do right now if you learned that you were going to die in ten minutes?

So take a couple of minutes to let that question settle in and decide how you would respond. This year I've made a point to really increase the number and variety of books I read. To help with this goal I've set up a Goodreads account and have been tracking my progress and finding new books to add to my list. One of my selections in June was "Stumbling on Happiness" by Daniel Gilbert. Gilbert poses the above mentioned question and many others to readers. As a scientist he also includes scientific studies and experiments throughout the book to provide context and science to support his research. When tackling the questions as to what will make one happy Gilbert has three points.

1. When we imagine our state of mind (happiness, sadness, feeling due to hypothetical events), key details may be added or missing without us realizing it. (Not unlike the blind spot.) Very often, it's those details that ultimately make us happy.
 2. When we imagine the future (or recall the past), it is far less imaginative than we think. Our mental picture will be very much like the present and our "imagined" feelings will be strongly influenced by the current state of mind. 
3. When events actually happen, we view it far differently than before it had happened. Our psychological "immune system" will distort our perception of major psychological events to help shield us from undesirable effects (pain, depression).

In the end Gilbert proposes a solution to how one can predict what will make them happy that many would probably disagree and argue against. The solution presented by Dr. Gilbert to accurately estimate our happiness is to draw our conclusion from people with similar backgrounds and experiences. Many of us feel we are so unique that we couldn't possibly judge our own appreciation of an experience solely based on the experience of another, but this is Gilbert's argument.


I rated this book a "3" out of 5 on the Goodreads rating system. I did enjoy the topic and Gilbert includes several fun pictures and experiments to try out yourself, but at times he can be very technical when discussing scientific research which can be laborious to read and comprehend quickly.


Has anyone read the book yet? How would you respond to the introduction question?

--Krystal

(Purchase this book here on Amazon)

Highest paid athletes today.

3 women, 1 sport, where is all of the money in women sports?

About two weeks ago Forbes released their list of the top 100 paid athletes. There were only three women present on this list and all three participate in the same sport, tennis. Maria Sharapova, Li Na and Serena Williams were the only three women to make the list.

I find this list to be very interesting. First of all, the reason these women even made the list were not because of their salary and earnings from their sport, which are comparably rather low than the other athletes on the list, but because of the endorsements they have received. It is great to see two of my favorite female athletes on this list, but disheartening that no women from any other sports were able to make the list. What about Abby Wombach & Hope Solo representing soccer, or Danika Patrick for racing. It's clear from this Forbes list and other lists of the top female athletes that the only female sport that can compete with its male counterparts is tennis. Look at this list of the top paid female athletes in the world.

HIGHEST PAID FEMALE ATHLETES IN THE WORLD: link to article

No	Sportswomen	Category
1	Maria Sharapova	Tennis
2	Li Na	Tennis
3	Serena Williams	Tennis
4	Caroline Wozniacki	Tennis
5	Danica Patrick	MotoSports
6	Victoria Azarenka	Tennis
7	Kim Yuna	Skate
8	Ana Ivanovic	Tennis
9	Agnieszka Radwanska	Tennis
10	Yani Tseng	Golf

Looking at this list makes you want to encourage your daughters and female friends to pick up a tennis racket rather than a softball or basketball if they're looking to receive fame and fortune. What do you think? How can more women and more female sports be represented in these types of list? These sports are not nearly as popular as basketball, soccer, volleyball and softball in grade school mainly because of the costs that can be associated in participating in these sports., but should more women be encouraged and supported to play tennis and golf?

--Krystal

The Internet Reversing Equality for Women

The year is 2013 and women have made immense progress through the decades since being given the right to vote in the United States. Women continue to higher education and careers at the same rate that men do. This is all hard-earned progress in the history of women, as traditionally women were supposed to fulfill "traditional" roles.
It's interesting to think about how social media and the Internet are shaping our lives. It is happening in ways we won't fully understand for years, but we are starting to see some of the damaging effects the Internet has on society, including less face-to-face social interaction, Internet bullying, and narcissism. Among these negative effects is the objectification of women (again). Many people use the Internet to look at pornography. What Caitlin Moran, of How to Be a Woman, observed, is that most pornography that is available portrays traditional power roles and unrealistic women. Women without body hair, with enlarged breasts, and made up faces. Suddenly, people who view pornography are expecting that real life women look and act this way. It is seen as "normal" when it's actually quite the opposite.
Additionally, the Internet allows for many ads to be shown. Often women are digitally enhanced and are striking provocative poses. In ads for American Apparel for example, a company that often advertises gender-neutral clothing, a woman and a man might be outfitted in the same flannel shirt. The woman, however, won't be wearing pants with her shirt, and her buttons might not be buttoned.
The Internet is also full of sex tips, make up tips, and tips about getting the "perfect" body or the "perfect" outfit. It allows for women to worry and fuss over details and perfection that men aren't asked to do. Women feel as though these are necessary concerns in finding jobs, finding love, and just "feeling good," though the same ideas aren't imposed on men.
This is just a brief overview of the ways the Internet and media has shaped a new generation of women, a generation that hasn't had to fight for equality, and is actually allowing for the subtle backslide into oppression and male dominance.

--Megan

Knowing Your Value

This month I've been reading "Knowing Your Value: Women, Money and Getting What You're Worth" by Mika Brzezinski, MSNB Morning Joe's co-host. Prompted by her own experiences, Mika interviews a number of prominent women across a wide range of industries on their experience moving up in their particular industries and structuring their career paths. Mika reveals how these women, including such impresarios as White House star Valerie Jarrett, comedian Susie Essman, writer and director Nora Ephron, Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg, and broadcaster Joy Behar, navigated the inevitable roadblocks that are unique to women.

My review of this book is lukewarm. I like the idea of the book and what she is trying to get across to women and the readers, but she really just scratches the surface of the issue and in the 200 pages of this book she doesn't dig deep enough. I was very intrigued by this book and Mika's personal experience and her interviews. As the young female professional I consider myself to be this book was written for me. I identify completely with the feeling of "your lucky to have this job" which is mentioned a lot throughout this book as one of the things that holds women back from reaching their career potential.

Although this book doesn't have all of the answers it still is very relatable to many women. It raises points that we need to address as women working up the career ladder. Has anyone check out the book yet? Let me know your thoughts.

--Krystal