Curious? Discover the Missing Ingredient to a Fulfilling Life »

Todd Kashdan, Ph.D., is a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at George Mason University. His work has been featured in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post, and on NPR and PBS. He lives with his wife and twin daughters in Fairfax, Virginia.

Dead cats. That's the image many people conjure up when you mention curiosity. An image perpetuated by a dusty old proverb that has long represented the extent of our understanding of the term. This book might not put the proverb to rest, but it will flip it upside down: far from killing anything, curiosity breathes new life into almost everything it touches.

In Curious? Dr. Todd Kashdan offers a profound new message missing from so many books on happiness: the greatest opportunities for joy, purpose, and personal growth don't, in fact, happen when we're searching for happiness. They happen when we are mindful, when we explore what's novel, and when we live in the moment and embrace uncertainty. Positive events last longer and we can extract more pleasure and meaning from them when we are open to new experiences and relish the unknown.

Dr. Kashdan uses science, story, and practical exercises to show you how to become what he calls a curious explorer—a person who's comfortable with risk and challenge and who functions optimally in an unstable, unpredictable world. Here's a blueprint for building lasting, meaningful relationships, improving health, increasing creativity, and boosting productivity. Aren't you curious to know more?

Phyllis Goodman - Library Journal

Kashdan (psychology, George Mason Univ.), who considers curiosity the catalyst to creating emotional well-being, argues that one can find meaning in life by being open to new events and experiences. He writes that as adults, whether we are experiencing a positive or a negative event, we want to attach meaning to it and bring closure. Curiosity, asserts Kashdan, is about being flexible and instead embracing the uncertainty and novelty of a situation rather than trying to control it; through curiosity we can change our mind-sets and prolong positive experiences. If we seek daily for things that meet our needs and values, then interest, exploration, and curiosity will carry us forward to a new emotional level. In addition to an extensive resource list, Kashdan presents his own research as well as several self-help tools. His argument is not entirely convincing-in the end, readers may wonder not just whether but how the answer to a more fulfilling life is really as simple as being curious-but some readers will find this new twist on an old concept helpful.