Observing a feeling can create space between an impulse and a response.
Pragmatic review
Wright connects Buddhist ideas, evolutionary psychology and his account of meditation. The practical entry point is close observation of thoughts and feelings rather than immediate identification with them. For readers interested in attention, it provides questions to explore carefully through modest practice and wider reading.
WTM Signal Review
WTM’s judgement: an engaging interpretive bridge; the title states the author’s argument, not a verified conclusion about all Buddhist traditions. Philosophical claims, scientific evidence and personal experience should remain distinct. Meditation is not a universal remedy, and difficult experiences should not be dismissed as a failure of effort.
ONE PRACTICAL NEXT STEP
Observe one ordinary feeling for a brief period; describe its components before deciding what to do.
Reading basis and disclosure
Research-based reading note: publisher description; no claim of a full-text review or medical recommendation.
External title. No affiliate tracking added to the purchase link.
Linked publisher edition ISBN 9781439195468.
About the author
Robert Wright is a journalist and author of Why Buddhism Is True, The Moral Animal, Nonzero and The Evolution of God. He co-founded Bloggingheads.tv and leads NonZero, exploring politics, psychology and humanity's shared challenges.
Official biography or website ↗No personal social account verified through links on the reviewed official pages. @robertwrighter appeared in search results but was withheld under the primary-site-link rule. This is the American journalist, not the Canadian historian at robertwright.ca or thriller novelist Robert E. B. Wright.
Sources
Catalogue updated: 10 October 2026. The Webflow Press page is the editable editorial record; this portal carries the launch catalogue edition.
