Presence
Bringing Your Boldest Self to Your Biggest Challenges
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4.7 • 15 Ratings
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- $12.99
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
'Presence feels at once concrete and inspiring, simple but ambitious - above all, truly powerful' New York Times Book Review
How can we be our strongest selves in life's most challenging situations? We often approach these situations - job interviews, difficult conversations, speaking up for ourselves - with anxiety and leave them with regret. Moments that require us to be genuine and powerful instead cause us to feel phoney and powerless, preventing us from being our best selves.
Harvard professor Amy Cuddy shows us we need to stop worrying about the impression we're making on others, and instead change the impression we're making on ourselves. Cutting-edge science reveals that if we adopt behaviours reflecting power and strength, we liberate ourselves from the fears and doubts that obstruct us. By redirecting our thoughts, actions, and even physiology, we free ourselves to be our best.
Amy Cuddy galvanised viewers around the world with her TED talk on 'power poses'. Now she explains the science underlying these and many other fascinating body-mind effects, and teaches us how to use this science to become self-assured in high-pressure moments.
Impassioned, beautifully researched, and accessible, PRESENCE is filled with stories of individuals facing real obstacles, and succeeding against the odds. Every reader will learn how to approach stress-filled challenges without fear and leave them without regret.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Cuddy, a professor at Harvard Business School, expands on her popular TED talk about adopting confident body postures, or "power poses," to enhance self-confidence and bring presence to social and professional situations. She defines presence as "feeling connected with our own thought, values, abilities, and emotions, so that we can better connect with... others." Drawing insights from successful venture capitalists and from a host of social psychology studies conducted by herself and others, Cuddy discusses self-affirmation, the role hormones play in confidence, mood enhancement via facial expression, and reinterpreting anxiety as excitement. She uses William James's belief that physical experiences trigger emotional states to lend credence to her own invention of power poses, providing specific instructions on how and when to use them. Further inspiration is provided by Cuddy's interviews with actress Julianne Moore about presence on film sets, Rev. Jeffrey Brown on his work reining in gang violence through active listening, and author Neil Gaiman on overcoming "imposterism." Lest the reader remain unconvinced, Cuddy concludes with letters from admirers who have used her methods effectively during job interviews, business meetings, and athletic events, as well as to overcome PTSD.
Customer Reviews
A must read
Amy Cuddy tells us about the importance of body language and the simple things each of us can do to improve our sense of presence. It's probably the best psychology/self-help book I've ever read.