Selfless

BRIAN LOWERY, PhD, is the Walter Kenneth Kilpatrick Professor of Organizational Behavior at Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business. Lowery’s research has been published in major scholarly journals and has been covered by media outlets such as the Washington Post, GQ, Psychology Today, Pacific Standard, Quartz, the Huffington Post, and NPR’s All Things Considered. He also hosts the podcast Know What You See.

“An unusually insightful look at how our social world shapes who we become. This book will challenge you to rethink many of your assumptions about what drives your decisions, your actions, and your identity.” — Adam Grant, author of Think Again and Originals“This powerful book is guaranteed to change the way you see yourself and the world around you. Lowery masterfully weaves science and stories together to expose that we are all selfless – shaped in each moment and over years by our social situations. Selfless is a gift – an engaging and important book that will help you better understand the influence of the web of relationships you inhabit.”  — Katy Milkman, author of How to Change“[Lowery] investigates many commonly held assumptions that selfhood is, for the most part, a privately malleable entity originating within us at birth, and that absolute liberty in defining it might be both possible and desirable. We know ourselves better and can improve our chances at self-improvement, the author explains convincingly, if we accept that our identities are fluid, socially determined phenomena…. An informed, thought-provoking consideration of the relational dimensions of our lives.” — Kirkus Reviews"Blending psychology, philosophy, and sociology, Lowery relays the exploration of what a self is into questions about how selfhood relates to personal autonomy, the consequences of our actions, and the desire for a meaningful life. Lowery is remarkably skillful at making these potentially heady themes clear and accessible, and engaging with them makes for a rewarding journey." — Mindful