by Dan Harris
First published 2017
Dan Harris once dismissed meditation as something for crystal collectors and Ultimate Frisbee players. The ABC News anchor changed his mind after suffering a panic attack during a live broadcast. Scientific research shows meditation reduces blood pressure, alleviates depression and anxiety, and rewires brain structures. Yet millions of people want to meditate but never start practicing. Harris teams up with Jeff Warren, a skilled meditation instructor he calls "Meditation MacGyver," to discover what stops people from meditating. They rent a tour bus previously used by Parliament Funkadelic and drive across eighteen states. The pair interviews potential meditators including parents, military cadets, police officers, and celebrities. They identify common obstacles like "I'm terrible at this" and "I lack time" then provide science backed solutions. The book contains practical meditation guidance alongside the story of a sarcastic type A journalist and a laid back Canadian mystic exploring America's anxious psyche and confronting their own issues.
Genres: self-help, non-fiction, health, 21st-century, meditation, alternative-medicine
Vibes: informative, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-growth, self-discovery
Setting: America
Period: 21st-century
304 pages · Hardcover · Harmony