The Exciting New Research That Proves the Link Between Doing Good and Living a Longer, Healthier, Happier Life. It turns out that giving--far more than receiving--is a surprisingly potent force whose impact reverberates across an entire lifetime, nourishing health and happiness in astonishing ways. That's the message of "Why Good Things Happen to Good People, "which weaves new science with profoundly moving real-life stories. Dr. Post, a preeminent bioethicist, has funded over fifty studies-from the likes of Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Stanford, and the University of Chicago-to support scientific research on the life-enhancing benefits of caring, compassion, and kindness. His research shows that, especially if we start giving when we are young, everything from life-satisfaction to self-realization and physical health is significantly impacted. Mortality is delayed. Depression is reduced. Well-being and even good fortune are increased.

Dr Post's offers the most advanced self-help scale of any popular book. His one-of-a-kind "Love and Longevity Scale," scores us on the ten most important ways of giving that alter our lives, from volunteering to listening, loyalty to forgiveness, to standing up for what you believe in. Then, using lessons and guidelines from each chapter, we can create a personalized plan for a more generous life, finding the outlet and style of giving that suits our personality and lifestyle. Regardless of which way we choose to make a difference this is self-help we can feel good about--both for what it does for us and others. (publisher)