Do you ever wonder why we behave the way we behave? Why, animals so eerily behave very similarly to humans? Why some people are seemingly more empathetic and sympathetic than others? Why we develop a sense of “us versus them” mentality? Do you ever question whether the “love” that you give and have received, is conditional or not? Maybe it’s all about survival? Maybe it’s all about belonging?
Is it really human nature to stab one another in the back in our climb up the corporate ladder? Competitive, selfish behavior is often explained away as instinctive, thanks to evolution and “survival of the fittest”, but in fact, humans are equally hard-wired for empathy. Using research from the fields of anthropology, psychology, animal behavior, and neuroscience, Frans de Waal brilliantly argues that humans are group animals – highly cooperative, sensitive to injustice, and mostly peace-loving – just like other primates, elephants, and dolphins. This revelation has profound implications for everything from politics to office culture.
This book, the age of empathy, really goes to great effort to help us understand how we became the way be we came as humans. How we developed civilizations, political systems and why we go to war. As we’ve all through the millennia, humans, with their much larger brains, long for social contact and group organization, and that has far outpaced the other animals throughout history to get to the point where we are today.
This book sets out to answer a lot of the questions and curiosities involving human interaction, ranging from, nurture versus nature, birth all the way through death, and also the social mindset of a human being. There are also wonderful of studies and comparisons with some of our “larger brain” relatives in the animal kingdom, who do very much a similar thing and exhibit a lot of the same behaviors, albeit, most likely probably on a smaller scale.
I really enjoyed reading the Age of Empathy, as the author kept things moving right along, very informative, easy to understand and easy to follow. Really gets you to think about the “bigger world” that surrounds us.
James Donaldson is a Washington State University graduate (’79). After an outstanding basketball career with WSU, he went on to play professional basketball in the NBA with the Seattle Supersonics, San Diego/L.A. Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, New York Knicks, and Utah Jazz. He also played for several teams in the European Leagues in Spain, Italy, and Greece, and he toured with The Harlem Globetrotters to wrap up his career. James was an NBA All-Star in 1988 while playing center for the Dallas Mavericks. In 2006, James was inducted into the Pac-10 Sports Hall of Fame and also the Washington State University Athletic Hall of Fame. In 2010, James was elected as a board member for the NBA Retired Players Association.
James frequently conducts speaking engagements (motivational, inspirational, educational) for organizations, schools, and youth groups.
In 2010, James was the recipient of the NBA Legends of Basketball ABC Award, awarded for outstanding contributions in Athletics–Business–Community.
He believes in being a role model for success and professionalism to the scores of young people to whom he devotes so much of his time. He currently serves on several boards and committees and is a member of many organizations.
James believes in developing relationships that create a “Win-Win” environment for everyone involved, and in being the best he can be!
For more information about James Donaldson or to request he speak at your event, contact him at:
www.StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
JamesD@StandingAboveTheCrowd.com
1-800-745-3161 (voicemail & fax)
James Donaldson is the author of “Standing Above The Crowd” and “Celebrating Your Gift of Life” and founder of the Your Gift of Life Foundation which focuses on mental health awareness and suicide prevention, especially pertaining to our school aged children and men.
If you’re interested in having James come and speak to your group of young adults, business entrepreneurs, aspiring political and community leaders, and athletic teams, please contact him at jamesd@yourgiftoflife.org and or leave a personal message for him at 1-800-745-3161. Keep up with him and read about how he is reaching out and making a difference in the lives of so many around the world at www.yourgiftoflife.org
