isaiahyip's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
__karen__'s review against another edition
4.0
This book is exactly what I was looking for... describes the scientific basis for the benefits of meditation. Note that while the content is informative, delivery is a bit dry.
andycronin's review against another edition
informative
slow-paced
4.25
Ran out of time on the library loan
balise's review against another edition
4.0
Very interesting summary of the research around meditation effects and its history; sometimes feels a bit messy/meandering.
knitter22's review against another edition
3.0
When I first read about Altered Traits I thought it would be the perfect book for me. I had been meditating at least five times/week for almost a year, and while I found it worthwhile, I wondered what science had to say about the effects of meditation. The authors were not familiar to me, but both of them are well-respected in the fields of neuroscience and scientific journalism. The first several chapters are spent discussing their backgrounds, histories, and research interests. A large part of the book is spent discussing the deficiencies in previous meditation research studies, including some of their own design. There are many different kinds of meditation, so it may be almost impossible to design a valid double-blind study that will produce definitive results. This is kind of a dry, almost boring book, but this may be due to the questions being asked and the subject itself, and not the authors' fault. The answer to does meditation change your mind and brain may be, "possibly, maybe, perhaps, under certain circumstances, but it's very hard to prove scientifically". I think you may be better off giving the meditation method of your choice a try, judging for yourself, and not worrying about what science says. (That might be the first time I've ever advised against looking for scientific proof!)