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The Bond: Connecting Through the Space Between Us Hot

Editor rating

4.7

User rating

4.7 (2)

April 12, 2011 424 0Add

The Bond: Connecting Through the Space Between Us

Lynne McTaggart

Format

Hardcover

Number Of Pages, Discs, Etc.

304

Publisher

Free Press

Date Published

April 19, 2011

ISBN-10

1439157944

ISBN-13

9781439157947

For centuries, Western science and many Western cultures have taught us to think of ourselves as individuals. But today, a revolutionary new understanding is emerging from the laboratories of the most cutting-edge physicists, biologists, and psychologists:

What matters is not the isolated entity, but the space between things, the relationship of things. The Bond.

By international bestselling author Lynne McTaggart, The Bond is the culmination of her groundbreaking work. It offers a completely new, scientific story of life and the human experience, one that challenges the very way we conceive of ourselves and our world. The Bond shows that the essential impulse of all life is a will to connect rather than a drive to compete.

In fact, we are inescapably connected, hardwired to each other at our most elemental level—from cells to whole societies. The desire to help others is so necessary that we experience it as one of our chief pleasures, as essential as eating and having sex, and we succeed and prosper only when we see ourselves as part of a greater whole. Every conflict that occurs—whether between husband and wife, social or racial groups, or nations—is resolved only when we can fully see and embrace the space—the bond—between us.

McTaggart offers detailed recommendations to help foster more holistic thinking, more cooperative relationships, and more unified social groups. Blending interviews and human stories into an absorbing narrative, she shows how:

• A simple daily practice conditions the brain to enable you to become more empathetic toward others

• A new way of speaking and listening can overcome polarization, helping the staunchest of enemies to become close friends

• People who fire together wire together: Whenever a group works together for a common goal, the brains of all parties begin to get on the same wavelength, strengthening the bond within the group

• Fairness is more powerful than unfairness: A small group of individuals committed to strong reciprocity can “invade” a population of self-interested individuals and create a fairer society

The Bond offers a breathtaking, visionary plan for a new way to live, in harmony with our true nature and with each other, and a new way to heal our relationships, our neighborhoods, and our world.

Editor reviews

The Bond: Connecting Through the Space Between Us 2011-06-30 20:03:55 Miriam Knight

Overall rating		4.7
Style		4.0
Content		5.0
Consciousness		5.0

Reviewed by Miriam Knight June 30, 2011
Last updated: July 01, 2011
Top 10 Reviewer - View all my reviews

The Darwinian misunderstanding of Survival of the Fittest has been used to excite and excuse greed and exploitation for the past 150 years, but studies show it isn’t our true nature! In her deeply researched new book, Lynne McTaggart, author of the The Field and The Intention Experiment, shows us that the idea of ‘us against ‘them’ is actually counterproductive and antagonistic to our survival. In fact she suggests that we are wired for “survival of the fairest,” and we succeed only because “we share, we care and we’re fair!” While our programming can be overwritten by our environment and upbringing, what really makes us feel good and happy is altruism; helping others is good for us and for society.

“Once you remove the competitive nature of human groupings, people begin to flourish. Like overlapping molecules, we can learn to connect again and reclaim our natural way of being by creating a larger all-embracing identity, a bigger definition of who “we” are.”

The “Bond” McTaggart refers to, is the electromagnetic soup of energy and consciousness that holds us all in relationship with everyone and everything. Citing scientists in quantum physics, psychology, biology, sociology, and more, she builds a foundation – layer upon layer – for the inescapable conclusion that we have a profound vibratory reaction to, and influence on, the thoughts and emotions around us. We are literally emitters of light and influence those around us.

Lynne believes that we are in crisis because we live a lie. We think we must compete and fight to flourish, but in fact cooperation and community are much greater contributors to happiness and contentment. We have become isolated in our gated communities and inner fortresses, fueled by fear and envy. We in America have the lowest “social capital” in our history – the sociological term for community spirit and togetherness, but it doesn’t have to be that way.

“The most powerful way to create a vibrant, open neighborhood is to move beyond the tendency to cluster together in similar groups and to find community in the space between, the space of interdependence where all of us join together in our common humanity and common purpose.”

Moving into the space between us—the Bond — is where we can recover wholeness in our lives. "The Bond" shows how it can be done. Anyone can decide to be a change agent and McTaggart gives examples like Nipun Mehta, the Silicon Valley prodigy who moved beyond the culture of greed and ostentation around him to found multiple charities like Karma Kitchen and the web portal for kindness, helpothers.org, the home of the “Smile Cards” and advocate of “pay-it-forward.”

"The Bond" is a timely and important book at a critical stage in our history. It shows how to apply this new scientific understanding of our true nature to what we see around us, and calls upon us to move forward to the next stage in our evolution through kindness and community and understanding of the bond that connects us.

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Overall rating		4.7
Style		4.0 (2)
Content		5.0 (2)
Consciousness		5.0 (2)

The Bond: Connecting Through the Space Between Us 2011-07-15 03:59:27 Diane Holcomb

Overall rating		4.7
Style		4.0
Content		5.0
Consciousness		5.0

Reviewed by Diane Holcomb July 15, 2011
Top 10 Reviewer - View all my reviews

In The Intention Experiment Lynne McTaggart demonstrated how our thoughts can affect changes in our life and throughout the world. In The Bond she writes about the space between individuals as the glue that holds us together, and states that by embracing this connection to others and our environment we can heal our relationships, unify our neighborhoods and live in a harmonious world. As quantum physicists now recognize, we’re not “separate things jostling around in empty space,” but part of an energy system that transfers information with its environment. McTaggart suggests that our biological makeup is designed to connect, not to compete, as our behavior may indicate. She provides examples of holistic thinking and behavior, offers recommendations to help us wire together to achieve common goals, and demonstrates how a group of fair-minded individuals can change a society of self-centered people into one of cooperation and partnership. East West Bookstore, Mountainview is pleased to announce a special event with Lynne McTaggart on July 24, 2011. Call now to reserve a seat!

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The Bond: Connecting Through the Space Between Us 2011-05-30 20:48:46 Cynthia Sue Larson

Overall rating		4.7
Style		4.0
Content		5.0
Consciousness		5.0

Reviewed by Cynthia Sue Larson May 30, 2011
Top 10 Reviewer - View all my reviews

Exploring the Cooperation Instinct

Tired of living in a dog-eat-dog world? Ready to envision a way to do your personal best while supported by everyone around you? Author Lynne McTaggart encourages us to consider a wealth of recent scientific studies pointing us down a refreshingly different path... toward cooperation. The Bond invites us to find ways to interact with and relate to the highest sense of good in others as the key to mankind's future success. The Bond is organized in three main sections, with part one covering the concept of the Superorganism, part two describing the Pull to Wholeness (how we're born to belong, agree, give, and take turns), and part three about Recovering the Bond. I particularly love reading how recent studies in game theory demonstrate the winningest game strategies involve cooperating and taking turns, rather than adhering to a pure individually competitive model. It's not too great a leap from seeing the benefits of sharing, taking turns, and reciprocity in games to taking similar actions in real life... and I love reading about how humans have been hard-wired biologically to feel best when doing exactly that. I'm inspired to learn that one simple thing we can do to improve our physical health is to become a member of a close-knit group or community; and a simple way to reduce depression and loneliness is to actively help others. One of the most powerful ideas in The Bond has to do with ways we learn to pay attention, and how learning to pay attention to more than we have previously noticed can make a profound difference. McTaggart explains, "When you notice the whole, you allow for and respect more than one version of reality." While opposing ideologies sometimes find little to agree upon, the very idea that there exists a greater wholeness brings healing. The Bond is packed with inspirational ideas and practical tips for anyone interested in finding out how to live their best possible life feeling supported by bonds of connection, rather than struggling in competitive isolation. Highly recommended!

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