What do you think?
Rate this book
Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life
Awe is mysterious. How do we begin to quantify the goose bumps we feel when we see the Grand Canyon, or the utter amazement when we watch a child walk for the first time? How do you put into words the collective effervescence of standing in a crowd and singing in unison, or the wonder you feel while gazing at centuries-old works of art? Up until fifteen years ago, there was no science of awe, the feeling we experience when we encounter vast mysteries that transcend our understanding of the world. Scientists were studying emotions like fear and disgust, emotions that seemed essential to human survival. Revolutionary thinking, though, has brought into focus how, through the span of evolution, we’ve met our most basic needs socially. We’ve survived thanks to our capacities to cooperate, form communities, and create culture that strengthens our sense of shared identity—actions that are sparked and spurred by awe.
In Awe, Dacher Keltner presents a radical investigation and deeply personal inquiry into this elusive emotion. Revealing new research into how awe transforms our brains and bodies, alongside an examination of awe across history, culture, and within his own life during a period of grief, Keltner shows us how cultivating awe in our everyday life leads us to appreciate what is most humane in our human nature. And during a moment in which our world feels more divided than ever before, and more imperiled by crises of different kinds, we are greatly in need of awe. If we open our minds, it is awe that sharpens our reasoning and orients us toward big ideas and new insights, that cools our immune system’s inflammation response and strengthens our bodies. It is awe that activates our inclination to share and create strong networks, to take actions that are good for the natural and social world around us. It is awe that transforms who we are, that inspires the creation of art, music, and religion. At turns radical and profound, brimming with enlightening and practical insights, Awe is our field guide, from not only one of the leading voices on the subject but a fellow seeker of awe in his own right, for how to place awe as a vital force within our lives.
In Awe, Dacher Keltner presents a radical investigation and deeply personal inquiry into this elusive emotion. Revealing new research into how awe transforms our brains and bodies, alongside an examination of awe across history, culture, and within his own life during a period of grief, Keltner shows us how cultivating awe in our everyday life leads us to appreciate what is most humane in our human nature. And during a moment in which our world feels more divided than ever before, and more imperiled by crises of different kinds, we are greatly in need of awe. If we open our minds, it is awe that sharpens our reasoning and orients us toward big ideas and new insights, that cools our immune system’s inflammation response and strengthens our bodies. It is awe that activates our inclination to share and create strong networks, to take actions that are good for the natural and social world around us. It is awe that transforms who we are, that inspires the creation of art, music, and religion. At turns radical and profound, brimming with enlightening and practical insights, Awe is our field guide, from not only one of the leading voices on the subject but a fellow seeker of awe in his own right, for how to place awe as a vital force within our lives.
336 pages, Hardcover
First published January 3, 2023
1,572 people are currently reading
14.4k people want to read
About the author
Dacher Keltner
22 books253 followersDacher Keltner is a professor of psychology at the University of California, Berkeley, director of the Greater Good Science Center, and coeditor of Greater Good magazine. His research focuses on pro-social emotions, power, and moral reasoning."
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 520 reviews
January 15, 2023
I really wanted to like this book more than I did. The ratio of science to philosophy and personal anecdotes was skewed much more heavily toward philosophy and especially personal anecdotes than I would have preferred. I had to force myself to finish it, but then I liked the final chapter the best, so…I dunno! It was ok.
January 9, 2023
This is an interesting, if not enthralling, look at the phenomenon of awe: what it is, how it feels, its different varieties, what arouses it, its gene-deep presence in humans, and its necessary presence in human lives. It suffers a little in comparison to Ed Yong’s truly enthralling An Immense World, which I only recently finished and which sets the bar perhaps unfairly high for all other science books written for a lay audience. Author Keltner is a scientist who has devoted his decades-long career to the study of awe, and though the book seems to go on a bit too long, I agree with his position that something is lost when people cease to feel wonder at the everyday miracles that abound all around us. Living in a light-polluted urban area (don’t most of us?), I haven’t seen the Milky Way for decades, and even though I swear I remember just going into my (small town) backyard as a kid and seeing it in the night sky, I’m no longer positive that’s not just a manufactured memory. Anyway, that’s just an aside; there are many other things, most part of the natural world, that arouse a sense of wonder. Bucket list item: seeing the aurora borealis, preferably as part of a dogsledding trip. I’m pretty sure that’ll do the trick!
May 14, 2023
Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How It Can Transform Your Life
Wow! One word could describe the unique beauty of this amazing "AWE" inspired selection. It is in a class on its own on how it describes a new type of psychology, and vast study of how we interpret life, feelings, emotions and the "systems" of our ever changing universe. Life and death are one thing, but how we perceive everything in our own emotional context is so unique, "AWE" really does express the emotional context that is needed.
Dacher K explains very well on how we are all interlinked in "systematic" experiences that shape us in how we move throughout life. We are all connected to this circle of live, and rely on each other for existence, and allowing us to experience everything in life's awesomeness!
AWE was such a fascinating read. I am not truly able to express everything I felt on reading it. It is in a new category of scientific studies, and i am intrigued to see if there will be any more literature to back up the study and psychology behind the vastness exploration in the emotional, physical and mental states of "AWE."
For those looking for a "different" view on scientific research, I would recommend to dive into this interesting read!
Wow! One word could describe the unique beauty of this amazing "AWE" inspired selection. It is in a class on its own on how it describes a new type of psychology, and vast study of how we interpret life, feelings, emotions and the "systems" of our ever changing universe. Life and death are one thing, but how we perceive everything in our own emotional context is so unique, "AWE" really does express the emotional context that is needed.
Dacher K explains very well on how we are all interlinked in "systematic" experiences that shape us in how we move throughout life. We are all connected to this circle of live, and rely on each other for existence, and allowing us to experience everything in life's awesomeness!
AWE was such a fascinating read. I am not truly able to express everything I felt on reading it. It is in a new category of scientific studies, and i am intrigued to see if there will be any more literature to back up the study and psychology behind the vastness exploration in the emotional, physical and mental states of "AWE."
For those looking for a "different" view on scientific research, I would recommend to dive into this interesting read!
February 12, 2023
What was awe-inspiring at podcast length was awe-crushing at book length. The book being published is the reason for the author being interviewed, but in its expanded form the subject suffers from repetition, verbosity, and ventures into smarminess. I have to admit that I'm burned out on the Science of Emotion business, thanks to Brene Brown and the Ten Percent Happier folks, where every statement has to be justified by a Harvard Ph.D. (or Yale/Stanford for diversity lol).
Also, and not the author's fault, I listened on Audible and the word "awe" repeated a million times becomes an echoing vowel chamber. #aaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwww
Also, and not the author's fault, I listened on Audible and the word "awe" repeated a million times becomes an echoing vowel chamber. #aaaaaaaaaaawwwwwwwww
January 12, 2023
An excellent beginning of the year read to remind myself to notice wonder and awe anywhere possible.
December 20, 2024
One of my lifelong prayers has been: May I never lose my sense of wonder. Naturally, when I saw this book, I was intrigued. What can science tell me about what I already know anecdotally: that when I feel a sense of awe and wonder, my soul is nourished.
The concept of awe describes the feeling over overwhelming reverence, admiration, surprise or fear one has when experiencing something grand, powerful, mysterious, or something more vast than oneself. Lots of research has been done on anxiety and fear, but until recently not much has been done on awe. Dacher Keltner outlines some of this research alongside personal experiences and cultural expressions of awe in this informative book. Keltner worked with many others, including fellow researcher Jonathan Haidt (author of The Anxious Generation), to discover how awe is experienced, expressed, and valued. I plan to read The Anxious Generation as well, and I'm sure some of this research made it into why the lack of awe in childhood is leading to an epidemic of mental illness.
Awe is intrinsic to our humanity. It is the one emotion that is almost universal in how it's expressed: with an upturned face, open mouth, and an expression of "woah." I really enjoyed learning about the "8 wonders of life" that moves us to feeling awestruck. The first of these wonders is "moral beauty" which is inspired by other people's courage, kindness, or strength in overcoming suffering.
The book overall is accessible and engaging. I'll likely return to it at some point just to refresh my memory on some of the more interesting findings.
The concept of awe describes the feeling over overwhelming reverence, admiration, surprise or fear one has when experiencing something grand, powerful, mysterious, or something more vast than oneself. Lots of research has been done on anxiety and fear, but until recently not much has been done on awe. Dacher Keltner outlines some of this research alongside personal experiences and cultural expressions of awe in this informative book. Keltner worked with many others, including fellow researcher Jonathan Haidt (author of The Anxious Generation), to discover how awe is experienced, expressed, and valued. I plan to read The Anxious Generation as well, and I'm sure some of this research made it into why the lack of awe in childhood is leading to an epidemic of mental illness.
Awe is intrinsic to our humanity. It is the one emotion that is almost universal in how it's expressed: with an upturned face, open mouth, and an expression of "woah." I really enjoyed learning about the "8 wonders of life" that moves us to feeling awestruck. The first of these wonders is "moral beauty" which is inspired by other people's courage, kindness, or strength in overcoming suffering.
The book overall is accessible and engaging. I'll likely return to it at some point just to refresh my memory on some of the more interesting findings.
February 24, 2023
I listened to an interview with the author on the radio before reading this.
He came over very well. The basic idea is really interesting, though something many people will have been doing for years without necessarily realising it.
The chapter, Wild Awe, is the highlight of the book, but a lot of the rest of it seems too much like a filler, and there is a tendency to waffle.
He came over very well. The basic idea is really interesting, though something many people will have been doing for years without necessarily realising it.
The chapter, Wild Awe, is the highlight of the book, but a lot of the rest of it seems too much like a filler, and there is a tendency to waffle.
In the woods, we return to reason and faith. There I feel that nothing can befall me in life - no disgrace, no calamity, which nature cannot repair.
Ralph Waldo Emerson in an essay for Nature magazine in 1836.
February 16, 2023
This was a frustrating read because Keltner seems unwilling to do what he studies- create a work of art that inspires awe in its readers.
This was a 5-star book that as I went on went to 4 and then gets to a 3 and I am bordering on 2 because of several issues I have with the way the book is organized, and the technical editing of the book, and finally who was included and who was left out as prominent thinkers in the apprehension of awe for us here in late modernity.
The editor of this book has decided that instead of sticking with the commonly accepted notion of utilizing a superscript number citation in the text has decided to offer no citation methods in the text and instead has a notes section at the end of the book that in contradiction to accepted and broadly used norms, does not list citations with names of the authors first but the general topic from the chapter being discussed. For someone who reads every note and relies upon the note sections of books to build further research paths, this makes the book almost useless for those of us who read in this method. If you are researcher, academic, etc, this book is a nightmare to deal with because of this baffling editorial decision. -1 star for this (I hope they go back to accepted norms in the paperback version of this book).
Then the last chapter Keltner gives his big ‘how’ reveal, what all of these decades of awe research has led him to realize how we can integrate this amazing technology back into our cultural forms. Systems theory. Great! Now let’s get into the details on this systems theory…Nothing folks. No details, anyone familiar with systems theory knows there are multiple schools that can vary substantially, and none of this is even closely hinted out, there is no work done here in explicating a theory of action within a systems theory framework for recentering awe back in our cultural forms. GTFO, -1 star.
Keltner also leans heavily on the work of William James +1, I’m a big fan of James’s work, but throughout the books it slowly dawned on me that Keltner is a fan of the American Transcendentalism, rather than American Pragmatism, and this has an unfortunate effect of tilting the lens through which Keltner embodies awe to the conservative side, and in fact my fear was validated when on page 178, Keltner makes the cringeworthy statement that ‘There is no better guide to this idea [visual art offering us insights into understanding the ‘vastness’ & the ‘mysterious’] than philosopher Edmund Burke…’ OMG, NO; please say it ain't so Dacher (I almost threw the book in fireplace, but I quickly realized I don't believe in the logics of people like Burke, and in fact actively work to undo the ideals embodied in Burke that poison our modern American culture, such as book burning, phew thank god for coming to my senses swiftly...).
There is not a single mention of John Dewey, like what?! And even more surprisingly, even though the senses play a pivotal role in this book, and as Keltner explicates in our ability to experience awe, there is no mention of phenomenology, Maurice Merleau-Ponty,Husserl, Bergson, Scheler, Heidegger…I mean come on man, at least 2-paragraphs on how this is connected with awe and ascetics and the importance of perception… - 1 star.
Keltner appears to be a genuine person, and his personal story is moving, however he seems too enamored with the positivist worldview and is not as ‘open’ to other, just as valid epistemological methodologies, as he appears to think he is.
This was a 5-star book that as I went on went to 4 and then gets to a 3 and I am bordering on 2 because of several issues I have with the way the book is organized, and the technical editing of the book, and finally who was included and who was left out as prominent thinkers in the apprehension of awe for us here in late modernity.
The editor of this book has decided that instead of sticking with the commonly accepted notion of utilizing a superscript number citation in the text has decided to offer no citation methods in the text and instead has a notes section at the end of the book that in contradiction to accepted and broadly used norms, does not list citations with names of the authors first but the general topic from the chapter being discussed. For someone who reads every note and relies upon the note sections of books to build further research paths, this makes the book almost useless for those of us who read in this method. If you are researcher, academic, etc, this book is a nightmare to deal with because of this baffling editorial decision. -1 star for this (I hope they go back to accepted norms in the paperback version of this book).
Then the last chapter Keltner gives his big ‘how’ reveal, what all of these decades of awe research has led him to realize how we can integrate this amazing technology back into our cultural forms. Systems theory. Great! Now let’s get into the details on this systems theory…Nothing folks. No details, anyone familiar with systems theory knows there are multiple schools that can vary substantially, and none of this is even closely hinted out, there is no work done here in explicating a theory of action within a systems theory framework for recentering awe back in our cultural forms. GTFO, -1 star.
Keltner also leans heavily on the work of William James +1, I’m a big fan of James’s work, but throughout the books it slowly dawned on me that Keltner is a fan of the American Transcendentalism, rather than American Pragmatism, and this has an unfortunate effect of tilting the lens through which Keltner embodies awe to the conservative side, and in fact my fear was validated when on page 178, Keltner makes the cringeworthy statement that ‘There is no better guide to this idea [visual art offering us insights into understanding the ‘vastness’ & the ‘mysterious’] than philosopher Edmund Burke…’ OMG, NO; please say it ain't so Dacher (I almost threw the book in fireplace, but I quickly realized I don't believe in the logics of people like Burke, and in fact actively work to undo the ideals embodied in Burke that poison our modern American culture, such as book burning, phew thank god for coming to my senses swiftly...).
There is not a single mention of John Dewey, like what?! And even more surprisingly, even though the senses play a pivotal role in this book, and as Keltner explicates in our ability to experience awe, there is no mention of phenomenology, Maurice Merleau-Ponty,Husserl, Bergson, Scheler, Heidegger…I mean come on man, at least 2-paragraphs on how this is connected with awe and ascetics and the importance of perception… - 1 star.
Keltner appears to be a genuine person, and his personal story is moving, however he seems too enamored with the positivist worldview and is not as ‘open’ to other, just as valid epistemological methodologies, as he appears to think he is.
January 29, 2024
I loved, loved, loved this. Timely and relevant to me, personally, based on recent themes of interest. Beautifully weaves together concepts covered in depth in Braiding Sweetgrass, Bittersweet, Figuring, the writings of Rachel Carson, and many others. So good.
January 27, 2023
My review of the book is mixed. For those who have experienced the ephemeral feeling of awe (and who among us has not), the author provides numerous useful ways to express it in concrete language. This is no small feat! It is quite easy to label a thing "awesome," it is rather more difficult to explain what one means in saying it.
If one comes to the book primarily for a fullsom description of the concept of awe, he or she will not be disappointed. The author's descriptions of awe are, frankly, awe-inspiring. As a natural history of awe the book is a smashing success. The arbitrary categorization of awe into 8 types proves to be surprisingly helpful way to flesh out the boundaries and content of the concept of awe.
As a phenomenology of the experience of awe the book is an important contribution to the growing academic literature on the undervalued role emotion plays in creating thought and culture. This contribution is somewhat undermined by the author's argument that awe can be reduced to something that he labels "a system." This is presented most fully in the book's concluding chapter. I leave it to other reviewers to delve into the possible reasons why the author felt compelled to link the concepts of awe and system. In my mind combining the two creates an oxymoron. The author's comparison of science and awe in a manner which lauds the value of the former and diminishes the value of the latter ultimately dilutes the import of this otherwise stellar book
If one comes to the book primarily for a fullsom description of the concept of awe, he or she will not be disappointed. The author's descriptions of awe are, frankly, awe-inspiring. As a natural history of awe the book is a smashing success. The arbitrary categorization of awe into 8 types proves to be surprisingly helpful way to flesh out the boundaries and content of the concept of awe.
As a phenomenology of the experience of awe the book is an important contribution to the growing academic literature on the undervalued role emotion plays in creating thought and culture. This contribution is somewhat undermined by the author's argument that awe can be reduced to something that he labels "a system." This is presented most fully in the book's concluding chapter. I leave it to other reviewers to delve into the possible reasons why the author felt compelled to link the concepts of awe and system. In my mind combining the two creates an oxymoron. The author's comparison of science and awe in a manner which lauds the value of the former and diminishes the value of the latter ultimately dilutes the import of this otherwise stellar book
May 1, 2023
An interesting topic to read about and one that helped me understand the importance of awe in our lives. Physiologically it helps us deal with the stresses of modern life. Emotionally it makes us feel good and helps us appreciate life. It explains the different types of awe and while you might not understand the science behind awe you can't help but be touched by the many stories of personal encounters with awe inspiring you to want to look for awe throughout your daily life. There's awe in the magnificent night sky making the individual realize they are a small part of something very big. There is awe in the tiny bits of life only visible under a microscope. There is awe in music and sounds, we can be awed visually by beautiful art and by nature and we can find awe in God. Answers to prayers, blessings innumerable, and his Holy Spirit guiding us. Awe can enhance our relationship with God, our relationship with others while helping us physically - by lowering our stress levels. Take an awe walk and God will bless.
May 27, 2023
Reading this book is like talking to a vegan. You might agree with the premise but the self-congratulatory nature of the speaker makes you dislike them and question their whole take. For if you have something in common with this person…maybe it’d be better to eat cheese anyway.
February 8, 2025
Beautiful book exploring the emotion of awe from a scientific & evolutionary perspective. Very interesting to learn about how experiencing awe is beneficial for mental health because of how it diminishes one’s self-focus & opens one up to the vast mysteries of life. Also a fascinating explanation on how it relates to spiritual and religious belief.
January 12, 2024
My biggest takeaways: Awe helps us connect with something larger than ourselves and diminishes our own self or ego. I connected a lot with finding awe in my experiences of music, nature, spirituality, birth, and death.
As an IB teacher, we are trained to bring inquiry, wonder, and curiosity into our classrooms, and after reading this, I will work on bringing "every day awe" into my classroom (and home) as well.
This book has illuminated how nature connects us to awe, which connects us to God. This made me wonder about having "church" in nature. Nature/Forest Church. In general, my current church experience feels a little tired, but thinking about something new and different like this is intriguing.
Overall, I really liked how this book spurred me to think differently and to be more intentional in finding awe all around me every day.
As an IB teacher, we are trained to bring inquiry, wonder, and curiosity into our classrooms, and after reading this, I will work on bringing "every day awe" into my classroom (and home) as well.
This book has illuminated how nature connects us to awe, which connects us to God. This made me wonder about having "church" in nature. Nature/Forest Church. In general, my current church experience feels a little tired, but thinking about something new and different like this is intriguing.
Overall, I really liked how this book spurred me to think differently and to be more intentional in finding awe all around me every day.
July 27, 2023
Didn’t live up to my high expectations. I am a huge proponent of awe, so I thought I’d find a kindred spirit in this book’s author. However, although the author does love (and study) awe, I went away from the book feeling bored rather than in awe of awe. This would have been better as a longish article—or, better yet, a video. The bulk of the book was a mix of people’s stories (with author commentary stating how they illustrate his point) and short descriptions of his studies that need to be explained in far more detail in order for the author’s interpretation and inferences to be believable. I ended up skimming the last few chapters to be done.
April 23, 2023
I imagine it would be daunting to write a book about awe that does the topic justice, but Keltner delivers in this uplifting work.
January 3, 2025
Five things about Awe by Dacher Keltner:
1. I loved this! The first chapter focuses on explaining the history of the study of emotions (which didn’t really begin until 1988…umm..what?), distinguishing awe from other emotions such as fear or joy, and defining it - “ Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.” (7)
2. Studies have identified eight “wonders” of life that commonly instigate awe- moral beauty, collective effervescence, nature, music, visual design, spiritual/religious, life/death, and epiphanies. The next chapters are all devoted to deeper exploration of these wonders and their relationship to awe.
3. This research presents a compelling case for the cultivation of awe in positively impacting education, social/political interactions, mental health, and our ability to think critically - just to name a few.
4. No one - the young, the elderly, those in prison, those dying, individuals in the eastern or western hemispheres, those in modern times or those in the past, those in cities or those in rural areas, educated or uneducated, rich or poor - nobody is immune to awe. We all experience it on average a few times a week. This book will convince you of that. The ability to identify it for what it is when it happens is literally life changing.
5. “Awe enables us to see the systems underlying the wonders of life and locate ourselves in relation to them. (246)…emotions are about self preservation, oriented toward minimizing peril and advancing competitive gains for the individual. Awe, by contrast, seems to orient us to devote ourselves to things outside of our individual selves. To sacrifice and to serve. To sense that the boundaries between our individual selves and others readily dissolve, that our true nature is collective (6)…This transformation of the self brought about awe is a powerful antidote to isolation and loneliness that is epidemic today (37). I walk away from this book lowkey feeling like awe is the meaning of life.
1. I loved this! The first chapter focuses on explaining the history of the study of emotions (which didn’t really begin until 1988…umm..what?), distinguishing awe from other emotions such as fear or joy, and defining it - “ Awe is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.” (7)
2. Studies have identified eight “wonders” of life that commonly instigate awe- moral beauty, collective effervescence, nature, music, visual design, spiritual/religious, life/death, and epiphanies. The next chapters are all devoted to deeper exploration of these wonders and their relationship to awe.
3. This research presents a compelling case for the cultivation of awe in positively impacting education, social/political interactions, mental health, and our ability to think critically - just to name a few.
4. No one - the young, the elderly, those in prison, those dying, individuals in the eastern or western hemispheres, those in modern times or those in the past, those in cities or those in rural areas, educated or uneducated, rich or poor - nobody is immune to awe. We all experience it on average a few times a week. This book will convince you of that. The ability to identify it for what it is when it happens is literally life changing.
5. “Awe enables us to see the systems underlying the wonders of life and locate ourselves in relation to them. (246)…emotions are about self preservation, oriented toward minimizing peril and advancing competitive gains for the individual. Awe, by contrast, seems to orient us to devote ourselves to things outside of our individual selves. To sacrifice and to serve. To sense that the boundaries between our individual selves and others readily dissolve, that our true nature is collective (6)…This transformation of the self brought about awe is a powerful antidote to isolation and loneliness that is epidemic today (37). I walk away from this book lowkey feeling like awe is the meaning of life.
March 20, 2023
“Wonder, the mental state of openness, questioning, curiosity, and embracing mystery, arises out of experiences of awe. In our studies, people who find more everyday awe show evidence of living with wonder. They are more open to new ideas. To what is unknown. To what language can’t describe. To the absurd. To seeking new knowledge. To experience itself, for example of sound, or color, or bodily sensation, or the directions thought might take during dreams or meditation. To the strengths and virtues of other people. It should not surprise that people who feel even five minutes a day of everyday awe are more curious about art, music, poetry, new scientific discoveries, philosophy, and questions about life and death. They feel more comfortable with mysteries, with that which cannot be explained.”
October 25, 2023
I think my expectations are just too high for a book that can adequately examine the nature of Awe. The first chapter was good, but the rest of it could have been edited down. A meaningful insight for me personally was that the most powerful examples of Awe come from witnessing acts of moral courage.
Other insights:
Awe is the feeling of wonder and amazement that we experience when we encounter something vast and mysterious. It can be triggered by natural wonders like the Grand Canyon or the Milky Way Galaxy, but we can also experience awe in our everyday lives through things like art, music, and human connection.
Awe has a number of positive benefits for our health and well-being. It can reduce stress and anxiety, boost creativity, and make us more generous and cooperative. It can also help us to connect with something larger than ourselves and to find meaning in our lives.
If you want to experience more awe in your life, there are a few things you can do. Spend time in nature, expose yourself to art and music, and seek out experiences that challenge your understanding of the world. You can also practice mindfulness by paying attention to the small moments of awe that you experience each day.
Other insights:
Awe is the feeling of wonder and amazement that we experience when we encounter something vast and mysterious. It can be triggered by natural wonders like the Grand Canyon or the Milky Way Galaxy, but we can also experience awe in our everyday lives through things like art, music, and human connection.
Awe has a number of positive benefits for our health and well-being. It can reduce stress and anxiety, boost creativity, and make us more generous and cooperative. It can also help us to connect with something larger than ourselves and to find meaning in our lives.
If you want to experience more awe in your life, there are a few things you can do. Spend time in nature, expose yourself to art and music, and seek out experiences that challenge your understanding of the world. You can also practice mindfulness by paying attention to the small moments of awe that you experience each day.
January 19, 2023
There are no shortages of books on achieving happiness and living the good life. But what if the key to both is something profound yet easily attainable? According to professor of psychology Dacher Keltner—and after twenty years of research on the topic—the answer to the happiness puzzle lies in a particular emotion that has received comparably little attention: awe.
Awe, according to Keltner, “is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.” In this profound state of wonder, we tend to lose our sense of ego and identify with something larger than ourselves, which, studies have shown, enhances our creativity, mood, tolerance, and tendency towards altruism.
In fact, there is a rich evolutionary history behind the emotion of awe, which has helped us to collectively explore the unknown and bond with each other socially, giving us the ultimate competitive edge relative to other animals. This key adaptation also turns out to be the primary key to happiness, according to Keltner.
To assess this claim in more objective terms, Keltner and his colleagues asked survey participants from 26 countries to describe an experience of awe using the definition provided above. What the researchers found was that people most frequently experience awe in relation to the “eight wonders of life,” as follows:
1. The strength, courage, and kindness of others (moral beauty)
2. Collective movement or effervescence (e.g., dance and sports)
3. Nature
4. Music
5. Art
6. Mystical encounters (religious experiences)
7. Encountering life and death
8. Big ideas or epiphanies
What’s surprising about this list—other than the absence of food or sex (I mean, come on)—is that the number one category of awe is moral beauty—or the strength, courage, and kindness of others. We seem to receive the majority of our inspiration from other people, and not, as you might have thought, from religion, nature, or mystical experiences. As social creatures, this probably makes sense. The remaining categories are not too surprising.
Before diving into each of the “eight wonders of life,” Keltner explores the science behind the emotion of awe, how awe physically manifests itself in our bodies, and how awe can make us happier, more social, and less egotistical and materialistic. Keltner then proceeds to explore each of the eight wonders of life, with a chapter dedicated to each, and the everyday awe they can inspire, largely through personal stories.
While the personal narratives are mostly informative, they can at times grow tiresome and melodramatic, and the author uses a lot of flowery language that I’m not the biggest fan of. Also, while the argument that the emotion of everyday awe is a key ingredient to living the good life, it feels like something is missing. A good life involves more than passively standing in awe of the moral strength and creativity of others or the forces of nature. It seems to also involve acts of creation, engaging in meaningful projects, and helping others—in other words, active engagement in the world.
In any case, some recommendations on how to add more awe into your life—which we could all use—clearly emerge throughout the course of the book. To experience more everyday awe, you can: (1) prioritize your senses—and direct engagement with the world—over language and categorization; (2) approach phenomena—especially natural phenomena—as if for the first time, without preconceived judgments (like a child); (3) contemplate the interconnectedness and interdependence of everything (in both space and time); and (4) embrace the mysteries of existence non-dogmatically.
This last point was an opportunity for Keltner to explain how religion, often a source of awe, can also become an enemy of awe, as it replaces mystery with unfounded certainty and leads to dogma, arrogance, and intolerance of others. But he largely avoids the issue possibly because he doesn’t want to alienate any of his readers.
The biggest takeaway Keltner wants you to consider is that the “systems-view” of life seems to be the most profound and reliable way of achieving everyday awe. As Keltner writes, “When we look at life through this systems lens, we perceive things in terms of relations rather than separate objects.” This creates a sense of gratitude that dissolves the ego and ultimately makes us more tolerant and charitable (Buddhists everywhere are nodding in agreement). And in this day and age, who’s going to argue that we can’t use more of that?
Awe, according to Keltner, “is the feeling of being in the presence of something vast that transcends your current understanding of the world.” In this profound state of wonder, we tend to lose our sense of ego and identify with something larger than ourselves, which, studies have shown, enhances our creativity, mood, tolerance, and tendency towards altruism.
In fact, there is a rich evolutionary history behind the emotion of awe, which has helped us to collectively explore the unknown and bond with each other socially, giving us the ultimate competitive edge relative to other animals. This key adaptation also turns out to be the primary key to happiness, according to Keltner.
To assess this claim in more objective terms, Keltner and his colleagues asked survey participants from 26 countries to describe an experience of awe using the definition provided above. What the researchers found was that people most frequently experience awe in relation to the “eight wonders of life,” as follows:
1. The strength, courage, and kindness of others (moral beauty)
2. Collective movement or effervescence (e.g., dance and sports)
3. Nature
4. Music
5. Art
6. Mystical encounters (religious experiences)
7. Encountering life and death
8. Big ideas or epiphanies
What’s surprising about this list—other than the absence of food or sex (I mean, come on)—is that the number one category of awe is moral beauty—or the strength, courage, and kindness of others. We seem to receive the majority of our inspiration from other people, and not, as you might have thought, from religion, nature, or mystical experiences. As social creatures, this probably makes sense. The remaining categories are not too surprising.
Before diving into each of the “eight wonders of life,” Keltner explores the science behind the emotion of awe, how awe physically manifests itself in our bodies, and how awe can make us happier, more social, and less egotistical and materialistic. Keltner then proceeds to explore each of the eight wonders of life, with a chapter dedicated to each, and the everyday awe they can inspire, largely through personal stories.
While the personal narratives are mostly informative, they can at times grow tiresome and melodramatic, and the author uses a lot of flowery language that I’m not the biggest fan of. Also, while the argument that the emotion of everyday awe is a key ingredient to living the good life, it feels like something is missing. A good life involves more than passively standing in awe of the moral strength and creativity of others or the forces of nature. It seems to also involve acts of creation, engaging in meaningful projects, and helping others—in other words, active engagement in the world.
In any case, some recommendations on how to add more awe into your life—which we could all use—clearly emerge throughout the course of the book. To experience more everyday awe, you can: (1) prioritize your senses—and direct engagement with the world—over language and categorization; (2) approach phenomena—especially natural phenomena—as if for the first time, without preconceived judgments (like a child); (3) contemplate the interconnectedness and interdependence of everything (in both space and time); and (4) embrace the mysteries of existence non-dogmatically.
This last point was an opportunity for Keltner to explain how religion, often a source of awe, can also become an enemy of awe, as it replaces mystery with unfounded certainty and leads to dogma, arrogance, and intolerance of others. But he largely avoids the issue possibly because he doesn’t want to alienate any of his readers.
The biggest takeaway Keltner wants you to consider is that the “systems-view” of life seems to be the most profound and reliable way of achieving everyday awe. As Keltner writes, “When we look at life through this systems lens, we perceive things in terms of relations rather than separate objects.” This creates a sense of gratitude that dissolves the ego and ultimately makes us more tolerant and charitable (Buddhists everywhere are nodding in agreement). And in this day and age, who’s going to argue that we can’t use more of that?
November 15, 2024
Love the concept but i’ve got this science figured out already 🥰🤯
September 25, 2024
Started strong, and I subscribe to the concept, but it petered out at the end without the most connected points.
February 25, 2025
I love that people are studying and promoting the value of awe, and I was glad to see the author span so many topics - nature, music, acts of human kindness, the divine, etc. However, I think awe works better as a "show" rather than "tell" subject - it's amazing to feel awe, but less enthralling to read about it.
August 21, 2024
My eyes are opened to an emotion I have never considered (especially the science behind it). I felt awe in other individuals’ own awe-struck accounts and found myself moved by the feeling of togetherness… Awe is such a beautiful emotion, such a defining piece of the human experience (and maybe other species’ experiences according to Keltner and Goodall). You’ll now find me seeking awe everyday.
April 10, 2025
3 starts feel punitive because I like the concepts in the book but this truly should be a long essay rather than a full book. In sum: the feeling of awe makes us feel a part of something larger and that is good for us, so seek out some awe in life, it can be found in more places than you think. I think this book provides a different way of looking at what I have previously heard described as the “god-shaped hole” humans struggle with
July 7, 2024
the science and storytelling was there, but the repetition and long list of anecdotes were hard to ignore; took me way too long to get through
June 16, 2024
I wanted to love this book as I believe that awe is essential to being human and being more than human. Awe connects the two worlds, the material world and the soul world, and awe and wonder are so dear to my heart. So, when I heard about this book and heard an interview with Dacher Keltner, I was so excited to read the book and get to explore what science says about awe. What I found was a book that lacked coherence and while it had moments of good and even beautiful writing that did this subject justice, it was not written well as a whole. I found it repetitive and I found the language straining rather than flowing. So, I give this book two and a half stars for some beautiful moments and for pointing in the direction of something that deeply matters, but also a book that fell short of its potential in disappointing ways.
March 11, 2024
Wonder as a subject fascinates me and is, I think, something we could all use a little more of as both a connecting experience and as a gateway to meaning and transcendence above the mind-numbing distractions of everyday life. So I was excited to read about the research that has gone into understanding what wonder is and how it impacts our thinking. Dacher Keltner's book explores the history and science behind wonder while illustrating his points with anecdotes and observations.
Some have mentioned the differences between wonder, awe, and the sublime, and they complained that Keltner's focus seems to be on wonder alone, bypassing the fear inducing sensation of the sublime. This is true to some extent, although he touches upon the aspect of fear briefly in the beginning of his book. In my opinion, though, Keltner's book was an enjoyable read, and his research added to my understanding of the physical and psychological benefits of wonder and how to experience more of it in everyday life.
Some have mentioned the differences between wonder, awe, and the sublime, and they complained that Keltner's focus seems to be on wonder alone, bypassing the fear inducing sensation of the sublime. This is true to some extent, although he touches upon the aspect of fear briefly in the beginning of his book. In my opinion, though, Keltner's book was an enjoyable read, and his research added to my understanding of the physical and psychological benefits of wonder and how to experience more of it in everyday life.
July 27, 2023
Beautiful book, but it's ever so slightly woo woo so you may not enjoy it as much as me if you're a strict materialist or atheist.
The author's experience of losing his brother is woven throughout the chapters of this book, which makes for an interesting counterpoint to my preconceived notions of what counts as awe-inspiring events. Keltner clarifies that awe is not, strictly speaking, a positive emotion in the hedonistic sense. You can be awed by the cruelty of which humans are capable, or awed by the final moments of a loved one, or awed when thinking about the amount of suffering that occurs in this wonderful world of ours.
But you can also be awed by a waterfall, or a symphony, or acts of great moral integrity. His examples of awe are, unsurprisingly, largely positive. And I think living a life in search of awe is bound to be a pretty gratifying one.
The author's experience of losing his brother is woven throughout the chapters of this book, which makes for an interesting counterpoint to my preconceived notions of what counts as awe-inspiring events. Keltner clarifies that awe is not, strictly speaking, a positive emotion in the hedonistic sense. You can be awed by the cruelty of which humans are capable, or awed by the final moments of a loved one, or awed when thinking about the amount of suffering that occurs in this wonderful world of ours.
But you can also be awed by a waterfall, or a symphony, or acts of great moral integrity. His examples of awe are, unsurprisingly, largely positive. And I think living a life in search of awe is bound to be a pretty gratifying one.
February 25, 2025
I started 2025 with a trifecta circling around ideas of wonder and meaning. Awe by Dacher Keltner was the academic component and it held up its end wonderfully. Awe contains lots of scholarly information made approachable through stories and personal experience. I've already started rereading it with a friend and a highlighter.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 520 reviews