A World of Individual Consumers, Looking for Self-Help "Have it your way," and "think different," "because you're worth it!" We don't need advertisers to tell us we live in a world where individualism is the assumption with individual freedom the goal. We relentlessly pursue our self-interests as rational consumers, yet how often do we find lasting happiness or deep satisfaction? An Unselfish Perspective is a Self-Help Book by a Self-Help Skeptic This book reveals our cultural assumptions about individuality and how these assumptions shape our perspectives and our world. It will inspire you to rethink your self-improvement goals and reimagine how to build that better you. By the end of the book, you may come to question the extent and dominance of our self-focus in this society. You may even shift your understanding of what self-knowledge is and what authenticity means. After all, our old unquestioned assumptions can act as barriers in our pursuits of more meaningful and satisfying lives. The Self-Help Industry As we turn to the $10 billion self-help industry for answers, we are inundated by self-help books, online courses, and seminars by self-help practitioners. Narrow-field experts provide dumbed-down popularized accounts of their research. They offer tantalizing glimpses of a single viewpoint, but we struggle to assimilate such views into a coherent big-picture approach to life. We're also awash in the chatter of celebrities and gurus advocating their own personal recipes on leading a well-lived life. While they often tell a good story, these accounts don't acknowledge the shared cultural beliefs that make their stories sensible to us. They rarely draw through the currents of contemporary philosophy and academic research. Typically, they're little more than another set of opinions for us to consider or reject. A Different Approach to Self-Help An Unselfish Perspective cuts below the assumptions of academic theory and popular notions of identity, perception, personality, and virtue. It draws on over 100 academic references across psychology, sociology, philosophy, and economics to present a compelling image of our personal, public, and global challenges. An Unselfish Perspective illuminates the links between our vast challenges in this life and our cultural assumptions, sense-making metaphors, and mindsets. With assumptions revealed, new perspectives and approaches become possible for our relationships and ultimate concerns.

Author Biography

James David Thomas is a leadership coach and training facilitator, with a background in engineering and management. He is an alumnus of Harvard Business School and a Certified Executive Coach. He helps leaders collaborate and team members participate. James grew up in Newcastle, Australia, a traditionally working-class city with fantastic beaches. He lives in Hamilton, Ontario (another traditionally working-class city) with wife Erika, and their two fearless sons, Miles (age 4) and Oliver (age 2).