The concept of emotional intelligence, or EI, rather than IQ as the true barometer of social success has been a hot topic in psychological circles since Daniel Goleman’s landmark Emotional Intelligence (1995). Yet, according to UCLA psychiatrist Siegel, Goleman’s personal friend and fellow Harvard alum, the notion of “mindsight,” or the mind’s knack for stepping back and analyzing its own thought processes, is just as critical. Drawing on cutting-edge neurobiological research and Eastern meditation practices as well as studies conducted by his own, L.A.-based Mindsight Institute, Siegel presents a convincing case that mindsight’s dual focus on mindfulness and empathy can literally rewire the brain and catalyze greater personal fulfillment. In 12 lucid yet scientifically grounded chapters, he provides the evidence for mindsight’s powerful effect on human behavior and then presents a guidebook for developing and applying mindsight in one’s life. Unlike his earlier, more academic works, Mindsight is refreshingly accessible, offering solid practical advice while avoiding the naive optimism of many mainstream self-help books. --Carl Hays

Introduction: Diving into the Sea Inside --- The Path To Well-Being: Mindsight Illuminated -- A Broken Brain, a Lost Soul: The Triangle of Well-Being --- Minding the Brain: The Brain in the Palm of Your Hand --- Crepes of Wrath: Mindsight Lost and Found --- Minding the Brain: Neuroplasticity in a Nutshell --- Leaving the Ether Dome: Where Is the Mind? --- Minding the Brain: Riding the Resonance Circuits --- The Complexity Choir: Discovering the Harmony of Health --- The Power To Change: Mindsight in Action --- A Roller-Coaster Mind: Strengthening the Hub of Awareness --- Half a Brain in Hiding: Balancing Left and Right --- Cut Off from the Neck Down: Reconnecting the Mind and the Body --- Prisoners of the Past: Memory, Trauma, and Recovery --- Making Sense of Our Lives: Attachment and the Storytelling Brain --- Our Multiple Selves: Getting in Touch with the Core --- The Neurobiology of "We": Becoming Advocates for One Another --- Time and Tides: Confronting Uncertainty and Mortality --- Epilogue: Widening the Circle: Expanding the Self.