Tan, Chade-Meng - Search Inside Yourself - The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (and World Peace)

Jim Collins, Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap … and Others Don’t (New York: HarperBusiness, 2001).

Videos

You are the type who prefers to watch a video rather than read a book? I have resources even for you, my video-preferring friend.

There is a great series of talks relating to personal growth hosted at Google, mostly by yours truly. The list of talks is available at: http://siybook.com/a/googletalks.

The three great talks that are most relevant to us are the ones delivered by the three close friends whose work enabled us to create Search Inside Yourself. The three are Daniel Goleman, Jon Kabat-Zinn, and Richie Davidson. The videos are:

• Daniel Goleman on emotional intelligence: http://siybook.com/v/gtalk_dgoleman

• Jon Kabat-Zinn on mindfulness: http://siybook.com/v/gtalk_jkz

• Richie Davidson on contemplative neuroscience: http://siybook.com/v/gtalk_rdavidson

For those who enjoy brain science, three other great talks on the brain science that is relevant to Search Inside Yourself are:

• Philippe Goldin on the neuroscience of emotions: http://siybook.com/v/gtalk_pgoldin

• Thomas Lewis on the neuroscience of empathy: http://siybook.com/v/gtalk_tlewis

• David Rock on your brain at work: http://siybook.com/v/gtalk_drock

Of all the talks on meditation I’ve hosted at Google, my favorite is one by Zen master Shinzen Young:

• Shinzen Young on the science and practice of mindfulness meditation: http://siybook.com/v/gtalk_shinzen

Some of my favorite videos are of TED talks and can be found on www.ted.com. I’d like to highlight a few that people who enjoy Search Inside Yourself will find fascinating:

• Dan Pink on the surprising science of motivation: http://siybook.com/v/ted_dpink

• Jill Bolte Taylor on her “stroke of insight”: http://siybook.com/v/ted_jbt

• V. S. Ramachandran on what brain damage can teach us about the mind: http://siybook.com/v/ted_vsr

• Daniel Kahneman on how our “experiencing selves” and “remembering selves” perceive happiness differently: http://siybook.com/v/ted_dkahne-man

• Chade-Meng Tan on how compassion can be practiced in a corporate setting: http://siybook.com/v/ted_meng

The last TED talk on that list is my favorite—I don’t know why.

Other Resources

For more resources, including those you can use to bring Search Inside Yourself to your own company, visit http://www.siybook.com.

PRAISE FOR Search Inside Yourself

“As human beings we are capable of positive change. Google engineer Chade-Meng Tan’s book, Search Inside Yourself , which creatively blends the ancient meditative practice of mindfulness with the contemporary field of emotional intelligence, shows that to avoid certain kinds of results, you need to change the conditions that give rise to them. If you change the habitual patterns of your mind, you can change their resulting attitudes and emotions and find peace and inner happiness.”

—His Holiness the Dalai Lama

“This is a book offering much good advice. I most appreciate Meng’s insight that expressing compassion for others brings happiness to oneself as well.”

—Jimmy Carter, 39th president of the United States

“At a time when so many books are being published on such subjects as leadership, strategy, governance, and other topics, I applaud Chade-Meng for daring to undertake the writing of such a book on ‘emotional intelligence,’ within which lies the core essence of knowing oneself. The advice and practices he offers will help improve all aspects of our lives and in the process lead to a world where greater peace and happiness are possible.”

—S. R. Nathan, 6th president of Singapore

“This book and the course it’s based on represent one of the greatest aspects of Google’s culture—that one individual with a great idea can really change the world.”

—Eric Schmidt, executive chairman of Google

“Meng is like a wise and humorous monk who will continue to inspire you for years after you close the pages of his book. Written with the needs of today’s world in mind, Search Inside Yourself offers practical and proven tools wrapped in the gift of timeless wisdom.”

—John Mackey, co-chief executive officer and co-founder of Whole Foods Market

“Combining timeless wisdom with modern science, Chade-Meng Tan has created an entertaining and practical guide to success and happiness.”

—Deepak Chopra

“Mahatma Gandhi said to turn the spotlight, the searchlight, inwards.

Meng has done it, showing us how to join him in following these peaceful and profound, loving and compassionate footsteps in developing the mindful-based emotional wisdom that can help us be serene and feel in harmony, and contribute to a better world. Practical, accessible, broad, and deep; with his Inner Search tools, tips, techniques—and delightful illustrations—our friend has made a truly awakening contribution to this troubled cacophonous Over-Information Age. I heartily recommend it to all those aspiring to self-mastery, attention training and focus, spiritual wisdom, and the joy-path of the wakeful life through everyday enlightened living. Seek, and ye shall find. This book is one of the very best places to start.”

—Lama Surya Das

“This book reveals a key part of the secret behind the success of Google. It is a touchstone for those of us interested in revolutionizing the many outdated institutions and systems in our country. Whether we are trying to create positive change in education, health care, the corporate realm, or in our personal relationships, Search Inside Yourself teaches us that external positive change can only happen if we each individually spend time each day cultivating a better understanding of our own inner world.”

—Tim Ryan, U.S. congressman and author of A Mindful Nation

“Full of humor and humility, wisdom and mindfulness, Chade-Meng Tan’s book is a compelling read, but more importantly, it’s a valuable operating manual for living a good life. Rarely have I read a book that’s full of so much intelligence and emotion. I want to be Meng when I grow up!”

—Chip Conley, founder of Joie de Vivre Hotels and author of Emotional Equations

“Search Inside Yourself is a practical guide to the fundamentals of emotional intelligence. This book has the potential to change lives and deliver happiness.”

—Tony Hsieh, New York Times bestselling author of Delivering Happiness and CEO of Zappos

“Chade-Meng Tan has a voice that modern people can readily listen to: consciousness informed with science. More than that, he has something to say of real importance for our time—that global peace depends on the personal experience that meditation leads to. Old wisdom is presented here with a provocative and startling freshness. The way to enlightenment begins with waking up. Meng is doing this with passion, humor, and generosity of mind. This is a book to read, share, laugh with, and celebrate.”

—Father Laurence Freeman, OSB, director of the World Community for Christian Meditation

“There is more to be discovered inside of ourselves than we will ever find by searching anywhere else, and the challenge is in learning how to look. In a simple and plainspoken way, Meng has crafted an elegant invitation we can all use to take that journey.”

—Scott Kriens, chairman of Juniper Networks and director of 1440 Foundation

“Meng inspires all with his modesty, humor, intelligence, and—dare I say it?—love. Meeting Meng, I experienced a kind of radiant vicarious love. In this book, you too can have a vicarious love affair with some of Meng’s spiritual friends: wisdom, compassion, and equanimity.