Mood Matters

"Mood Matters" makes the radical assertion that all social events ranging from fashions in music and art to the rise and fall of civilizations are biased by the attitudes a society holds toward the future. When the "social mood" is positive and people look forward to the future, events of an entirely different character tend to occur than when society is pessimistic. The book presents many examples from every walk of life in support of this argument. In addition, methods are given to actually measure the social mood and to project it into the future in order to forecast what’s likely or not over varying periods of time. Casti's writing is a pleasure to read and its contents an eye-opener. "They [the chapters] tell an engrossing story, and the mystery heightens as it goes. . . . it's chatty and knowing." Greg Benford, Physicist and science-fiction writer, author of "Timescape" and "Deep Time" "I am struck by how thought-provoking it all is. I am sure that your book will draw a lot of attention" Tor Norretranders, Science writer, author of "The Generous Man" and "The User Illusion".

In author Karin Pienaar’s new book Mood Matters, she introduces animal trainers, behaviorists and anyone working or living with animals to the ground-breaking MHERA concept, which was designed to evaluate the role that an animal’s emotional and mood states play in his overall behaviour. Most people who spend time with animals, be it as companions or otherwise, would say that animals have emotions and experience different moods, much like humans – and they are not wrong. How an animal feels will affect how he perceives and reacts to everything in his environment. It is therefor imperative for modern behaviour therapy to consider assessing emotionality as the first step in the treatment and prevention of behavioural challenges. Developed based on the latest scientific research, this practical concept can be used to identify and address shortcomings affecting the emotional and behavioural wellbeing of animals, making this book a must-read for professionals and pet owners alike, as a reliable approach to use in behavioural therapy, training or management.

Mood is a phenomenon whose study is inherently interdisciplinary. While it has remained resistant to theorisation, it nonetheless has a substantial influence on art, politics and society. Since its practical omnipresence in every-day life renders it one of the most significant aspects of affect studies, it has garnered an increasing amount of critical attention in a number of disciplines across the humanities, sciences and social sciences in the past two decades. Mood: Interdisciplinary Perspectives, New Theories provides a comprehensive theoretical and empirical exploration of the phenomenon of mood from an interdisciplinary angle. Building on cutting-edge research in this emerging field and bringing together established and new voices, it bridges the existing disciplinary gap in the study of mood and further consolidates this phenomenon as a crucial concept in disciplinary and interdisciplinary study. By combining perspectives and concepts from the literary studies, philosophy, musicology, the social sciences, artistic practice and psychology, the volume does the complexity and richness of mood-related phenomena justice and benefits from the latent connections and synergies in different disciplinary approaches to the study of mood.

Situations that are perceived to be personally important typically evoke intense mood states and emotions; individuals will try to control mood states and emotions, and mood and emotions influence our thoughts and behaviours. Providing the sound knowledge base is a driving factor behind a great deal of the ensuing research and forms the content of many of the chapters of this book. The book covers many aspects of mood in performance settings. Chapters focus on the nature of mood, the validity of mood measures and applied research. Theoretical issues on the nature of mood and a conceptual model of mood-performance relationships in sport is reviewed. Chapters include research on relationships between mood and performance, motivation, coping strategies, personality, eating attitudes, humour, and emotional intelligence. Mood responses to intense exercise, extreme environments, aqua-massage, and interventions to enhance mood are also covered. Each chapter provides recommendations for future research.

Richard Coyne argues that not only do we communicate, process information and entertain ourselves through devices and social media; we also receive, modify, intensify and transmit moods. Drawing on research from a range of disciplines, including experimental psychology, phenomenology, cultural theory and architecture, he shows that users of social media are not simply passive receivers of moods but are also complicit in making moods.

This book will help you to both understand your depression and treat it effectively through a brief psychological intervention known as behavioural activation therapy. Written in a friendly, engaging (and jargon-free!) style, this self-help guide encourages interactive reading through tables, illustrations and worksheets. Case studies illustrate the use of the therapy and demonstrate how you can gradually overcome your condition. The How to Beat series of books has emerged from recent, revolutionary healthcare service innovations which have made effective psychological treatments available to more people than ever before. The books are designed to allow those who experience common mental health problems to either help themselves to recover or get the best possible benefit out of their contact with health professionals. They contain easy to understand treatments drawn from cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) which is recommended by the scientific evidence. They are written by authors with considerable experience in the field of CBT training, research and clinical practice.

This study explores the concept of Stimmung in literary and philosophical texts of the modern age. Signifying both 'mood' and 'attunement', Stimmung speaks to the categories of affective experience and aesthetic design alike. The study locates itself in the nexus between discourses on modernity, existentialism and aesthetics and uncovers the pivotal role of Stimmung in 19th- and 20th-century European narrative fiction and continental philosophy. The study first explores the philosophical and aesthetic origins and implications of Stimmung to, then, discuss its role in the narrative fiction of three key authors of modern literature: Fyodor Dostoevsky, Samuel Beckett and Thomas Bernhard. These readings demonstrate a significant shift towards an aesthetic of affective intensity and immediacy, in which the experience of the reading process takes centre stage as each author develops an aesthetic philosophy of Stimmung in their own right. Through its focus on the concept of Stimmung, the study thus unearths a fundamental link between existentialist concerns and narrative practice in modern literature.

Eat better. Live longer. The Essential Guide to Healthy Healing Foods is for readers who want the best scientifically researched recommendations for foods used for the treatment of specific conditions. It covers foods for a variety of conditions- from the most serious ailments like heart disease, cancer, and diabetes to important issues like high cholesterol and blood pressure, sleep disorders, memory problems, allergies, PMS, migraines, and arthritis.