Search Inside Yourself: Increase Productivity, Creativity and Happiness: Chade-Meng Tan: 9780007467976: Amazon.com: Books
From the ground-breaking offices of Google, `Search Inside Yourself' is a personal growth program that focuses on developing emotional intelligence through mindfulness, making its participants more productive at work and better leaders, while becoming more peaceful, happy and compassionate individuals.
Famed for its innovative and unusual, yet highly successful working culture, Google is more than just a search engine. One such innovation is the' Search Inside Yourself' program, created for Google by a diverse group of individuals including a Zen Master, a CEO, a Stanford University scientist, and author Daniel Goleman, it's been a life changing program for many participants, contributing to great improvements in both their personal and professional lives.
`Search Inside Yourself' has been taught in Google since 2007 producing dramatic results. Some participants have found new meaning and fulfilment in their jobs (one person changed her mind about leaving the company after taking the course!) Some have become much better at what they do; one engineering manager discovered the importance of giving himself quality time and reduced his working hours to four days a week. After he did that, he got promoted! Some have become more effective managers, learning to listen and communicate better and bringing a calm attitude to every situation.
Not surprisingly, many people found `Search Inside Yourself' to be beneficial in their personal lives as well. Many participants found they were happier and less-stressed, their marital relationships improved and some even said the program helped them deal with personal crises.
This book will show you how to apply the principles of `Search Inside Yourself' to you, your business and everyday life. Whether you are a junior team member or a senior manager, a secondary school teacher or a bus driver these valuable lessons have the potential to dramatically improve your life. Written by Chade-Meng Tan, the first engineer in Google's history to leave the Engineering department and join their Peoples Ops Group, where he leads this and other personal-growth programs.
It also includes a foreword by Daniel Goleman, the author of Emotional Intelligence and introduction from Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Wherever You Go, There You Are.
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Search Inside Yourself: Increase Productivity, Creativity and HappinessPaperback – International Edition, May 10, 2012
by Chade-Meng Tan (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 352 customer reviews
See all 8 formats and editions
Kindle
$6.80Read with Our Free App
Paperback
$13.15
Follow the Author
Chade-Meng Tan
+ Follow
Search Inside Yourself: Increase Productivity, Creativity and HappinessPaperback – International Edition, May 10, 2012
by Chade-Meng Tan (Author)
4.6 out of 5 stars 352 customer reviews
See all 8 formats and editions
Kindle
$6.80Read with Our Free App
Paperback
$13.15
-----
Editorial Reviews
Review
`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, Former President of the United States)
`Google engineer, Chade-Meng Tan's book 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)
`I applaud Chade-Meng for daring to undertake the writing of a book on "Emotional Intelligence," within which lies the essence of knowing oneself. The practices he offers will help improve our lives and in the process lead to a world where greater peace and happiness is possible.' (S.R. Nathan, Former 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)
"Combining timeless wisdom with modern science, Chade-Meng Tan has created an entertaining and practical guide to success and happiness." (Deepak Chopra)
-------------
About the Author
Chade-Meng Tan is a Google pioneer, award-winning engineer, a New York Times bestselling author, a thought leader and a philanthropist. He still runs his life-changing mindfulness-based emotional intelligence course at Google.
Product details
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Collins (May 10, 2012)
----------------
More about the author
› Visit Amazon's Chade-Meng Tan Page
Follow
Biography
Chade-Meng Tan (Meng) is Google's Jolly Good Fellow (which nobody can deny). Meng was one of Google's earliest engineers. Among many other things, he helped build Google's first mobile search service, and headed the team that kept a vigilant eye on Google's search quality. His current job description is, "Enlighten minds, open hearts, create world peace".
Outside of Google, Meng is the Founder and (Jolly Good) President of the Tan Teo Charitable Foundation, a small foundation dedicated to promoting Peace, Liberty and Enlightenment in the world. He is a Founding Patron of Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). He is also a Founding Patron of the World Peace Festival, and adviser to a number of technology start-ups.
Meng earned his MS in Computer Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He went to Santa Barbara mainly for the beach, but didn't mind the graduate degree either. He considers himself a Buddhist "on most weekdays, especially Mondays". He is an avid meditator, because meditation facilitates in him inner peace and happiness "without doing real work". Meng occasionally finds himself featured on newspapers. He was featured on the front page of the New York Times and delivered a TED talk at the United Nations. He has met three United States Presidents, Obama, Clinton and Carter. The Dalai Lama gave him a hug for his 40th birthday. His personal motto is, "Life is too important to be taken seriously".
Meng hopes to see every workplace in the world become a drinking fountain for happiness and enlightenment. When Meng grows up, he wants to save the world, and have lots of fun and laughter doing it. He feels if something is no laughing matter, it is probably not worth doing.
Show More
-------------------
Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
352
4.6 out of 5 stars
-----------------------
Top customer reviews
Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 starsAbsolutely Nothing New in this book, but perhaps useful regardless....April 13, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Cons:
-There is absolutely nothing new in this book. The author has simply rehashed the work of the introduction writers Goleman, Kabat-Zinn and of several other authors.
- The meditation exercises given are standard Buddhist meditation exercises that have been in print for many years. Some appear to have been copied almost verbatim from the above mentioned authors. (I am surprised Google allows an employee to publish non original material)
- The other exercises he uses in his Google course "Search Inside Yourself" ("one on one listening", etc) are standard New Age techniques that have been in place for many years.
Pros:
-The book is written in a straightforward style, easy to digest for the newcomer.
- If the book has helped anyone to find a happier life, then it is overcomes the criticisms listed above.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Ray
5.0 out of 5 starsMindfulness How and Why ExplainedNovember 30, 2017
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Excellent Book that takes an Engineering Prospective to Mindfulness!
This was one of my first exposures to mindfulness, and it was refreshing to find something that spoke my language. Instead of all the mystical BS, Medical Jargon, or Boring long winded words that make no sense, the book explained why Mindfulness works, and how you can use it.
About the Author
Chade-Meng Tan is a Google pioneer, award-winning engineer, a New York Times bestselling author, a thought leader and a philanthropist. He still runs his life-changing mindfulness-based emotional intelligence course at Google.
Product details
Paperback: 352 pages
Publisher: Collins (May 10, 2012)
----------------
More about the author
› Visit Amazon's Chade-Meng Tan Page
Follow
Biography
Chade-Meng Tan (Meng) is Google's Jolly Good Fellow (which nobody can deny). Meng was one of Google's earliest engineers. Among many other things, he helped build Google's first mobile search service, and headed the team that kept a vigilant eye on Google's search quality. His current job description is, "Enlighten minds, open hearts, create world peace".
Outside of Google, Meng is the Founder and (Jolly Good) President of the Tan Teo Charitable Foundation, a small foundation dedicated to promoting Peace, Liberty and Enlightenment in the world. He is a Founding Patron of Stanford University's Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE). He is also a Founding Patron of the World Peace Festival, and adviser to a number of technology start-ups.
Meng earned his MS in Computer Science from the University of California at Santa Barbara. He went to Santa Barbara mainly for the beach, but didn't mind the graduate degree either. He considers himself a Buddhist "on most weekdays, especially Mondays". He is an avid meditator, because meditation facilitates in him inner peace and happiness "without doing real work". Meng occasionally finds himself featured on newspapers. He was featured on the front page of the New York Times and delivered a TED talk at the United Nations. He has met three United States Presidents, Obama, Clinton and Carter. The Dalai Lama gave him a hug for his 40th birthday. His personal motto is, "Life is too important to be taken seriously".
Meng hopes to see every workplace in the world become a drinking fountain for happiness and enlightenment. When Meng grows up, he wants to save the world, and have lots of fun and laughter doing it. He feels if something is no laughing matter, it is probably not worth doing.
Show More
-------------------
Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars
352
4.6 out of 5 stars
-----------------------
Top customer reviews
Amazon Customer
3.0 out of 5 starsAbsolutely Nothing New in this book, but perhaps useful regardless....April 13, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Cons:
-There is absolutely nothing new in this book. The author has simply rehashed the work of the introduction writers Goleman, Kabat-Zinn and of several other authors.
- The meditation exercises given are standard Buddhist meditation exercises that have been in print for many years. Some appear to have been copied almost verbatim from the above mentioned authors. (I am surprised Google allows an employee to publish non original material)
- The other exercises he uses in his Google course "Search Inside Yourself" ("one on one listening", etc) are standard New Age techniques that have been in place for many years.
Pros:
-The book is written in a straightforward style, easy to digest for the newcomer.
- If the book has helped anyone to find a happier life, then it is overcomes the criticisms listed above.
11 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Ray
5.0 out of 5 starsMindfulness How and Why ExplainedNovember 30, 2017
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
Excellent Book that takes an Engineering Prospective to Mindfulness!
This was one of my first exposures to mindfulness, and it was refreshing to find something that spoke my language. Instead of all the mystical BS, Medical Jargon, or Boring long winded words that make no sense, the book explained why Mindfulness works, and how you can use it.
The book is based on a course that was internally developed at Google, called Search Inside Yourself. This has now Branched into an outside organization, called Search Inside Yourself Leadership Institute, or SIYLI. Cheng-Meng Tan was the one that pioneered the course, and later institute. And he has serious programmer chops.
What I have found is there are two different schools of Mindfulness. They both have similarities, but they have a bit difference approach.
- Medical as a way to reduce pain. the idea being you get rid of future and past pain, by focusing only on the present pain. You have now reduced your pain by 2/3rds!
What I have found is there are two different schools of Mindfulness. They both have similarities, but they have a bit difference approach.
- Medical as a way to reduce pain. the idea being you get rid of future and past pain, by focusing only on the present pain. You have now reduced your pain by 2/3rds!
Jon Kabat-Zinn is the god father of this movement, and his classic book is Full Catastrophe Living (Revised Edition): Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness
- Buddhist, that often has a more mystical point of view. Your breath is often the focus, but there is a philosophy behind it.
I have attended a Medical type mindfulness class, as well as one by SIYLI, and a couple of meditation retreats by a Buddhist Monk Bhante Yogavacara Rahula, who has an amazing past, and a few other seminars including one by Jeremy Hunter of the Drucker School of Management. They all have had value, but the book Search Inside Yourself explained the why, which made it click. Mindfulness has been an excellent tool for reducing stress. I view it as giving your brain a mental break, which helps a tremendous amount and your mind is a muscle, and it needs exercising. Mindfulness is a great way to exercise your brain!
Read less
3 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Adam Starks, Ph.D.
4.0 out of 5 starsThe Art and Science of MeditationNovember 26, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Search Inside Yourself makes one of the more compelling cases for committing to meditation as a lifestyle. Part anecdotal, part scientific, part humorous, Chade-Meng Tan did his absolute best to make mediation appealing to a broad audience. However, this book was one of my most difficult reads this year.
Given the amount of neuroscientist-level jargon needed to establish credibility, I had to continually put the book down after a 15-20 pages to digest the information. I also used that time to try the recommended activities, which were a welcomed reprieve.
Overall, it's a worthwhile read, but it's likely much easier to get certified through one of their "SIY" conference seminars. I don't get through many books if I have to muscle through them, but something kept bringing me back to Meng Tan's work.
2 people found this helpful
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Emily
5.0 out of 5 starsKnow going in this is a mindfulness and meditation sales book but if you're open to that it is greatFebruary 25, 2018
Format: Audible Audiobook|Verified Purchase
I've meditated for the past few years and love both leadership books and behavioral psychology books so this was a wonderful combination of all 3 concepts. The author has a quirky sense of humor that I found amusing. Laughing aloud while listening to an audiobook is not normal for me and fun surprise each time. The content of the book is great but feels forced in a book format. I think this would be an awesome class to take in-person and could be done well online if you were able to build in-person communities to enable collaboration.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Angie
5.0 out of 5 starsBe ready for an introspective journeyJune 5, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I didn't know what to expect when I got this book, but I absolutely loved it. This is one of those books that I find myself going back to again and again. As I went through I would highlight particularly relevant passages so I could go back to those ideas. The book is very entertaining, with many places where I found myself giggling or smiling. Meng provides a nice little peek into the inner workings of Google, which is fun for an outsider. If you are interested in learning more about yourself, and are ready and willing to take an introspective journey, this is the book for you. At the end of each chapter are exercises and meditations that you can practice, which makes this a much more interactive experience. This is not a book to quickly read and set aside - it is one to take along on a journey to your own happiness and greatness.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Tsaff
5.0 out of 5 starsThis is the best book I have ever readJune 8, 2017
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
This is the best book I have ever read. If you are new to the concept of mindfulness, or looking for a complete and scientific way to apply and discuss these concepts, this book is for you. I have read it many times and marked it up significantly. I have also given several as gifts and everyone loves it!
3 people found this helpful
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsSuper helpful easy readNovember 29, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I had heard about Chade-Meng a lot and this one was in my to read list for longest time but boy when I started it, didn’t put it down or couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend, not only presents easy step to achieve mindfulness but goes further in explaining the benefits of daily practice of mindfulness. There are some very useful practical tips in the book that one can bring to practice for better life, work, healthy relationship, de-stress and world peace around you.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Beeptwice
5.0 out of 5 starsLife changing and timelyMarch 12, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
At a time when turmoil swirled around me and the ones I love, along came this book, I have now read it several times and continue to find myself deep in thought and reflection every time. Love it
5 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
See all 352 reviews
Write a customer review
- Buddhist, that often has a more mystical point of view. Your breath is often the focus, but there is a philosophy behind it.
I have attended a Medical type mindfulness class, as well as one by SIYLI, and a couple of meditation retreats by a Buddhist Monk Bhante Yogavacara Rahula, who has an amazing past, and a few other seminars including one by Jeremy Hunter of the Drucker School of Management. They all have had value, but the book Search Inside Yourself explained the why, which made it click. Mindfulness has been an excellent tool for reducing stress. I view it as giving your brain a mental break, which helps a tremendous amount and your mind is a muscle, and it needs exercising. Mindfulness is a great way to exercise your brain!
Read less
3 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Adam Starks, Ph.D.
4.0 out of 5 starsThe Art and Science of MeditationNovember 26, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
Search Inside Yourself makes one of the more compelling cases for committing to meditation as a lifestyle. Part anecdotal, part scientific, part humorous, Chade-Meng Tan did his absolute best to make mediation appealing to a broad audience. However, this book was one of my most difficult reads this year.
Given the amount of neuroscientist-level jargon needed to establish credibility, I had to continually put the book down after a 15-20 pages to digest the information. I also used that time to try the recommended activities, which were a welcomed reprieve.
Overall, it's a worthwhile read, but it's likely much easier to get certified through one of their "SIY" conference seminars. I don't get through many books if I have to muscle through them, but something kept bringing me back to Meng Tan's work.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Emily
5.0 out of 5 starsKnow going in this is a mindfulness and meditation sales book but if you're open to that it is greatFebruary 25, 2018
Format: Audible Audiobook|Verified Purchase
I've meditated for the past few years and love both leadership books and behavioral psychology books so this was a wonderful combination of all 3 concepts. The author has a quirky sense of humor that I found amusing. Laughing aloud while listening to an audiobook is not normal for me and fun surprise each time. The content of the book is great but feels forced in a book format. I think this would be an awesome class to take in-person and could be done well online if you were able to build in-person communities to enable collaboration.
2 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Angie
5.0 out of 5 starsBe ready for an introspective journeyJune 5, 2015
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I didn't know what to expect when I got this book, but I absolutely loved it. This is one of those books that I find myself going back to again and again. As I went through I would highlight particularly relevant passages so I could go back to those ideas. The book is very entertaining, with many places where I found myself giggling or smiling. Meng provides a nice little peek into the inner workings of Google, which is fun for an outsider. If you are interested in learning more about yourself, and are ready and willing to take an introspective journey, this is the book for you. At the end of each chapter are exercises and meditations that you can practice, which makes this a much more interactive experience. This is not a book to quickly read and set aside - it is one to take along on a journey to your own happiness and greatness.
5 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Tsaff
5.0 out of 5 starsThis is the best book I have ever readJune 8, 2017
Format: Paperback|Verified Purchase
This is the best book I have ever read. If you are new to the concept of mindfulness, or looking for a complete and scientific way to apply and discuss these concepts, this book is for you. I have read it many times and marked it up significantly. I have also given several as gifts and everyone loves it!
3 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 starsSuper helpful easy readNovember 29, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
I had heard about Chade-Meng a lot and this one was in my to read list for longest time but boy when I started it, didn’t put it down or couldn’t put it down. Highly recommend, not only presents easy step to achieve mindfulness but goes further in explaining the benefits of daily practice of mindfulness. There are some very useful practical tips in the book that one can bring to practice for better life, work, healthy relationship, de-stress and world peace around you.
3 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
Beeptwice
5.0 out of 5 starsLife changing and timelyMarch 12, 2017
Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase
At a time when turmoil swirled around me and the ones I love, along came this book, I have now read it several times and continue to find myself deep in thought and reflection every time. Love it
5 people found this helpful
Helpful|Comment|Report abuse
See all 352 reviews
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