The Expectation Effect by David Robson

I have written extensively about books and research that deal with one’s mindset, thinking, and mindfulness so I turned eagerly to THE EXPECTATION EFFECT by David Robson, an award-winning science writer who has previously worked as an editor at New Scientist and a senior journalist at the BBC. Immediately, I saw several chapters that would be of interest to our students: taking the pain out of exercise; healthy eating; de-stressing; building will power and creativity. Robson argues that “beliefs can become self-fulfilling prophesies, changing our lives for better or worse” and that learning to reset expectations “can have truly remarkable effects on our health, happiness, and productivity.” Employing a conversational tone, Robson acts as a coach and encourages his readers by weaving his personal experiences with scientific research, often published in peer-reviewed journals (my preview copy had close to five hundred footnotes). He simplifies explanations and offers memorable examples (like the hotel cleaners’ experience of increased fitness or students who exhibited improved academic performance when instructed to reframe their situations). The quote Robson chooses from Alia Crum at Stanford provides an overview: “Our minds aren’t passive observers simply perceiving reality as it is; our minds actually change reality. In other words, the reality we will experience tomorrow is in part a product of the mind-sets we hold today.” THE EXPECTATION EFFECT is worth reading in more detail; pick up this book and learn much more about “How Your Mindset Can Change Your World.”