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Transcend  By  cover art

Transcend

By: Scott Barry Kaufman PhD
Narrated by: Scott Barry Kaufman PhD
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Publisher's summary

A bold reimagining of Maslow's famous hierarchy of needs - and new insights for realizing your full potential and living your most creative, fulfilled, and connected life.

When psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman first discovered Maslow's unfinished theory of transcendence, sprinkled throughout a cache of unpublished journals, lectures, and essays, he felt a deep resonance with his own work and life. In this groundbreaking book, Kaufman picks up where Maslow left off, unraveling the mysteries of his unfinished theory, and integrating these ideas with the latest research on attachment, connection, creativity, love, purpose and other building blocks of a life well lived.

Kaufman's new hierarchy of needs provides a roadmap for finding purpose and fulfillment - not by striving for money, success, or "happiness," but by becoming the best version of ourselves, or what Maslow called self-actualization. While self-actualization is often thought of as a purely individual pursuit, Maslow believed that the full realization of potential requires a merging between self and the world. We don't have to choose either self-development or self-sacrifice, but at the highest level of human potential we show a deep integration of both. Transcend reveals this level of human potential that connects us not only to our highest creative potential, but also to one another.

With never-before-published insights and new research findings, along with exercises and opportunities to gain insight into your own unique personality, this empowering book is a manual for self-analysis and nurturing a deeper connection not only with our highest potential but also with the rest of humanity.

Includes a PDF of growth challenges to begin your personal journey, as well as seven principles for becoming a whole person.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.

©2020 Scott Barry Kaufman (P)2020 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

“The concept of self-actualization and the transcendent values, which include justice, beauty, meaningfulness, and wholeness, provide a blueprint for a better world. This very well-written volume not only captures Maslow’s work but infuses it with the spirit of inspiration. This book is a major advance in psychology." (Aaron T. Beck, MD, University Professor Emeritus of Psychiatry, University of Pennsylvania)

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Exactly what I wanted, and needed

I discovered Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs eight years ago, when I was trying to understand the constant state of fight or flight that I was experiencing. Nothing in my life felt safe, yet I was reaching for an existence that was akin to self actualization, and I felt like a fraud. I felt as though the bottom would fall out from underneath me at any moment. And I knew I had to make drastic changes to the stability of my entire life.

I embarked on a journey to sure up my existence, to focus on basic survival needs first, and continue to build from there. Eight years later, I have experienced too much to share in this review, but it has all brought me to this book, to this moment. What Dr. Kaufman has shared with us confirms things that I believed, but hadn’t yet confirmed myself because I’m still walking them out.

I finished this book in tears, and with so much encouragement and hope. I’ve known that I was on the right path, but now I see that path is far more rich and nuanced than I could ever have imagined.

Thank you for this book. I am so thankful to have found it.

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20 people found this helpful

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Pure Genius

I have been working on a project that hinges on self-actualization and the self-determination theory of motivation for the past ten years. Needless to say, I've been devouring books, audio books, online lectures, articles, and other publications on the topic. This is the first publication I have consumed that was able to shed some light on those previously darkened corners of the theory.

Not only does this book answer several key questions I've been compiling; but it is an absolute pleasure to listen to.

Kaufman's intricate weaving of Maslow's life into the subject matter gives the listener a new and more complete picture of the theory. I must say, I was absolutely blown away by it.

Aside from all of that, Kaufman's 'TRANSCEND' has solidified several fundamental sub-structures of my project for me. For example: Is everybody capable of self-actualization? What is the relationship between money and self-actualization? Is it possible to create a society that maintains a stable feedback-loop of self-actualizing individuals; a society where everybody is continually self-actualizing and helping everybody else do the same? Is it possible that currency itself is actually a bottleneck that keeps such a structure from developing?

Aside from the several studies I have lined up to verify what all of this literature seems to point to; this book helped connect several aspects of the theory in such a way as to further encourage me to pursue my work. It also lifting some (definitely not all) of the anxiety and fear I have that I'm barking up the wrong tree.

Doctor Kaufman, I stand and applaud you, your work, and your passion. This is quite literally a work of pure genius; developed by Maslow and refined by Kaufman. Bravo.

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Disappointing

I had high hopes for this book. Unfortunately this was nearly impossible to finish for me. This reads, or rather sounds, like a professor reading a textbook to his class. Extremely boring. Monotone voice that speaks so slowly and drones, thank goodness you can speed up the speech.

I think this book would benefit from a generalized summary of key points and insights and should be read or produced by someone with a good speaking voice that can draw in an audience.

As it is, there are much better books out there that get similar points across and are much more powerful and accessible.

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Speechless

After consuming and beginning to digest this book, all I can offer is a heartfelt note of gratitude to a fellow scott, and am impassioned importation to anyone who "thinks" they might dig this book to cast doubt and fear of the unknown aside...and dive in. It's a helluva ride ❤️

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Couldn't finish.

Unfortunately, I couldn't finish it because of his monotone voice. Writing a book and narrating it are two different things.

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Deeply Inspiring

This book provides an overview of a scientifically backed way of becoming the you that you really want to be.

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awesome

very positive and motivating! would recommend to anyone looking for their purpose, or curious about the heights of human nature.

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Inspiring

Scott Barry Kaufman demonstrates the possibilities of what humans can achieve through mindfulness and self-growth. This is a guidebook for living a fulfilling life.

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Extraordinary.

Purposeful: Carefully deliberate presentation of modern psychology, braided with the author's insight and universal wisdom.

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Book of a lifetime

I first learned of Scott Kaufman during a webinar addressing grit, uncertainty, and resilience during a pandemic. I found Scott to be extremely personable with a bubbly, unbridled sense of humor. I also found great insight in his perspective, and I picked the book up immediately. I liked that he narrated the audio version, since I had already resonated with his personality, so I chose the audio version. I then proceeded to devour the audio book in a matter of days, throughout which my eyes welled up with tears many times.

This book is an unbelievably lucid, rigorous, and loving map for any of us who feel pulled toward our best life. I have yet to read such a brilliant reconciliation of eastern and western philosophy with the wellness of not only humanity, but of the world of which we are a part. Read this book. If you let it, it just might change you for the better.

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