Art and Science of Compassion a Primer

<em>The Art and Science of Compassion A Primer</em> offers a succinct all-in-one introduction to the full gamut of compassion from the evolutional biological behavioural and psychological to the social philosophical and spiritual. Drawing on her diverse background as a clinician scientist educator and chaplain Dr. Wong presents a wealth of scientific evidence supporting that compassion is both innate and trainable. By interleaving personal experiences and reflections she shares her insights on what it takes to cultivate compassion to support the art of medicine and caregiving. The training described in this book draws on both contemplative and scientific disciplines to help clinicians develop cognitive attentional affective and somatic skills that are critical for the cultivation of compassion. With striking illustrations for key concepts and concise summaries for each chapter this book provides a solid conceptual framework and practical approaches to cultivate compassion. <p/>Advance Praise for <em>The Art and Science of Compassion A Primer</em> <p/>Well-written deeply personal and scientifically-grounded this book provides strong physiological psychological and ethical reasons why cultivating compassion is essentialand provides a thoughtful roadmap for promoting compassion in healthcare and in all of life. <br>- Ron Epstein MD author of<em> Attending: Medicine Mindfulness and Humanity</em> <p/>Dr. Agnes Wong a highly distinguished physician and exceptional researcher at the University of Toronto has written an absolutely uplifting masterpiece about meaning compassionate care and the universal journey that all healers must take to sustain their inner being and nobility of purpose. This book is partly her journey to a deeper state of being that places compassionate care in its rightful place in the healing art; it is also a fabulous scientific presentation of the practice and impact of compassionate care on patients and on one's own flourishing as a physician. This is a book that touches the soul and should be read by every medical student or clinician worldwide as they reflect on what it means to really succeed in their whole selves as healers and human beings. <br>- Stephen G. Post PhD Director Center for Medical Humanities Compassionate Care and Bioethics; Professor of Family Population and Preventive Medicine Stony Brook University <p/>Compassion and empathy are traits that make us human and as Dr. Wong shows these qualities can be developed encouraged and cultivated. In our struggling world we need this awareness as never before. The future of our species likely depends on it. This book is an example of how science and spirituality can come together in a brilliant synthesis. <br>- Larry Dossey MD author of <em>One Mind: How Our Individual Mind Is Part of a Greater Consciousness and Why It Matters</em><br>