Kelly McGonigal

Learn the behind-the-scenes story of the cover design and read an excerpt from the introduction here. Or listen to the audiobook introduction here!

The Joy of Movement

The bestselling author of The Willpower Instinct introduces a surprising science-based book that doesn't tell us why we should exercise but instead shows us how to fall in love with movement.

Through her trademark blend of science and storytelling, McGonigal draws on insights from neuroscience, psychology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology, as well as memoirs, ethnographies, and philosophers. She shows how movement is intertwined with some of the most basic human joys, including self-expression, social connection, and mastery--and why it is a powerful antidote to the modern epidemics of depression, anxiety, and loneliness.

McGonigal tells the stories of people who have found fulfillment and belonging through running, walking, dancing, swimming, weightlifting, and more, with examples that span the globe, from Tanzania, where one of the last hunter-gatherer tribes on the planet live, to a dance class at Juilliard for people with Parkinson's disease, to the streets of London, where volunteers combine fitness and community service, to races in the remote wilderness, where athletes push the limits of what a human can endure. Along the way, McGonigal paints a portrait of human nature that highlights our capacity for hope, cooperation, and self-transcendence.

The result is a revolutionary narrative that goes beyond familiar arguments in favor of exercise, to illustrate why movement is integral to both our happiness and our humanity. Readers will learn what they can do in their own lives and communities to harness the power of movement to create happiness, meaning, and connection.

The Science of Compassion

With The Science of Compassion, acclaimed researcher and teacher Kelly McGonigal, PhD, presents a practical workshop to help you understand what makes compassion work—and how you can cultivate it in your life.

In this seven-hour training intensive, she provides invaluable tools and guidance for overcoming emotional fatigue, empathic distress, fear, anger, self-judgment, and other barriers to self-compassion, social connection, and courageous action.

This audio course is filled with cutting-edge science, inspirational stories, and research-based practices to help you build your capacity for generosity, empathy, and kindness—and become a compassionate force in the world.

Listen to two brief excerpts below.

This program is available as an automatic download from Sounds True or Audible. It is also available as a 6-CD set through Sounds True, Amazon, and other booksellers.

CE credits are available to psychologists, social workers, nurses, teachers, and other professionals through Sounds True.

The Upside of Stress

The best-selling author of The Willpower Instinct delivers a controversial and groundbreaking new book that overturns long-held beliefs about stress.

While most of us do everything we can to reduce or avoid stress, Stanford psychologist Kelly McGonigal, PhD, delivers a startling message: Stress isn’t all bad. New research shows that stress can make us stronger, smarter, and happier—if we learn how to embrace it.

Through science and stories, McGonigal teaches us how life's challenges can be a catalyst for positive action, personal growth, and compassion. The Upside of Stress is an empowering guide, revealing practical strategies for transforming anxiety into courage, isolation into connection, and adversity into meaning.

The Willpower Instinct

Based on Stanford University psychologist Kelly McGonigal's wildly popular course "The Science of Willpower," The Willpower Instinct explains the new science of self-control and how it can be harnessed to improve your health, happiness, and success.

Drawing on cutting-edge insights from psychology, behavioral economics, and neuroscience, The Willpower Instinct combines life-changing prescriptive advice and complementary exercises to help readers with reach their personal goals.

“**** out of four.” —USA Today Book Review

“A fun and readable survey of the field, bringing willpower wisdom out of the labs.” —TIME magazine

“The Willpower Instinct is a new kind of self-help book. Using science to explain the why and strategies for the how, McGonigal has created a must-read for anyone who wants to change how they live in both small and big ways.” —Book Page