Trying Not to Try: The Ancient Art of Effortlessness and the Surprising Power of Spontaneity

Why is it always so hard to fall asleep the night before an important meeting? And why does the saying "it never rains but it pours" hold so true when single - and the best way to get a date is by not looking? But is it really possible to make yourself not want something that you actually do want?

In Trying Not to Try, Edward Slingerland, an internationally recognised expert on ancient Chinese thought, explains why instead of being so preoccupied with effort, spontaneity is the key to success in life. Early Chinese philosophers wrote extensively about "wu-wei" - an effortless way of being in the world - and developed key strategies for getting it and hanging on to it.

With clarity and wit, Slingerland introduces us to these thinkers and the marvellous characters in their texts. He uncovers a direct line from wu-wei to the Force in Star Wars, explains why wu-wei is more powerful than flow and also shows how new research reveals what's happening in the brain when we're in a state of wu-wei. Through stories of mythical creatures and drunken cart riders, jazz musicians and Japanese motorcycle gangs, Slingerland effortlessly blends Eastern thought and cutting-edge science to show us how we can live more fulfilling lives.