Our head office is located on the lands of the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation. Your cart Close. Ever wondered what 'human nature' really means? More books by Hugh Mackay. Left loading Readers also viewed. Find a book you'll love, get our newsletter name email. YES I have read and consent to Hachette Australia using my personal information or data as set out in its Privacy Policy and I understand I have the right to withdraw my consent at any time.
This website uses cookies. Using this website means you are okay with this but you can find out more and learn how to manage your cookie choices here. Close cookie policy overlay. There is nothing new or earth shattering revealed here. Most readers will recognise these desires in themselves and in their daily interactions with others.
The ten desires chronicled connect us and by recognizing and acknowledging them, we can learn to be a little kinder, more accepting and a little less self-possessed.
View 1 comment. Aug 07, Chris Walker rated it liked it. At times I thought this book was a bit too comfortably middle class Australian but in general I found some kernels of wisdom and reassurance here. It is a useful exercise to stop and think about what we all are striving for and I think Hugh Mackay has listened to enough people in his career to be able to make a good stab at the essentials.
The fact that he is able to come away from the experience with a feeling of optimism and faith in us despite his assurance that there is little we can control At times I thought this book was a bit too comfortably middle class Australian but in general I found some kernels of wisdom and reassurance here. The fact that he is able to come away from the experience with a feeling of optimism and faith in us despite his assurance that there is little we can control apart from ourselves - and we don't seem to be doing a great job of that - speaks volumes about the man himself.
Oct 22, Jeremy Elias rated it liked it. Interesting read. It covers a lot of things that most already know. There are some intriguing parts to the book however there is plenty of fluff in between. Interesting concept, reasonable execution. Nov 15, Ben Scobie rated it it was ok. A bit boring really. Missing the flair i'm used to from books that try to explain why we are the way we are Oct 18, Kaz rated it it was ok.
Some interesting ideas, but read with a grain of salt. May 02, Scott rated it liked it. Some books age quickly -the global financial crisis- Hah how about a pandemic! The book layout lots of facts and knowledge, well written and very easy to read. Our desire for war is bound up with patriotic greed, economic greed, religious greed, territorial greed, delusions of grandeur, paranoia, insecurity, cultural identity and val The book layout lots of facts and knowledge, well written and very easy to read.
Our desire for war is bound up with patriotic greed, economic greed, religious greed, territorial greed, delusions of grandeur, paranoia, insecurity, cultural identity and values, and with the dark, ignoble side of human nature - the side that wants to crush opponents rather than deal with them.
Aug 06, Ian Kloester rated it liked it. Every time I read Hugh's work i find an insightful voice. A voice full of reason, compassion and understanding of what it is to be human. Although drawn from observations that are arguably more anecdotal than empirical, Hugh's list of 'ten desires that make us tick' are as compelling and as convincing as anything I've read on the subject.
Especially his assertion that our most important desire of all is Simple and easy to read, Hugh has found another reason fo Every time I read Hugh's work i find an insightful voice. Simple and easy to read, Hugh has found another reason for us to take him seriously. As if he needed another. This will help you understand why we do what we do. And maybe why some seem more or less engaged in life around them than others. This book was a fascinating insight into the 10 desires that drive all human beings: to be taken seriously; for 'my place'; for something to believe in; to connect; to be useful; to belong; for more; for control; for something to happen; for love.
What I found most interesting was the fact that often when we are in conflict with ourselves or others this is a sign that some of these desires are being 'frustrated'.
And, I could actually relate this to my own experiences. I would definitely recomme This book was a fascinating insight into the 10 desires that drive all human beings: to be taken seriously; for 'my place'; for something to believe in; to connect; to be useful; to belong; for more; for control; for something to happen; for love.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking to understand themselves and others more. I love Hugh Mackay's work and look forward to reading his insights further. Dec 19, J. Whitaker rated it it was amazing. Liked this book, much to chew on and explains much about modern life. Hugh writes with a purpose, providing his ideas and categories, along with examples so you can understand his premises. Although he suggests that you can read the chapters out of order, I read it straight through.
Ever wonder about the differences between a tribe and a herd? It's in there. Ever wonder how you can feel like you need a change, but you also want to not change? It's in there as part of the desire for control. The Liked this book, much to chew on and explains much about modern life. The final desire is Love, of all sorts. He has something to say about the contemporary hunger for community and he urges planners and governments to create places and spaces that encourage human interactions.
He offers a sober assessment Mackay is no Luddite of technology and the online world. He speaks of a three-fold need of connection - with our inner selves, with others, and the natural world - each of which may suffer when we allow the virtual to replace the physical.
He urges us to find creative expression in the arts as a means of connecting with "who you are. Mackay thinks that when people talk about wanting to be happy they are thinking of a more narrow and vacuous feeling related to the desire for control. He urges parents to wish for something more substantial for their kids than happiness, and he quotes F. Scott Fitzgerald, "The redeeming things are not 'happiness and pleasure,' but the deeper satisfactions that come out of struggle.
Those charged with giving an account of the phenomenon of human behaviour can sometimes describe humanity like they would a passing parade viewed from a balcony safe above the throng. Their observations are those of detached objectivity, but the dignity and individuality of the lives they describe can be missing.
No such charge could be made of Mackay. He clearly has a deep respect and warmth for his subjects. Mackay thinks that all people are "endlessly fascinating" and that there is much to learn from offering the gift of attentive listening.
It's a gift that he has clearly given to many over the course of a long career. The desire for love, says Mackay, is the deepest of all our desires that when freely given offers the most enduring contribution to a better world.
He doesn't hide the allusions to 1 Corinthians 13 when he writes that love is about action as much as feeling and true love seeks no recognition or reward.
He even borrows the language of the Apostle Paul when he surmises that when it's authentic, love is constant and faithful and perseveres. Mackay is not a believer himself, but I can imagine his research on contemporary life being easily employed to spice up Sunday sermons.
Anyone who holds to a Christian outlook would find strong connections here with Mackay's take on the world. At the very least, his work emphasises again that Christian faith has something to say about every aspect of the human experience.
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