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How to Read Minds: The Science and Art of Empathy
Aimee Cliff
HarperCollins UK
“What do we mean exactly when we say that someone ‘lacks empathy’?”, psychotherapist Aimee Cliff questions in the introduction to her book How to Read Minds: The Science and Art of Empathy. “In the past, I never gave it much thought when I used the phrase casually ... to describe someone whose lack of consideration for others was beyond the pale, like, say, Nigel Farage ... It was a catch-all shorthand for people who were unkind, rude or callous. The person who ‘lacked empathy’ was always the other — until I was diagnosed as autistic in my late 20s. Suddenly, it was me."
Employing scientific research, interviews with neurodivergent people, and her own clinical experience, Cliff’s findings lead to identifying five pillars you can adopt to practice empathy: empathy is humble, empathy is embodied, empathy is amoral, empathy is radical, and empathy is work. Her research also identifies empathy as a verb: it’s something we actively do, and can get better at. And this requires practice. In Cliff’s “Clear-eyed, forensic and humane book”, as described by British political activist Sophie Walker and author of Five Rules for Rebellion, you will learn how to acquire the five pillars of empathy — practice by practice.
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