A scientifically groundbreaking, eloquent look at how we benefit -- psychologically, physically, and interpersonally -- when we practice gratitude Did you know that there is a crucial component of happiness that is often overlooked? In Thanks , Robert Emmons draws on the first major study of the subject of gratitude, of "wanting what we have," and shows that a systematic cultivation of this underexamined emotion can measurably change people's lives. Readers will discover how - People who regularly practice grateful thinking can increase their "set-point" for happiness by as much as 25 percent. - Such increases can be sustained over a period of months, challenging the previously held notion that our "set-point" is frozen at birth. - Keeping a gratitude journal for as little as three weeks can result in better sleep and more energy. Emmons also reaches beyond science to bolster the case for gratitude by weaving in the writings of philosophers, novelists, and theologians.Thanks inspires readers to embrace gratitude and all the benefits it can bring into their lives.