THE POWER OF US

A revolutionary new understanding of identity, showing how our group affiliations have a powerful influence on our feelings, beliefs, and behavior, that can inspire both personal change and social movements.

If you're like most people, you probably believe that your identity is stable. But in fact, your identity is constantly changing often outside your conscious awareness and sometimes even against your wishes to reflect the interests of the groups of which you're a part. And that fluid identity has a powerful influence over your feelings, beliefs, and behaviors. In The Power of Us, psychologists Dominic Packer and Jay Van Bavel integrate their own cutting-edge research in psychology, neuroscience and economics to explain what identity really is and show how to harness its dynamic nature to: Increase productivity; Improve physical and psychological health; Overcome prejudice; Unlock altruism; Break political gridlock; Galvanize others to solve controversial but persistent global problems.

Along the way, they explain such seemingly unrelated phenomenon as why men cry at football games but not funerals, why the history of slavery in U.S. counties is one of the best predictors of current day racism, and why Canada keeps a national reserve of maple syrup. Packed with fascinating insights, vivid case studies, and a wealth of pioneering research, The Power of Us will change the way you understand yourself and the people around you - forever.

Dominic Packer is a Professor of Psychology and Associate Dean for Research and Graduate Programs in Arts & Sciences at Lehigh University. His writing and work have been featured in Scientific American Mind, the Washington Post, Harvard Business Review, New York Times, the Washington Post, BBC, Mic.com, Daily Telegraph, Work Style Magazine, National Public Radio, and Psychology Today.

Jay Van Bavel is an Associate Professor of Psychology and Neural Science at New York University and is affiliated with Management and Organizations in the STERN School of Business. His writing and work have been featured in numerous publications including the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Washington Post, The Atlantic, BBC, Daily Telegraph, Huffington Post, National Geographic, The New Yorker, TIME, and Women's Health. He has given a TEDx talk and appeared TV and radio outlets such as PBS NOVA, the forthcoming series on intergroup conflict for the Discovery channel by Alex Gibney and Steven Spielberg.