"How God Works: The Science Behind the Benefits of Religion" by David DeSteno

I stumbled upon this title while reading another book arguing for how (irl-)communities may have health benefits, and that this may be one explanation for why spiritual societies survive.

We've surely read a lot of material presenting arguments for how people of power use religion as a power exerting tool, and while this is certainly true a more nuanced picture would be nice to have.

The question of how beliefs and rituals benefit the individual is what makes the topic of this book interesting, especially when contrasted with other ways of being and thinking - which I hope is done. If it isn't, then perhaps the book will have at least added to our interest of finding similar works that further improve our understanding. Thus far, my experience is that it's not very easy to find work that sheds a secular and philanthropic light on the area.

Goodreads sells the book as:
```Drawing on a wealth of new evidence, pioneering research psychologist David DeSteno shows why religious practices and rituals are so beneficial to those who follow them—and to anyone, regardless of their faith (or lack thereof).
Scientists are beginning to discover what believers have known for a long the rewards that a religious life can provide. For millennia, people have turned to priests, rabbis, imams, shamans, and others to help them deal with issues of grief and loss, birth and death, morality and meaning. In this absorbing work, DeSteno reveals how numerous religious practices from around the world improve emotional and physical well-being.
With empathy and rigor, DeSteno chronicles religious rites and traditions from cradle to grave. He explains how the Japanese rituals surrounding childbirth help strengthen parental bonds with children. He describes how the Apache Sunrise Ceremony makes teenage girls better able to face the rigors of womanhood. He shows how Buddhist meditation reduces hostility and increases compassion. He demonstrates how the Jewish practice of sitting shiva comforts the bereaved. And much more.
DeSteno details how belief itself enhances physical and mental health. But you don’t need to be religious to benefit from the trove of wisdom that religion has to offer. Many items in religion’s “toolbox” can help the body and mind whether or not one believes. How God Works offers advice on how to incorporate many of these practices to help all of us live more meaningful, successful, and satisfying lives.```

The hardcover version of this book, published by Simon & Schuster, is a mere 256 pages, while the audiobook, published by Simon & Schuster Audio, is eight minutes short of seven hours.