Books are a uniquely portable magic.
~ Stephen King
What would it look like to approach death with curiosity and love, in service to other beings? Many people resist death, but Ram Dass says, “Death is an incredible opportunity to awaken.” In Walking Each Other Home, he and his longtime friend and coauthor Mirabai Bush explore ways we can be present to dying and help others and ourselves leave this world consciously. Through storytelling and practical guidance, these two beloved teachers offer us an intimate, thoughtful, and uplifting inquiry into the greatest of mysteries. They remind us that death gives us an unparalleled opening to cultivate compassion, mindfulness, and gratitude for life and the beauty of living with love. (Sounds True, 2018)
Grit is now recognized as one of the key determinants of success and life satisfaction. So, how do we build this essential quality? “First we have to understand what authentic grit is,” writes Caroline Adams Miller. In this thoroughly researched, accessible, and engaging book, she describes the nature of grit. She gives us examples, self-assessment tools, daily exercises, and life tips to help us build our capacity for courage, perseverance, resilience, and more. Caroline's writings explore the key traits gritty people have, the difference between true grit and false grit, how true grit also inspires others, and much more. Getting Grit is a practical and clear guide to developing a powerful trait and living your best life. Live Happy's 2017 choice for "a book that will change your life" (Sounds True, 2017)
Have you ever caught yourself checking your smartphone while driving, even though you know how dangerous it is? Do you interrupt a conversation with the person sitting right in front of you to check a text? “The compulsion to constantly check our devices plays on primal instincts,” writes Nancy Colier, a psychotherapist and regular contributor to Psychology Today and The Huffington Post. Even those who meditate and those who have never suffered from addiction find themselves caught in the subtle trap of these miraculous tools. The Power of Off is an essential resource for anyone struggling with modern technology's impact on peace of mind and genuine human connection. (Sounds True, 2016)
Gary Kissiah’s The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali is a modern approach to learning about the sutras. Master teachers such as Satchidananda and B. K. S. Iyengar emphasized the importance of studying these ancient sutras, but many yoga students today are not drawn to the commentaries available to them. Kissiah’s book offers today's yogis another entry with a contemporary perspective that includes journalling prompts and evocative imagery, making the gift of deep wisdom much more accessible. (Lilalabs, 2015)
Can we transform the brain into a refuge of calm and happiness? In Hardwiring Happiness, neuropsychologist Rick Hanson teaches us a simple method that uses the hidden power of everyday experiences to build new neural structures, based on love, peace, gratitude, and joy. Four easy steps allow us to build strengths into our brain, balancing its ancient negativity bias and making contentment and resilience the new normal. "This book offers practical steps for touching peace." —Thich Nhat Hanh (Harmony Books, 2013)
Pleasure is the secret to switching off the stress triggers that are the real culprit behind emotional eating and weight gain. In Pleasurable Weight Loss, Jena La Flamme invites us to discover a gentler way to attain the body of our dreams. Filled with inspiration, insight, practical guidance, and recipes for women of all ages and body types, this is a powerful guide for feeling and looking your best. (Sounds True, 2015)
In Sudden Awakening, spiritual teacher Eli Jaxon-Bear examines the origins and patterns of our identification with ego, an inquiry that can free us from the misconceptions we have about ourselves and lead us to awaken to who we really are. The new editions of this book include a foreword by Gangaji, an account of Eli's battle with cancer, and the poetry born in that crucible. (New Morning, 2012; Hampton Roads, 2015)
Drawing on her knowledge as both an accountant and a teacher of the Diamond Approach to self-realization, Mayuri Onerheim shares a process of deep inquiry into our relationship with money. Money, Spirituality, Consciousness helps us uncover for ourselves the connection between money and spirit that is at play in our lives so that we can become aware of any limiting unconscious patterns and release them. (Read How You Want, 2012)
Publishers Weekly described the writing and teachings in The Mindfulness Code as "a peace-promoting prescription for anyone frazzled by life's breakneck speed." Donald Altman, a psychotherapist and student of Buddhism, shares the keys for unlocking mindfulness in all aspects of our lives. The practices he suggests can open the doors to a more fulfilling life experience. (New World Library, 2010)
Suzanne Scurlock-Durana is an international teacher of craniosacral therapy and somato-emotional release, who has taught at the Upledger Institute and at Esalen. In Full Body Presence, she distills her twenty-five years of experience as a teacher and healer into practices that show readers how to use the body to return to the power of present-moment awareness. (New World Library, 2010)
James Olson won four national book awards for The Whole-Brain Path to Peace. This book examines the many conflicts that stem from the radically different perspectives the two hemispheres of our brain provide. We are all right- or left-brain dominated, and Olson gives us a great gift by revealing the benefits and freedom we gain when we learn to harmonize the two. (Origin Press, 2011)
For the imaginative reader, there can be discoveries, connections between books, that explode the day and one's heart and the long years that have led to the moment. ~ Mary Ruefle |
A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies . . . Those who never read live only one. 
With Things That Join the Sea and the Sky, Mark Nepo brings us a rich resource to turn to when we're struggling to keep our heads above water. The prose poems in this collection began as journal entries and span several years. Through Mark's full engagement with his own life, he explores a variety of experiences that we are all familiar with, such as “right-sizing our pain” and “the reach of kindness.“ The pieces can be read individually or as an unfolding narrative about sorrow and joy. Mark also shares a guide to the practice of journalling, with thoughtful writing prompts that draw us more deeply into our own days. Things That Join the Sea and the Sky shows us how "the Universe holds us and tosses us about, only to hold us again." 2017 Nautilus Award for Lyrical Prose (Sounds True, 2017)
Defiant chronicles the remarkable life of Janine Shepherd, an elite ski racer whose bid to represent Australia in the Olympics was cut short by a tragic bike accident. She recalls the ten days she hovered between life and death, faced with the difficult choice to let go or return to a body that would never be whole again. After six months in the hospital battling to rehabilitate her disabilities, Janine not only teaches herself to walk again but goes on to earn her wings as a pilot and flight instructor. Defiant offers hope and encouragement for anyone facing a life challenge, sharing hard-won wisdom and priceless advice for navigating one’s way from loss to healing. (Sounds True, 2016)
Natural healing for pets is becoming mainstream. Veterinarians across the nation are now providing acupuncture, chiropractic, and other alternative methods for animal healthcare. In Energy Healing for Animals, animal communicator Joan Ranquet offers an essential guide for anyone seeking to enhance their pet’s longevity and quality of life, while also deepening their bond togther. “Animals are so receptive to healing energy," writes Ranquet, "that they’re often easier to work with than humans." (Sounds True, 2015)
What do Madonna, Martha Stewart, John Lennon, Ellen DeGeneres, Ben Franklin, Leonardo da Vinci, and Thomas Edison have in common? All are, or were, list makers. Paula Rizzo is a list maker too, and because finding enough hours in the day to get everything done and still have some downtime can be a struggle in our fast-paced world, she has written this guide to help us. Listful Thinking is filled with tips and tools to keep track of our thoughts and tasks, as we better manage our time, save money, boost productivity, and reduce stress too. (Viva Editions, 2014)
Child and family therapist, Noah Kempler has developed a set of clear and easy strategies to help parents guide their kids to better behavior. He helps us understand why a child is behaving a certain way and then helps us determine what we can do to help. In the end, Better Behavior is about making difficult behaviors an opportunity to strengthen all relationships, not just the one between a parent and a child. (CreateSpace, 2015)
Lewis Carroll invented Alice in Wonderland on a golden day at the lake when a young Alice Liddell begged him for a story, or so we've been told. But what if the real story is that he only agreed to use his name to protect the real author? Carefully researched, Queen Victoria's Secret suggests that this beloved classic might actually be a veiled telling from the Queen herself about the intrigue she faced before ascending to the throne. (Origin Press, 2012)
David Patten's memoir is a riveting read. He grew up at a time when autism and dyslexia were not understood the way they are today. Children with these conditions were stigmatized as "stupid, lazy dummies." David's journey from an isolated and broken life to an awakened and happy one is nothing short of inspiring. NPR's Andrei Codrescu says this story is "a real epic of triumph over adversities." (Joslyn Press, 2012)
With Cultivating Peace, James O'Dea, a former director of the Washington-DC office for Amnesty International and a lifelong advocate for social healing, provides a guidebook for peace-making. His approach is grounded in rich experience and integrates cultural, scientific, and spiritual dimensions This book teaches us how to become the peacebuilders our world so desperately needs. (Shift Books, 2012)
In One-Minute Mindfulness, Donald Altman, a psychotherapist and Buddhist, shares a variety of approaches to help us experience more ease, clarity, and peace with techniques that take no more than a minute of attention to the moment we already find ourselves in. These simple yet powerful practices cover home and play, work and creativity, love and relationships,health and well-being, and more. (New World Library, 2011)
Meditation leads to profound benefits in well-being, which a growing body of scientific research now confirms. But how does a person begin to make meditation a part of their life? In Meditation for Your Life, yoga teacher Robert Butera shares six basic meditation practices and helps readers identify which one best suits their personality and lifestyle. (Llewellyn Press, 2012)
Wild Women and Books is the second and retitled edition of Brenda Knight's Women Who Love Books Too Much. Ntozake Shange wrote the introduction for this updated historical survey of the literary women "whose pens pioneered, persevered, and proved that the female voice is brilliant." (Red Wheel Weiser, 2006; Conari Press, 2000)
|