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Best Creativity Self-Help

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
When can I stop proving myself?In The Gifts of Imperfection, Bren頂rown, PhD, a leading expert on shame, authenticity and belonging, shares what she's learned from a decade of research on the power of Wholehearted Living--a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.In her ten guideposts, Brown engages our minds, hearts, and spirits as she explores how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough, and to go to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave. Each guidepost is the focus of a chapter that contains illustrative stories, primarily from her own life; definitions, including the difference between shame and guilt; quotes from such diverse sources as Diane Ackerman and E.E. She intersperses her own personal journey with research and clinical observations of others of the work of living a “wholehearted” life, or “engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness.” The point is to embrace life and oneself with all the imperfections, releasing the stress of overdoing and overworking.
Reviews
"Moreover, I had recently been dumped in my 'perfect' engagement by my fiancee who had been cheating on me with a male coworker. Changing my mind on reading this was undoubtedly one of the best decisions I have ever made and I am a much better person for it. This is important because thoughtful people need to confront these things in order to overcome them and develop not just a positive mindset; but, a *realistic* one that doesn't ignore the potentially negative cognitions that arise. But, allow me to be clear: if you have just been dumped, divorced, or experienced a break-up, then I think this is a great book for you. I think this is the right approach, since qualitative research is well-suited to derive meaning from the experiences of people. CONs. -for the uninitiated (read: myself), I thought that guidepost 8 wasn't as clear in defining the concept of stillness. First, I grew-up with a very domineering father and reading this book has made me truly comfortable with him for the first time in my life."
"I read "Daring Greatly" about 6 months ago after watching Dr. Brown's TED talks and that book honest to goodness changed my life. I found this was a little shallow and abstract, whereas Daring Greatly so eloquently and articulately put words to ideas we understand intuitively, and it really enhanced my emotional vocabulary. Some of it (shame vs guilt, for example) was redundant of Daring Greatly (and other texts for that matter) and her discussion of ideas like intuition, spirituality, and numbing were vague and unhelpful to me. She had a section after each chapter called DIG deep where she listed ways that she tries to employ these strategies, and she often said "Amen" at the end of some quotes. She was also a little judgmental in this book (towards others and towards herself) and I could ironically see her striving for perfectionism (like in order to be perfect she needs to become "wholehearted," so she is actively working to employ these strategies rather than actually embodying them). Additionally, unlike Daring Greatly, this reads a little bit like a checklist (see comment above) of things you should do: 1. don't be a perfectionist 2. The Gifts of Imperfection seemed to get sidetracked by specifics (dancing, jewelry making, her childhood house in New Orleans) and it never reached that universality that was so healing in Daring Greatly. In contrast, it felt like Brene Brown had found her own voice in Daring Greatly, and no longer needed to continually reference others' work and could just share her research and the conclusions she reached from it. All in all, while The Gifts of Imperfection was a nice book that offered a little refresher of Brown's understanding of "wholehearted living" with some ideas about intuition and faith, creativity, and song and dance, it was not as sophisticated or inspiring as her latest book Daring Greatly, which really felt like a true culmination of her research and experiences."
"I've been through 6 therapists, I've struggled with depression for nearly twenty years, never could finish anything I started, and everyone always assumed I had ADHD. Not until therapist number five did someone point out to me that ADHD is often mistaken for anxiety and he was sure that was my problem."
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The War of Art
The War of Art identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.Though it was written for writers, it has been embraced by business entrepreneurs, actors, dancers, painters, photographers, filmmakers, military service members and thousands of others around the world. With courage, following the right formula and working hard, the book proposes that passion can be turned into purpose." But Steven Pressfield is our Clausewitz who shows how you too can battle against The Four Horsemen of The Apologetic: sloth, inertia, rationalization and procrastination. "A marvelous help for anybody who has ever encountered the resistance of a blank page, an empty canvas or an unyielding musical scale." Steven Pressfield is the author of the novels The Legend of Bagger Vance (made into the movie starring Matt Damon and Will Smith), Gates of Fire, Tides of War, Last of the Amazons, Virtues of War, The Afghan Campaign, Killing Rommel, and The Profession. His nonfiction includes The War of Art, The Warrior Ethos, and the upcoming Turning Pro. His books are included in the curriculum at West Point and the Naval Academy, and are on the Commandant's Reading List for the Marine Corps. He identifies and explains seven distinct stages of the creative process: discovery and encounter, passion and commitment, crisis and creative frustration, retreat and withdrawal, epiphany and insight, discipline and completion, and responsibility and release. He also develops his view of the three principles of the creative impulse, which include creative courage, being in the right place at the right time, and deepening connections with others. Rooted in Eastern philosophy, Ulrich's fully developed treatise nicely updates the solid works of Brewster Ghiselin (The Creative Process), Rollo May (The Courage To Create), and Julia Cameron (The Artist's Way).
Reviews
"Good golly, Steven, thanks for the kick in the creative zone!"
"I am a reader and I have had challenges with finding great books lately until I read War of Art."
"Pressfield provides absolute clarity about the mind and (greater) circumstance of us human-beings and thereby offers his readers the "way out" of stuckness and the way into "producing" to the full, and, in fact, living our full potential."
"The War of Art by Steven Pressfield is packed with invaluable pieces of wisdom for anyone making anything."
"Good advice for realizing your thinking process that could be blocking creative flow."
"There is really only one way out of hell, through the heart of it."
"Made me appreciate the challenges and perseverance required to be creative."
"Ever since reading this I've made sure I have a "Monday meeting" to do list EVERY week."
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Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
From the worldwide bestselling author of Eat Pray Love : the path to the vibrant, fulfilling life you’ve dreamed of. . Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magi c cracks open a world of wonder and joy. Praise for Eat Pray Love : “Gilbert’s prose is fueled by a mix of intelligence, wit and colloquial exuberance that is close to irresistible.” — Jennifer Egan, The New York Times Book Review “A meditation on love in its many forms … her extraordinary journey lets even the most cynical reader dare to dream.” – Los Angeles Times Praise for TheSignature of All Things : “A bracing homage to the many natures of genius and the inevitable progress of ideas, in a world that reveals its best truths to the uncommonly patient minds.”– Barbara Kingsolver, The New York Times Book Review “Raucously ingenious… Signature is not just a historical novel that spans two centuries and many geographies.
Reviews
"Her no-BS attitude helps do away with the unrealistic expectations and unnecessary melodrama attached to the concept of “creative living” (like how she so expertly pish-poshes the "tormented artist" ideal). And in its place, she asks all people who feel called to create (writers, painters, musicians, ice skaters, WHATEVER) to quietly and joyfully accept their creative inclinations and ideas as gifts from the universe. She reminds them to approach their creativity with curiosity and openness, with playfulness and joy—even when it’s tough, even when there is no Pulitzer, no bestseller list, no Olympic medal, no call from the Met. Yet it feels weird to declare yourself “A Something!” when that something doesn’t earn you money or status or likes or hits or retweets. Which means even though this side-passion feels so authentically “me,” I hide it so people won’t think I’m a loser, an imposter, a wannabe, an embarrassment, a failure…and the list goes on. I guess this reality had been bumming me out more than I realized, because when I read the following words, they resonated with me in an unimaginably powerful and loving way--like I was receiving a cosmic hug: “Shake yourself free of all your cumbersome ideas about what you require in order to become ‘creatively legitimate’… You do not need a permission slip from the principal’s office to live a creative life."
"For if you've stalled, set down, given up, cried privately, wondered if it's just too freaking late for you to be the artist, the receiver, a creator, because of the other practical life... here is an experienced wayshower who calls your bluff, your whatever you've told yourself why you can't. She's been rejected (tons), she's kept her day jobs, she's continued through deserts of unknown, silence, angst, doubt, about "the work"...and she's laying it out for us/me/you/your offspring/your friend... find your way."
"Your response to this book is likely to be based as much on how many books/articles you've read on the topic of creativity rather than on what the author actually puts forth here--or your personal feelings about her life. If you've read a lot already, you'll know that there isn't necessarily anything "new" here on the subject but rather, as always, some clever packaging and a unique POV--and, as you'd expect of a good writer, some memorable quotes. She is honest about the difficulties and that alone helps "ground" her book and give it the credibility it needs to be a true inspiration."
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Best Painting

Daily Painting: Paint Small and Often To Become a More Creative, Productive, and SuccessfulArtist
With her encouraging tone and useful exercises, Marine teaches you to: -Master composition and value. -Become confident in any medium including oil painting, acrylic painting, watercolors, and other media. -Choose subjects wisely. -Stay fresh and loose. -Photograph, post, and sell your art online. -Become connected to the growing movement of daily painters around the world. She is a member of Daily Paintworks, a distinguished group of daily painters, and she teaches daily painting workshops around the country.
Reviews
"She sought out advice from well-known artists and over and over again, she was whispered the same thing: do some art every single day. It can be discouraging to be an artist and find yourself with a trunk full of creative endeavors and no where for them to go. That's where Carol's book takes us through the twists and turns of a career as an artist. Not only does it go through the basics of painting (materials, value, composition, color mixing), but the artist-author shares her secrets to becoming a successful artist. She and her programmer husband created an unique website, www.DailyPaintworks.com, where non-juried artists (read: you don't have to prove your talent or be selected by a committee) post their daily works. Big, beautiful paintings are wonderful, but not everyone can afford $10,000 for one piece of art. But, with a small project - a 6x6 canvas - you can play with lots of different mediums, textures, concepts, what-have-you and no matter how it comes out, tomorrow is literally a new day. It showcases Carol's talent, as well as a myriad of others, and shows you the nuts and bolts of being an artist. The final chapters shed light on how to sell your art online, where to go, and how to stage it for photographs."
"So since 2006, Marine has been painting daily, and selling her work online. Marine talks about her experience on painting daily, where she finds inspiration and subjects to draw, techniques involved and how you can sell your paintings online. Tips for better online sales. I really like the idea of painting small. Somethings the size of a blank canvas can be intimidating. It's difficult for a small painting to match a big one in terms of impact, but it's likely to sell better because it's more affordable. However her tips and techniques can often apply to other media as well except for things specific to oil, such as wiping a canvas and starting over again. The best part about the book is it shows you the possibility of selling your work online. It's great to see other artists make a living using this method and it's something that anyone can get into."
"I bought this book in order to learn how to be more 'painterly'."
"A friend looked through the book and immediately went to purchase one for herself."
"Inspiration, first of all, from just looking at the artist's work - she has mastered the art of bringing out color and showing light. and she delivers the information: everything from materials to proportion of saturated and unsaturated color, to placing highlights, to composition and how to get objects placed correctly on the canvas (including illusive ellipses), to her own unique method of what order to paint the various parts of an object in."
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Best Emotions & Mental Health

Rising Strong: How the Ability to Reset Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead
Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability—the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome—is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. As a grounded theory researcher, Brown has listened as a range of people—from leaders in Fortune 500 companies and the military to artists, couples in long-term relationships, teachers, and parents—shared their stories of being brave, falling, and getting back up. Our stories of struggle can be big ones, like the loss of a job or the end of a relationship, or smaller ones, like a conflict with a friend or colleague. “[Brené Brown’s] research and work have given us a new vocabulary, a way to talk with each other about the ideas and feelings and fears we’ve all had but haven’t quite known how to articulate. “With a fresh perspective that marries research and humor, Brown offers compassion while delivering thought-provoking ideas about relationships—with others and with oneself.” — Publishers Weekly “It is inevitable—we will fall. And Rising Strong isn’t some feel-good-get-over-it regimen; it’s more investigative reporting on the common denominators of people who whole-heartedly get back up and go another round after getting their asses handed to them in big and small ways. I don’t know about you, but I’m not trying to be famous or come up with a cure that will change the world, I just want to live happily and keep getting back in the arena whether I’ve been rocked on my heels, knocked to my knees, or gone face down in the dirt. Brené empowers us each to be a little more courageous.” —The Huffington Post “With a fresh perspective that marries research and humor, Brown offers compassion while delivering thought-provoking ideas about relationships—with others and with oneself.” — Publishers Weekly “It is inevitable—we will fall.
Reviews
"In this book, she uses stories and research, but unlike previous books, many of the stories in this one are her own personal ones. Chapter 2: Civilization Stops at the Waterline. The title of this chapter comes from a Hunter S. Thompson quotes. But the waterline is also a call to a powerful story Brené uses to open this chapters, about her husband and a morning swim and a vulnerable conversation for both of them. The rising strong process is (1) the reckoning, as we walk into our story, (2) the rumble, as we own our story, and (3) the revolution as we transform how we live as a result of our story. The next several chapters build on that process... Chapter 3: Owning Our Stories. This is where Brene challenges us as readers to accept or turn down the invitation to own our stories, rather than minimizing, compartmentalizing, hiding, or editing them. Then to do so, the three steps begin... Chapter 4: The Reckoning. As we reckon our stories, Brené pushes readers to feel and recognize our emotions and then get curious enough about them to dig a little deeper. Chapter 5: The Rumble. In this chapter, we reexamine our stories, diving deeper to mine for truths, including errors in our own first retelling of the failure tale. Chapter 6: Sewer Rats and Scofflaws. This chapter takes the rumble a bit further with discussions of boundaries, integrity, and generosity. Chapter 7: The Brave and the Brokenhearted. This chapter as a whole is too meaty to succinctly summarize in this review beyond the subtitle: "rumbling with expectations, disappointment, resentment, heartbreak, connection, grief, forgiveness, compassion, and empathy." Chapter 8: Easy Mark. This chapter continues to expand on the concept of the rumble - which makes sense, because Brené states in chapter 2 that the second day/stage/point is the most important in the process. Chapter 9: Composting Failure. In this chapter, Brené dives deeper once more into the rumble, this time with the subtitle: "rumbling with fear, shame, perfectionism, accountability, trust, failure, and regret." Chapter 10: You Got To Dance With Them That Brung You. Yep, another dive deep chapter on rumbling, this time "rumbling with shame, identity, and nostalgia.""
"I got tired of her "cussing" and while I appreciate that she's proud of being from Texas, a list of why she's a Texan didn't apply to this book. Brown's other personal examples of people around her "making up" things, her hatred of some poor woman she had to room with at a conference, and her drawn out story about a vulnerable moment with her husband seemed like a stretch she used to try and illustrate a point."
"Every time I read a book from Brené Brown my mind shouts "Yes!"
"This book has both deep insights and incredibly practical modes of implementation."
"Instead of using sentences that are difficult to depict or relate to she uses personal stories and plain language that everyone can understand."
"I loved her other books."
"If you have or have ever known anyone who has fallen down in their life and are struggling to get back on their feet this is a great book/audio book to read/listen to."
"This work is so incredible, it helps me so much to have words and references for emotions."
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Best Papercrafts

Make Animal Sculptures with Paper Mache Clay: How to Create Stunning Wildlife Art Using Patterns and My Easy-to-Make, No-Mess Paper Mache Recipe
Join thousands who have rediscovered their creative talent, using Jonni's revolutionary techniques and recipes. The sculpting techniques shown in this book have been used by middle school kids, university art students, theater prop-makers, and adults of all ages who have rediscovered their love for sculpting, using methods and materials that are affordable for everyone.
Reviews
"this book is about a new type of papermache recipe making it easy to. create any thing you have ever wanted to copy and make yourself in an. easy to follow description,with easy to obtain ingredients."
"She gives clear, precise directions, lots of pictures, and really walks you through everything thoroughly."
"When I became interested in paper mache."
"My 7-year-old made the MOST AMAZING penguin sculpture for a class project based on the information in this book."
"Extremely good value for the money."
"Just received my book over a week early!"
"The author is a talented artist who generously shares her talent in a very user-friendly style."
"She is good about telling you which brand she uses for the ingredients--for the brand of toilet paper, for example, can make a difference."
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Best Motivational Self-Help

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives. This is a masterful, philosophical and practical book that will give readers the wisdom to be able to do just that.” ( Ryan Holiday, New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy ). “Mark’s ability to dig deep and offer amazing, yet counter-intuitive, insight into the challenges of life makes him one of my favorite writers, and this book is his best work yet.” ( Matt Kepnes, New York Times bestselling author of Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter ). “An in-your-face guide to living with integrity and finding happiness in sometimes-painful places… This book, full of counterintuitive suggestions that often make great sense, is a pleasure to read and worthy of rereading. As he writes, “not everybody can be extraordinary—there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them—this, he says, is the real source of empowerment. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties—once we stop running from and avoiding, and start confronting, painful truths—we can begin to find the courage and confidence we desperately seek.
Reviews
"As someone who has given far too many f***s about far too many things their entire life, this book was exactly the wake up call I needed. We have a limited emotional capacity, and we often squander it on reactions to mean-spirited people or unfortunate events, completely forgetting that, although we can't control the world around us, we can control ourselves. If you're the type of person who's struggled to keep their temper in line or if you're like me and you find yourself on an emotional roller-coaster because you take every event in the world and within your own life to heart, I strongly encourage you to read this book. If profanity is so much of a problem for you, that you can't tolerate reading the first half of this book (the last half is much less profane) you're probably too narrow-minded to have taken away any of the many philosophical benefits this book offers."
"If you don't have anything substantive to occupy your time, then it's trivial stuff that bothers you: "Your ex-boyfriend’s new Facebook picture, how quickly the batteries die in the TV remote, missing out on yet another two-for-one sale on hand sanitizer—chances are you don’t have much going on in your life..." Mark suggests just picking a few big things--values and people that reflect your values: "What I’m talking about here is essentially learning how to focus and prioritize your thoughts effectively—how to pick and choose what matters to you and what does not matter to you based on finely honed personal values." On a serious note, the author relates a horrific experience from his youth, when a drunken friend took a dare, jumped into a lake and drowned. This tragedy led to a determination to change the direction of his life, and figure out what is most important: "Oddly, it was someone else’s death that gave me permission to finally live. The author refers often to a book, "The Denial of Death," (which became a Pulitzer Prize winner.). In serious, heartfelt chapters, the author reflects on human existence, and our search for meaning in life."
"Some of the main themes are these: (1) Choosing what to care about; focusing on the things/problems that are actually meaningful/important (= "giving a f*** about the right things"). (2) Learning to be fine with some negative things; always aiming for positivity isn't practical, and is stressful in itself. (3) Taking responsibility of your own life; it's good for your self-esteem not to keep blaming the circumstances for your problems. (4) Understanding the importance of honesty and boundaries, especially in relationships. (5) Identity; it might a good idea not to commit strongly to any special identity such as "an undiscovered genius", because then any challenges will make you fear the potential loss of that identity you've clinged to. (6) Motivation; how to improve it by accepting failure and taking action. (7) Death; how learning to be more comfortable with one's own mortality can make it easier to live. The first 20% of this book were a little bit boring to read, but after that, the experience was very absorbing."
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Best Spiritual Self-Help

The Alchemist
A special 25th anniversary edition of the extraordinary international bestseller, including a new Foreword by Paulo Coelho. "My heart is afraid that it will have to suffer," the boy confides to the alchemist one night as they look up at a moonless night. "And that no heart has ever suffered when it goes in search of its dreams, because every second of the search is a second's encounter with God and with eternity." The charming tale of Santiago, a shepherd boy, who dreams of seeing the world, is compelling in its own right, but gains resonance through the many lessons Santiago learns during his adventures.
Reviews
"After deciding to travel to a Romani fortune-teller in a nearby town to discover its meaning, a gypsy woman tells him that there is a treasure in the Pyramids in Egypt. Everyone, when they are young, knows what their Personal Legend is.”. The Alchemist Physical CoverAlong the journey, Santiago meets an Englishman who is in search of an Alchemist and together they continue their search for treasure. The essential message is that treasure is more worthy than gold."
"I purchased and began reading this book 2 years ago and, for whatever reason, I couldn't get into it."
"I knew I would love this book."
"Sometimes - I ask myself whether the "magical" moments in the book were symbolic or literal --- I would venture out to say that Paulo intended for those moments to be perceived and interpreted by his readers as both symbolic and real."
"The boy makes connections with various people and nature and the ebb and flow of life learning to listen to omens or signs as well as his heart."
"Perhaps I am dense but I did not see such profound things there."
"Reading this a couple weeks after I moved to a new state for the first time really opened my eyes."
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Best Self-Esteem Self-Help

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are
When can I stop proving myself?In The Gifts of Imperfection, Bren頂rown, PhD, a leading expert on shame, authenticity and belonging, shares what she's learned from a decade of research on the power of Wholehearted Living--a way of engaging with the world from a place of worthiness.In her ten guideposts, Brown engages our minds, hearts, and spirits as she explores how we can cultivate the courage, compassion, and connection to wake up in the morning and think, No matter what gets done and how much is left undone, I am enough, and to go to bed at night thinking, Yes, I am sometimes afraid, but I am also brave. Each guidepost is the focus of a chapter that contains illustrative stories, primarily from her own life; definitions, including the difference between shame and guilt; quotes from such diverse sources as Diane Ackerman and E.E. She intersperses her own personal journey with research and clinical observations of others of the work of living a “wholehearted” life, or “engaging in our lives from a place of worthiness.” The point is to embrace life and oneself with all the imperfections, releasing the stress of overdoing and overworking.
Reviews
"Moreover, I had recently been dumped in my 'perfect' engagement by my fiancee who had been cheating on me with a male coworker. Changing my mind on reading this was undoubtedly one of the best decisions I have ever made and I am a much better person for it. This is important because thoughtful people need to confront these things in order to overcome them and develop not just a positive mindset; but, a *realistic* one that doesn't ignore the potentially negative cognitions that arise. But, allow me to be clear: if you have just been dumped, divorced, or experienced a break-up, then I think this is a great book for you. I think this is the right approach, since qualitative research is well-suited to derive meaning from the experiences of people. CONs. -for the uninitiated (read: myself), I thought that guidepost 8 wasn't as clear in defining the concept of stillness. First, I grew-up with a very domineering father and reading this book has made me truly comfortable with him for the first time in my life."
"I read "Daring Greatly" about 6 months ago after watching Dr. Brown's TED talks and that book honest to goodness changed my life. I found this was a little shallow and abstract, whereas Daring Greatly so eloquently and articulately put words to ideas we understand intuitively, and it really enhanced my emotional vocabulary. Some of it (shame vs guilt, for example) was redundant of Daring Greatly (and other texts for that matter) and her discussion of ideas like intuition, spirituality, and numbing were vague and unhelpful to me. She had a section after each chapter called DIG deep where she listed ways that she tries to employ these strategies, and she often said "Amen" at the end of some quotes. She was also a little judgmental in this book (towards others and towards herself) and I could ironically see her striving for perfectionism (like in order to be perfect she needs to become "wholehearted," so she is actively working to employ these strategies rather than actually embodying them). Additionally, unlike Daring Greatly, this reads a little bit like a checklist (see comment above) of things you should do: 1. don't be a perfectionist 2. The Gifts of Imperfection seemed to get sidetracked by specifics (dancing, jewelry making, her childhood house in New Orleans) and it never reached that universality that was so healing in Daring Greatly. In contrast, it felt like Brene Brown had found her own voice in Daring Greatly, and no longer needed to continually reference others' work and could just share her research and the conclusions she reached from it. All in all, while The Gifts of Imperfection was a nice book that offered a little refresher of Brown's understanding of "wholehearted living" with some ideas about intuition and faith, creativity, and song and dance, it was not as sophisticated or inspiring as her latest book Daring Greatly, which really felt like a true culmination of her research and experiences."
"I've been through 6 therapists, I've struggled with depression for nearly twenty years, never could finish anything I started, and everyone always assumed I had ADHD. Not until therapist number five did someone point out to me that ADHD is often mistaken for anxiety and he was sure that was my problem."
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Best Eating Disorders & Body Image Self-Help

Bright Line Eating: The Science of Living Happy, Thin & Free
It’s because the brain blocks weight loss. By working with four “Bright Lines” — clear, unambiguous, boundaries — Susan Peirce Thompson shows us how to heal our brain and shift it into a mode where it is ready to shed pounds, release cravings, and stop sabotaging our weight loss goals. This book is based not only on the personal experiences of thousands, but also backed up by solid brain science that has never been presented like this before. — Mark Hyman, M.D., director, Cleveland Center for Functional Medicine and #1 New York Times best-selling author of The Blood Sugar Solution. Susan Peirce Thompson, Ph.D. is an Adjunct Associate Professor of Brain and Cognitive Sciences at the University of Rochester and an expert in the psychology of eating. She is President of the Institute for Sustainable Weight Loss and the founder and CEO of Bright Line Eating Solutions, a company dedicated to helping people achieve the health and vibrancy that accompany permanent weight loss.
Reviews
"I am now 75 years old and two years ago I found Susan pierce Thompson program and finally the program that works for me."
"That was how I felt when I read the book “Bright Line Eating, the Science of Living Happy, Thin, and Free”!! After starting a Bright Line Eating boot camp a year ago TODAY, I have released 57 pounds and 35 inches overall! The way Dr. Thompson writes—it really is like she is sitting at the table with me like a good friend, telling me the science—the “why” I haven’t been able to keep the lost weight off. Has any other author told you what to do when you travel or when you are ill or how to get through a special occasion like birthdays, weddings, holidays?! “Bright Line Eating, the Science of Living Happy, Thin, and Free” isn’t just another “diet” book!"
"I started watching Susan's videos on you tube. I took the leap and joined the 14 day challenge. I had to be focused, organized and plan ahead. Did I crave sugary processed foods? Best thing about this plan. It works. I'm feel so much better. Energy level increased. Sleeping solid through the night. Losing weight. Decreased brain fog."
"Over the course of 35 years I tried Weight Watchers (MANY times), Jenny Craig, Nutrisystem, South Beach Diet, Eat More Weigh Less, The Zone, Slim Fast, SparkPeople, Eat Right for Your Type, Dexatrim, Medifast, Atkins, Ornish, Mediterranean, Suzanne Somers, Susan Powter-Stop the Insanity, Jane Fonda Workouts, 6 Week Body Makeover, Protein Power, Shakeology, and the list goes on. Some diets lasted for days, others for weeks or months, but none of them clicked. My cheat day(s) or meals turned into cheat weeks over time, and slowly my books, food, pills, shakes or materials disappeared into the spare bedroom so I didn't see the reminder of yet another failed diet attempt. But after the first 2 weeks my energy returned, my brain fog disappeared, I was no longer distracted by thoughts of food, and I was losing weight. If you're anything like me and struggle with your weight, if you've tried everything and want to give up, if you want to get healthy and feel vibrant and amazing just about every day, this book is for you!"
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Best Stress Management

Getting Things Done: The Art of Stress-Free Productivity
"The Bible of business and personal productivity" — Lifehack "A completely revised and updated edition of the blockbuster bestseller from 'the personal productivity guru'" — Fast Company. Yes, Getting Things Done offers a complete system for downloading all those free-floating gotta-do's clogging your brain into a sophisticated framework of files and action lists--all purportedly to free your mind to focus on whatever you're working on. (To wit, Allen, whom the New Economy bible Fast Company has dubbed "the personal productivity guru," suggests that instead of meditating on crouching tigers and hidden dragons while you wait for a plane, you should unsheathe that high-tech saber known as the cell phone and attack that list of calls you need to return.). That's where the processing and prioritizing begin; in Allen's system, it get a little convoluted at times, rife as it is with fancy terms, subterms, and sub-subterms for even the simplest concepts. Readers learn that there is no single means for perfecting organizational efficiency or productivity; rather, the author offers tools to focus energies strategically and tactically without letting anything fall through the cracks.
Reviews
"His system for logging these tasks into an airtight and functional system for tracking them does take a bit of effort in the beginning and is why I procrastinated doing it in the beginning but once implemented it saves you grief 100 fold."
"Outstanding."
"He has some helpful charts but the prose is long and sloggy for me."
"GTD is the classic to organize your inputs into projects and next actions."
"I don't feel stuck and overwhelmed without a clue where to start on my projects."
"There are so many books with complicated systems to try and organize your life."
"I loved the first edition, but the 2015 edition was tedious to read and I didn't have the patience to get through it."
"Since the original release there has been a profound shift in the use of technology - hardware, software, mobile and cloud. 2015 finds us in much more diversified and integrated data input/output environment than what the Palm and MSOffice suite offered in 2000, and so there is a very good reason to update the "how" part of the equation to manage this new information capture and task-list ecosystem. In the new edition, the author provides some digital guideline feature specifics (software outline program should allow for sub-headings, expand/collapse ability), even more generalities, but mostly just derails the digital conversation of any 'how' by sweeping particulars under the carpet with a few ambiguities of "what" needs to be done, not "how" to do it, "Make sure you create comfort with the [computer] applications ["used for developing and capturing project plans and collateral"]. Punting on digital specifics of today's workflow world because, in his words, “the rate of innovation in this area means that any specific software program can easily be outdated, upgraded, or undermined by the next new thing", and that he has admittedly "hopped out of the fray, opting instead to provide a general model for how to evaluate the usefulness of any tool" is, for me, not useful. But whereas I was confident that I had a pretty holistic system set-up as a result of the original book (and actually, as much a result of a smaller digital footprint, and I know I'm not the exception), I now feel, with this "completely updated" edition, that I have half a system with a digital divide, a "black hole" as the author even alludes. I agree that it has helped me refine my thinking about how to use GTD in the digital age,,, i.e., I now think that I cannot rely just on this one book as a holistic model of how to get it all done ;). For anyone new to GTD, go ahead and buy this 2015 version, or save some money and buy the paperback original for a $1.50 and you'll learn the essentials that have not changed."
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Best Memory Improvement

A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science (Even If You Flunked Algebra)
The companion book to COURSERA®'s wildly popular massive open online course "Learning How to Learn" Whether you are a student struggling to fulfill a math or science requirement, or you are embarking on a career change that requires a new skill set, A Mind for Numbers offers the tools you need to get a better grasp of that intimidating material. When she saw how her lack of mathematical and technical savvy severely limited her options—both to rise in the military and to explore other careers—she returned to school with a newfound determination to re-tool her brain to master the very subjects that had given her so much trouble throughout her entire life. How do you come to love math and science, and how do you come to learn math and science? Barbara Oakley is the magician who will help you do both.” —Francisco J. Ayala, University Professor and Donald Bren Professor of Biological Sciences, University of California, Irvine, and former President and Chairman of the Board, American Association for the Advancement of Science. But now that learners have a handy guide for ‘knowing better’ they will also be able to ‘do better.’” —Shirley Malcom, Head of Education and Human Resources Programs, American Association for the Advancement of Science “ A Mind for Numbers is an excellent book about how to approach mathematics, science, or any realm where problem solving plays a prominent role.” —J. Given the urgent need for America to improve its science and math education so it can stay competitive, A Mind for Numbers is a welcome find.” —Geoffrey Canada, President, Harlem Children's Zone "It's easy to say 'work smarter, not harder,' but Barbara Oakley actually shows you how to do just that, in a fast-paced and accessible book that collects tips based on experience and sound science. —Glenn Harlan Reynolds, Beauchamp Brogan Distinguished Professor of Law, The University of Tennessee “ A Mind for Numbers is a splendid resource for how to approach mathematics learning and in fact learning in any area. This is a must-read for anyone who has struggled with mathematics and anyone interested in enhancing their learning experience.” —David C. Geary, Curators’ Professor of Psychological Sciences and Interdisciplinary Neuroscience, University o f Missouri. “For students afraid of math and science and for those who love the subjects, this engaging book provides guidance in establishing study habits that take advantage of how the brain works.” —Deborah Schifter, Principal Research Scientist, Science and Mathematics Programs, Education Development Center, Inc.
Reviews
"Dr. Oakley does a masterful job in introducing the science of learning to readers in a way that is very engaging, practical, infectious and liberating."
"I eventually became a science teacher and bought this book to see if I could use it to reach my students better and it opened my eyes not only to good strategies but how the technical parts of our brain even work."
"The author explains in details why the strategies presented work and this makes a difference with merely reading about “how to study”. I need to read it all over again because it is so full of information... Good luck to you all."
"With practical and and easy to implement advice Dr Oakley and her book, open a door to a world that for many self-identified creatives such as myself, was locked and heavily barred before."
"Barbara Oakley is very inspirational."
"Some of the suggestions seem time constrained unless you study without the schedule constraint! So if you are not good in math but want to be employ the suggestion in this book and do them outside of a schedule constraint."
"Normally when a person of your background write literature, all meaning is lost because of the high tech words."
"It really helps to understand how our brain works and what we can do to achieve our objectives not only in math but in any subject or in general."
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Best Happiness

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives. This is a masterful, philosophical and practical book that will give readers the wisdom to be able to do just that.” ( Ryan Holiday, New York Times bestselling author of The Obstacle is the Way and Ego is the Enemy ). “Mark’s ability to dig deep and offer amazing, yet counter-intuitive, insight into the challenges of life makes him one of my favorite writers, and this book is his best work yet.” ( Matt Kepnes, New York Times bestselling author of Travel the World on $50 a Day: Travel Cheaper, Longer, Smarter ). “An in-your-face guide to living with integrity and finding happiness in sometimes-painful places… This book, full of counterintuitive suggestions that often make great sense, is a pleasure to read and worthy of rereading. As he writes, “not everybody can be extraordinary—there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them—this, he says, is the real source of empowerment. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties—once we stop running from and avoiding, and start confronting, painful truths—we can begin to find the courage and confidence we desperately seek.
Reviews
"As someone who has given far too many f***s about far too many things their entire life, this book was exactly the wake up call I needed. We have a limited emotional capacity, and we often squander it on reactions to mean-spirited people or unfortunate events, completely forgetting that, although we can't control the world around us, we can control ourselves. If you're the type of person who's struggled to keep their temper in line or if you're like me and you find yourself on an emotional roller-coaster because you take every event in the world and within your own life to heart, I strongly encourage you to read this book. If profanity is so much of a problem for you, that you can't tolerate reading the first half of this book (the last half is much less profane) you're probably too narrow-minded to have taken away any of the many philosophical benefits this book offers."
"If you don't have anything substantive to occupy your time, then it's trivial stuff that bothers you: "Your ex-boyfriend’s new Facebook picture, how quickly the batteries die in the TV remote, missing out on yet another two-for-one sale on hand sanitizer—chances are you don’t have much going on in your life..." Mark suggests just picking a few big things--values and people that reflect your values: "What I’m talking about here is essentially learning how to focus and prioritize your thoughts effectively—how to pick and choose what matters to you and what does not matter to you based on finely honed personal values." On a serious note, the author relates a horrific experience from his youth, when a drunken friend took a dare, jumped into a lake and drowned. This tragedy led to a determination to change the direction of his life, and figure out what is most important: "Oddly, it was someone else’s death that gave me permission to finally live. The author refers often to a book, "The Denial of Death," (which became a Pulitzer Prize winner.). In serious, heartfelt chapters, the author reflects on human existence, and our search for meaning in life."
"Some of the main themes are these: (1) Choosing what to care about; focusing on the things/problems that are actually meaningful/important (= "giving a f*** about the right things"). (2) Learning to be fine with some negative things; always aiming for positivity isn't practical, and is stressful in itself. (3) Taking responsibility of your own life; it's good for your self-esteem not to keep blaming the circumstances for your problems. (4) Understanding the importance of honesty and boundaries, especially in relationships. (5) Identity; it might a good idea not to commit strongly to any special identity such as "an undiscovered genius", because then any challenges will make you fear the potential loss of that identity you've clinged to. (6) Motivation; how to improve it by accepting failure and taking action. (7) Death; how learning to be more comfortable with one's own mortality can make it easier to live. The first 20% of this book were a little bit boring to read, but after that, the experience was very absorbing."
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Best Inner Child

ADULT CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLICS/DYSFUNCTIONAL FAMILIES
DISCLAIMER: This is the official ACA Fellowship Text that is Adult Children of Alcoholics World Service Organization (ACA WSO) Conference Approved Literature. The ACA Fellowship Text (commonly referred to as the Big Red Book or BRB) is a meeting book, Steps book, Traditions book, workbook, and group guide. While we are developing an audio book and considering the feasibility of large print books, we trust that the fellowship will be able to utilize e-readers to access the ACA Fellowship Text on e-readers that enlarge the print size and or read the book.
Reviews
"This book is amazing."
"I selected this book on a recommendation from a friend who is an Adult Child."
"I had struggled with some of these problems and patterns for my whole life, and had made some headway on my own in terms of figuring things out."
"The content of the book itself is extremely helpful if you come from a family where alcoholism, abuse or some other kind of dysfunction existed."
"Highly recommended."
"Although I have just started with an ACA group this is an excellent book to aid in breaking the additive patterns inadvertently inherited by our families of origin, whether alcohol and/or dysfunctional behaviors were present."
"The professional pieces by Charles Whitfield and Claudia Black are instructive and fit well into the overall project."
"I can relate to so much in this book, having grown up in a dysfunctional home, especially the part about "emotional neglect", which I had never heard about until I got into ACA."
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Best Journal Writing

4 Essential Keys to Effective Communication in Love, Life, Work--Anywhere!: A How-To Guide for Practicing the Empathic Listening, Speaking, and Dialogue Skills to Achieve Relationship Success
"This is an excellent guide on how to practice empathy in relationships, showing why it's so important and how to do it. "THESE SKILLS HELP ME WITH MY CLIENTS AND MY LOVED ONES" "The communication skills Bento Leal teaches have helped me listen and speak with greater empathy to both my loved ones and my clients, and as a result have continued to strengthen my relationships in my life and work. If there is one thing that undermines all of our relationships it is poor or lack of communication. I'd get intensely busy with it for a few days, and then back off for sometimes a few weeks, and then I'd get back at it again with renewed inspiration, fresh ideas and determination. This is how it was for a full 13 months. But my hope during the entire writing process was that the final result would be something succinct, readable, and most importantly doable that could help people grow themselves and their relationships. That was the main motivation and driving force that kept me going.
Reviews
"I read this book to be more intentional in being a better communicator, thinking my listening was a strength."
"While we've all learned about empathic listening from as far back as Stephen Covey, adding empathic awareness and empathic speaking in that same box is very helpful and concept-expanding."
"There is no a single moment when you will get bored of reading this book, because everything in it is a treasure that is actually helpful to everyone who wants to improve the way they communicate with people in their private and professional lives."
"Great book - author is explaining different communication tactics and examples how to practice it."
"Makes you understand deeper about effective communication."
"Great purchase, very helpful information."
"I enjoyed this book and plan to use it to better communicate with others."
"Content of this book is very really life context."
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Best Personal Transformation

You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life
Bestselling author, speaker and world-traveling success coach, Jen Sincero, cuts through the din of the self-help genre with her own verbal meat cleaver in You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life . ---Publishers Weekly Jen Sincero is a Bestselling author and success coach who has helped countless people transform their personal and professional lives via her private sessions, public appearances, newsletters, products and books. She's spoken on stages all over the world and has coached full-on super heroes, helping her clients build their dream businesses, become NY Times Bestselling authors, navigate million dollar business deals, find their soul mates and forgive their bitchy mothers who they now realize were doing the best they could.
Reviews
"Sincero also uses a lot of highly critical, edgy language to describe people who are struggling or stuck - therefore not as awesome as she is - using words like "lame-o " "suck" "wuss" ...well, you get the idea. I have to confess that I question a writer who continually references her own life choices and personal career success as a model that the rest of us should follow."
"About halfway through the book, Sincero begins talking about excuses. She says, and I'm paraphrasing here, that depression is a comfort because it gives those who suffer from it an excuse not to do anything but stay in bed. There are days where laundry piles up and my bedroom becomes a disaster and I hide away from the world because I don't think I'm worthy of being seen. It means that I'm just dealing with negative thoughts and I need to work through it. The fact that Sincero completely misunderstands depression ruined this book for me instantly. I couldn't afford to replace the khakis that were part of my work uniform. And I certainly didn't spend beyond my means just because I thought 'the universe owes me and will figure it out.'. Going out and spending money on a trip around the world isn't exactly sound advice for everyone. I felt like Sincero was speaking to one small group of clients. I was highly offended and if I wasn't so far in the book, I would've stopped reading altogether."
"Imagine if someone tried to rewrite The Secret and other such nonsense with just enough swearing and pop culture references to make the author think they're being "witty" and "cool." Other readers have already pointed out the ludicrous example of how the author talks about her "magical" ability to always find great parking spaces just because she sends that need out into the universe, or some other claptrap. I'm imaging the people who ride the bus who are trying to get to work, home, medical services, etc, and I can't see them being happy about being wildly off schedule. In short, this book might appeal to you if: 1) You've never heard of any other self-help ideas. 2) Fortune cookies regularly wow you with their insights. 3) You don't have any financial issues, disabilities/chronic health concerns, and nothing ever goes wrong for you."
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