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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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The Untethered Soul: The Journey Beyond Yourself
The Untethered Soul , spiritual teacher Michael Singer explores the question of who we are and arrives at the conclusion that our identity is to be found in our consciousness, the fact of our ability to observe ourselves, and the world around us. By tapping into traditions of meditation and mindfulness, Singer shows how the development of consciousness can enable us all to dwell in the present moment and let go of painful thoughts and memories that keep us from achieving happiness and self-realization. This book, copublished with the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS), offers a frank and friendly discussion of consciousness and how we can develop it. The accuracy and simplicity of this work is a measure of its pure mastery.” — James O’Dea , past president of the Institute of Noetic Sciences (IONS). It is the clearest statement I know of who we are and what we face in our emerging humanity.”. — Jean Houston , philosopher, psychologist, and author of A Mythic Life and Passion for the Possible “Deep spirituality is within your reach in this book. It may take more than one reading and many hours of introspection, but The Untethered Soul is a must-read for anyone in search of greater understanding of themselves and of the truth.” — Louis Chiavacci , senior vice-president of Merrill Lynch, ranked in Barron’s top fifteen US Investment Advisors. “This publication has released boundless joy for the hungry souls of the world.” — Ma Yoga Shakti Saraswati, founder of Yogashakti International Mission and recipient of Hinduism Today’s Hindu of the Year 2000 award. With great eloquence, wit, and compelling logic, Singer’s brilliant book completes this thought by showing them to be two poles of the same selfless devotion.” — Ray Kurzweil , National Medal of Technology recipient and author of The Singularity Is Near. Singer takes the reader on a journey that begins with consciousness tethered to the ego and ends having taken us beyond our myopic, contained self-image to a state of inner freedom and liberation. Michael A. Singer’s book is a priceless gift to all who have futilely searched and yearned for a richer, more meaningful, creative life.” — Yogi Amrit Desai , internationally recognized pioneer of modern yoga.
Reviews
"I read the audio version of this book multiple times, bought copies of it for clients, and shared it with friends. After reading Michael's book, I simply allowed irrelevant, erroneous, totally made up thoughts to just float on by without attaching my emotions to them. It means you're no longer an emotional puppet on the string of everyone else's behavior, attitudes, decisions, choices, etc. I LOVED the audio version of the book because the person who read it was perfect for the content. I've read TONS of other books on similar topics but the way Michael conveyed the material was unique and different and I really GOT IT!"
"Some of the points made in The Untethered Soul are: 1. Learn to relax and stay open no matter what. Do not identify with the experiences you are observing. Facing the fact of bodily death can help you to realize that all of the observed is temporary. Do not allow painful experiences from the past to influence the present. If you want a life full of joy and love you must make a commitment to having a life full of joy and love. Learn how to live from your heart, not from your ego. The Untethered Soul is my second most favorite book on the subject of how to transcend the ego and how to realize the true Self and directly experience that perfect infinite consciousness that has only joy and love and has no suffering. My most favorite book on that subject is THE SEVEN STEPS TO AWAKENING which is a collection of quotes by these seven authors: 1."
"I see life and the spiritual journey differently, and though I do believe we all should strive for a happier life and a more peaceful spirit, I don't believe it is desirable to live without some unhappiness, some worries, some fears. The author contradicts himself many times, but more importantly doesn't indicate any awareness that he has contradicted himself. Thus, while the author makes many statements throughout that I agree with, he also constantly is making other statements that contradict previous ones, giving me the impression that he is just writing a stream of consciousness of statements cherry-picked to resonate with a broad range of spiritual-enlightenment-seekers, without much regard to whether those statements gel together to form a cohesive whole. Structure. I would not want to take that away from anyone, but sadly, it is not the book for me."
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Braving the Wilderness: The Quest for True Belonging and the Courage to Stand Alone
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A timely and important new book that challenges everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture, from the #1 bestselling author of Rising Strong, Daring Greatly, and The Gifts of Imperfection HELLO SUNSHINE BOOK CLUB PICK “True belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are. She writes, “True belonging requires us to believe in and belong to ourselves so fully that we can find sacredness both in being a part of something and in standing alone when necessary. Praise for Brené Brown’s Rising Strong “[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. Thankfully, Brené Brown is there with an outstretched arm to help us up.” —Simon Sinek, author of Start with Why and Leaders Eat Last. Brené Brown, PhD, LMSW, is a research professor at the University of Houston where she holds the Huffington Foundation–Brené Brown Endowed Chair at the Graduate College of Social Work.
Reviews
"I started working toward being an Amazon Top 1000 reviewer about a year ago. And I chose it, because sad though it is, my reviews on Amazon and Goodreads are the last place in this entire world where I am willing to communicate, in any capacity, with other human beings. So lonely that as I type this I feel like crying, even though I accepted this as my reality a long time ago. I struggle to call and make appointments because it requires talking to strangers, and for this reason I also can't go to the grocery store, or the gas station, or any other list of a hundred places that normal people go to have normal lives. You see, I decided five years ago that I was done with fitting in, and that I'd rather be lonely and alone, than to continue immersing myself in a world I found caustic. I saw people ripping each other down through the medium of social media because they didn't have to look that person in the face, and see how their comments hurt them. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but as the years have passed, I've cut myself so far off from humanity that it feels like I'm the only person left in my world. But I didn't know how else to express the impact this book had on me, without first talking about how much pain I've been in, and how nefarious my reasons for reading it in the first place. I expected to write an honest, clinical review discussing its contents from a dispassionate point of view. But instead, here I am, still clumsily attempting to convey my feelings in the hopes that some part of this review might encourage even one other person to read this book."
"This is the best of all of her books, as well as a prescription for being alive now, of being a citizen, a human being, a kind and caring and loving person--now--at this time in history. I read it yesterday and today in two sittings and am going back again and again to the writing, the ideas, and the inspiration to me to life more authentically and to be able to connect with others in deeper and braver ways."
"I've only listened to the first chapter of the book so far and I've been in tears three times."
"This is the book that I needed now."
"I read a review of the book before reading the book and it set me up for disappointment."
"This book is life changing for me."
"Gift for Friend, she really likes this book."
"Great experience Would highly recommend."
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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 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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Best Inspirational Spirituality

Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence
After many years of writing her own words in her prayer journal, missionary Sarah Young decided to be more attentive to the Savior's voice and begin listening for what He was saying. Here is a year’s worth of daily readings from Young’s journals to bring you closer to Christ and move your time with Him from monologue to a dialogue. I’m so thankful for what God has done in my own life and the lives of people I love through this extraordinary book.” -- Shauna Niequist, , bestselling author of Bread and Wine and Savor. I was first introduced to Jesus Calling three years ago, and since then, I’ve given countless copies to friends and family in hopes that it will help them in their spiritual walk as it has in mine. This book perfectly encapsulates Christ’s love for us, and it supports each message with scriptural evidence.” -- Sean Lowe, , ABC Television’s The Bachelor and author of For the Right Reasons.
Reviews
"The scripture at the bottom of the page is already written out for you, you don't have to go searching unless you want to read it in a different version, which is good too."
"I gave my last one away and ordered this one but it doesn't have the scripture references typed out like my last one."
"This is much nicer than the original version and has the scriptures quoted instead of just the references."
"So far so good, some of the days aren't that great, but with 365 days it's hard to be perfect 100% of the time."
"A blessing that was gifted to me and now I have sent several of these daily devotions to grateful recipients!"
"I purchased this little book a year ago."
"I pray that all who read this devotional will be greatly blessed and will find a more personal relationship with the Lord."
"I love this little book and look forward to using it everyday. for my Bible study."
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Best Motivational Growth & Spirituality

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 have heard a lot of positive things about this book but couldn't bring myself to read it."
"I read it with an absolutely open mind for about half the book, and then had to force myself to choke down the rest. Paulo Coelho introduces you to the moral core of the story, which can and is summed up in a few paragraphs, probably at some point in the first ten pages. After that, apparently because he is incapable of nuanced writing, of metaphors, or of allowing the reader to decipher any meaning at all for himself, he instead decides to pound the exact same few moral points into your skull every single page, for exactly 182 repetitive pages. Instead of being berated by the omniscient narrator about chasing our dreams, thinly disguised as the seemingly only thought our one dimensional main character possesses? Which sort of ties in to the second largest flaw, maybe the first in order of importance depending on what your aim is, which is that this book is simply a dull, boring story, and rather poorly written, or possibly it's a children's book and I missed that because adults are reading it heavily in America. Just the same message reiterated again and again, the plot sort of being there as a vehicle for the mass repetition of the moral lesson. The omniscient narrator, clearly nothing but Coelho, spouts his belief about following a dream through the most superficial, paper thin main character in the history of literature. But no amount of mumbo jumbo repitition about Omens made this book appealing to my inner mystic, which really isn't that hard. Coehlo seems to be under the impression that you can have two characters look at each other, and use the word Omen, or personal treasure, and that is enough substance to intrigue the reader. But he fails to grasp that the reader actually has to feel intrigued and moved; by the plot, and by the characters."
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Best European Travel Photography

21 Days To Forgiveness: A Biblical Devotional For Overcoming Yesterday's Hurts
Do you find it hard to stop recalling wrongs committed against you? If you’re tired of struggling with the pain of yesterday and you are ready to take the steps to true emotional and spiritual freedom, start applying the life-changing principles in this Biblical devotional and experience what it means to be free, truly free from yesterday’s hurts. DEON O. THOMAS is the founder and Senior Pastor of The King’s Sanctuary in Kingston, Jamaica and has been in Christian Ministry for over 16 years.
Reviews
"Enslaved by a master we hardly perceive, many times only in retrospect do we recognize the powerful influnce of offense over the decisions and responses we make that reak such havok in our lives."
"Having read the big brother title in this series, 21 Days To Sexual Purity: A Biblical Devotional For Overcoming Sexual Temptations there was no hesitation for me with purchasing this title."
"It's easy to think you have no issue with it..or that you will never encounter anyone with the same..Thanks to 21-days to Forgiveness I am now able to recognize i wasnt as forgiving as i thought i was...and it has made me aware of the steps needed to be taken to overcome this sin."
"It stays with me in my thoughts all day and that's what makes it such a great devotional because you learn so much and it puts things about how God wants to see us live with one another into perspective."
"He uses a chapter a day approach, similar to his '21 Days to Sexual Purity' so as to give the reader time to appreciate and practice each new thought so that by the end of the book we don't struggle to remember what we read but actually would have been practicing the biblical material over the previous three weeks."
"Having read this book I now have a greater understanding of what forgiveness is and how to achieve it."
"If you are struggling with forgiveness I would definitely recommend this to you as a must read .It has some great prayers at the end of each chapter and gives you space to write your thoughts and reflect."
"21 days to forgiveness, has really opened my eyes to the subtle sin that is unforgivingness."
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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 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 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 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 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 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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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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