LibGuides: Booklists for Adults & Teens: Booklists for Adults & Teens

happiness

January 17-23 is Hunt for Happiness Week

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

Happiness Becomes You by Tina Turner Tina Turner--living legend, icon to millions, and author of the "brave and wry" (Vulture) memoir My Love Story--returns with a deeply personal book of wisdom that explores her longstanding faith in Buddhism and provides a guide to these timeless principles so you can find happiness in your own life. I dedicate this book to you... in honor of your unseen efforts to triumph over each problem life sends your way. Tina is a global icon of inspiration. And now, with Happiness Becomes You: A Guide to Changing Your Life for Good, Tina shows how anyone can overcome life's obstacles--even transform the "impossible" to possible--and fulfill our dreams. She shows how we, too, can improve our lives, empowering us with spiritual tools and sage advice to enrich our unique paths. Buddhism has been a central part of Tina Turner's life for decades and, in music, film, and live performances, she has shined as an example of generating hope from nothing, breaking through all limitations, and succeeding in life. Drawing from the lessons of her own life, from adversity to stratospheric heights, Tina effortlessly shows how the spiritual lessons of Buddhism help her transform from sorrow, adversity, and poverty into joy, stability, and prosperity. Now, Tina offers the wisdom of an extraordinary lifetime in Happiness Becomes You making this the perfect gift of inspiration for you or a loved one.
The Atlas of Happiness by Helen Russell A fun, illustrated guide that takes us around the world, discovering the secrets to happiness. Author Helen Russell (The Year of Living Danishly) uncovers the fascinating ways that different nations search for happiness in their lives, and what they can teach us about our own quest for meaning. This charming and diverse assortment of advice, history, and philosophies includes: Sobremesa from Spain Turangawaewae from New Zealand Azart from Russia Tarab from Syria joie de vivre from Canada and many more.
Happiness Hacks by Alex Palmer Highly Effective Hacks From Totally True Facts! Could you be happier at work . . . in love . . . in life? You may not need a total overhaul--just a few good Happiness Hacks! Here are hundreds of shortcuts to brighten your day and boost your mood--and the science behind how they work. Discover why . . . 57°F (13.9°C) is the happiest temperature Selfies give you a jolt of joy Renters have a surprising edge over homeowners 17-minute breaks are the most productive Intimacy is better than sex It's more satisfying to work a full 40-hour week Date night is the key to a happy marriage Just 10 minutes of exercise can cheer you up! Whether you're seeking better health, stronger friendships, or that elusive "happy place," these stunningly simple tips are proven to help. You can hack your way to happiness!
The Happiness Curve by Jonathan Rauch "In this warm, wise, and witty overview, Jonathan Rauch combines evidence and experience to show his fellow adults that the best is yet to come."--Steven Pinker, bestselling author ofEnlightenment Now This book will change your life by showing you how life changes. Why does happiness get harder in your 40s? Why do you feel in a slump when you're successful? Where does this malaise come from? And, most importantly, will it ever end? Drawing on cutting-edge research, award-winning journalist Jonathan Rauch answers all these questions. He shows that from our 20s into our 40s, happiness follows a U-shaped trajectory, a "happiness curve," declining from the optimism of youth into what's often a long, low slump in middle age, before starting to rise again in our 50s. This isn't a midlifecrisis, though. Rauch reveals that this slump is instead a natural stage of life--and an essential one. By shifting priorities away from competition and toward compassion, it equips you with new tools for wisdom and gratitude to win the third period of life. And Rauch can testify to this personally because it was his own slump, despite acclaim as a journalist and commentator that compelled him to investigate the happiness curve. His own story and the stories of many others from all walks of life--from a steelworker and a limo driver to a telecoms executive and a philanthropist--show how the ordeal of midlife malaise reboots our values and even our brains for a rebirth of gratitude. Full of insights and data and featuring many ways to endure the slump and avoid its perils and traps,The Happiness Curvedoesn't just show you the dark forest of midlife, it helps you find a path through the trees. It also demonstrates how we can--and why we must--do more to help each other through the woods. Midlife is a journey we mustn't walk alone.
Happiness Is a Choice You Make by John Leland ANew York TimesBestseller! An extraordinary look at what it means to grow old and a heartening guide to well-being,Happiness Isa Choice You Makeweaves together the stories and wisdom of six New Yorkers who number among the "oldest old"-- those eighty-five and up. In 2015, when the award-winning journalist John Leland set out on behalf ofThe New York Times to meet members of America's fastest-growing age group, he anticipated learning of challenges, of loneliness, and of the deterioration of body, mind, and quality of life. But the elders he met took him in an entirely different direction. Despite disparate backgrounds and circumstances, they each lived with a surprising lightness and contentment. The reality Leland encountered upended contemporary notions of aging, revealing the late stages of life as unexpectedly rich and the elderly as incomparably wise. Happiness Is a Choice You Make is an enduring collection of lessons that emphasizes, above all, the extraordinary influence we wield over the quality of our lives. With humility, heart, and wit, Leland has crafted a sophisticated and necessary reflection on how to "live better"--informed by those who have mastered the art.
The Future of Happiness by Amy Blankson; Shawn Achor (Foreword by) Technology--at least in theory--is improving our productivity, efficiency, and communication. The one thing it’s not doing is making us happier. We are experiencing historically high levels of depression and dissatisfaction. But it doesn’t have to be that way. Technology can drive--not diminish--human happiness. Our brains receive 11 million bits of information every second but can only process 40 bits at any given time. Thanks to the latest technology, you have a say in what information you consume. We now have the tools to train our brains to scan the world for the positive, trumping our genes and our environment to reach our full potential. Knowing that technology is here to stay and will continue to evolve in form and function, we need to know how to navigate the future to achieve a better balance between technology, productivity, and wellbeing. In The Future of Happiness, author Amy Blankson, co-founder of the global positive psychology consulting firm GoodThink, unveils five strategies that successful individuals can use to not just survive--but to actually thrive--in the Digital Age: Stay grounded to focus and channel your energy with intention Know thyself through app-driven data to strive toward your potential Train your brain to develop and sustain an optimistic mindset Create a habitat for happiness to maximize the spaces and places in which you live, work, and learn Be a conscious innovator to actively shape your future By rethinking when, where, why and how you use technology, you will not only able to influence your own wellbeing but also help shape the future of your community. Discover how futuristic technologies can transform the idea of "I’ll be happy when . . .” to your way of being now.
The Blue Zones of Happiness by Dan Buettner In this inspiring book, Buettner offers game-changing tools for setting up your life to be the happiest it can be. In these illuminating pages, you'll:#9679Meet the world's Happiness All-Stars-inspiring individuals whose ways of boosting well-being can influence your home and community as well.#9679Discover the three strands of happiness-pleasure, purpose, and pride-that weave together in different ways in the world's happiest places.#9679Use the Blue Zones Happiness Test to pinpoint areas in your life where change could bring more happiness-and then find practical steps to make those changes.#9679Learn what researchers on happiness consider the top ways to create personal and nationwide happiness, as revealed by a blue-ribbon panel of world experts convened for this book.#9679Boost your own happiness with the Happiness Power 9-Buettner's final assessment of the most important lessons to be learned from the world's happiest people and places.
Food, Health, and Happiness by Oprah Winfrey Oprah Winfrey will be the first to tell you, she has had a complicated relationship with food. It's been both a source of delight and comfort for her, but also the cause of an ongoing struggle with her weight. InFood, Health, and Happiness, Oprah shares the recipes that have allowed eating to finally be joyful for her. With dishes created and prepared alongside her favorite chefs, paired with personal essays and memories from Oprah herself, this cookbook offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look into the life (and kitchen!) of one of the most influential and respected celebrities in the world. Delicious, healthy, and easy to prepare, these are the recipes Oprah most loves to make at home and share with friends and family. Fromsimple pleasures like Unfried Chicken and Turkey Chili, to such celebrations of freshness as Tuscan Kale and Apple Salad and Pasta Primavera, this is food as it should be: a taste of happiness, a ritual to be shared, a toast to life.
Happiness in This Life by Oonagh Stransky (Translator); Pope Pope Francis A collection of homilies, speeches, and "messages of the day" that brings together Pope Francis's wisdom on finding happiness in the here and now For Pope Francis, the appreciation of our everyday lives is a spiritual undertaking. Joy is a divine attribute, and creating joy around us an essential part of faith. Every homily and speech in this book delivers, in warm, engaging language accessible to believers and nonbelievers alike, a key lesson, instructing readers on finding love and happiness in a chaotic world. Along the way, Pope Francis discusses the sanctity of women's rights, talks about how the love of sports can bring out our best qualities, and explains why fighting discrimination is the essence of loving thy neighbor. He shares personal stories and anecdotes from his life, provides comforting messages of hope, and discusses the ways flawed families can make you a better person. The core ideas of Francis's papacy--mercy, support for marginalized people, and diplomacy--shine through. Praise for Happines in This Life "Though the title of the book mentions happiness, this collection of thoughts addresses something much deeper--joy. Bringing together excerpts from Pope Francis's sermons, speeches, prayers, and addresses, these pieces address a range of themes, from mercy and humility to simplicity and family. . . . Readers will be encouraged to clear away the cacophony of modern society and embrace the simplicity of joy. A book as loving and encouraging as the man himself seems to be."--Booklist "With this wide-ranging collection of writings, homilies, and addresses, the current pontiff dispels any notion that religious practice is dour and antiquated. . . . It brings together the pope's most affecting passages to inspire Catholics (and those of other faiths) to lift up those around them."--Publishers Weekly "Reminiscent of the gentle encouragement of the Dalai Lama . . . Family-centered and practical--especially on difficult matters of familial contention--these homilies are, on the whole, gentle encouragements to do the right thing. . . . [This] collection offers clear insight into the pope's doctrinal concerns."--Kirkus Reviews
Sewing Happiness by Sanae Ishida When Sanae Ishida was diagnosed with a chronic illness and lost her corporate job, she thought her life was over. But these challenges ended up being the best thing that ever happened to her because they forced her to take stock of her life and focus on the important things and enabled her to rediscover sewing, her true passion. This is a seasonal book of simple sewing projects and inspirational personal stories from a beloved Seattle blogger. It consists of 20 projects plus variations (including Japanese-inspired home goods, children's and women's clothing) organized by season and stitched together with charming and relatable personal stories about how sewing brought her profound happiness. Part 1 includes the incredibly moving essays as well as a look-book of photos of the projects, and Part 2 includes all the instructions with detailed illustrations. The book is 30% memoir and 70% practical sewing projects.
Happiness by Design by Paul Dolan; Daniel Kahneman (Foreword by) "Bold and original." --Daniel Kahneman, PhD, bestselling author of Thinking Fast and Slow There are a slew of books on the market dictating programs for achieving happiness, but Happiness by Design is the first to explain that happiness ultimately depends upon our experience of pleasure and purpose over time--and everyone has their own optimal balance. Combining the latest insights from economics and psychology, renowned behavior expert Paul Dolan, PhD, shows readers how to integrate his ground-breaking paradigm into a practical plan for deciding, designing, and doing the things that bring them true happiness.
The Giving Way to Happiness by Jenny Santi; Deepak Chopra (Foreword by) We often focus on how our gifts can help those in need. But the act of giving actually improves our own lives as well. In The Giving Way to Happiness, Jenny Santi overturns conventional thinking about what it takes to be happy by revealing how giving to others - whether in the form of money, expertise, time, or love - has helped people from all walks of life find purpose and joy. Drawing on the wisdom of great thinkers past and present, as well as cutting-edge scientific research, Santi makes an eloquent and passionate case that oftentimes the answers to the problems that haunt us, and the key to the happiness that eludes us, lie in helping those around us. This book is filled with inspiring stories told firsthand by Academy Award winner Goldie Hawn, Noble Peace Prize winner Muhammad Yunus, supermodel Christy Turlington Burns, Teach for America founder Wendy Kopp, philanthropist Richard Rockefeller, environmentalist Philippe Cousteau, activist Ric O'Barry, bestselling author Isabel Allende, ALS survivor Augie Nieto, and many others from all over the world. Despite their diverse backgrounds, they have all found unexpected happiness and fulfillment through giving. This book tells us not just how they changed the world but also how their acts changed their very own lives. In addition, Santi reveals- How altruism involves far more than suppressing basic selfish urges. Rather, we are wired to give, as it activates the same pleasure centers of the brain stimulated by food, sex, and drugs How helping others - whether by walking a friend through a struggle that you've also experienced or by supporting a cause to honor a loved one's memory - can be a healthy way to deal with adversity and process grief The unexpected reasons why those who 'gave it all up' to make a difference, and who face the direst situations, are nevertheless some of the happiest, most fulfilled, and least angst-ridden people you'll ever meet. Practical, universally applicable lessons on what kind of giving makes people happy and what doesn't. How do you discover giving that is unique to you and makes you feel good? In this inspiring book, Santi turns conventional wisdom upside down about what it takes to be happy and reveals the surprising reasons that have led so many people to live lives full of meaning, purpose and happiness. 'The Giving Way to Happiness is full of interesting insights from big-ticket philanthropists and prominent personalities, but it is also about something bigger- how we can all find happiness through helping others. If done right, giving may well be the greatest gift you can give yourself.' Adam Grant, professor, The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania, and New York Times-bestselling author of Give and Take'This thoughtful look at philanthropy honestly examines the self-interest often involved in it and suggests that a self-focused approach to giving may in fact be entirely appropriate.' Publishers Weekly'Well done! A wonderful and timely contribution.' Christy Turlington Burns, founder of Every Mother Counts'The Giving Way to Happinesswill change the way you approach giving, shifting the focus from charity to empathy, from a one-way transfer to a mutually beneficial act, from guilt and obligation to pleasure and happiness. Jenny Santi, through her well-researched, eloquent, and insightful book, teaches us how we can help ourselves by helping others.' Carl Liederman, former CEO of One Young World, and founder & CEO of Liedership
Uncovering Happiness by Elisha Goldstein In seven simple steps, Uncovering Happiness uses cutting-edge mindfulness and self-compassion techniques along with innovations in neuroscience to release natural antidepressants in the brain. Dr. Goldstein shows you how to take back control of your mind, your mood, and your life. Most of us believe when we're depressed that our situation is hopeless. That's a mistake, Dr. Elisha Goldstein reassures us in Uncovering Happiness. The secret to overcoming depression and uncovering happiness is in harnessing our brain's own natural antidepressant power and ultimately creating a more resilient antidepressant brain. Uncovering Happiness is grounded in two key foundations: mindfulness and self-compassion, and backed by recent scientific discoveries. New research shows that mindfulness reduces the risk of relapse in people who have experienced depression and can be a significant alternative, or supplement, to medication. The second foundation is self-compassion--a state of mind in which you understand your own suffering with an inclination to support yourself. Goldstein explores our natural antidepressants--along with mindfulness and self-compassion, also purpose, play, and confidence--and offers specific techniques for putting them into action. Together, these elements can transform something that typically forces us to spiral downward and turn it into an upward spiral of self-worth and resiliency. At its core, Uncovering Happiness contains a persuasive argument for hope: Having had depression in the past doesn't mean you must also suffer from it in the future. You can build up the sections of the brain that protect you from depression, and slow down the sections that foster it. Doing this allows the brain's own natural antidepressants to emerge, grow stronger, and contribute powerfully to the resiliency that we need to enjoy the good times, survive difficult times, and open ourselves up to lives that truly feel worth living.
The Happiness of Pursuit by Chris Guillebeau Chris Guillebeau specializes in helping people break out of the "box" of their everyday lives. His most recent book, The $100 Startup, explained how to create income on one's own terms and not necessarily abide by a 9-to-5, "work for the man" model. But while liberation from "the grind" is one step in pursuing a life of purpose, it's far from the only way. Indeed, genuine fulfillment typically requires a quest or challenge that is big and ambitious, that involves surpassing the limits most people accept as part of their boring, routine-filled lives and making an actual difference. Chris has undertaken a successful quest of his own, having visited every country in the world by age 35. But the quests or projects discussed in this book need not involve travel at all. What they do involve is commitment and progressive accomplishment, losing oneself in an accretive task-whether it be a physical journey, an artistic enterprise, a philanthropic feat, even an act of political protest. Chris has surveyed thousands who've undertaken such quests and really drilled down to discover how they went about it, the common mistakes, what happened when they hit the wall, and how they coped when the quest was over. His specialty is well-researched, easy-to-follow advice that helps readers bridge the gap between "impossible dream" and "everyday reality."
Lurching Toward Happiness in America by Claude S. Fischer; Deborah Chasman Amid confusing and alarmist media claims about our changing culture, Claude Fischer sets the record straight on social trends in America. The promise of America has long been conceived as the promise of happiness. Being American is all about the opportunity to pursue one's own bliss. But what is the good life, and are we getting closer to its attainment? In the cacophony of competing conceptions of the good, technological interventions that claim to help us achieve it, and rancorous debate over government's role in securing it for us, every step toward happiness seems to come with at least one step back. In Lurching toward Happiness in America, acclaimed sociologist Claude Fischer explores the data, the myths, and history to understand how far America has come in delivering on its promise. Are Americans getting lonelier? Is the gender revolution over? Does income shape the way Americans see their life prospects? In the end, Fischer paints a broad picture of what Americans say they want. And, as he considers how close they are to achieving that goal, he also suggests what might finally get them there.
Clear the Clutter, Find Happiness by Donna Smallin Get rid of the clutter -- and keep it away! Organizing expert Donna Smallin shows you how to enjoy the happy, healthy, and inviting home you long for with hundreds of time-saving, clutter-busting tips. Smallin's simple and manageable approach helps you focus on the things that will make the biggest difference in the least amount of time. Clear away the clutter once and for all, and discover the peace of mind that has been hiding underneath.
Sustainable Happiness by Sarah Van Gelder (Editor); The staff of YES! Magazine (Editor) We're bombarded by messages telling us that bigger and better things are the keys to happiness-but after we pile up the stuff and pile on the work hours, we end up exhausted and broke on a planet full of trash. Sarah van Gelder and her colleagues at YES! Magazine have been exploring the meaning of real happiness for eighteen years. Here they offer fascinating research, in-depth essays, and compelling personal stories by visionaries such as Annie Leonard, Matthieu Ricard, and Vandana Shiva, showing us that real well-being is found in supportive relationships and thriving communities, opportunities to make a contribution, and the renewal we receive from a thriving natural world. In the pages of this book, you'll find creative and practical ways to cultivate a happiness that is nurturing, enduring, and life affirming.
The Myths of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky The bestselling author of The How of Happiness reveals how to find opportunity in life's thorniest moments Focusing on life's biggest, messiest moments, Sonja Lyubomirsky provides readers with the clear-eyed vision they need to build the healthiest, most satisfying life. Lyubomirsky argues that we have been given false promises--myths that assure us that lifelong happiness will be attained once we hit the culturally confirmed markers of adult success. This black-and-white vision of happiness works to discourage us from recognizing the upside of any negative and limits our potential for personal growth. A corrective course on happiness and a call to regard life's twists and turns with a more open mind, The Myths of Happiness shares practical lessons that prove we are more adaptable than we think we are. It empowers readers to look beyond their first response, sharing scientific evidence that often it is our mindset--not our circumstances--that matters most.
A Unified Theory of Happiness by Teresa Wright (Foreword by); Andrea Polard The Western world teaches us that happiness comes from achievement--from setting goals and actively pursuing them. Eastern wisdom teaches us that surrender is the key, that we must let go in order to experience the great flow of being that is only available in the present moment. How do we take the best wisdom from both of these approaches, and honor what Dr. Andrea Polard calls "the two wings of happiness" that allow us to truly soar? Discover Dr. Polard's groundbreaking synthesis of Western thinking and Eastern philosophy withA Unified Theory of Happiness, a warm and personalized guide for the transformation of consciousness that allows personal well-being and fulfillment to flourish. While our lives are full of ups and downs, Dr. Polard teaches us that we don't have to let these ups and downs control our experience of life.A Unified Theory of Happiness teaches you the skills to choose and accept happiness by illuminating: How to navigate the active "Basic Mode" and the non-active "Supreme Mode" of consciousness to respond to life's complexities with flexibility * Tools to build ambition, competence, confidence, and connection--essential aspects of reconciling with life's fragility and building an engaging, authentic self * Paths to receptivity, tranquility, reliance, and lightheartedness--keys to accessing your natural connection with the whole of being, and realizing your non-dual self * The Theory of Elastic Consciousness--a balanced place in perfect accord with an authentically lived life "Happiness," says Dr. Polard, "is a complex path that becomes easy only as we walk it." At last, here is a work that provides a comprehensive understanding of happiness that honors the full spectrum of life's offerings while broadening your experience of its inherent joy.
Call Number: eBook
A Private History of Happiness by George Myerson Instead of advocating the latest guide or formula to achieve happiness, A Private History of Happiness offers a fresh look at everyday moments of joy as they were experienced by real people--across many centuries and from around the world--and invites us to discover the happiness in our own lives.
Spontaneous Happiness by Andrew Weil Everyone wants to be happy. But what does that really mean? Increasingly, scientific evidence shows us that true satisfaction and well-being come only from within. Dr. Andrew Weil has proven that the best way to maintain optimum physical health is to draw on both conventional and alternative medicine. Now, in Spontaneous Happiness, he gives us the foundation for attaining and sustaining optimum emotional health. Rooted in Dr. Weil's pioneering work in integrative medicine, the book suggests a reinterpretation of the notion of happiness, discusses the limitations of the biomedical model in treating depression, and elaborates on the inseparability of body and mind. Dr. Weil offers an array of scientifically proven strategies from Eastern and Western psychology to counteract low mood and enhance contentment, comfort, resilience, serenity, and emotional balance. Drawn from psychotherapy, mindfulness training, Buddhist psychology, nutritional science, and more, these strategies include body-oriented therapies to support emotional wellness, techniques for managing stress and anxiety and changing mental habits that keep us stuck in negative patterns, and advice on developing a spiritual dimension in our lives. Lastly, Dr. Weil presents an eight-week program that can be customized according to specific needs, with short- and long-term advice on nutrition, exercise, supplements, environment, lifestyle, and much more. Whether you are struggling with depression or simply want to feel happier, Dr. Weil's revolutionary approach will shift the paradigm of emotional health and help you achieve greater contentment in your life.
The Nine Rooms of Happiness by Lucy Danziger; Catherine Birndorf What Room Are You In? Ask any woman how she's feeling. Even when things look pretty darn great from the outside, chances are that at least one thing (and it may seem minor to others) is nagging at her, making her feel less than spectacular, bringing her down: I'm too fat. My husband doesn't help enough around the house. My friend is going to be mad if I don't call her back. Why don't my kids try harder at school? My job is less than inspiring. Whatever happened to that old boyfriend, the one who got away? Whether it's the size of our thighs or our bank accounts, there always seems to be something that isn't measuring up to our high standards--and we let the dissatisfaction spill over into other areas of our lives, distracting us from taking pleasure in everything that's going right. In The Nine Rooms of Happiness, Lucy Danziger, editor in chief of Self magazine, and women's-health psychiatrist Catherine Birndorf use the metaphor of a house to release us from this phenomenon. In this house, the living room is where we deal with friendships and our social life; the bedroom is where we explore intimacy, romance, relationships, and sex; the bathroom is for issues relating to health and body image; the kitchen is for nourishment and the division of chores; and so on. Our "inner house" can have eight beautifully designed, neat and tidy rooms, and one messy one, and still we focus on the mess. The Nine Rooms of Happiness pinpoints common self-destructive patterns of behavior and offers key processes that will help readers clean up their emotional architecture. After each room is "clean," Danziger and Birndorf show us how we can spend time on ourselves figuring out what is most meaningful to us--finding larger passion and purpose that makes returning to the rest of our house a pleasure, no matter what calamity or mess awaits. The result? After reading this book you'll think differently about the things that are bringing you down and be able to live a happier, more joy filled life, in every room of your emotional house. From the outside, you'd think I have it all: beautiful house, wonderful children, devoted husband. But am I happy I think so. There's nothing that has gone terribly wrong. There's no reason for me not to be happy. But I don't feel happy so much as I feel I'm just going through the motions. Sometimes I have the feeling that there's more and I just haven't found it yet. But what . . . and how dare I want more? Isn't all that I have enough? --from The Nine Rooms of Happiness
Call Number: eBook
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin "This book made me happy in the first five pages." --AJ Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible Award-winning author Gretchen Rubin is back with a bang, with The Happiness Project. The author of the bestselling 40 Ways to Look at Winston Churchill has produced a work that is "a cross between the Dalai Lama's The Art of Happiness and Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love." (Sonya Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want) In the vein of Julie and Julia, The Happiness Project describes one person's year-long attempt to discover what leads to true contentment. Drawing at once on cutting-edge science, classical philosophy, and real-world applicability, Rubin has written an engaging, eminently relatable chronicle of transformation.
Happy by Design by Victoria Harrison; Debbie Powell (Illustrator) Invite health and happiness into the heart of your home with practical ideas for decor, organization, and mindfulness that will transform your living space--and create an uplifting atmosphere that looks after you from morning to night! Happy by Design teaches us how we can actively improve our health and wellbeing through the way we design and regard every room in the house. From the paint color that's been named the happiest to the science of getting a good night's sleep, Happy by Design offers bite-sized and affordable design ideas that are accessible to all--from a young renter in an urban apartment to a busy family in their own home. Drawing on advice from experts far and wide, Victoria Harrison's Happy Home Program helps everyone transform their living spaces and put personal wellbeing first in their homes and neighborhoods. With delightful illustrations and photos on every page, the program is easy to follow and packed with motivating tips and inspiration to help everyone live the happiest life possible. Happy by Design will help you breathe better with the top ten oxygenating houseplants, surround yourself with scents scientifically proven to brighten your mood, and--taking a page from the Danish concept of hygge--keep your home a clean yet cozy sanctuary, free of outside distractions. Discover these simple--but ultimately life-changing--steps. Table of Contents Introduction: The Happy Home Program How to Grow Your Own Fresh Air How to Decorate with the Happiest Color Tidy Your Way to Happiness Unlock the Secret to a Good Night's Sleep Discover the Happiest Scents Harness the Mood-Boosting Power of Flowers Shine a Light on Wellbeing How to Create a Cozy Retreat Wish Happiness for Others Unearth Happiness in the Garden How to Be Smarter Than Your Smartphone
The Next Happy by Tracey Cleantis The coronavirus pandemic is upsetting projects and plans in each of our lives. This book offers grace for grieving the end of hoped-for deams, and guidance for moving towards future possibilities. When the best option is to let go of the life you planned for yourself and find a new path, a world of possibilities can surprisingly open up. Learn whether it is time to let go, and if so, how to move through your grief and find your way forward in The Next Happy. If you believe, you can do anything. Although well-meaning, these intended words of inspiration can make us feel like failures. The reality is that no matter how positive our outlook or how tenacious our approach, our dreams simply do not always come true--and there is nothing we can do about it. After multiple fertility treatments and years of hardship in her pursuit to have a child, Tracey Cleantis was forced to face this reality head-on. Yet, through this process and her work counseling hundreds of clients through the loss of their goals and aspirations, she discovered one simple truth: Sometimes there comes a time when the smartest, healthiest, and sanest thing to do is to let go of the original plan in order to find a new way forward toward happiness. And with this critical shift, a world of possibilities opens up to us. New, tangible dreams take shape. In The Next Happy, Cleantis offers a roadmap for that journey, teaching you how to: face the possibility of letting go of a dream that isn't working; accept and face sadness, anger, and shame; understand the true reasons why you wanted what you wanted and the real-life causes for why you didn't get it; and ask the questions that will let you move on and set realistic goals for finding a new way forward. With down-to-earth wisdom and humor, this enlightening counterpoint to the popular self-help notion to "follow your dream, no matter what it takes" provides the guidance and support to help you make the decision of whether it is time to give up an impossible dream, and if so, move through your grief, and discover the next happy.
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig An instant New York Times Bestseller! The new uplifting book from Matt Haig, the New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library, for anyone in search of hope, looking for a path to a more meaningful life, or in need of a little encouragement. Named by The Washington Post as one of the best feel-good books of 2021. "It is a strange paradox, that many of the clearest, most comforting life lessons are learnt while we are at our lowest. But then we never think about food more than when we are hungry and we never think about life rafts more than when we are thrown overboard." THE COMFORT BOOK is Haig's life raft: it's a collection of notes, lists, and stories written over a span of several years that originally served as gentle reminders to Haig's future self that things are not always as dark as they may seem. Incorporating a diverse array of sources from across the world, history, science, and his own experiences, Haig offers warmth and reassurance, reminding us to slow down and appreciate the beauty and unpredictability of existence.
Eat Cake for Breakfast by Viola Sutanto (Illustrator) Watching the sunrise Making sandcastles Sending a care package Eating cake for breakfast Each of these activities is small, but paramount to happiness. Readers will open Eat Cake for Breakfast to find one hundred different ways to incorporate joy into their daily lives, all prompted by author Viola Sutanto's mission to affirm humanity during her daughter's life threatening medical treatment. Inspired by the 100 Day Project, Sutanto embarked on a journey to uplift her family and her community with dozens of actionable suggestions for happiness. Her delicately colorful illustrations will immerse readers with each recommendation. No matter how tough life gets, happiness can be found in even the smallest acts of intentional joy. Eat Cake for Breakfast is a tribute to the medical team at the UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland, CA, where Viola's daughter was treated for bone marrow failure. A portion of all proceeds will be donated to support their incredible work.
Call Number: Check it out now - only available from hoopla digital!
Happy Not Perfect by Poppy Jamie A clear path to overcoming uncertainty, perfectionism, and fears of rejection so you can finally find peace with the past and create a happier, healthier future "Poppy's powerful approach will help you take control of your thoughts so they don't control you."--Lori Gottlieb, New York Times bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone Even before the pandemic brought on a crushing wave of stress, anxiety, isolation, life change, and financial struggle, there was already a growing mental health crisis. Due to a culture that encourages perfection, hustle, and fictional life/work balance, many are burning out. Behind her Instagram-projected image of "happy wellness founder," Poppy Jamie was also struggling mightily with perfectionism and life purpose. She began working with mental health experts and researchers to find practical tools to overcome her inner critic and rewire her mind. She discovered that it is possible to create new neural pathways in your brain to break patterns of avoidance, challenge fears of not being good enough, and turn failure around by stretching the mind with new, healthier thought habits. The old wiring (and habits) that you've been stuck with can be written-over. You can actually upgrade your headspace to make curiosity, vulnerability, compassion, and emotional flexibility your default settings. In the emphatic and trusted voice of Bridget Jones meets neuroscience, Poppy shares her Flexy Thoughts approach for changing how you react to emotional triggers and think of yourself while improving your mental and physical health, relationships, and vision of the future. Our emotional resilience may continue to be tested, but the new perspectives and strategies in Happy Not Perfect will help us bring confidence, adaptability, and acceptance to whatever comes next.
Goodbye, Again by Jonny Sun Instant New York Times Bestseller "Truly, there's no shame in taking a break from books during the pandemic. But if you're feeling ready to reach out, try starting with Goodbye, Again. Take my word for it -- let Jonny Sun into your life."---Janet W. Lee, NPR The wonderfully original author of Everyone's a Aliebn When Ur a Aliebn Too gives us a collection of touching and hilarious personal essays, stories, poems--accompanied by his trademark illustrations--covering topics such as mental health, happiness, and what it means to belong. Jonny Sun is back with a collection of essays and other writings in his unique, funny, and heartfelt style. The pieces range from long meditations on topics like loneliness and being an outsider, to short humor pieces, conversations, and memorable one-liners. Jonny's honest writings about his struggles with feeling productive, as well as his difficulties with anxiety and depression will connect deeply with his fans as well as anyone attempting to create in our chaotic world. It also features a recipe for scrambled eggs that might make you cry.
Why We Are Restless by Benjamin Storey; Jenna Silber Storey A compelling exploration of how our pursuit of happiness makes us unhappy We live in an age of unprecedented prosperity, yet everywhere we see signs that our pursuit of happiness has proven fruitless. Dissatisfied, we seek change for the sake of change--even if it means undermining the foundations of our common life. In Why We Are Restless, Benjamin and Jenna Storey offer a profound and beautiful reflection on the roots of this malaise and examine how we might begin to cure ourselves. Drawing on the insights of Montaigne, Pascal, Rousseau, and Tocqueville, Why We Are Restless explores the modern vision of happiness that leads us on, and the disquiet that follows it like a lengthening shadow. In the sixteenth century, Montaigne articulated an original vision of human life that inspired people to see themselves as individuals dedicated to seeking contentment in the here and now, but Pascal argued that we cannot find happiness through pleasant self-seeking, only anguished God-seeking. Rousseau later tried and failed to rescue Montaigne's worldliness from Pascal's attack. Steeped in these debates, Tocqueville visited the United States in 1831 and, observing a people "restless in the midst of their well-being," discovered what happens when an entire nation seeks worldly contentment--and finds mostly discontent. Arguing that the philosophy we have inherited, despite pretending to let us live as we please, produces remarkably homogenous and unhappy lives, Why We Are Restless makes the case that finding true contentment requires rethinking our most basic assumptions about happiness.

creativity

January is International Creativity Month

While most of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

Art Before Breakfast by Danny Gregory Packed with the signature can-do attitude that makes beloved artist Danny Gregory a creativity guru to thousands across the globe, this unique guide serves up a hearty helping of inspiration. For aspiring artists who want to draw and paint but just can't seem to find time in the day, Gregory offers 5- to 10-minute exercises for every skill level that fit into any schedule--whether on a plane, in a meeting, or at the breakfast table--along with practical instruction on techniques and materials, plus strategies for making work that's exciting, unintimidating, and fulfilling. Filled with Gregory's encouraging words and motivating illustrations, Art Before Breakfast teaches readers how to develop a creative habit and lead a richer life through making art.
Draw and Be Happy by Tim Shaw; Cachetejack (Illustrator) Drawing makes you happy! This boldly illustrated handbook offers easy-to-follow drawing exercises--some thought-provoking, some meditative, all fun--inspired by art-therapy practices. Each page features an activity written by artist and activist Tim Shaw and brought to life with colorful art from Spanish illustration duo Cachetejack, offering readers simple strategies for boosting their confidence, reducing stress, and expressing themselves in meaningful and joyful new ways. With a distinctive, modern aesthetic, Draw & Be Happy will resonate with both new and experienced artists looking for fulfillment through creativity.
Call Number: eBook
Courageous Creativity by Sara Zarr Being creative takes courage. It can be scary to create something. Before you can even work on your craft, you have to face down the fear of messing up or looking silly, the perfectionism that keeps you from even starting, and the negative voices inside your head that say you don't have anything valuable to offer. Well, you do have something to offer! Being creative is a right, and in this book, National Book Award finalist Sara Zarr will help you get started. Her advice and encouragement are paired with exercises to help you face down your fears, let go of expectations, stop comparing yourself to others, and make your art with courage. A perfect gift for anyone who wants to be creative but doesn't know where to start, or for people who've been doing creativity for a while but want more inspiration, Courageous Creativity will empower readers to express themselves with self-confidence, bravery, and joy.
Call Number: eBook
Creativity by John Cleese The legendary comedian, actor, and writer of Monty Python, Fawlty Towers, and A Fish Called Wanda fame shares his key ideas about creativity: that it's a learnable, improvable skill. "Many people have written about creativity, but although they were very, very clever, they weren't actually creative. I like to think I'm writing about it from the inside."--John Cleese You might think that creativity is some mysterious, rare gift--one that only a few possess. But you'd be wrong. As John Cleese shows in this short, practical, and often amusing guide, creativity is a skill that anyone can acquire. Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, Cleese shares his insights into the nature of creativity and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind? When do you know that you've come up with an idea that might be worth pursuing? What should you do if you think you've hit a brick wall? We can all be more creative. John Cleese shows us how.
A Year of Creativity by Petra Hoeksema; Lidy Nooij; Miriam Catshoek; Bregje Konings Do something creative every day! In A Year of Creativity, learn how to throw the perfect creative party with your friends--with organizing tips, 25 project ideas, and even recipes for snacks. Can't meet in person? Organize a virtual party to connect with others as you work on the same craft project. Then share your unique results with creative people all over the world. A "craft date" is a fun get-together with a handful of creative friends in which you surprise each other with craft and DIY projects using cool materials, inspire each other, and make beautiful things together. At each date, a group of participants share a self-made project to be re-created by the other attendees. Materials are individualized for each participant and given as a unique personal gift along with the instructions for the project. A craft date is different than a workshop since you get to choose the lovely people that you invite, and as the organizer, you get to participate in all the projects. Invitees can put their own spin on the project by using their favorite colors, materials, or techniques. This way you end up with a range of different interpretations and results, leading to new inspiration and ideas. A Year of Creativity is a book for everyone with a basic knowledge of crocheting, knitting, and sewing. It does not teach you how to crochet or explain how a sewing machine works. There are plenty of other books for that. What it does do is inspire crafting enthusiasts to make something together, learn from each other, and have fun doing it. You'll find within: An introduction to craft dates and how they work Tips on planning your craft date events Plenty of project ideas (short, long, and cooperative) Plus recipes for party dishes that keep the creative juices flowing You will share ideas, discover new inspiration, and find new friends while creating uniquely beautiful aprons, knit garlands, infinity scarves, haberdashery bags, cards, pencil cases, and more. Have you had a great craft date or are you working on a neat project and want to show it off? There's a place for this in the craft dates community. On Instagram, for example, you can tag your photos with, or search for the hashtag #craftdates. You can have a look at each other's work, drum up inspiration for your own dates, invite your Insta-friends, or organize a "blind date" with creative people from your town or city that you don't know yet. A whole world will open up. A very creative world is waiting for you in A Year of Creativity.
Call Number: eBook
Deep Creativity by Deborah Anne Quibell; Jennifer Leigh Selig; Dennis Patrick Slattery; Thomas Moore (Foreword by) Creative expression has increasingly become a prized component in many of our life's endeavors; in fact, there are many paths to instilling and nourishing creativity. The three authors of Deep Creativity distill these paths down to the "7 Ways to creativity"- The Way of Love, The Way of Nature, The Way of the Muse, The Way of Suffering, The Way of Practice, The Way of the Sacred, and The Way of Art; and invite the reader to explore each for themselves. The authors show how the 7 Ways have informed their own creative process and provide reflective and practical exercises on each. Grounded in Jungian psychology, Deep Creativity offers practical guidance for getting in touch with your own unconscious reservoir as well as engaging your everyday world to deepen the source of creative expression. Wherever one is on the creative path--a beginner or established creative--this book offers not only practical workbook-like exercises but is also a contemplation on the creative process itself. The result is a highly resourceful book, which will not only inspire the creative process, but also uniquely contribute to our understanding of creativity as a deeply human and embodied endeavor.
Conscious Creativity by Philippa Stanton "Full of tips and tricks on how to look at the world with a curious eye, it's a brilliant way to breathe creativity (back) into our lives." - Flow magazine "Crammed with practical ideas, inspirational images & creative exercises, Conscious Creativity leads the reader through the process of establishing what kind of creative you are..." Mslexia "The purpose of this book is to enable you to look at things in an alternative and more substantial way, so that you arrive at composition through genuine interest." Juno magazine "Philippa Stanton is passionate about people connecting to their innate creativity and has distilled these incredible techniques and ideas on how we can tap into that. Philippa is a massively successful Instagramer at @5ftinf and yet she is only too aware how these little two dimensional squares can limit our experiences and restrict our creativity, so it's not without a little irony that she's written a book to encourage people to step away from their screens and connect more with the 3D world. It's a fascinating subject and I wholeheartedly recommend the book for anyone who's working in the creative industry or is curious about the world around them." - Sophie Robinson (DIY SOS, The Great British Interior Design Challenge, This Morning) Unlock your creative potential with Conscious Creativity: a practical, playful guide bursting with inspiration to help bring more colour into to your life. There is creativity in all of us, but it can easily be buried beneath our everyday concerns or need a spark to bring it back to life. Whether you've lost your mojo or just need some fresh ideas, artist and photographer Philippa Stanton's lively guide will stimulate your imagination and reinvigorate your creative life. Engage your curiosity and connect your observations to your creative practice with activities such as: Noticing all the hues of one colour you can see around you Creating an abstract textured image using herbs, spices and other dry ingredients from your kitchen cupboards Collecting shadows: photograph hidden shapes and dark spaces that you haven't noticed before Conscious Creativity will help you open your senses to the beauty you may not notice every day, and show you how to capture it. Simple, engaging exercises that encourage observation and experimentation will give you an insight into your own aesthetics as you take a conscious step to note the colours, shapes, shadows, sounds and textures that fill your world, and how they make you feel. Bursting with practical ideas and inspirational images, embrace the joy of creating, and learn to use your natural curiosity to take a leap into the most creative time of your life. If you like this, you might also like Creative Flow and Nature Tonic . .
The Creativity Challenge by Tanner Christensen As seen on Inc.com Discover your "Aha" moment--right now! What's the best way to become more creative? Just change how you think! This book challenges you to go against your default ways of thinking in order to write, design, and build something extraordinary. Featuring more than 100 challenges, exercises, and prompts, each page guides you as you push past the way you normally see the world and uncover all-new possibilities and ideas. The Creativity Challenge teaches you that you already have immense creative potential in you--you just need to tap into it. Whether you're feeling stumped or uninspired, these creativity prompts will help you ditch typical thinking patterns and finally unleash the possibilities hidden within your mind.
How to Be an Artist by Jerry Saltz Instant New York Times Bestseller "Inspiration leaps off the pages from Jerry Saltz's new book on creativity. . . . This book is for the artist or non-artist, for the person who gets plain English, for the person who understands that practical talk can coax out the mystical messages that lie underneath." --Steve Martin Art has the power to change our lives. For many, becoming an artist is a lifelong dream. But how to make it happen? In How to Be an Artist, Jerry Saltz, one of the art world's most celebrated and passionate voices, offers an indispensable handbook for creative people of all kinds. From the first sparks of inspiration--and how to pursue them without giving in to self-doubt--Saltz offers invaluable insight into what really matters to emerging artists: originality, persistence, a balance between knowledge and intuition, and that most precious of qualities, self-belief. Brimming with rules, prompts, and practical tips, How to Be an Artist gives artists new ways to break through creative blocks, get the most from materials, navigate career challenges, and above all find joy in the work. Teeming with full-color artwork from visionaries ancient and modern, this beautiful and useful book will help artists of all kinds--painters, photographers, writers, performers--realize their dreams.
The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker An imaginative, thought-provoking gift book to awaken your senses and attune them to the things that matter in your life. Welcome to the era of white noise. Our lives are in constant tether to phones, to email, and to social media. In this age of distraction, the ability to experience and be present is often lost: to think and to see and to listen. Enter Rob Walker's The Art of Noticing. This gorgeously illustrated volume will spark your creativity--and most importantly, help you see the world anew. Through a series of simple and playful exercises--131 of them--Walker maps ways for you to become a clearer thinker, a better listener, a more creative workplace colleague and finally, to rediscover your sense of passion and to notice what really matters to you.
It's Never Too Late to Begin Again by Julia Cameron; Emma Lively "The book you hold in your hands is the distillate of a quarter century's teaching. It is my attempt to answer, 'What next?' for students who are embarking on their 'second act.'" --Julia Cameron Julia Cameron has inspired millions with her bestseller on creativity, The Artist's Way. In It's Never Too Late To Begin Again, she turns her eye to a segment of the population that, ironically, while they have more time to be creative, are often reluctant or intimidated by the creative process. Cameron shows readers that retirement can, in fact, be the most rich, fulfilling, and creative time of their lives. When someone retires, the newfound freedom can be quite exciting, but also daunting. The life that someone had has changed, and the life to come is yet to be defined. In this book, Cameron shows readers how cultivating their creative selves can help them navigate this new terrain. She tells the inspiring stories of retirees who discovered new artistic pursuits and passions that more than filled their days--they nurtured their souls. This twelve-week course aimed at defining--and creating--the life you want to have as you redefine and re-create yourself, this book includes simple tools that will guide and inspire you to make the most of this time in your life: - Memoir writing offers an opportunity to reflect on and honor past experience. This book guides you through the daunting task of writing an entire memoir, breaking it down into manageable pieces. - Morning Pages--private, stream-of-consciousness writing done daily--allow you to express wishes, fears, delights, resentments, and joys, which in turn, provide focus and clarity for the day at hand. - Artist Dates encourage fun and spontaneity. - Solo Walks quell anxiety and clear the mind. This fun, gentle, step-by-step process will help you explore your creative dreams, wishes, and desires...and help you quickly find that it's never too late to begin again.
Broken Places and Outer Spaces by Nnedi Okorafor A powerful journey from star athlete to sudden paralysis to creative awakening, award-winning science fiction writer Nnedi Okorafor shows that what we think are our limitations have the potential to become our greatest strengths. Nnedi Okorafor was never supposed to be paralyzed. A college track star and budding entomologist, Nnedi's lifelong battle with scoliosis was just a bump in her plan--something a simple operation would easily correct. But when Nnedi wakes from the surgery to find she can't move her legs, her entire sense of self begins to waver. Confined to a hospital bed for months, unusual things begin to happen. Psychedelic bugs crawl her hospital walls; strange dreams visit her nightly. Nnedi begins to put these experiences into writing, conjuring up strange, fantastical stories. What Nnedi discovers during her confinement would prove to be the key to her life as a successful science fiction author: In science fiction, when something breaks, something greater often emerges from the cracks. In Broken Places & Outer Spaces, Nnedi takes the reader on a journey from her hospital bed deep into her memories, from her painful first experiences with racism as a child in Chicago to her powerful visits to her parents' hometown in Nigeria. From Frida Kahlo to Mary Shelly, she examines great artists and writers who have pushed through their limitations, using hardship to fuel their work. Through these compelling stories and her own, Nnedi reveals a universal truth: What we perceive as limitations have the potential to become our greatest strengths--far greater than when we were unbroken. A guidebook for anyone eager to understand how their limitations might actually be used as a creative springboard, Broken Places & Outer Spaces is an inspiring look at how to open up new windows in your mind.
Craft a Life You Love by Amy Tangerine (Illustrator) In Craft a Life You Love, readers will learn how to focus their creative energy and make things (and make things happen) by implementing small--yet powerful-- changes in their everyday lives. In this memoir and hardworking handbook, creativity and craft maven Amy Tangerine, shows readers how to find their flow, maintain a positive mindset, and cultivate a rich and fulfilling life by focusing on what truly matters. Chapters explore how to craft the soul, craft the right mindset, craft the right environment, craft good habits, rediscover your creative mojo, and maintain momentum, with each section offering exercises for taking your creative practice to the next level. For anyone who has felt disconnected from their creativity or has had trouble saving a space for their passions, Craft a Life You Lovewill teach you how to make time for creativity each and every day.
An Audience of One by Srinivas Rao The creator of the Unmistakable Creative podcast makes a counterintuitive argument: By focusing your creative work on pleasing yourself, you can increase your productivity, happiness, and (eventually, paradoxically) the size of your audience. Creating for your own pleasure--whether you're writing a novel, composing songs, or painting a landscape--can seem pointless. It's tempting to focus on pursuing money and fame, rather than the process itself. But as Srini Rao warns, creating then turns into a chore that can harm your self-esteem and suck the pleasure out of life, rather than being a source of joy. Rao, host of the podcast The Unmistakable Creative, argues that we should counter this thinking by intentionally creating art for ourselves alone--an audience of one. In this book he shares the fascinating true stories of creatives who took this path, along with actionable tips and the research of creativity experts. You'll learn, for example: * How Oprah's intentional focus on her own
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert The instant #1 NEW YORK TIMES Bestseller "A must read for anyone hoping to live a creative life... I dare you not to be inspired to be brave, to be free, and to be curious." --PopSugar From the worldwide bestselling author of Eat Pray Love and City of Girls: the path to the vibrant, fulfilling life you've dreamed of. Readers of all ages and walks of life have drawn inspiration and empowerment from Elizabeth Gilbert's books for years. Now this beloved author digs deep into her own generative process to share her wisdom and unique perspective about creativity. With profound empathy and radiant generosity, she offers potent insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the "strange jewels" that are hidden within each of us. 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 Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.
Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi "Bored and Brilliant shows the fascinating side of boredom. Manoush Zomorodi investigates cutting-edge research as well as compelling (and often funny) real-life examples to demonstrate that boredom is actually a crucial tool for making our lives happier, more productive, and more creative. What's more, the book is crammed with practical exercises for anyone who wants to reclaim the power of spacing out - deleting the Two Dots app, for instance, or having a photo-free day, or taking a 'fakecation'." --Gretchen Rubin, author of #1 New York Times BestsellerThe Happiness Project "Bored and Brilliant is full of easy steps to make each day more effective and every life more intentional. Manoush's mix of personal stories, neuroscience, and data will convince you that boredom is actually a gift." --Charles Duhigg, author ofThe Power of Habitand Smarter, Faster, Better It's time to move "doing nothing" to the top of your to-do list. In 2015 Manoush Zomorodi, creator of WNYC's popular podcast and radio showNote to Self, led tens of thousands of listeners through an experiment to help them unplug from their devices, get bored, jump-start their creativity, and change their lives. Bored and Brilliant builds on that experiment to show us how to rethink our gadget use to live better and smarter in this new digital ecosystem. Manoush explains the connection between boredom and original thinking, exploring how we can harness boredom's hidden benefits to become our most productive and creative selves without totally abandoning our gadgets in the process. Grounding the book in the neuroscience and cognitive psychology of "mind wandering" what our brains do when we're doing nothing at all--Manoush includes practical steps you can take to ease the nonstop busyness and enhance your ability to dream, wonder, and gain clarity in your work and life. The outcome is mind-blowing. Unplug and read on.
The Creative Habit by Twyla Tharp One of the world's leading creative artists, choreographers, and creator of the smash-hit Broadway show, Movin' Out, shares her secrets for developing and honing your creative talents--at once prescriptive and inspirational, a book to stand alongside The Artist's Way and Bird by Bird. All it takes to make creativity a part of your life is the willingness to make it a habit. It is the product of preparation and effort, and is within reach of everyone. Whether you are a painter, musician, businessperson, or simply an individual yearning to put your creativity to use, The Creative Habit provides you with thirty-two practical exercises based on the lessons Twyla Tharp has learned in her remarkable thirty-five-year career. In "Where's Your Pencil?" Tharp reminds you to observe the world -- and get it down on paper. In "Coins and Chaos," she gives you an easy way to restore order and peace. In "Do a Verb," she turns your mind and body into coworkers. In "Build a Bridge to the Next Day," she shows you how to clean the clutter from your mind overnight. Tharp leads you through the painful first steps of scratching for ideas, finding the spine of your work, and getting out of ruts and into productive grooves. The wide-open realm of possibilities can be energizing, and Twyla Tharp explains how to take a deep breath and begin...
Find Your Artistic Voice by Lisa Congdon An artist's unique voice is their calling card. It's what makes each of their works vital and particular. But developing such singular artistry requires effort and persistence. Bestselling author, artist, and illustrator Lisa Congdon brings her expertise to this guide to the process of artistic self-discovery. Featuring advice from Congdon herself and interviews with a roster of established artists, illustrators, and creatives, this one-of-a-kind book will show readers how to identify and nurture their own visual identity, navigate the influence of artists they admire, push through fear and insecurity, and appreciate the value of their personal journey.
Call Number: eBook
How to Write One Song by Jeff Tweedy As Jeff Tweedy himself puts it, there are few creative acts more mysterious and magical than writing a song. But what if the goal wasn t so mysterious, and was actually achievable, and possible, for anyone who wants to add more magic and creativity in their life? That's something that anyone will be inspired to do after reading this book. How to Write One Song is literally a step-by-step guide through Jeff's songwriting process, beginning with his inspiration (or lack of it, at times) and ending with a complete composition.
Keep Going by Austin Kleon Keep Working. Keep Playing. Keep Creating. In his previous books Steal Like an Artist and Show Your Work!, both New York Times bestsellers, Austin Kleon gave readers the keys to unlock their creativity and showed them how to become known. Now he offers his most inspiring work yet, with ten simple rules for how to stay creative, focused, and true to yourself--for life. The creative life is not a linear journey to a finish line, it's a loop--so find a daily routine, because today is the only day that matters. Disconnect from the world to connect with yourself--sometimes you just have to switch into airplane mode. Keep Going celebrates getting outdoors and taking a walk (as director Ingmar Bergman told his daughter, "The demons hate fresh air"). Pay attention, and especially pay attention to what you pay attention to. Worry less about getting things done, and more about the worth of what you're doing. Instead of focusing on making your mark, work to leave things better than you found them. Keep Going and its timeless, practical, and ethical principles are for anyone trying to sustain a meaningful and productive life.
Living Artfully by Sandra Magsamen 'Living Artfully' will instruct readers to liberate their creativity and transform their daily existence into the life of their dreams. It tells inspiring stories of caring gestures, simple gifts and unexpected efforts that make a difference.
Make Trouble by John Waters From an icon of popular culture, here is inspiring advice for artists, graduates, and all who seek happiness and success on their own terms. So what if you have talent? Then what? When John Waters delivered his gleefully subversive advice to the graduates of the Rhode Island School of Design, the speech went viral, in part because it was so brilliantly on point about making a living as a creative person. Now we can all enjoy his sly wisdom in a manifesto that reminds us, no matter what field we choose, to embrace chaos, be nosy, and outrage our critics. Anyone embarking on a creative path, he tells us, would do well to realize that pragmatism and discipline are as important as talent and that rejection is nothing to fear. Waters advises young people to eavesdrop, listen to their enemies, and horrify us with new ideas. In other words, MAKE TROUBLE! Illustrated with slightly demented line drawings by Eric Hanson, Make Trouble is a one-of-a-kind gift, the perfect playbook for gaming the system by making the system work for you.
Messy by Tim Harford "Utterly fascinating. Tim Harford shows that if you want to be creative and resilient, you need a little more disorder in your world." --Adam Grant, New York Times-bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take "Engrossing." --New York Times From the award-winning columnist and author of the national bestseller The Undercover Economist comes a provocative big idea book about the genuine benefits of being messy: at home, at work, in the classroom, and beyond. Look out for Tim's next book, Fifty Inventions That Shaped the Modern Economy. Messy: The Power of Disorder to Transform Our Lives celebrates the benefits that messiness has in our lives: why it's important, why we resist it, and why we should embrace it instead. Using research from neuroscience, psychology, social science, as well as captivating examples of real people doing extraordinary things, Tim Harford explains that the human qualities we value - creativity, responsiveness, resilience - are integral to the disorder, confusion, and disarray that produce them. From the music studio of Brian Eno to the Lincoln Memorial with Martin Luther King, Jr., from the board room to the classroom, messiness lies at the core of how we innovate, how we achieve, how we reach each other - in short, how we succeed. In Messy, you'll learn about the unexpected connections between creativity and mess; understand why unexpected changes of plans, unfamiliar people, and unforeseen events can help generate new ideas and opportunities as they make you anxious and angry; and come to appreciate that the human inclination for tidiness - in our personal and professional lives, online, even in children's play - can mask deep and debilitating fragility that keep us from innovation. Stimulating and readable as it points exciting ways forward, Messy is an insightful exploration of the real advantages of mess in our lives.
Creative Acts for Curious People by Sarah Stein Greenberg; Stanford d.school; David M. Kelley (Foreword by) "A delightful, compelling book that offers a dazzling array of practical, thoughtful exercises designed to spark creativity, help solve problems, foster connection, and make our lives better."--Gretchen Rubin, New York Times bestselling author and host of the Happier podcast In an era of ambiguous, messy problems--as well as extraordinary opportunities for positive change--it's vital to have both an inquisitive mind and the ability to act with intention. Creative Acts for Curious People is filled with ways to build those skills with resilience, care, and confidence. At Stanford University's world-renowned Hasso Plattner Institute of Design, aka "the d.school," students and faculty, experts and seekers bring together diverse perspectives to tackle ambitious projects; this book contains the experiences designed to help them do it. A provocative and highly visual companion, it's a definitive resource for people who aim to draw on their curiosity and creativity in the face of uncertainty. Teeming with ideas about discovery, learning, and leading the way through unknown creative territory, Creative Acts for Curious People includes memorable stories and more than eighty innovative exercises. Curated by executive director Sarah Stein Greenberg, after being honed in the classrooms of the d.school, these exercises originated in some of the world's most inventive and unconventional minds, including those of d.school and IDEO founder David M. Kelley, ReadyMade magazine founder Grace Hawthorne, innovative choreographer Aleta Hayes, Google chief innovation evangelist Frederik G. Pferdt, and many more. To bring fresh approaches to any challenge-world changing or close to home-you can draw on exercises such as Expert Eyes to hone observation skills, How to Talk to Strangers to foster understanding, and Designing Tools for Teams to build creative leadership. The activities are at once lighthearted, surprising, tough, and impactful-and reveal how the hidden dynamics of design can drive more vibrant ways of making, feeling, exploring, experimenting, and collaborating at work and in life. This book will help you develop the behaviors and deepen the mindsets that can turn your curiosity into ideas, and your ideas into action.
Find Your Unicorn Space by Eve Rodsky From the New York Times bestselling author of Fair Play and "the Marie Kondo of relationships" comes an inspirational guide for setting new personal goals, rediscovering your interests, cultivating creativity, and reclaiming your Unicorn Space. With her acclaimed New York Times bestseller (and Reese's Book Club pick) Fair Play, Eve Rodsky began a national conversation about greater equality on the home front. But she soon realized that even when the domestic workload becomes more balanced, people still report something missing in their lives--that is, unless they create and prioritize time for activities that not only fill their calendars but also unleash their creativity. Rodsky calls this vital time Unicorn Space--the active and open pursuit of creative self-expression in any form that makes you uniquely YOU. To help readers embrace all the unlikely, surprising, and delightful places where their own Unicorn Space may be found, she speaks with trail blazers, thought leaders, academics, and countless real people who have discovered theirs everywhere--from activism to artistic endeavors to second careers. Rodsky reveals what researchers already know: Creativity is not optional. It's essential. Though most of us do need to remind ourselves how (and where) to find it. With her trademark mix of research based, how-to advice and big-picture inspirational thinking, Rodsky shows you a clear path to reclaim your permission to have fun, manifest your own Unicorn Space in an already too-busy life, and unleash your special gifts and undiscovered talents into the world.

reading challenge

Reading Challenges

New year, new reading challenges! If you are unfamiliar with the reading challenge, don't worry. We have plenty of sources to get you started, whether your goal is to tackle your TBR pile over the year...read 6 books from a new genre in 6 weeks...or whatever takes your fancy - you can be as specific as you'd like. Make 2022 the best year of your reading life!

About reading challenges

book award link

Looking for lists of book award winners?

Swing by our Online Reading Resources!

Online Reading Resources
Includes links to book award websites, online booklists, and book review and recommendation websites

printable

Printable Booklists

Mystery

Mystery Fiction

other genre

Other Genre Fiction

Interested in more horror titles? Check out Monster Mashups!

Romance, Westerns, and Sci-Fi/Fantasy lists coming soon!

Bram Stoker Award Winners/Popular and Classic Horror Titles
Western Stories
9/2/21
printable with links
Recommended Romance
9/4/21
printable with links
Round the World With Romance
9/4/21
printable with links

New Mexico Authors

Home grown in the Land of Enchantment!

Also, take a look at our New Mexico Authors LibGuide.

New Mexico Authors

Graphic Novels and Manga

If you are interested in checking out manga, please note that manga ratings include: T – Teens, Age 13+; OT – Older Teens, Age 16+; and M – Mature, Age 18+. Books will be clearly marked with ratings.

YA

Teen Reads

LGBTQ+ Reads: Pansexual
6/21
LGBTQ+ Reads: Transgender
6/21
LGBTQ+ Reads: Aro, Ace, Demi
LGBTQ+ Reads: Intersex
6/21
LGBTQ+ Reads: Beyond the Gender Binary
6/21
LGBTQ+ Teen Reads: Questioning
6/21
LGBTQ+ Reads: Gay
6/21
LGBTQ+ Reads: Bisexual
6/21
LGBTQ+ Reads: Lesbian
6/21
Teen LGBTQ+ Books
Pride: Teen LGBTQ Book List
Award Winning African American Teen Fiction
This list is both printable and has links to the catalog. 2/21
Teen Books for Guys
If You Like Books by John Green ...
Girls Just Want to Have Fun - Teen Chick Lit
If You Like Rick Riordan...
Dystopian Novels
Graphic Novels and Comics
Realistic Fiction
Humorous
YA Romance
Sci Fi Fantasy

Miscellaneous Fiction Booklists

Miscellaneous Fiction

Multicultural

Multicultural & Diversity

Indigeneous Authors
Fiction & non-fiction. 10/27/21
Travel Guides For the Wandering Mind: The World's Smallest Nations
PDF with links to the catalog!
7/28/20
Travel Guides For the Wandering Mind: Crusing the Mediterranean
PDF with links to the catalog!
7/10/20
Travel Guides for the Wandering Mind: Trek Through South America
PDF with links to the catalog!
7/10/20
Travel Guides for the Wandering Mind: Sub-Saharan Africa
PDF with links to the catalog!
7/8/20
Antiracist Reading List
6/18/20
African Fiction
Latin American Fiction
Oceania Fiction
Showcasing African-American Authors
O Canada!
Pride: Adult LGBTQ List
Caribbean-American Literature
Jewish Heritage

Readalikes

Interested in more readalikes? Check out the Sherlock Holmes Universe!

Nonfiction

Non-Fiction

Home Canning
printable with links to the catalog
9/2021
Self Care
printable with links to the catalog
2/2021
Books to soothe your cottagecore soul
printable with links to the catalog
2/2021
Gardening For Albuquerque Greenhorns
printable with links to the catalog
5/2021
Non-Fiction that Reads Like Fiction
6/18/20
Best Bathroom Reads
Epicurean Delights
Graphic Novels for Adults
Literary Couples
Overcoming Adversity
Sustainability & Self-Reliant Living
True Crime
Non-Fiction Award Winners

balance

January is Get a Balanced Life Month

While many of these listings link by default to a print copy, many are available in other formats (eBook and eAudiobook). Don't forget to check the catalog by title or author if you prefer digital!

The Art of Screen Time by Anya Kamenetz Finally: an evidence-based, reassuring guide to what to do about kids and screens, from video games to social media. Today's babies often make their debut on social media with the very first sonogram. They begin interacting with screens at around four months old. But is this good news or bad news? A wonderful opportunity to connect around the world? Or the first step in creating a generation of addled screen zombies? Many have been quick to declare this the dawn of a neurological and emotional crisis, but solid science on the subject is surprisingly hard to come by. In The Art of Screen Time, Anya Kamenetz -- an expert on education and technology, as well as a mother of two young children -- takes a refreshingly practical look at the subject. Surveying hundreds of fellow parents on their practices and ideas, and cutting through a thicket of inconclusive studies and overblown claims, she hones a simple message, a riff on Michael Pollan's well-known "food rules": Enjoy Screens. Not too much. Mostly with others. This brief but powerful dictum forms the backbone of a philosophy that will help parents moderate technology in their children's lives, curb their own anxiety, and create room for a happy, healthy family life with and without screens.
Lagom by Niki Brantmark In a fast-paced world, wouldn't it be wonderful if you could slow down and enjoy a life with less pressure, less stress, and more time for the things you love? Sweden is ranked in the top three of the world's happiest places to live, and lagom, which means "not too much and not too little--just right," is the Swedish philosophy for enjoying balance in every aspect of life--from work and leisure to family and food, and everything in between. Experienced bakers know by touch when the dough they are kneading is lagom--not too moist and not too dry. At the office, professionals who work hard--but not to the detriment of other parts of their lives--are following the lagom ideal. Lagom is moderation, balance, and equality. By using the Swedish lifestyle as an example, Niki Brantmark offers insightful suggestions and bite-sized actions to help you make subtle changes to your life, so you too can make time for the things that matter most and find greater happiness.
Find Your Balance Point by Brian Tracy; Christina Stein Accomplish what matters most Because we all have too much to do, it feels like our lives are out of balance. But Brian Tracy and Christina Stein argue that imbalance results not so much from doing too much but from doing too much of the wrong things. They provide a process that enables you to sort out what is most important to you from among the many activities you could focus on. When you can efficiently identify and accomplish what really matters to you, you've found your balance point.
Call Number: eBook
Decide by Steve McClatchy How to make better decisions and achieve your goals What shapes a person's career and life, and defines them as a leader? Their decisions. We all want to be more productive and deliver our best results. But doing this effectively--and consistently over time--is a significant challenge. Managing it all is hard, and leading in today's hyper-paced world is even harder. The good news is that leadership expert Steve McClatchy makes it easier. In Decide, McClatchy--who works with Fortune 1000 people every day to help them achieve outstanding levels of performance--shows you how to cut through the complexities and excuses to start realizing real gains simply by changing one thing: the way you make decisions. With McClatchy's help, you can quickly begin to: Use the time you have each day to move your business and your life forward Make decisions that yield better results Waste less time, reduce stress and regain balance Again and again, McClatchy has helped people learn for themselves how great decision-making habits yield a lifetime of accomplishments. Follow McClatchy's no-nonsense and practical approach, and you'll soon manage--and even lead--at your highest level of personal performance.
Call Number: eBook
Mama Doc Medicine by Wendy Sue Swanson "Parents want to do what's right," explains Mama Doc blogger and physician Wendy Sue Swanson. Yet many parents find that defining what's right can sometimes be elusive, so Dr. Swanson has created this innovative guide to help. Pediatrician, mother and blogger Dr. Wendy Sue Swanson helps decipher today's conflicting medical opinions, offers helpful online resources, and shares what she's learned over many years from her patients, friends and family in this enlightening guide to parenting. Based on the popular SeattleMamaDoc blog, Mama Doc Medicine is a timely collection of almost 100 entries grouped under the following headings: 1. Prevention for Infants and Toddlers 2. Social-Emotional Support 3. Immunizations 4. Work-Life Balance/Mothering Using Dr. Swanson's experience as a mother and physician, this book provides simple answers to the "how," "what," "why," and "who" questions of parenting.
YOU: Stress Less by Michael F. Roizen; Mehmet Oz Stress is America's #1 killer, aging people prematurely and compromising people's health enormously. Culled from the pages of bestselling YOU: Staying Young, YOU: On a Diet, and YOU: Being Beautiful, this handy pocket guide that offers ninety-nine incredibly valuable tips to reverse the effects of stress is a must read. There's no question that stress can impact just about every part of your life--the way you look, how you feel, how long you live, how well you sleep, what you eat, everything. That's why it is so important to have a good stress management plan in place, whether you're used to juggling work, kids, gadgets, gizmos, or any of the hundreds of responsibilities that any of us have every day. While there are three kinds of stress, you may not know that they aren't all bad for you; some stress can actually work as a powerful motivator. The problem? When the wrong kinds of stress hammer you (and hammer you and hammer you), it can wear you down and cause lasting physical damage. YOU: Stress Less offers a 360-degree perspective on stress that combines the most up-to-date wisdom from the entire YOU: The Owner's Manual series. Packed with meditation techniques, food recommendations, and lifestyle evaluation tools, this paperback is an essential guide to reducing your stress levels and improving your life--with some changes that you'll feel immediately. This portable, comprehensive guide is a perfect investment in your health and your happiness.
Your Body in Balance by Neal D. Barnard; Lindsay Nixon (Contribution by) This nationally bestselling book explains the shocking new science of how hormones are wreaking havoc on the body, and the delicious solution that improves health, reduces pain, and even helps to shed weight. Hidden in everyday foods are the causes of a surprising range of health problems: infertility, menstrual cramps, weight gain, hair loss, breast and prostate cancer, hot flashes, and much more. All of these conditions have one thing in common: they are fueled by hormones that are hiding in foods or are influenced by the foods we eat. Your Body in Balance provides step-by-step guidance for understanding what's at the root of your suffering-and what you can do to feel better fast. Few people realize that a simple food prescription can help you tackle all these and more by gently restoring your hormone balance, with benefits rivaling medications. Neal Barnard, MD, a leading authority on nutrition and health, offers insight into how dietary changes can alleviate years of stress, pain, and illness. What's more, he also provides delicious and easy-to-make hormone-balancing recipes, including: Cauliflower Buffalo Chowder Kung Pao Lettuce Wraps Butternut Breakfast Tacos Mediterranean Croquettes Apple Pie Nachos Brownie Batter Hummus Your Body in Balance gives new hope for people struggling with health issues. Thousands of people have already reclaimed their lives and their health through the strategic dietary changes described in this book. Whether you're looking to treat a specific ailment or are in search of better overall health, Dr. Neal Barnard provides an easy pathway toward pain relief, weight control, and a lifetime of good health.
The Gift of a Happy Mother by Rebecca Eanes So she asked her school-age son, who didn't miss a beat in responding- "A happy one." Thus began a journey of reflection and repair work, as Rebecca asked herself an even harder question- How can I rediscover everyday joy amid the chaos of schedules, homework, and housework-not to mention the guilt, comparisons, loneliness, fear, and overwhelm? In other words, how can I become a happy mom again? In this relatable guide, Rebecca walks readers through the process of getting back to happy, for your own sake as well as your family's. Going beyond the usual advice about finding balance, embracing gratitude, and not sweating the small stuff, her hard-won advice is written by a busy mom in the trenches. Topics include- * Letting go of perfection (or anything close to it) * Making peace with the past-including the pain of disappointment, loss, and the roads not taken * Tuning in to your own wants and needs-and tuning out the comparisons, "shoulds," and noise of social media * Finding magic in the mess * Choosing joy over fear and worry * Creating healthy boundaries so that everyone in your life can thrive (including you!) Filled with fresh insights, simple strategies, and aha moments, this is that rare book you'll want to read, share, and return to for a booster shot of confidence, connection, and joy.
Call Number: eAudiobook
Am I Overthinking This? by Michelle Rial Did I screw up? How do I achieve work-life balance? Am I eating too much cheese? Do I have too many plants? Through artful charts and funny, insightful questions, Michelle Rial delivers a playful take on the little dilemmas that loom large in the mind of every adult. Building on her popular Instagram account, Am I Overthinking This? brings whimsical charm to topics big and small, and offers solidarity for the stressed, answers for the confused, and a good laugh for all.
Call Number: eBook
Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop Joining the ranks of The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, You Are a Badas*, and F*ck Feelings comes this refreshing, BS-free, self-empowerment guide that offers an honest, no-nonsense, tough-love approach to help you move past self-imposed limitations. Are you tired of feeling fu*ked up? If you are, Gary John Bishop has the answer. In this straightforward handbook, he gives you the tools and advice you need to demolish the slag weighing you down and become the truly unfu*ked version of yourself. ''Wake up to the miracle you are,'' he directs. ''Here's what you've forgotten: You're a fu*king miracle of being.'' It isn't other people that are standing in your way, it isn't even your circumstances that are blocking your ability to thrive, it's yourself and the negative self-talk you keep telling yourself. In Unfu*k Yourself, Bishop leads you through a series of seven assertions: I am willing. I am wired to win. I got this. I embrace the uncertainty. I am not my thoughts; I am what I do. I am relentless. I expect nothing and accept everything. Lead the life you were meant to have--Unfu*k Yourself.
Call Number: eBook
The Little Book of Being by Diana Winston A practical guide to experiencingnatural awareness--an effortless and spacious state of resting in the depth or our being. Do you recall, as a child, being enthralled by a drifting cloud, a rain-soaked leaf, a wandering ladybug? Or suddenly having a sense of timelessness, contentment, and ease? If so, then you've already had a taste ofnatural awareness. Known and revered in many traditions as a complement to focused mindfulness training, natural awareness transcends even these wondrous childhood moments. Some describe it as a profound "awareness of awareness"--an effortless, boundless state of resting in the depth of our being. For those new to meditation and experienced meditators alike, these 72 "mini-chapters" guide you on an in-depth odyssey into natural awareness, illuminated by many simple and enjoyable insights and exercises.The Little Book of Being invites you to explore: The spectrum of awareness practices, from focused mindfulness to flexible mindfulness to natural awareness * How classical mindfulness and effortless natural awareness enrich and shape each other, and how to practice both * Three ways to move into natural awareness--relaxing effort, broadening awareness, anddropping objects * A treasury of "glimpse practices" to spark natural awareness anytime, in just a few moments * How to bring this way of "simply being" into your daily life, into your connection with others, and into the world "At first natural awareness may seem far away, just a whisper, but then it will begin to grow and expand and permeate aspects of living. Over time we may feel more peace, more connection to ourselves. We may find ourselves taking life a bit more lightly. We may feel a sense of relaxed 'beingness' throughout the day, and when we do get caught in our dramas, we may find ourselves moving out of them quicker than we imagined we could." --Diana Winston
Awakening Your Ikigai by Ken Mogi "Awakening Your Ikigai is really quite a delightful look at sometimes mystifying Japanese traditions."--The New York Times Book Review Introducing IKIGAI: find your passions and live with joy Ikigai is a Japanese phenomenon commonly understood as "your reason to get up in the morning." Ikigai can be small moments: the morning air, a cup of coffee, a compliment. It can also be deep convictions: a fulfilling job, lasting friendships, balanced health. Whether big or small, your ikigai is the path to success and happiness in your own life. Author Ken Mogi introduces five pillars of ikigai to help you make the most of each day and become your most authentic self: 1. starting small → focus on the details 2. releasing yourself → accept who you are 3. harmony and sustainability → rely on others 4. the joy of little things → appreciate sensory pleasure 5. being in the here and now → find your flow. Weaving together insights from Japanese history, philosophy, and modern culture, plus stories from renowned sushi chef Jiro Ono, anime filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, and others, Mogi skillfully shows the way to awaken your ikigai.
Make Time by Jake Knapp; John Zeratsky From the New York Times bestselling authors of Sprint comes a simple 4-step system for improving focus, finding greater joy in your work, and getting more out of every day. "A charming manifesto--as well as an intrepid do-it-yourself guide to building smart habits that stick. If you want to achieve more (without going nuts), read this book."--Charles Duhigg, bestselling author of The Power of Habit and Smarter Faster Better Nobody ever looked at an empty calendar and said, "The best way to spend this time is by cramming it full of meetings!" or got to work in the morning and thought, Today I'll spend hours on Facebook! Yet that's exactly what we do. Why? In a world where information refreshes endlessly and the workday feels like a race to react to other people's priorities faster, frazzled and distracted has become our default position. But what if the exhaustion of constant busyness wasn't mandatory? What if you could step off the hamster wheel and start taking control of your time and attention? That's what this book is about. As creators of Google Ventures' renowned "design sprint," Jake and John have helped hundreds of teams solve important problems by changing how they work. Building on the success of these sprints and their experience designing ubiquitous tech products from Gmail to YouTube, they spent years experimenting with their own habits and routines, looking for ways to help people optimize their energy, focus, and time. Now they've packaged the most effective tactics into a four-step daily framework that anyone can use to systematically design their days. Make Time is not a one-size-fits-all formula. Instead, it offers a customizable menu of bite-size tips and strategies that can be tailored to individual habits and lifestyles. Make Time isn't about productivity, or checking off more to-dos. Nor does it propose unrealistic solutions like throwing out your smartphone or swearing off social media. Making time isn't about radically overhauling your lifestyle; it's about making small shifts in your environment to liberate yourself from constant busyness and distraction. A must-read for anyone who has ever thought, If only there were more hours in the day..., Make Time will help you stop passively reacting to the demands of the modern world and start intentionally making time for the things that matter.
Juliet's School of Possibilities by Laura Vanderkam Despite putting in tons of extra work, ambitious consultant Riley Jenkins keeps losing clients who say they're looking for fresher ideas. When her firm send her on a women's leadership retreat, Riley is forced to put her phone and learn from the mysterious, kindly group leader who seems to be able to achieve so much with so little stress. Through this charming and inspiring story, bestselling author Laura Vanderkam applies everything she's learned about time-management and work-life balance.
Off the Clock by Laura Vanderkam "I well recall a conversation with an executive I hoped to interview about her astonishing productivity. I began our call with an assurance that I would not take much of her time. She laughed. 'Oh, I have all the time in the world,' she said." Most of us feel constantly behind, unsure how to escape feeling oppressed by busyness. Laura Vanderkam, unlike other time-management gurus, believes that in order to get more done, we must first feel like we have all the time in the world. Think about it: why haven't you trained for that 5K or read War and Peace? Probably because you feel beaten down by all the time you don't seem to have. In this book, Vanderkam reveals the seven counterintuitive principles the most time-free people have adopted. She teaches mindset shifts to help you feel calm on the busiest days and tools to help you get more done without feeling overwhelmed. You'll meet people such as... ♦ An elementary school principal who figured out how to spend more time mentoring teachers, and less time supervising the cafeteria ♦ An executive who builds lots of meeting-free space into his calendar, despite managing teams across multiple continents ♦ A CEO who does focused work in a Waffle House early in the morning, so he can keep an open door and a relaxed mindset all day ♦ An artist who overcame a creative block, and reached new heights of productivity, by being more gentle with herself, rather than more demanding The strategies in this book can help if your life feels out of control, but they can also help if you want to take your career, your relationships, and your personal happiness to the next level. Vanderkam has packed this book with insights from busy yet relaxed professionals, including "time makeovers" of people who are learning how to use these tools. Off the Clock can inspire the rest of us to create lives that are not only productive, but enjoyable in the moment.
Dot Journaling--A Practical Guide by Rachel Wilkerson Miller Organize your life, record what matters, and get stuff done! What the heck is a dot journal? It's a planner, to-do list, and diary for every aspect of your life: work, home, relationships, hobbies, everything. Early adopter Rachel Wilkerson Miller explains how to make a dot journal work for you--whether you find the picture-perfect examples on Pinterest inspiring or, well, intimidating. You decide how simple or elaborate your journal will be, and what goes in there: Lists of your to-dos, to-don'ts, and more Symbols that will make those lists efficient and effective Spreads to plan your day, week, month, or year Trackers for your habits and goals (think health, money, travel) Accouterments such as washi tape, book darts, and more!
Call Number: eBook
How to Get Sh*t Done by Erin Falconer Erin Falconer, editor in chief and co-owner of the highly respected self-improvement site Pick the Brain (with over 1.8 million monthly page views), shows overscheduled, overwhelmed women how to do less so that they can achieve more. Women live in a state of constant guilt: that we're not doing enough, that we're not good enough, that we can't keep up. If we're not climbing the corporate ladder, building our side hustle, preparing home-cooked meals, tucking the kids in at night, meditating daily, and scheduling playdates, date nights, and girls' nights every week, we feel like we're not living our best lives. Yet traditional productivity books--written by men--barely touch the tangle of cultural pressures that women feel when facing down a to-do list. Finally, in the first productivity book by a woman in a decade, Erin Falconer will show you how to do less--a lot less. In fact, How to Get Sh*t Done will teach you how to zero in on the three areas of your life where you want to excel, and then it will show you how to off-load, outsource, or just stop giving a damn about the rest. As the founder of two technology start-ups and one of Refinery29's Top 10 Women Changing the Digital Landscape for Good, Erin has seen what happens when women chase an outdated, patriarchal model of productivity, and in How to Get Sh*t Done she shows how even the most perfectionistic among us can tap into our inner free spirit and learn to feel like badasses, rather than drudges. Packed with real-life advice, honest stories from Erin's successful career, and dozens of actionable resources, How to Get Sh*t Done will forever reframe productivity so that you can stop doing everything for everyone and start doing what matters to you.
Design the Life You Love by Ayse Birsel Life, just like a design problem, is full of constraints-time, money, age, location, and circumstances. You cannot have everything, and if you want more out of it, you have to be creative about how to make what you need and what you want co-exist. This requires design thinking. Design the Life You Love uses a simple but proven creative thinking and design process to give ordinary people new tools to think about life differently, and also includes fascinating examples from the world of art and design that relate to each step of the process, plus guided creative exercises. Turn constraints into opportunities with optimism and holistic thinking using four simple steps- taking the whole apart, forming a new point of view, putting it back together, and giving it form. The striking design and Ayse Birsel's hand-drawn art and type set off her brilliant, life-changing design process, empowering and inspiring readers to create a better life.
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Provocative and appealing . . . well worth your extremely limited time." --Barbara Spindel, The Wall Street Journal The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. Assuming you live to be eighty, you have just over four thousand weeks. Nobody needs telling there isn't enough time. We're obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction; and we're deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient, and "life hacks" to optimize our days. But such techniques often end up making things worse. The sense of anxious hurry grows more intense, and still the most meaningful parts of life seem to lie just beyond the horizon. Still, we rarely make the connection between our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks. Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and ultimately profound guide to time and time management. Rejecting the futile modern fixation on "getting everything done," Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude, showing how many of the unhelpful ways we've come to think about time aren't inescapable, unchanging truths, but choices we've made as individuals and as a society--and that we could do things differently.
The Book of Patience by Courtney E. Ackerman Discover why patience really is a virtue with these 250 quotes and exercises designed to help you lead a happier, more successful life. Patience is both a virtue and a skill that you can learn and apply in your daily life to be calmer and more stress-free. Wouldn't it be nice to calmly zen out when stuck in traffic delays instead of losing your cool? In The Book of Patience, you will discover practical exercises, habits, thoughts, and moments of pause to allow you to cultivate and improve your patience. These 250 quotes and activities will help you deescalate feelings of irritability and become less reactive in moments of stress and duress. Being patient means facing challenges and adversity with calm and ease and The Book of Patience is here to make this skill easier than ever!
Burnout by Emily Nagoski; Amelia Nagoski NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * "This book is a gift! I've been practicing their strategies, and it's a total game-changer."--Brené Brown, PhD, author of the #1 New York Times bestseller Dare to Lead This groundbreaking book explains why women experience burnout differently than men--and provides a simple, science-based plan to help women minimize stress, manage emotions, and live a more joyful life. Burnout. Many women in America have experienced it. What's expected of women and what it's really like to be a woman in today's world are two very different things--and women exhaust themselves trying to close the gap between them. How can you "love your body" when every magazine cover has ten diet tips for becoming "your best self"? How do you "lean in" at work when you're already operating at 110 percent and aren't recognized for it? How can you live happily and healthily in a sexist world that is constantly telling you you're too fat, too needy, too noisy, and too selfish? Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, are here to help end the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Instead of asking us to ignore the very real obstacles and societal pressures that stand between women and well-being, they explain with compassion and optimism what we're up against--and show us how to fight back. In these pages you'll learn * what you can do to complete the biological stress cycle--and return your body to a state of relaxation * how to manage the "monitor" in your brain that regulates the emotion of frustration * how the Bikini Industrial Complex makes it difficult for women to love their bodies--and how to defend yourself against it * why rest, human connection, and befriending your inner critic are keys to recovering and preventing burnout With the help of eye-opening science, prescriptive advice, and helpful worksheets and exercises, all women will find something transformative in these pages--and will be empowered to create positive change. Emily and Amelia aren't here to preach the broad platitudes of expensive self-care or insist that we strive for the impossible goal of "having it all." Instead, they tell us that we are enough, just as we are--and that wellness, true wellness, is within our reach. NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY BOOKRIOT "Burnout is the gold standard of self-help books, delivering cutting-edge science with energy, empathy, and wit. The authors know exactly what's going on inside your frazzled brain and body, and exactly what you can do to fix it. . . . Truly life-changing."--Sarah Knight, New York Times bestselling author of Calm the F*ck Down