Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves

Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves 

by Alison Wood Brooks 

Crown, 2025. 305 pages. Nonfiction 

Though we do it all the time, Harvard business professor Alison Wood Brooks argues that conversation is one of the most complex, demanding, and delicate of all human tasks, rife with possibilities for misinterpretation and misunderstanding. And yet conversations can also be a source of great joy, each one offering an opportunity to express who we are and learn who others are—to feel connected, loved, and alive. In Talk, Brooks shows why conversing a little more effectively can make a big difference in the quality of our close personal relationships as well as our professional success. Drawing on the new science of conversation, Brooks distills lessons that show how we can better understand, learn from, and delight each other. 

Alison Wood Brooks teaches classes on conversation at Harvard, and her points in Talk draw directly from the latest research on conversation. A few interesting takeaways included research showing that small talk is good for us physically and mentally, that having pre-planned topics heading into social settings helps you be more interesting and doesn’t sound rehearsed, and that people like those who laugh a lot and those who ask a lot of questions. Brooks frequently reiterates two facts that might be particularly helpful for the socially anxious: first, that being a good conversationalist is a skill that can be learned rather than an in-born trait, and, second, that people consistently underestimate how much strangers enjoy talking with them. While some of the details will sound familiar if you’ve read other books on charisma and conversation, this is a great introduction to those who are new to the topic or are ready for a refresher. 

If you liked Talk: The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves, you might also like: 

How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen 

By David Brooks 

Random House, 2023. 306 pages. Nonfiction 

Drawing from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and from the worlds of theater, philosophy, history and education, one of the nation's leading writers and commentators helps us become more understanding and considerate toward others, and to find the joy that comes from being seen. 

Supercommunicators: How to Unlock the Secret Language of Connection 

by Charles Duhigg 

Random House, 2024. 299 pages. Nonfiction 

Supercommunicators know the importance of recognizing, and then matching, each kind of conversation, and how to hear the complex emotions, subtle negotiations, and deeply held beliefs that color so much of what we say and how we listen. In this book, you will learn why some people are able to make themselves heard, and to hear others, so clearly. Charles Duhigg teaches the tips and skills we need to navigate conversations more successfully. 

 SGR

Things No One Taught Us About Love

Things No One Taught Us About Love
By Vex King
HarperOne, 2025. 301 pages. Nonfiction

This easy-to-digest nonfiction book teaches that building healthy relationships starts with developing a strong foundation of self-love and self-awareness. It explains that many relationship struggles come from unhealed emotional wounds and learned patterns that shape how we give and receive love. The book emphasizes the importance of taking responsibility for your inner world rather than relying on others for validation or happiness.

King highlights that healthy relationships require clear boundaries, honest communication, and mutual respect rather than dependency or control. He also frames relationships as opportunities for growth, showing how partners often reflect your inner state and areas that need healing. Overall, the book presents love as a daily practice rooted in self-respect, emotional maturity, and conscious effort rather than something that simply happens. I really found that it resonated deeply with me, and the tips for daily practice are actually do-able. I highly recommend getting more in touch with yourself and learning how you, as an individual, deserve to be loved unconditionally.

If you like Things No One Taught Us About Love, you might also like:

Take Up Space, Y'All
By Tess Holiday
RP Teens, 2025. 162 pages. Nonfiction

For any readers who feel they have to change themselves to fit in, this is an encouraging message to be their most authentic selves. It's geared at teenagers, but the messages resonate with any age. This engaging and informative work offers body-positive tips and tricks while tackling important topics such as mental health, friendships, self-image, and personal habits. As exemplified by the title, the authors focus on helping readers respond to difficult situations and keep a clear head, all with an emphasis on self-love. In a supportive, energetic tone, Holliday and Coon guide readers in learning how to love themselves and develop their own relationships with food, fashion, and friends.

The Body Is Not An Apology
By Sonya Renee Taylor
Berrett-Koehler Publishers, 2021. 159 pages. Nonfiction

This incredible resource argues that radical self-love is a powerful tool for healing both personal and societal harm. The book explains how systems like racism, sexism, and body shaming distort our relationship with our bodies and limit our sense of worth. It encourages readers to reject these harmful narratives, embrace their bodies fully, and use self-love as a foundation for creating a more just and compassionate world. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world--for us all.

The Courage To Be Disliked
By Ichirō Kishimi
Atria Books, 2018. 270 pages. Nonfiction

This book demonstrates how to unlock the power within yourself to be the person you truly want to be. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of twentieth century psychology, this book follows an illuminating conversation between a philosopher and a young man. The philosopher explains to his pupil how each of us is able to determine our own life, free from the shackles of past experiences, doubts, and the expectations of others. It's a way of thinking that is deeply liberating, allowing us to develop the courage to change, and to ignore the limitations that we and other people have placed on us. The result is a book that is both highly accessible and profound in its importance. This book will help you declutter your mind of harmful thoughts and attitudes, helping you to make a lasting change, achieve real happiness, and find success.

Recipes for Self-Love
By Rachel Alison
Morrow Gift, 2019. 112 pages. Nonfiction

This graphic-style self-help book uses simple illustrations and short reflections to explore self-worth and emotional well-being. It focuses on how societal pressures, especially in a patriarchal world, can shape insecurities and negative self-perception. The author encourages readers to practice self-love through boundaries, self-acceptance, and letting go of the need for external validation. She presents healing as a gradual process, offering small, relatable “recipes” or steps for feeling better in everyday life. Overall, it delivers a gentle and accessible message that prioritizing your own needs and inner peace is both necessary and empowering.

LKA

ADHD is Awesome: A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving with ADHD

ADHD is Awesome : A Guide to (Mostly) Thriving With ADHD
by Penn and Kim Holderness (authors, narrators)
Harper Horizon, 2024. 8 hours, 45 minutes. Nonfiction.

The engaging, uplifting antidote to traditional ADHD books (which, let's be honest, if you have ADHD you'd never read anyway). You live in a world that wasn't designed for you. A world where you're expected to sit still, stay quiet, and focus. Because of the way your brain is wired, you can feel like you're failing at life. But you are not failing. You are awesome. Award-winning content creators Kim and Penn Holderness are on a mission to reboot how we think about the unfortunately named "attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder." As always, they are doing it by looking in the mirror, because they don't just study ADHD; they live it.

If I may get personal for a moment, I was actually diagnosed with ADHD at the age of 39 because of the Holderness Family! During the COVID-19 pandemic, I discovered their YouTube channel. One day, I found myself laughing WAY too hard at Penn’s clutter-themed parody of “You’re Welcome” from Disney’s Moana. This soon led me to other songs and skits, several specifically about living with ADHD. In a sudden moment of clarity, I realized that there was a particular theme in those videos which I found a bit TOO personally relatable... 

To make a long story short, I was eagerly awaiting this book. I opted for the audio version, as Penn and Kim are seasoned podcasters with a very entertaining tag-team narration style. (We also carry the physical book in our catalog, if you prefer.) They don’t shy away from the difficulties that ADHD can bring to their household and relationship, but their love for and commitment to one another is always apparent. Their intent is to use their personal experiences to show that if you live with ADHD or love someone who does, you are not alone, and you are not a bad person just because you can never remember where you left your car keys (or got angry because you had to help your spouse find said keys again). This is a breezy-paced audiobook that would be great to listen to while driving or folding the long-neglected laundry pile while simultaneously avoiding a more urgent task (if you know, you know).

 If you like ADHD is Awesome, you may also like:

 How to ADHD : An Insider's Guide to Working With Your Brain (Not Against It)
by Jessica McCabe
Rodale Books, 2024. 443 pages. Nonfiction.

Diagnosed with ADHD at age twelve, Jessica struggled with a brain that she didn’t understand. She lost things constantly, couldn’t finish projects, and felt like she was putting more effort in than everyone around her while falling further and further behind. At thirty-two years old, Jessica decided to look more deeply into her ADHD challenges. She reached out to experts, devoured articles, and shared her discoveries on YouTube. In How to ADHD, Jessica reveals the tools that have changed her life while offering an unflinching look at the realities of living with ADHD.

ADHD 2.0 : New Science and Essential Strategies for Thriving With Distraction
by Edward M. Hallowell
Ballantine Books, 2021. 186 pages. Nonfiction.

A new approach reframing ADD/ADHD as a personality trait that most people have to some degree, featuring cutting-edge research and strategies to help readers thrive, by the internationally bestselling authors of the seminal ADD books Driven to Distraction and Delivered from Distraction. In ADHD 2.0, they present a revolutionary new idea: What if we viewed impulsivity, distractibility, and hyperactivity as personality traits instead of symptoms? Furthermore, what if we learned to value and harness these traits for the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit they tend to breed?

-LAH

My Hygge Home

My Hygge Home: How to Make Home Your Happy Place 

By Meik Wiking 

Abrams Image, 2022. 271 pages. Nonfiction 

Inspired by Danish design and traditions, this inspiring book, featuring tips based on research from The Happiness Institute in Copenhagen, shows how to turn a home into a cozy sanctuary regardless of available space or budget. 

I’m honestly bummed I read this just after coming out of the winter season, because this book, filled with tips and tricks to make your home cozy and warm, would have been perfect for those dreary winter days. If you’ve read “The Little Book of Hygge” by the same author, this one is very similar but it delves more into the psychology behind hygge and why it’s valuable, especially since the pandemic shook our routines and habits. If anything, the need for intentional coziness has only grown over the last few years. 

If you like My Hygge Home, you might also like: 

The Gentle Art of Swedish Death Cleaning 

By Margareta Magnusson 

Scribner, 2018. 117 pages. Nonfiction 

In Sweden there is a kind of decluttering called döstädning, dö meaning "death" and städning meaning "cleaning." Margareta instructs readers to embrace minimalism, and suggests which possessions you can easily get rid of (unworn clothes, unwanted presents, more plates than you'd ever use) and which you might want to keep (photographs, love letters, a few of your children's art projects). Digging into her late husband's tool shed, and her own secret drawer of vices, Margareta introduces an element of fun to a potentially daunting task. Along the way readers get a glimpse into her life in Sweden, and also become more comfortable with the idea of letting go. 

Marie Kondo’s Kurashi at Home 

By Marie Kondō 

Ten Speed Press, 2022. 223 pages. Nonfiction

From the #1 bestselling sensation and Netflix star comes her guide to designing not just the home-but the life-of your dreams, fully illustrated with more than 200 photographs from inside the Marie Kondo lifestyle.

LA

Hábitos Atómicos

Hábitos atómicos
Por James Clear
Paidós, 2003. 326 páginas. No ficción

Hábitos Atómicos parte de una simple pero poderosa pregunta: ¿Cómo podemos vivir mejor? Sabemos que unos buenos hábitos nos permiten mejorar significativamente nuestra vida, pero con frecuencia nos desviamos del camino: dejamos de hacer ejercicio, comemos mal, dormimos poco, despilfarramos. ¿Por qué es tan fácil caer en los malos hábitos y tan complicado seguir los buenos? James Clear nos brinda fantásticas ideas basadas en investigaciones científicas, que le permiten revelarnos cómo podemos transformar pequeños hábitos cotidianos para cambiar nuestra vida y mejorarla. 

Esta guía pone al descubierto las fuerzas ocultas que moldean nuestro comportamiento -- desde nuestra mentalidad, pasando por el ambiente y hasta la genética -- y nos demuestra cómo aplicar cada cambio a nuestra vida y a nuestro trabajo. Después de leer este libro, tendrás un método sencillo para desarrollar un sistema eficaz que te conducirá al éxito.

Si le gusta «Hábitos atómicos» le recomendamos:

El libro de la esperanza
Por Matt Haig
Contraluz, 2022. 265 páginas. No ficción

Reflexiones sobre la ilusión, la supervivencia y el milagro de estar vivos Y, en la oscuridad, incluso los fragmentos de luz más minúsculos pueden brillar, llamar nuestra atención y tal vez hasta guiarnos a casa.

El libro de la esperanza es una recopilación de pequeñas islas de ilusión. Reúne formas de consuelo e historias que nos proporcionan nuevas maneras de vernos a nosotros y al mundo. La mezcla de filosofía, memorias y autorreflexión de Matt Haig se basa en filósofos y supervivientes de todos los tiempos, desde Marco Aurelio hasta Nellie Bly, desde Emily Dickinson hasta James Baldwin.

Este es el libro al que debes recurrir cuando necesites la sabiduría de un amigo, el consuelo de un abrazo o un recordatorio de que la esperanza surge de lugares inesperados.

Mindfulness para la felicidad
Por Ruth A. Baer
Ediciones Urano, 2018. 412 páginas. No ficción

El manual definitivo sobre la práctica que está revolucionando la psicología y la neurologiá: el mindfulness o presencia. En el complejo mundo actual, el mensaje se ha convertido en una exigencia: se feliz. Un imperativo tan ambicioso que la búsqueda de la felicidad acaba siendo fuente de ansiedad y frustración.

Ruth Baer, profesora de psicología e investigadora de renombre internacional, propone un enfoque distinto: olvidarse de la felicidad como destino para considerarla una forma de viajar. Desde esta perspectiva, contamos con una herramienta valiosísima para poner en práctica, hoy mismo, la felicidad: el mindfulness o presencia. La autora ha creado una obra cálida, practica y accesible para experimentar el poder de transformación del mindfulness en la vida cotidiana.

MEB

Labels: Español, MEB, No ficción

Ámate: Libera tus Dudas, Crea Autocompasión y Acepta Quién Eres

Ámate: Libera tus Dudas, Crea Autocompasión y Acepta Quién Eres
por Megan Logan
Editorial Edaf, S.L., 2023. 176 páginas. Autoayuda

Embárcate en un viaje hacia el amor a ti misma. Un poderoso libro de ejercicios para mujeres. En un mundo que cambia rápidamente, lleno de desafíos personales y profesionales, no siempre es fácil tratarse a una misma con amor y compasión, pero este libro supone un sencillo paso en esta dirección. Está lleno de ideas que invitan a la reflexión y es un estímulo para todas aquellas mujeres que desean desarrollar la confianza y la autoestima necesarias para enfrentarse al mundo. Ya sea que estés descubriendo tu propia imagen corporal, dejando una relación poco saludable o simplemente tratando de aceptar quién eres, este libro te proporciona las herramientas y los ejercicios útiles para desarrollar una mejor relación contigo misma.

Un enfoque con dos partes. Aprende qué significa realmente quererte a ti misma y qué es tan importante. A continuación, encuentra formas de dejar atrás las dudas, practica la autocompasión y crea una vida llena de significado y propósito. Técnicas probadas. Inspírate con citas, afirmaciones, ejercicios poderosos y sugerencias perspicaces basadas en la psicología positiva, el mindfulness y otros métodos para ejercitar el amor hacia tu persona. Lo único que necesitas es amarte a ti misma. Si estás pasando por un momento difícil, o simplemente deseas tener más amor en tu vida, este cuaderno de ejercicios te ayudará a alcanzar tu potencial máximo y a cuidarte a lo largo del camino.

Si le gusta «Ámate» le recomendamos:

Renuévate con Confianza Total
por Florencia Andres y Veronica de Andres

Ediciones B, 2023. 224 páginas. No Ficción

Al leer este libro vas a sentir una inyección de confianza, será como un ritual diario de conexión contigo mismo. Dedícale solo cinco minutos por día, todos los días, y genera una verdadera renovación en tu vida: la de la fuerza interior que te puede llevar a vivir al máximo nivel y a desarrollar tu máximo potencial. Esa fuerza interior es la confianza total. Y, con confianza total, todo es posible.

¿Sabías que con solo dedicar unos minutos por día puedes ganar un nivel de motivación y confianza increíble? ¿Tan poderoso puede ser un tip por día? Es que los tips de confianza total tienen una combinación única de elementos: ciencia, arte y onda. Están avalados por más de treinta años de trabajo e investigación entrenando a cientos de miles de personas para desarrollar su máximo potencial. A la vez, están escritos con un lenguaje entretenido, moderno, y se leen tan fácil que atrapan.

¿Para qué sirven estos tips? Para que tengas mucha más confianza en ti mismo, para que sepas crear una mentalidad que te sume, para que mejores los vínculos con quienes te rodean y para darte los secretos para tener éxito en lo que te propongas. ¿Cuándo leer el tip de cada día? Cuando quieras: apenas te despiertes, antes de irte a dormir, antes de un momento importante o simplemente cuando pienses «¡necesito una inyección de energía positiva ya!».

Un tip por día que puede cambiarte la vida. Porque más que un tip es una dosis diaria de confianza total y con eso todo es posible. Dale, anímate: lee un tip por día y renuévate .

Libera tu Cerebro
por Susan Peirce Thompson 

Grijalbo, 2023. 296 páginas. No Ficción

A unas semanas de su lanzamiento, «Libera tu cerebro» revolucionó la literatura médica al demostrar científicamente que el cerebro es el verdadero rehén de la comida moderna y que es posible romper con la adicción a los alimentos dañinos, convirtiéndose en un bestseller instantáneo y vendiendo cientos de miles de copias alrededor del mundo.

«Libera tu cerebro» es el primer programa que ataca a la obesidad como una adicción a la comida, fácil de seguir gracias a las cuatro reglas de oro que rompen con los impulsos adictivos. Un libro que cambiará la vida de las millones de personas que a pesar de seguir programas alimenticios y rutinas de entrenamiento físico no logran perder esos kilos de más, y en el que la doctora Susan Peirce Thompson explica que la imposibilidad de alcanzar el peso ideal no está relacionada con la falta de voluntad ni de conocimiento: la clave está en el cerebro. Además de hablar de su experiencia personal, la doctora Peirce suma los testimonios de quienes han conseguido ser felices, delgados y libres a través de su método.

«Una perspectiva vanguardista para enfrentar los problemas persistentes y mal diagnosticados relacionados con el sobrepeso», Mark Hyman, autor de «Come grasa y adelgaza» y «La solución del azúcar en la sangre».

«Este libro no está basado solamente en las experiencias de miles de personas, sino que está respaldado por neurociencia sólida que nunca antes se había presentado de este modo», Christiane Northrup, autora bestseller de The New York Times.

MEB

Etiquetas: Español, MEB, No Ficción, Autoayuda, Manual de Cocina

How to Keep House While Drowning

How to Keep House While Drowning: A Gentle Approach to Cleaning and Organizing

By KC Davis

Simon Element, 2022. 151 pgs. Nonfiction

KC Davis is a therapist and has found popularity on TikTok and Instagram after posting videos of her messy house. She wrote this book as a way to teach simple strategies to handle everyday responsibilities when they sometimes feel impossible. The first thing is to change the way we think about chores and instead call them "Care Tasks".  She proposes that if you make the everyday care tasks easier, you can improve mental health faster. 

Some of the things she teaches include:

Care tasks are morally neutral
Rest is a right, not a reward
You deserve kindness regardless of your level of functioning
You can’t save the rainforest if you’re depressed
Shame is the enemy of functioning
Good enough is perfect

This book was short, easy to read, and exactly what I needed. Everything KC Davis says makes so much sense to me. It made me look at myself and my responsibilities differently. I love the idea that I can do things that make my life functional and it can look or feel different than someone else. I also like that she made me think about the shame I feel for not getting everything done. Shame gets in the way of so many things in our lives. I highly recommend this book. Her TEDx talk "How to Do Laundry When You're Depressed" is pretty good too!

If you liked How to Keep House While Drowning you may also like: 

Organizing for the Rest of Us: 100 Realistic Strategies to Keep Any House Under Control

By Dana White

Thomas Nelson, 2022, 216pgs. Nonfiction

Dana K. White is a decluttering expert and self-proclaimed recovering slob. She offers sustainable ideas to simplify and manage your home. 

Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be

By Rebecca Kennedy

Harper Wave, 2022. 315 pgs. Nonfiction

Dr. Becky Kennedy provides a groundbreaking guide for parents that offers a new approach to interacting with our children. It focuses more on our connections and the premise that we are all good inside, just sometimes we are a good person, having a hard time. This book doesn't have to do with organizing or cleaning, but it does take away a lot of the shame of being a parent. 

The House That Cleans Itself

By Mindy Starns Clark

Harvest House Publishers, 2013, 239 pgs. Nonfiction

Sometimes you just need to become a detective in your own house and look at your spaces with new eyes. How can you change the space to fit the behavior? Could you change a couple things to create a first impression of clean. This book presents tips and strategies for effective house cleaning and organization. 

AL

How to Be a Happier Parent

 

How to Be a Happier Parent

by KJ Dell'Antonia

2018. Nonfiction

An encouraging guide to helping parents find more happiness in their day-to-day family life, from the former lead editor of the New York Times' Motherlode blog.In all the writing and reporting KJ Dell'Antonia has done on families over the years, one topic keeps coming up again and again: parents crave a greater sense of happiness in their daily lives. In this optimistic, solution-packed book, KJ asks: How can we change our family life so that it is full of the joy we'd always hoped for? Drawing from the latest research and interviews with families, KJ discovers that it's possible to do more by doing less, and make our family life a refuge and pleasure, rather than another stress point in a hectic day. She focuses on nine common problem spots that cause parents the most grief, explores why they are hard, and offers small, doable, sometimes surprising steps you can take to make them better. Whether it's getting everyone out the door on time in the morning or making sure chores and homework get done without another battle, How to Be a Happier Parent shows that having a family isn't just about raising great kids and churning them out at destination: success. It's about experiencing joy—real joy, the kind you look back on, look forward to, and live for—along the way.

Finally, a self-help parenting book that doesn't sound 'preachy' or make you feel like a guilty parent! The author covers everything people find hard about parenting and provides advice based on factors such as your children's age. I'm so happy to have new ideas on how to be happier as a parent and to not feel alone in my struggles. I definitely recommend this to parents in all stages of parenthood. This book is available as on audiobook through Libby

If you like Home is How to Be a Happier Parent, you might also like...

Screaming On the Inside

by Jessica Grose

Mariner Books. 2022. 230 pages. Nonfiction

In this timely and necessary book, New York Times opinion writer Jessica Grose dismantles two hundred years of unrealistic parenting expectations and empowers today's mothers to make choices that actually serve themselves, their children, and their communities

The Seven Stages of Motherhood

by Ann Pleshette Murphy

Alfred A Knopf. 20024. 272 pages. Nonfiction

Motherhood is the ultimate transformation, a powerful and thrilling metamorphosis. Yet the vast majority of parenting books focus on the how-tos of baby and child care, not on the care or development of mothers. Ann Pleshette Murphy--the former editor of Parents magazine, current parenting contributor to Good Morning America, and herself the mother of two--looks at the emotional lives of mothers, at how we change and grow from the moment we get pregnant to the day we watch our kids graduate from high school. The 7 Stages of Motherhoodurges women to reflect on the seismic shifts they undergo at each stage of their children's lives and to focus on their own evolution. 

NS

Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make - and Keep - Friends

Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make – and Keep – Friends
by Marisa G. Franco, Ph.D.
G.P. Putnam’s Sons, 2022. 336 pages. Nonfiction 

You’ve probably heard of attachment theory – how you can have a secure, anxious, or avoidant attachment style – as it applies to romantic relationships. In Platonic, psychologist and researcher Marisa G. Franco instead applies the science of attachment theory to friendships. She explores the deep importance of adult friendship to our physical and mental well-being, in spite of our cultural tendency to devalue friendship in comparison with romantic and family relationships. 

This is a great pick for book clubs and self-help readers, especially for those who are interested in relationships and psychology. Franco discusses in detail how meaningful friendships enrich our lives and improve our health, while also diving into just how to make friends as an adult. She explains scientific research and studies in easy-to-understand terms, with many real life stories mixed in. 

If you like Platonic, you might also like:

The Good Life: Lessons from the World’s Longest Scientific Study of Happiness
by Robert Waldinger, M.D. and Marc Schulz, Ph.D.
Simon & Schuster, 2023. 352 pages. Nonfiction 

What makes a life fulfilling and meaningful? The simple but surprising answer is: relationships. The stronger our relationships, the more likely we are to live happy, satisfying, and overall healthier lives. In fact, the Harvard Study of Adult Development reveals that the strength of our connections with others can predict the health of both our bodies and our brains as we go through life.

The Power of Attachment: How to Create Deep and Lasting Intimate Relationships
by Diane Poole Heller, Ph.D.
Sounds True, 2019. 224 pages. Nonfiction 

From our earliest years, teaches Diane Poole Heller, we develop an attachment style that follows us through life, replaying in our intimate relationships, with our children, and at work. And traumatic events can deeply affect that core relational blueprint. With The Power of Attachment, a pioneer in attachment theory and trauma resolution brings together these two fields to help us understand and benefit from their complementary principles and methods.

SGR

Bittersweet

Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole

By Susan Cain

Crown, 2022, 310 pgs. Nonfiction

The author of the best-selling Quiet discusses how a bittersweet state of mind can actually be a kind of silent energy that aids us in overcoming our personal and societal suffering.

I like how Susan Cain's books help us look at common, sometimes negatively perceived emotions in a different, more positive way. This book explores the tendency many of us have to be in a state of longing, poignancy and sorrow. Why we sometimes gravitate to songs in minor keys or a touching television commercial. Once we can realize that all humans know - or will know - loss and suffering we can turn toward each other and we can turn our own pain into something good. This book also helped me understand the feelings of deep sorrow and overwhelming joy that I can feel at the same time. I've noticed this a lot as my children have gotten older. I will be in the middle of an experience with my kids, like reading a bedtime story, and feel so happy in the moment but also feel sad because I know my kids are getting older and I might not have many more chances to snuggle and read to them. 

If you like Bittersweet, you might also like: 

The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward

By Daniel H. Pink

Riverhead Books, 2022. 240 pgs. Nonfiction

Drawing on research in social psychology, neuroscience and biology, as well as true stories and practical takeaways, this book lays out a dynamic new way of thinking about regret to help us live richer, more engaged lives.

The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are

By Brene Brown

Hazelden, 2010. 137 pgs. Nonfiction

Brown explores the psychology of releasing our definitions of an 'imperfect' life and embracing living authentically. In a world where insults, criticisms, and fears are spread too generously alongside messages of unrealistic beauty, attainment, and expectation, she provides ten 'guideposts' that can help anyone establish a practice for a life of honest beauty-- a perfectly imperfect life.

AL

Atlas of the Heart

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connections and the Language of Human Experience

By Brene Brown

Random House, 2021. 296pgs. Nonfiction

In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through 85 of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and lays out an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances - a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection. Over the past two decades, Brown's extensive research into the experiences that make us who we are has shaped the cultural conversation and helped define what it means to be courageous with our lives. Brown's extensive research, as well as her singular skills as a researcher/storyteller, helps to lay out an invaluable framework that shows us that naming an experience doesn't give the experience more power, it gives us the power of understanding, meaning, and choice.

This is a beautiful book! I feel like it's almost more of a coffee-table book with it's larger size and full-page color pictures and quotes. I like how the emotions are grouped together. I have never made the connection how some emotions can feel so different but actually be coming from the same root. This book helped me understand myself better and have more empathy for others. 

If you like Atlas of the Heart, you might also like: 

 

Bittersweet: How Sorrow and Longing Make Us Whole

By Susan Cain

Crown, 2022. 310 pgs. Nonfiction

The author of the best-selling Quiet discusses how a bittersweet state of mind can actually be a kind of silent energy that aids us in overcoming our personal and societal suffering.

 

 

 

 

The Book of Moods: How I Turned my Worst Emotions into My Best Life

By Lauren Martin

Grand Central Publishing, 2022. 256 pgs. Nonfiction

Five years ago, Lauren Martin was sure something was wrong with her. She had a good job in New York, an apartment in Brooklyn, a boyfriend, yet every day she wrestled with feelings of inferiority, anxiety and irritability. It wasn't until a chance encounter with a (charming, successful) stranger who revealed that she also felt these things, that Lauren set out to better understand the hold that these moods had on her, how she could change them, and began to blog about the wisdom she uncovered. It quickly exploded into an international online community of women who felt like she did: lost, depressed, moody, and desirous of change. Inspired by her audience to press even deeper, The Book of Moods shares Lauren's journey to infuse her life with a sense of peace and stability.

 

Together

By Vivek H. Murthy

Harper Wave, 2020. 326 pgs. Nonfiction

The former Surgeon General examines the overlooked epidemic of loneliness as the underpinning to the current crisis in mental wellness and offers solutions to create connection and stresses the importance of community to counteract the forces driving us to depression and isolation.  

AL

 

El Oficio de Narrar Sin Miedo

El Oficio de Narrar Sin Miedo

Por Harris Whitbeck
Two Rivers Distribution, 2021. 264 páginas. No Ficción

En sus 30 años como periodista, Harris Whitbeck ha viajado a los lugares más peligrosos del mundo para narrar acontecimientos históricos. Por su impecable profesionalismo, fue reconocido con un Emmy especial en 2002. Esta obra relata el detrás de cámaras de su labor periodística y sus recuerdos por los países que visitó para llevar al lector las más poderosas historias. Con un punto de vista crítico y entrañable, desde sus inicios en CNN en Español, Whitbeck ha cubierto sucesos como el huracán Mitch en Centroamérica, el tsunami de 2004 en Indonesia, los disturbios políticos en Haití y Venezuela, las guerras de Irak y Afganistán, y la disolución de la Unión Soviética.

El centro de este libro es una anécdota emotiva sobre el vínculo con su profesión y su natal Guatemala. El oficio de narrar sin miedo es una oportunidad única para descubrir, a través de la mirada del autor, la realidad compleja en la que vivimos: guerras, miseria e injusticia que atraviesan y lastran nuestro presente. «Al enfrentarme a desafíos enormes y verme cara a cara con la desgarradora violencia de la guerra, afronté mi propio temor a la muerte, me di cuenta de que el miedo pierde su fuerza cuando se le encara».

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El Lenguaje No Verbal en la Comunicación
Por Joan Francesc Canovas

Lectorum Pubns, 2022. 200 páginas. No Ficción

Durante la crisis de la Covid-19, hemos tenido que incorporar a nuestro día a día un número casi ilimitado de plataformas tecnológicas para poder mantener nuestras conexiones profesionales o personales. Así pues, si antes de 2020 hacer una videollamada podía tener, en según qué ámbitos, incluso un punto de esnobismo, ahora es un hecho habitual que ha venido para quedarse. A raíz de esta situación, las personas (más preparadas para relacionarnos de manera presencial que remota) hemos tenido que aprender a marchas forzadas los secretos y las eficiencias de esta nueva comunicación online.

A base de aciertos y errores, cada persona ha ido erigiendo un manual propio de cómo comunicarse en una videoconferencia, por lo que, sin saberlo, todos juntos hemos ido creando un nuevo lenguaje que hay que conocer muy bien. Por primera vez, todos estos aprendizajes se han reunido en un solo libro «El lenguaje de la comunicación online» una obra con una finalidad muy práctica y didáctica que da respuesta a las miles de dudas que surgen a la hora de preparar y participar en una videoconferencia, como por ejemplo qué fondo debe utilizarse, qué tipo de plano o ángulo de la cámara, qué ropa o complementos son idóneos para salir en pantalla, qué iluminación es la correcta, y un larguísimo etcétera. Y sin olvidar la adecuación del tipo de lenguaje utilizado (verbal, vocal y no verbal), ya que, como en cualquier otra comunicación, condicionarán mucho el resultado final. 

Cómo las Personas Exitosas Crecen

Por John C. Maxwell

Center Street, 2014. 147 páginas. No Ficción

 
¿Existen principios probados y verdaderos que siempre seguramente ayudarán a una persona a crecer? John Maxwell dice que la respuesta es sí. Ha sido un apasionado del desarrollo personal durante más de cincuenta años, y aquí enseña todo lo que ha aprendido sobre lo que se necesita para alcanzar nuestro potencial. De la forma en que solo él puede comunicarse, enseña John. . . 

La ley del espejo: debes ver el valor en ti mismo para agregar valor a ti mismo. La ley de la conciencia: debes conocerte a ti mismo para crecer. La ley del modelado: es difícil de mejorar cuando no tienes a nadie más que tú para seguir. El crecimiento se detiene cuando pierdes la tensión entre dónde estás y dónde podrías estar. La ley de la contribución: desarrollarte a ti mismo te permite desarrollar a los demás. Esta lectura compacta ayudará a los lectores a convertirse en aprendices de por vida cuyo potencial sigue aumentando y nunca se "agota".

MEB

Etiquetas: Español, No Ficción, Biografía, Negocio, Autoayuda