Every once in a while, a book comes along that is a “must read.” Given the divisiveness and vitriol in America today, I think we all need something to help bridge the enormous chasm that has grown between the Left and Right in our country. The Righteous Mind: Why Good People Are Divided by Politics and …Read More
Running With the Mind of Meditation – Book Recommendation
Jun 27, 2012
We are all familiar with the benefits of regular physical exercise. Physical activity increases our strength, flexibility, stamina, can prevent cancer and heart disease, lower blood pressure, and keep us at a healthy weight. Physical exercise is also a powerful way of reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Many of my clients have benefitted …Read More
Imagine If You Could Be More Creative!
Jun 26, 2012
I recently enjoyed the unabridged audiobook version of Jonah Lehrer’s bestselling book, Imagine: How Creativity Works (read by the author). This is the third audiobook from Lehrer that I’ve enjoyed (the other two being Proust Was a Neuroscientist and How We Decide). Lehrer is extremely bright (a Rhodes scholar), knowledgeable, and increasingly engaging and entertaining as a writer. Like Malcolm Gladwell, …Read More
“Flourish” by Martin E. P. Seligman (Book Recommendation)
Apr 23, 2012
I recently completed the unabridged audiobook version of Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being by Dr. Martin Seligman. Dr. Seligman, a professor at The University of Pennsylvania, is widely considered to be the primary founder of positive psychology (the study of human happiness & well-being). I’ve read a number of Dr. Seligman’s books …Read More
Mindfulness Book Recs – East Meets West
Jan 15, 2012
Mindfulness is an approach to living that involves an open, active attention to the present moment in a non-judgemental fashion. In this way, we can observe our thoughts and feelings without becoming swept away by them. We can experience various thoughts and emotions, but they are not who we are. By being able to observe our thoughts …Read More
THE Answers to God, the Universe, and Everything
Nov 24, 2011
Please read my story at the end of this blog that ties into Chopra and Mlodinow’s new book War of the Worldviews: Science vs. Spirituality – it’s surreal and makes you go, “Hmmmm.” Is the universe conscious? What’s the connection between mind and brain? Does the brain dictate behavior? What is the nature of time? …Read More
The Road to Expertise – Nature or Nurture?
Oct 16, 2011
“America’s Got Talent!” proclaims the title of the popular TV show. A more provocative question is, “Does anyone have talent?” A dichotomy regarding expertise exists, especially in America. For one, we hear things like “Practice makes perfect” that extol the virtues of working hard as the road to greatness. On the other hand, we hear how some …Read More
Why Marriages Succeed or Fail – Book Recommendation
Aug 24, 2011
Lately I have been studying the work of Dr. John Gottman, a psychologist and researcher who has been studying relationships for over thirty years. He published his findings in the book “Why Marriages Succeed or Fail, And How You Can Make Yours Last.” Based on his research, Gottman is able to predict, with over 90 percent …Read More
“Reality Is Broken” by Jane McGonigal (Book Recommendation)
Aug 9, 2011
I’ve been a gamer a long time – basically, since video games were first invented. I date myself but, as a kid, I played the first arcade games – landmark games such as Space Invaders, Asteroids, Pac Man, Donkey Kong, Centipede, Frogger, and Galaga. Ahh, such fond memories! I had an Atari 2600, then a …Read More
“The Geography of Bliss” by Eric Weiner (Book Recommendation)
Jul 18, 2011
Eric Weiner’s The Geography of Bliss: One Grump’s Search for the Happiest Places in the World is an absolute treat. Weiner is a journalist and a veteran foreign correspondent for National Public Radio and a self-professed curmudgeon. As the book implies, Weiner chronicles his quest to discover why people in some countries (e.g., Iceland, Switzerland, Thailand) …Read More