This series of instructional lectures will help you to transform the abstract into the practical. Thich guides the listener through developing a dailyThis series of instructional lectures will help you to transform the abstract into the practical. Thich guides the listener through developing a daily practice in basic areas such as mindfulness, deep breathing, meditation, and how to be more consistent with loving kindness. I really appreciated how simple and practical his suggestions were throughout. More importantly, I appreciate his nature. He's very soft-spoken and compassionate yet also humorous which made these lectures even more enjoyable....more
Comprehensive, but a bit dry. This book covers everything you could ever want to know about Buddhism. Bodhi is obviously an amazing scholar and has spComprehensive, but a bit dry. This book covers everything you could ever want to know about Buddhism. Bodhi is obviously an amazing scholar and has spent a lifetime studying the source material. So what you end up with is a very comprehensive text that covers a myriad of nuance from within Buddhism that often gets missed in other treatises. I appreciated that. However, I felt the book to be more secular than spiritual. I spent more time in my head while reading this than in my heart. It was also a hard book to get through as it was a bit dry. It reminded me of reading a college textbook. All that being said, you will enjoy this book if you are looking to better understand the structure and framework of Buddhism....more
Watts does a fantastic job of explaining the history of Buddhism as well as many of the nuances that you won't find in other primers like this. At timWatts does a fantastic job of explaining the history of Buddhism as well as many of the nuances that you won't find in other primers like this. At times the concepts throughout are a bit difficult to understand but I believe this has a lot to do with the fact that those raised in Western society (like myself) are exposed to very dualistic styles of thinking whereas Eastern thought tends to be fairly cyclical. I've read a lot of Eastern works over the years and this has helped with this to some degree. Nevertheless, Watts does his best to make his lectures palatable for almost anyone. This is a must-read if you have any interest in Buddhism....more
If you're looking for a compass to chart your course, look no further. This is one of the most spiritual books I have ever read. Whether or not you beIf you're looking for a compass to chart your course, look no further. This is one of the most spiritual books I have ever read. Whether or not you believe in enlightened beings, Tenzin is one of the most compassionate, sincere, and thought-provoking women to come along. She presents pearls of wisdom on every page of this book and lays out a clear path toward greater peace and fulfillment in this life. This book is just as important for the master as it is for the beginner. Read it. Re-read it. But most importantly, let these ideas transform your daily walk....more
I am a therapist. I read this book just after getting hired to work in a residential treatment center that served young women who struggled with everyI am a therapist. I read this book just after getting hired to work in a residential treatment center that served young women who struggled with everything from eating disorders to suicide attempts. I found Pipher's insights tremendously helpful as I grappled with the unique challenges these young women faced. This is a book filled with heartbreak, filled with redemption, and filled with hope....more
Wow. I've been teaching deep-breathing to patients for over a decade and I actually learned a lot of great new techniques in this book. One of the basWow. I've been teaching deep-breathing to patients for over a decade and I actually learned a lot of great new techniques in this book. One of the basic concepts that jumped out at me was the reference to a certain language and their symbology that represents breath. It is composed of 2 symbols; one representing exhalation and one representing inhalation. What was interesting is that exhalation was drawn first, indicating that breath actually begins by exhaling. This is opposite of how we often come to think of the breath cycle here in the West. However, since practicing it this way, I've found greater movement in my diaphragm and, thus, deeper breaths.
If you're a yoga practitioner, Buddhist, or even just a plain human being: you will benefit from this book....more
All I can say is wow! Though I love survival shows I've found myself occasionally mocking Grylls over the years for taking more dangerous routes down All I can say is wow! Though I love survival shows I've found myself occasionally mocking Grylls over the years for taking more dangerous routes down a mountain than he needed to or for the time he got busted sleeping in a local hotel with his family. However, I can honestly admit that I underestimated the man. This was an impressive autobiography.
Aha Moment #1: what impressed me most about Grylls' life is how humble and how spiritual he is. I'm not saying he's perfect, but he has this uncanny humility that was striking, especially given how much he has accomplished in his short life thus far. Also, he identifies himself as Christian and seems to draw a lot of strength from his belief system. I admire that.
Aha Moment #2: just as someone like Dean Karnazes or Lance Armstrong have these crazy superhuman powers (lactic acid production decreases after warming up & high V02 Max, respectively) I get the feeling that Grylls also has some superhuman powers of his own. But, rather than being physical, I believe that his are cognitive and emotional. He seems to be wired in such a way that he gets bored when unchallenged, but thrives when things get difficult. From his Special Forces training to his mountaineering exploits to the way he challenges himself on his show, Grylls knows how to fight when things get tough!
Overall: this autobiography has heart, tons of adventure, great detail in the stories, grit, and a lot to be inspired by. Highly recommended!...more
As a psychotherapist who has specialized in Autism Spectrum Disorders for many years I'm glad I finally read this book. There are few books in this woAs a psychotherapist who has specialized in Autism Spectrum Disorders for many years I'm glad I finally read this book. There are few books in this world that allow you to glimpse a developmental or psychological disorder through the eyes of one who lives it. This is one of those rare books.
I appreciate Robison's candor as he shares some very personal details about his life. He unflinchingly tells the story of his upbringing, his parents' disastrous marriage, his own marital failings, and his struggle to become a financially independent adult. I also appreciated his reflection on the self-taught lessons he acquired over the years such as how to reciprocate conversations and how to use eye contact frequently enough that those he speaks with feel that he's being attentive to what they are saying.
What shines in this book is a narrative that is refreshingly honest, humorous, and insightful. I highly recommend it....more
I recently gave a presentation at a psychotherapy conference on the neurological impacts of video game addiction and problematic internet use. I read I recently gave a presentation at a psychotherapy conference on the neurological impacts of video game addiction and problematic internet use. I read this book twice in preparation as it helped me fine-tune some of the key differences between the adolescent brain and the adult brain. I appreciate Jensen's style of writing. This book is digestible for the lay person as well as the professional. She gives lots of great examples of how neuroscience principles might manifest in day to day living. She also gives practical advice about how to manage various behaviors as they arise. An excellent read....more
Pollan presents some great research and intriguing points in this book. I've found myself looking at corn products quite differently since reading parPollan presents some great research and intriguing points in this book. I've found myself looking at corn products quite differently since reading part I. I've never been much of a fast-foodie so part II didn't bother me all that much. Part III was my absolute favorite; where Pollan spends months harvesting the natural resources necessary to have a fully self-provided meal. Having done lots of mushroom hunting I enjoyed his mycelogical wanderings. The interesting thing about Part III is that there are still parts of the United States where these kinds of meals aren't that unusual. I spent 7 years living in NW Montana where the only meat many families get was hunted off the land and where their grains, fruits and vegetables come of their own property. I was invited to such a meal and will probably always remember it.
I don't know that it does the world much good to run around like Chicken Little, claiming that the sky is falling. But I am grateful to have books like this to help put our modern nutritional habits under a much broader, more historical lens....more
I've recommended this book to my patients a lot over the years but, in truth, I'd never read the entire thing. Until now.
Being someone who has tended I've recommended this book to my patients a lot over the years but, in truth, I'd never read the entire thing. Until now.
Being someone who has tended toward passivity in my communications over the years I've really had to develop the skills to be more assertive. It's not very comfortable for me, but I know that I do my patients a disservice if I beat around the bush when it comes to behaviors or attitudes that could bring their life more meaning and value. That's what I loved about this book. It was filled with example after example of why it pays to have these important discussions. I found myself engaged throughout and took several new lessons to heart. This is a book I will probably be coming back to again and again....more
I was promoted to a leadership position with a new job I took 6 months ago. Leadership is something I've been studying for the past 3 years and I've bI was promoted to a leadership position with a new job I took 6 months ago. Leadership is something I've been studying for the past 3 years and I've been able to finally apply some of what I've been learning. This book is exactly what I needed. I read Shackleton's book years ago and was cognizant of his leadership qualities throughout the book. But it wasn't until reading this that I was able to grasp them in a tangible way. He was a pretty remarkable man, blending a firm mind with concrete goals as well as the kind of nurturance that might be more akin to a mother. I'm grateful that I got to learn from his way of leading others and hope to be able to integrate some of this knowledge in to my own leadership....more
I knew enough about this book to recommend to many of my clients over the years, but I felt I should actually read it to know exactly what I was recomI knew enough about this book to recommend to many of my clients over the years, but I felt I should actually read it to know exactly what I was recommending. I was very pleased with what I found. The concepts are easy to understand, are extremely helpful, and are presented in such a way that they are user-friendly enough to put in to practice immediately. I guess I'll continue to recommend it!...more
I had no idea that Columbus had four voyages after discovering America so I knew I had to read this book when I came across it. It sounded too interesI had no idea that Columbus had four voyages after discovering America so I knew I had to read this book when I came across it. It sounded too interesting to pass up.
The pacing of the book was a bit too slow for me but I found the locales and history engaging. I've spent a fair amount of time island-hopping around the Caribbean so I was intrigued to learn the history of some of the places I've been to.
I was appalled by how often Columbus and his merry men took advantage of the local Indian peoples, seeing their mission as ordained of God. Therefore, they believed that they had the right to slice off people's ears, pillage their villages, or rape their women and spread syphilis around the world. This isn't the God I know. It was interesting to contrast these behaviors with other times in the book when Columbus truly did exhibit great spirituality.
Some things that stood out to me in this book were how accurate Columbus became with his maritime navigation (findng a tiny island in thousands of square miles of ocean all the way from Spain), how little fame and fortune Columbus received after discovering the Americas, and how sad it was that Ferdinand didn't acknowledge his accomplishments as he finished the last of these voyages. True, he never discovered the trade routes that Spain commissioned him to find. But, who wouldn't want Jamaica in stead??...more
I went into this book expecting adventure, trip debriefs, exultation at the joy of caving, instruction, etc. While some of these things existed in theI went into this book expecting adventure, trip debriefs, exultation at the joy of caving, instruction, etc. While some of these things existed in the book it's more abstract than that. Hurd uses the voids in the earth as a metaphor for the voids we face through the grieving process. Throughout this book she explores her feelings of losing a close friend to cancer just as she is navigating the hollow places of the earth. Along with this exploration comes a lot of metaphor and spirituality. I certainly appreciated these ideas and found many of them quite interesting. It just isn't what I was looking for, ultimately....more
In the Western World we can't conceive of going to bed with our front doors unlocked, or walking down a dark alley way at night time. We have been filIn the Western World we can't conceive of going to bed with our front doors unlocked, or walking down a dark alley way at night time. We have been filled with images of brutality and violence that are so incredibly inflated that it leaves us believing it will happen to us. I really appreciated Pinker's logical approach in this book. He convinces the reader gently of how safe our day and age is, but he does this through reasoning, statistics, and historical anecdotes (which were pretty grisly at times). He doesn't patronize the fearful. He doesn't come across as preachy or judgmental. But his message is powerful and his conclusions are difficult to argue with. I'm really glad I read this book....more
The description of this book was much more interesting than the actual thing. I wish it would've been 80% shorter than it really was.The description of this book was much more interesting than the actual thing. I wish it would've been 80% shorter than it really was....more
Wow! As a psychotherapist I am exposed to stories of Antisocial Personality Disorder from time to time but it was almost overwhelming to read a book cWow! As a psychotherapist I am exposed to stories of Antisocial Personality Disorder from time to time but it was almost overwhelming to read a book chock-full of these stories. I appreciated that Hare didn't reduce this psychological population to only the headlines that we often see in newspapers. I'm glad he was able to broaden the lens the reader is looking through to include the slimeball lawyer, the crooked cop, the little league coach that cheats to see his team win, and so forth. Statistically speaking, we aren't necessarily surrounded by these folks. But we may not always recognize when we're dealing with one.
As a religious person I find myself wondering how God will judge those born with such profound neurological abnormalities once we all get to the other side. It's clear from research and experience that these folks don't feel the natural remorse that you or I would feel after engaging in various horrible behaviors. Since I believe in a just and merciful God I believe he'll take these things in to account. In any case, it's an interesting concept to consider.
While there were times that Hare's languaging was a bit outdated, I appreciated his depth and the level of insight he brought to this writing. I found myself pretty engaged throughout the book and ended the reading with a lot of gratitude for the conscience and empathy I was born with....more
I had no idea who Richard Feynman was before reading this book. Boy, what a character! He is one of those rare gifts to humanity who possesses a geniuI had no idea who Richard Feynman was before reading this book. Boy, what a character! He is one of those rare gifts to humanity who possesses a genius-level intellect yet is balanced out with heavy doses of wit and charm. I had a great time reading the various stories in this book, even if some of them may have felt a bit over the top!...more
I've been interested in evolutionary biology lately, for whatever reason. Ridley shares some interesting history and science in this book but it was hI've been interested in evolutionary biology lately, for whatever reason. Ridley shares some interesting history and science in this book but it was hard for me to get in to. It was definitely easier to swallow than Richard Dawkins' "The Selfish Gene" but it wasn't as accessible as I was hoping. Nevertheless, I definitely learned some new information and was intrigued by some of Ridley's anecdotal research....more
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