Ikigai: The Japanese Secret Philosophy for a Happy Healthy Long Life with Joy and Purpose Every Day


Marie Xue
    Have you ever stopped to think about what it is that will make your life worth living? Is it the large amount of money that you have in the bank? The prestigious education that you have? The family and friends that surround you? Or your spiritual belief that there is someone greater than you in the world? Most people will spend their entire lifetimes trying to figure it out, but only a few will have the privilege of really understanding and experiencing themselves what it means to live a fulfilled life. Over the past years, we’ve seen many life philosophies take center stage, all claiming to hold to secret to happiness and fulfillment. While all of them may have very convincing premises, only one truly stands out. Ikigai, or the Japanese concept of finding your purpose, is the key to living a meaningful life. If there’s one people group who have mastered the art of living - and living well, it’s definitely the Okinawans of Japan. Famous for being the world’s longest-living people, they attribute their joy and contentment to finding their ikigai. It’s the reason why they live longer, happier, and better lives than the rest of us. So how does knowing your ikigai change your life? And what should you do to help you uncover your ikigai? Well, you’ll discover all that and more after you’ve listened to this audiobook. This audiobook is packed with helpful insights that will change not just the way you think, but also the way you live. You’ll learn how to slow down and let go of the things that stop you from finding your ultimate purpose. This audiobook will also give you the blueprint to living the life that you always wanted so you won’t have to feel your life is meaningless ever again. I hope that through this audiobook, you will see joy, meaning, and purpose in every single day of your life.©2018 Zen Mastery (P)2018 Zen Mastery

The Story of the Human Body: Evolution, Health, and Disease


Daniel E. Lieberman - 2013
    Lieberman illuminates how these ongoing changes have brought many benefits, but also have created novel conditions to which our bodies are not entirely adapted, resulting in a growing incidence of obesity and new but avoidable diseases, including type-2 diabetes. He proposes that many of these chronic illnesses persist and in some cases are intensifying because of "dysevolution," a pernicious dynamic whereby only the symptoms rather than the causes of these maladies are treated. And finally—provocatively—he advocates the use of evolutionary information to help nudge, push, and sometimes oblige us to create a more salubrious environment.(With charts and line drawings throughout.)From the Hardcover edition.

Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning


Tom Vanderbilt - 2021
    He tackles five main skills (and picks up a few more along the way), choosing them for their difficulty to master and their distinct lack of career marketability--chess, singing, surfing, drawing, and juggling. What he doesn't expect is that the circuitous paths he takes while learning these skills will prove even more satisfying than any knowledge he gains.He soon finds himself having rapturous experiences singing Spice Girls songs in an amateur choir, losing games of chess to eight-year-olds, and dodging scorpions at a surf camp in Costa Rica. Along the way, he interviews dozens of experts to explore the fascinating psychology and science behind the benefits of becoming an adult beginner. Weaving comprehensive research and surprising insight gained from his year of learning dangerously, Vanderbilt shows how anyone can get better at beginning again--and, more important, why they should take those first awkward steps. Ultimately, he shares how his refreshed sense of curiosity opened him up to a profound happiness and a deeper connection to the people around him. It's about how small acts of reinvention, at any age, can make life seem magical.

Where Did I Go Right?: How the Left Lost Me


Geoff Norcott - 2021
    And because Geoff Norcott is so funny, it unfortunately means I can't dismiss his views entirely. It's so important to have a friend you can disagree with but still admire and Geoff can be that friend to you!' - Katherine Ryan "I've always thought the benefit of having batsh*t parents is it increases the chance of you growing up funny. It's certainly worked for Geoff Norcott." - David Baddiel 'Voting Conservative is like buying a James Blunt album: loads of people have done it, but weirdly you never meet them ...' Comedian Geoff Norcott should have been Labour through and through. He grew up on a council estate, both of his parents were disabled, and his Dad was a Union man. So, how was it that he grew up to vote Tory? In this courageously honest and provocative memoir, Geoff unpicks his working-class upbringing and his political journey from left to right. Raised by a fierce matriarch and a maverick father on a South London council estate where they filmed scenes for The Bill, Geoff spends his youth attempting to put out kitchen fires with aerosols and leaping in and out of industrial skips. But as he reaches adolescence, his political views begin to be influenced by major events including the early 90s recession, the credit crunch, and a chance encounter with Conservative PM John Major. As an adult, Geoff begins to have the gnawing feeling that the values and traditions he grew up with no longer match Labour's. And, as Brexit appears, he feels even more like a double agent operating behind enemy lines. Written with warmth, wit and often laugh-out-loud humour, Where Did I Go Right? is Geoff's attempt to understand why he ended up voting 'for the bad guys', and why blue-collared conservatism could be here to stay. Praise for Geoff Norcott: 'A mature, sharp take on modern politics' - The Sunday Times 'Gently abrasive, but that's what makes him so entertaining... with a sharp, self-knowing wit' - The Times 'Geoff Norcott genuinely has something original to say' - New European 'A refreshingly brilliant new comedic voice' - Spectator 'Norcott is an out-and-out rebel' - ExpressReviewWHERE DID I GO RIGHT? is sharp, considered, insightful, and helped me make sense of 'the other side'. And because Geoff Norcott is so funny, it unfortunately means I can't dismiss his views entirely. It's so important to have a friend you can disagree with but still admire and Geoff can be that friend to you! ― Katherine RyanBook DescriptionGeoff Norcott's colourful memoir of growing up Labour, but now voting Tory.About the AuthorComedian and writer Geoff Norcott is well known for his regular appearances on BBC2's The Mash Report, BBC1's Mock The Week, and Radio 4's The News Quiz. In 2019, he fronted his own BBC2 documentary How The Middle Class Ruined Britain and he has four Radio 4 specials to his name, one of which won the BBC Radio Award for Best Comedy Production. A satirical commentator in many national newspapers, Geoff has also been profiled in The Times and t he Guardian. He lives with his wife and son in Cambridgeshire.

Positively Unstoppable: The Art of Owning It


Diamond Dallas Page - 2019
    After decades of helping others make radical transformations in health and fitness, he brings his understanding of what really moves people to change and own their lives. Page’s gift of authenticity has helped him motivate those who may have lost hope, because he truly understands the incredible power of self-belief. Filled with lessons from Page’s life that share his own struggle to find his calling, overcoming one obstacle after another, Positively Unstoppable is a bible for anyone who needs to be re-inspired to follow their dreams and take real action towards the things that matter most to them. Page includes many powerful transformation stories, effective goal setting guides, as well as a sample workout, eating plans and delicious gluten-free, non-GMO recipes from his wildly popular fitness program, DDPY. Positively Unstoppable is your roadmap to getting “unstuck” and taking the steps needed to create a magnificent, positively unstoppable life.

Siblings Without Rivalry: How to Help Your Children Live Together So You Can Live Too


Adele Faber - 1987
    Parents themselves, they were determined to figure out how to help their children get along. The result was Siblings Without Rivalry. This wise, groundbreaking book gives parents the practical tools they need to cope with conflict, encourage cooperation, reduce competition, and make it possible for children to experience the joys of their special relationship. With humor and understanding—much gained from raising their own children—Faber and Mazlish explain how and when to intervene in fights, provide suggestions on how to help children channel their hostility into creative outlets, and demonstrate how to treat children unequally and still be fair. Updated to incorporate fresh thoughts after years of conducting workshops for parents and professionals, this edition also includes a new afterword.

Running: A Love Story: 10 Years, 5 Marathons, and 1 Life-Changing Sport


Jen A. Miller - 2016
    Jen first laces up her sneakers in high school, when, like many people, she sees running as a painful part of conditioning for other sports. But when she discovers early in her career as a journalist that it helps her clear her mind, focus her efforts, and achieve new goals, she becomes hooked for good.Jen, a middle-of-the-pack but tenacious runner, hones her skill while navigating relationships with men that, like a tricky marathon route, have their ups and downs, relying on running to keep her steady in the hard times. As Jen pushes herself toward ever-greater challenges, she finds that running helps her walk away from the wrong men and learn to love herself while revealing focus, discipline, and confidence she didn’t realize she had. Relatable, inspiring, and brutally honest, Running: A Love Story , explores the many ways that distance running carves a path to inner peace and empowerment by charting one woman’s evolution in the sport.

In Defense of Food: An Eater's Manifesto


Michael Pollan - 2008
    Pollan proposes a new answer to the question of what we should eat that comes down to seven simple but liberating words: Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants. Pollan's bracing and eloquent manifesto shows us how we can start making thoughtful food choices that will enrich our lives, enlarge our sense of what it means to be healthy, and bring pleasure back to eating.,,,

The Golf Of Your Dreams


Bob Rotella - 1997
    The average female golfer's handicap was 29. Today, the average American male golfer's handicap is 16.2 and the average female golfer's is 29. American golfers have not gotten any better. World-renowned performance consultant and sports psychologist Dr. Bob Rotella now offers "The Golf of Your Dreams" for the golfer who is determined to get better but hasn't figured out how to go about it. Dr. Rotella's program is based on strategies found to be successful with tour players such as Tom Kite, Brad Faxon, Pat Bradley, and Davis Love III. Dr. Rotella knows that if you want to play your best golf ever, you must admit to yourself that you want to be good and that you have the necessary talent to play well. But that's not all. You must commit yourself to a process that will improve your game. In "The Golf of Your Dreams," Dr. Rotella provides tips on how to: Choose the right teaching professional Communicate your dreams and goals to your teacher Get your teacher to teach you as a student serious about improving Break old habits and develop new ones Practice efficiently and effectively so you can take your learning from the practice area to the golf course "The Golf of Your Dreams" will make you keenly aware of what you have to do in order to play the kind of golf you've always sensed you were capable of playing.

Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything


Steven D. Levitt - 2005
    Wade have on violent crime? Freakonomics will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.These may not sound like typical questions for an economist to ask. But Steven D. Levitt is not a typical economist. He is a much heralded scholar who studies the stuff and riddles of everyday life -- from cheating and crime to sports and child rearing -- and whose conclusions regularly turn the conventional wisdom on its head. He usually begins with a mountain of data and a simple, unasked question. Some of these questions concern life-and-death issues; others have an admittedly freakish quality. Thus the new field of study contained in this book: freakonomics.Through forceful storytelling and wry insight, Levitt and co-author Stephen J. Dubner show that economics is, at root, the study of incentives -- how people get what they want, or need, especially when other people want or need the same thing. In Freakonomics, they set out to explore the hidden side of ... well, everything. The inner workings of a crack gang. The truth about real-estate agents. The myths of campaign finance. The telltale marks of a cheating schoolteacher. The secrets of the Ku Klux Klan.What unites all these stories is a belief that the modern world, despite a surfeit of obfuscation, complication, and downright deceit, is not impenetrable, is not unknowable, and -- if the right questions are asked -- is even more intriguing than we think. All it takes is a new way of looking. Steven Levitt, through devilishly clever and clear-eyed thinking, shows how to see through all the clutter.Freakonomics establishes this unconventional premise: If morality represents how we would like the world to work, then economics represents how it actually does work. It is true that readers of this book will be armed with enough riddles and stories to last a thousand cocktail parties. But Freakonomics can provide more than that. It will literally redefine the way we view the modern world.(front flap)

Wake Up and Change Your Life


Duncan Bannatyne - 2008
    Having started out with ice cream van, he knows exactly how it can be done—and how to avoid the pitfalls along the way. In a series of clear and easy-to-follow chapters, Duncan removes the barriers to getting started as an entrepreneur, and helps to plan a way forward through those potentially difficult early days. He shows that there is no substitute for hard work, and insists that you must be completely honest with yourself about your own strengths and weaknesses if you are to succeed. He outlines the key attributes you will need and how you can develop them to achieve your dreams. Backed with fascinating examples from his own career and case studies from a wide range of other entrepreneurs, this book provides the perfect wake-up call for you to change your life for the better.

Big Fat Lies


Kaelin Tuell Poulin - 2017
     This book is not for those who want to continue in the energy draining cycle of losing weight only to gain it back again.  This book is for those who want the TRUTH.  Everything You’ve Been Told about Weight Loss Is A Big Fat Lie! Seriously, it really is. You’ve tried it all haven’t you? Weight-Loss fads, challenges, and every other diet out there—but nothing seems to stick. Finally, someone has the courage to tell you why.  Kaelin Tuell Poulin, the woman who lost 65 pounds in 7 months while still eating pizza and ice cream, cuts through the B.S. She debunks the MYTHS and reveals the TRUTHS about losing weight and creating a lasting healthy lifestyle that will TRANSFORM your life.  No more weight loss tips from people who haven't lost any weight. On her own personal journey, Kaelin discovered that the reason her and other women had a hard time losing weight and keeping it off was because the weight-loss industry was lying about how to actually get healthy and have long-term success. To help you discover your own incredible story, the founder of the LadyBoss movement now shares her inspiring personal journey from being clinically obese and hopeless to fit and confident.  Kaelin’s award-winning achievements in fitness and health , backed by careful research, led her to develop the Lady Boss Formula for weight loss success that tens of thousands of women around the world—housewives, executives, athletes, students, and busy moms—have used to lose weight and keep it off forever. How is your health holding you back? What would life be like if it wasn't? Through this book you will lay the foundation to create YOUR story so it becomes one you love to tell. You deserve the life of your dreams. It's time to start living it.  Kaelin will show you the way as you become part of the most powerful community of women on the planet. Are you ready for the truth?

Reshaping It All: Motivation for Physical and Spiritual Fitness


Candace Cameron Bure - 2010
    Today, like her brother Kirk Cameron (Growing Pains, Fireproof), she is the rare Hollywood actor who is outspoken about her Christian faith and how it helps overcome certain obstacles.Bure’s healthy lifestyle has been featured in US Weekly and People magazines as well as national talk shows including The View and NBC’s Today. In Reshaping It All, she continues the story, inspiring women to embrace a healthier lifestyle by moving faith to the forefront, making wise choices, and finding their worth in the eyes of God. Candace shares a candid account of her struggle with food and ultimately her healthy outlook on weight despite the toothpick-thin expectations of Hollywood.More than a testimony, here is a motivational tool that will put readers on the right track and keep them there. In addition to practical advice, Candace offers a biblical perspective on appetite and self control that provides encouragement to women, guiding them toward freedom.Includes 16-page black and white photo insert.

Running to the Edge: A Band of Misfits and the Guru Who Unlocked the Secrets of Speed


Matthew Futterman - 2019
    . . the narrative is smooth and immediate, almost effortless in its detail, if occasionally breathless, like a good fast run . . ." --The New York Times Book Review Visionary American running coach Bob Larsen assembled a mismatched team of elite California runners . . . the start of his decades-long quest for championships, Olympic glory, and pursuit of "the epic run."In the dusty hills above San Diego, Bob Larsen became America's greatest running coach. Starting with a ragtag group of high school cross country and track runners, Larsen set out on a decades-long quest to find the secret of running impossibly fast, for longer distances than anyone thought possible. Himself a former farm boy who fell into his track career by accident, Larsen worked through coaching high school, junior college, and college, coaxing talented runners away from more traditional sports as the running craze was in its infancy in the 60's and 70's. On the arid trails and windy roads of California, Larsen relentlessly sought the 'secret sauce' of speed and endurance that would catapult American running onto the national stage. Running to the Edge is a riveting account of Larsen's journey, and his quest to discover the unorthodox training secrets that would lead American runners (elite and recreational) to breakthroughs never imagined. New York Times Deputy Sports Editor Matthew Futterman interweaves the dramatic stories of Larsen's runners with a fascinating discourse of the science behind human running, as well as a personal running narrative that follows Futterman's own checkered love-affair with the sport. The result is a narrative that will speak to every runner, a story of Larsen's triumphs--from high school cross-country meets to the founding of the cult-favorite 70's running group, the Jamul Toads, from national championships to his long tenure as head coach at UCLA, and from the secret training regimen of world champion athletes like Larsen's prot�g�, American Meb Keflezighi, to victories at the New York and Boston Marathons as well as the Olympics. Running to the Edge is a page-turner . . . a relentless crusade to run faster, farther.

W.A.I.T.loss: The Keys to Food Freedom and Winning the Battle of the Binge (Eating Disorder, Diet, Weight Loss, Binging, Food Addictions)


Wendy Hendry - 2016
    Studies show that 75% of women suffer from some type of eating disorder. Whether it’s bingeing, bulimia, or another addiction, the good news is there is hope. W.A.I.T.loss: The Keys to Food Freedom and Winning the Battle of the Binge is about Wendy Hendry’s journey to recovery from 35 years of binge eating and food addiction. Like many others stuck in their own cerebral food prison, Wendy dieted and binged her way into obesity. Learning the keys to physical and mindful health that she shares in her book, Wendy was able to heal her body as well as free her mind. Now a certified Health Coach and Fitness Trainer, Wendy’s W.A.I.T. (What Am I Thinking?) and Click approach to recovery has helped hundreds of others find that same freedom. Most diets teach how to lose weight, but only through changing daily habits can weight loss be maintained. Weight loss should be a natural consequence of healthy living. This book will help you find that. W.A.I.T.loss: The Keys to Finding Food Freedom and Winning the Battle of the Binge is the perfect combination of storytelling, common sense, humor and scientific proof that recovery is possible.If you need help with bingeing, food addiction, chronic dieting or just simple weight loss, don’t W.A.I.T. any longer!