Gita Wisdom: Krishna’s Teachings on the Yoga of Love


Joshua M. Greene - 2009
    In Gita Wisdom, Joshua Greene retells this timeless text in a completely new way, revealing that it is, in essence, a heart-to-heart talk between two friends about the meaning of life. As Krishna and his friend Arjuna reminisce on a battlefield known as Kurukshetra, readers learn that the two played together as children, were close as young men, and became family when Arjuna married Krishna’s sister. In later life the men shared extraordinary adventures, including a journey to places outside the known universe. Like all great literature, the Gita explores the human condition: who we are, where we came from, and why we’re here. With a helpful glossary that lists names, terms, and places, this accessible, enlightening retelling is the perfect introduction to the Gita’s venerable wisdom.

Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy: A Practitioner's Guide


Nancy McWilliams - 2004
    The book describes the values, assumptions, and clinical and research findings that guide the psychoanalytic enterprise, and shows how to integrate elements of other theoretical perspectives. It discusses the phases of treatment and covers such neglected topics as educating the client about the therapeutic process, handling complex challenges to boundaries, and attending to self-care. Presenting complex information in personal, nontechnical language enriched by in-depth clinical vignettes, this is an essential psychoanalytic work and training text for therapists.

The Tao of the Dude: Awesome Insights of Deep Dudes from Lao Tzu to Lebowski


Oliver Benjamin - 2015
    Throughout history, these lounge-chair revolutionaries have helped correct civilization’s ills and excesses with a mellow, lighthearted, live-and-let live attitude. From Lao Tzu to Lebowski, Epicurus to Einstein, The Buddha to Bob Dylan, all have reminded humanity what is most important in life: personal liberty, peace of mind, leisure time and good friends.Bringing together some of the greatest ideas, quotes and insights Dudeosophy has had to offer, THE TAO OF THE DUDE is not only a virtual Ph.D in Dudeism, but also a soothing sectional sofa for the soul.Each chapter contains an essay and illustration by the founder of Dudeism, followed by an assortment of quotes and passages that show how Dudeism has existed throughout history, down through the generations, across the sands of time...

Our Political Nature: The Evolutionary Origins of What Divides Us


Avi Tuschman - 2013
    It shows how political orientations across space and time arise from three clusters of measurable personality traits. These clusters entail opposing attitudes toward tribalism, inequality, and differing perceptions of human nature. Together, these traits are by far the most powerful cause of left-right voting, even leading people to regularly vote against their economic interests.      As this book explains, our political personalities also influence our likely choice of a mate, and shape society's larger reproductive patterns. Most importantly of all, it tells the evolutionary stories of these crucial personality traits, which stem from epic biological conflicts.     Based on dozens of exciting new insights from primatology, genetics, neuroscience, and anthropology, this groundbreaking work brings core concepts to life through current news stories and personalities. For instance, readers will meet Glenn Beck and Hugo Chavez and come to understand the underlying evolutionary forces they represent. By blending serious research with relevant contemporary examples, Our Political Nature casts important light onto the ideological clashes that so dangerously divide and imperil our world today.

The Psychology of Self-Esteem


Nathaniel Branden - 1969
    Dr. Branden's philosophy broke radically with the mainstream thinking of the time and set a new course for our understanding of ourselves and our deepest natures.The brilliance of this benchmark work shines through today as brightly as when it was published, and its message continues to be of vital importance as we enter the twenty-first century. The Psychology of Self-Esteem redefines the relationship of reason to emotion, the nature of free will, and the powerful impact of self-esteem on motivation, work, friendship, sex, and romantic love.

The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity—and Will Determine the Fate of the Human Race


Daniel Z. Lieberman - 2018
    In pursuit of these things, it is undeterred by emotion, fear, or morality. Dopamine is the source of our every urge, that little bit of biology that makes an ambitious business professional sacrifice everything in pursuit of success, or that drives a satisfied spouse to risk it all for the thrill of someone new. Simply put, it is why we seek and succeed; it is why we discover and prosper. Yet, at the same time, it’s why we gamble and squander. From dopamine’s point of view, it’s not the having that matters. It’s getting something—anything—that’s new. From this understanding—the difference between possessing something versus anticipating it—we can understand in a revolutionary new way why we behave as we do in love, business, addiction, politics, religion – and we can even predict those behaviors in ourselves and others. In The Molecule of More: How a Single Chemical in Your Brain Drives Love, Sex, and Creativity—and will Determine the Fate of the Human Race, George Washington University professor and psychiatrist Daniel Z. Lieberman, MD, and Georgetown University lecturer Michael E. Long present a potentially life-changing proposal: Much of human life has an unconsidered component that explains an array of behaviors previously thought to be unrelated, including why winners cheat, why geniuses often suffer with mental illness, why nearly all diets fail, and why the brains of liberals and conservatives really are different.

No Time for Tact: 365 Days of the Wit, Words, and Wisdom of Larry Winget


Larry Winget - 2009
    No Time for Tact is the ultimate wake-up call for anyone who's looking for a lifeline and true empowerment. Packed with memorable gems and signature Winget quips including: • "Stress comes from knowing what is right and doing what is wrong." • "When people say, 'Let me be honest with you,' it means in the past, they haven't been." • "If you are unhappy, unsuccessful, broke, or sick-please just keep it to yourself. The rest of us don't want to hear it, so don't feel compelled to share!" • "Training is expensive. Books are expensive. Going to seminars is expensive. Being stupid is even more expensive." No one does what Larry does, says what he says, or looks the way he looks! He is truly one of the most unique and outrageous professional speakers and business authors out there today. No Time for Tact is a daily kick in the pants, 365 days of Larry Winget wisdom, full of advice harvested from his past books on career, personal finance, leadership, family, and customer service, which have topped the Wall Street Journal, BusinessWeek, and New York Times bestseller lists.

The Social Animal: The Hidden Sources of Love, Character, and Achievement


David Brooks - 2011
    Now, with the intellectual curiosity and emotional wisdom that make his columns among the most read in the nation, Brooks turns to the building blocks of human flourishing in a multilayered, profoundly illuminating work grounded in everyday life.This is the story of how success happens. It is told through the lives of one composite American couple, Harold and Erica—how they grow, push forward, are pulled back, fail, and succeed. Distilling a vast array of information into these two vividly realized characters, Brooks illustrates a fundamental new understanding of human nature. A scientific revolution has occurred—we have learned more about the human brain in the last thirty years than we had in the previous three thousand. The unconscious mind, it turns out, is most of the mind—not a dark, vestigial place but a creative and enchanted one, where most of the brain’s work gets done. This is the realm of emotions, intuitions, biases, longings, genetic predispositions, personality traits, and social norms: the realm where character is formed and where our most important life decisions are made. The natural habitat of The Social Animal. Drawing on a wealth of current research from numerous disciplines, Brooks takes Harold and Erica from infancy to school; from the “odyssey years” that have come to define young adulthood to the high walls of poverty; from the nature of attachment, love, and commitment, to the nature of effective leadership. He reveals the deeply social aspect of our very minds and exposes the bias in modern culture that overemphasizes rationalism, individualism, and IQ. Along the way, he demolishes conventional definitions of success while looking toward a culture based on trust and humility.The Social Animal is a moving and nuanced intellectual adventure, a story of achievement and a defense of progress. Impossible to put down, it is an essential book for our time, one that will have broad social impact and will change the way we see ourselves and the world.

Flipnosis: The Art of Split-Second Persuasion


Kevin Dutton - 2009
    It has an incubation period of just seconds, and can instantly disarm even the most discerning mind. This is the kind of high-wire psychological espionage which, in the right hands, can dismantle any conflict- but which in the wrong hands can kill. Flipnosis is black-belt mind control. It doesn't just turn the tables, it kicks them over.*From the malign but fascinating powers of psychopaths, serial killers and con men to the political genius of Winston Churchill - via the grandmasters of martial arts, Buddhist monks, magicians, advertisers, salesmen, CEOs and frogs that mug each other - Kevin Dutton's brilliantly original and revelatory book explores what cutting-edge science can teach us about the techniques of persuasion.*Fascinating, provocative, and ultimately inspiring, Flipnosis reveals, for the first time, the psychological DNA of instant influence - and how each of us can learn to be that little bit more persuasive.

Keep Calm and Carry On


Various - 2009
    Though it never saw the light of day in 1939 (it was only supposed to go up if Britain was invaded), it has suddenly struck a chord in our current difficult times, now we are in need of a stiff upper lip and optimistic energy once again. Gordon Brown had one up in 10 Downing Street and James May wears a Keep Calm T-shirt on the telly - it is suddenly everywhere. The book is packed full of similarly motivational and inspirational quotes, proverbs, mantras and wry truths to help us through the recession, from such wits as Churchill, Disraeli and George Bernard Shaw. Funny, wise and stirring - it is a perfect source of strength to get us all through the coming months.'A banker is a fellow who lends you his umbrella when the sun is shining and wants it back the minute it begins to rain' Mark Twain 'It's a recession when your neighbor loses his job; it's a depression when you lose your own' Harry S. Truman'An economist is an expert who will know tomorrow why the things he predicted yesterday didn't happen today' Laurence J. Peter'Always laugh when you can. It is cheap medicine' Lord Byron'Better bread with water than cake with trouble' Russian Proverb

Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind


Gary F. Marcus - 2008
    In this lucid and revealing book, Marcus argues that the mind is not an elegantly designed organ but rather a “kluge,” a clumsy, cobbled-together contraption. He unveils a fundamentally new way of looking at the human mind -- think duct tape, not supercomputer -- that sheds light on some of the most mysterious aspects of human nature.Taking us on a tour of the fundamental areas of human experience -- memory, belief, decision-making, language, and happiness -- Marcus reveals the myriad ways our minds fall short. He examines why people often vote against their own interests, why money can’t buy happiness, why leaders often stick to bad decisions, and why a sentence like “people people left left” ties us in knots even though it’s only four words long.Marcus also offers surprisingly effective ways to outwit our inner kluge, for the betterment of ourselves and society. Throughout, he shows how only evolution -- haphazard and undirected -- could have produced the minds we humans have, while making a brilliant case for the power and usefulness of imperfection.

The User Illusion: Cutting Consciousness Down to Size


Tor Nørretranders - 1991
    Although we are unaware of it, our brains sift through and discard billions of pieces of data in order to allow us to understand the world around us. In fact, most of what we call thought is actually the unconscious discarding of information. What our consciousness rejects constitutes the most valuable part of ourselves, the "Me" that the "I" draws on for most of our actions--fluent speech, riding a bicycle, anything involving expertise. No wonder that, in this age of information, so many of us feel empty and dissatisfied. As engaging as it is insightful, this important book encourages us to rely more on what our instincts and our senses tell us so that we can better appreciate the richness of human life.

The Great Ideas of Psychology


Daniel N. Robinson - 1999
    (Great Courses, #660)

Zen: Beginner's Guide: Happy, Peaceful and Focused Lifestyle for Everyone (Buddhism, Meditation, Mindfulness, Success) (Positive Psychology Coaching Series Book 7)


Ian Tuhovsky - 2014
    Regular price: $4.99.***+FREE GIFT INSIDE: link to download my 120 page e-book “Mindfulness Based Stress and Anxiety Management Tools” for free! Dear Friends, Contrary to popular belief, Zen is not a discipline reserved for monks practicing Kung Fu. Although there is some truth to this idea, Zen is a practice that is applicable, useful, and pragmatic for anyone to study regardless of what religion you follow (or don’t follow). Zen is the practice of studying your subconscious and seeing your true nature. The purpose of this work is to show you how to apply and utilize the teachings and essence of Zen in everyday life in the Western society. I’m not really an “absolute truth seeker” unworldly type of person - I just believe in practical plans and blueprints that actually help in living a better life. Of course I will tell you about the origin of Zen and the traditional ways of practicing it, but I will also show you my side of things, my personal point of view and translation of many Zen truths through a more “contemporary” and practical language. It is a “modern Zen lifestyle” type of book. I invite you to take this journey into the peaceful world of Zen Buddhism with me today! In This Book You Will Read About: • Where Did Zen Come From? - A short history and explanation of Zen • What Does Zen Teach? - The major teachings and precepts of Zen • Various Zen meditation techniques that are applicable and practical for everyone! • The benefits of a Zen lifestyle • What Zen Buddhism is NOT? • How to slow down and start enjoying your life • How to accept everything and lose nothing • Why being alone can be beneficial • Why pleasure is NOT happiness • Six Ways to Practically Let Go • How to de-clutter your life and live simply • "Mindfulness on Steroids" • How to Take Care of your Awareness and Focus • Where to start and how to practice Zen as a regular person • And many other interesting concepts... Scroll to the top of the page and click the orange buy button to instantly download this book to your PC, Kindle, Mac or smartphone!

Spiral Dynamics Integral: Learn to Master the Memetic Codes of Human Behavior


Don Edward Beck - 2006
    Don Beck has taught people at all levels how to stop clashing and start communicating. His method is called Spiral Dynamics Integral, a revolutionary new way of perceiving human nature that lets us understand, predict, and resolve even the most difficult conflicts. In his effort to map the genome of the mind, Dr. Beck has created a tool he calls the Spiral, which charts the underlying reasons for virtually everything that human beings think, believe, and do. Breaking down the "complexity codes" that lie at the heart of a problem, he explains, is the first step toward coming up with a real, lasting solution.