Book picks similar to
Ask Polly's Guide to Your Next Crisis by Heather Havrilesky
non-fiction
self-help
essays
nonfiction
Fierce: A Memoir
Barbara Robinette Moss - 2004
Barbara Robinette Moss grew up in the red clay hills of Alabama, the fourth of eight children, in a childhood defined by close sibling alliances, staggering poverty, and uncommon abuse at the hands of her wild-eyed, charismatic, alcoholic father. In Fierce, Moss looks at what happens when a child of such a family grows up. At once poetic and plainspoken, Moss, a "powerful writer" (Chicago Tribune), paints a vivid, moving portrait of her persistent quest to reinvent her life and rebel against the rural indigence, addiction, and broken dreams she inherited from her parents. With warmth, insight, and candor, Moss tells the poignant story of finally leaving everything she knew in Alabama to fulfill her ambition to become an artist. It is an odyssey filled with gritty improvisation (bringing her son, Jason, to her night job to sleep on the floor), bittersweet pragmatism (filling her purse on a dinner date with shrimp, rolls, and even a doily, to bring home to a waiting eight-year-old), and staunch conviction and pride (chasing a mail carrier down the street to defend her use of food stamps). As with many other children of alcoholics, the legacy of her father's alcoholism catches up with Moss, and an abusive relationship -- an inheritance and addiction of its own sort -- threatens to destroy all that she has accomplished. But as Moss learns to cope with her anger and pain, parenthood helps her discover true strength. Ultimately, Fierce is a warm, honest, and triumphant story, from a writer celebrated for her Southern lyricism, about a woman determined to make it on her own -- to shrug off the handicaps of her childhood and raise her son responsibly and well.
The No S Diet
Reinhard Engels - 2008
No Sweets. No Seconds.* *Except on days that start with S (Saturdays, Sundays, and Special days).Developed by a problem-solving software engineer who was tired of diets that are too hard to stick with, The No-S Diet has attracted a passionate following online thanks to its elegant simplicity-and its results. Unlike fad diets based on gimmicks that lead to short-term weight-loss followed by backsliding and failure, The No-S Diet is a maintainable life plan that reminds us of the commonsense, conscious way we all know we should be eating.The book offers readers the tips, tricks, techniques and testimonials they'll need to stick with No-S for life
Seedtime & Harvest
Neville Goddard - 1985
Seedtime and Harvest focuses on key mystical messages that run through Biblical Scripture, showing how familiar Biblical stories and passages provide insight into the metaphysical principles that form the foundation of physical experience. The tale of Cain and Abel, Jacob's ladder dream, and many other passages are explored to spark deeper understanding of consciousness and empowerment. Neville intersperses his interpretive insights into scripture with real-life examples of the workings of spiritual law, helping to show how the Bible can provide important guidance to students no longer comfortable with a literal reading.Neville's opening chapter notes that any who enjoy the old familiar verses of Scripture are discouraged when they themselves try to read the Bible as they would any other book because, quite excusably, they do not understand that the Bible is written in the language of symbolism. In Seedtime and Harvest, Neville offers insight to those who seek to reconcile their love of the Christian Bible with non-sectarian truths about being and self-hood.
How to Develop a 'Never Give up' Attitude
Hardik Joshi - 2017
Success comes to those who pursue their goal with persistence, purpose and dedication. They are the ones who can convert their dreams to reality. They never give up on their dreams, no matter what the odds are. Enriched with simple techniques and stories, this book is a practical guide to developing the attitude to stay strong, confident and committed in the journey towards achieving one’s dream.
Falling Cars and Junkyard Dogs
Jay Farrar - 2013
Recollections of Farrar's father are prominent throughout the stories. Ultimately, it is music and musicians that are given the most space and the final word since music has been the creative impetus and driving force for the past 35 years of his life.In writing these stories, he found a natural inclination to focus on very specific experiences; a method analogous to the songwriting process. The highlights and pivotal experiences from that musical journey are all represented as the binding thread in these stories, illustrated throughout with photography from his life. If life is a movie, then these stories are the still frames.
The Choice of Hercules: Pleasure, Duty and the Good Life in the 21st Century
A.C. Grayling - 2007
He shows us how much more people can understand about themselves and their world by reflecting on today's moral challenges. Above all, he explores the idea that certain demands and certain pleasures are necessary, not just because of their intrinsic merits but because of what they do for each other. The Good Life or the good life? With exceptional clarity and unrivaled prose, Grayling addresses the everyday ethical choices which confront us all.
This I Believe: On Love
Dan Gediman - 2010
Murrow's radio program, This I Believe, gave voice to the feelings and treasured beliefs of Americans around the country. Fifty years later, the popular update of the series, which now continues on Bob Edwards Weekend on public radio, explores the beliefs that people hold dear today. This book brings together essays on love from ordinary people far and wide whose sentiments and stories will surprise, inspire, and move you.Includes extraordinary essays written by ordinary Americans on love in its many manifestations-from romantic love and love of family to love of place and love of animals Paints a compelling portrait of the diverse range of beliefs and experiences related to what is perhaps the most powerful and complex of human emotions-love Based on the popular This I Believe radio series and thisibelieve.org Web site By turns funny and profound, yet always engaging, This I Believe: On Love is a perfect gift to give or to keep.
Cancer-Free: Your Guide to Gentle, Non-toxic Healing
Bill Henderson - 2013
This latest book gives you a precise regimen for self-treatment along with extensive information on other resources now available to you.
Flash Count Diary: Menopause and the Vindication of Natural Life
Darcey Steinke - 2019
First came hot flashes. Then insomnia. Then depression. As she struggled to express what was happening to her, she came up against a culture of silence. Throughout history, the natural physical transition of menopause has been viewed as something to deny, fear, and eradicate. Menstruation signals fertility and life, and childbirth is revered as the ultimate expression of womanhood. Menopause is seen as a harbinger of death. Some books Steinke found promoted hormone replacement therapy. Others encouraged acceptance. But Steinke longed to understand menopause in a more complex, spiritual, and intellectually engaged way.In Flash Count Diary, Steinke writes frankly about aspects of Menopause that have rarely been written about before. She explores the changing gender landscape that comes with reduced hormone levels, and lays bare the transformation of female desire and the realities of prejudice against older women. Weaving together her personal story with philosophy, science, art, and literature, Steinke reveals that in the seventeenth century, women who had hot flashes in front of others could be accused of being witches; that the model for Duchamp's famous �tant donn�s was a post-reproductive woman; and that killer whales--one of the only other species on earth to undergo menopause--live long post-reproductive lives.Flash Count Diary, with its deep research, open play of ideas, and reverence for the female body, will change the way you think about menopause. It's a deeply feminist book--honest about the intimations of mortality that menopause brings while also arguing for the ascendancy, beauty, and power of the post-reproductive years.
You're Doing a Great Job!: 100 Ways You're Winning at Parenting
Biz Ellis - 2017
Authors and co-hosts of the popular comedy podcast One Bad Mother, Biz Ellis and Theresa Thorn, know firsthand that raising kids is tough. They also know that, most likely, parents are winning more than they’re failing. This book reminds parents that it’s okay to have a low bar. Celebrate what did happen, not what didn’t, including gems such as: Did you get up this morning? Great! You’re doing an awesome job!Your kid fell asleep? Even if it was just for two hours, that’s amazing. Good job!Has your kid eaten? That’s probably your doing, so yeah, you’re a winner! The perfect gift for the growing family, You Are Doing a Great Job! is the much-needed reminder to screw all expectations and advice. It belongs on the shelf next to Go the Fu*k to Sleep and Let’s Panic About Babies. Or better yet, tear out the pages and hang them up.
Tomorrow Sex Will Be Good Again: Women and Desire in the Age of Consent
Katherine Angel - 2021
They are told that in the name of sexual consent and feminist empowerment, they must proclaim their desires clearly and confidently. Sex researchers tell us that women don't know what they want. And men are on hand to persuade women that what they want is, in fact, exactly what men want. In this environment, how can women possibly know what they want—and how can they be expected to?In this elegantly written, searching book Katherine Angel surveys medical and psychoanalytic understandings of female desire, from Freud to Kinsey to present-day science; MeToo-era debates over consent, assault, and feminism; and popular culture, TV, and film to challenge our assumptions about female desire. Why, she asks, do we expect desire to be easily understood? Why is there not space for the unsure, the tentative, the maybe, the let's just see? In contrast to the endless exhortation to know what we want, Angel proposes that sex can be a conversation, requiring insight, interaction, and mutual vulnerability—a shared collaboration into the unknown.In this crucial moment of renewed attention to violence and power, Angel urges that we remake our thinking about sex, pleasure, and autonomy without any illusions of perfect self-knowledge. Only then will we bring about Michel Foucault's sardonic promise, in 1976, that "tomorrow sex will be good again."
See No Stranger: A Memoir and Manifesto of Revolutionary Love
Valarie Kaur - 2020
It enjoins us to see no stranger but instead look at others and say: You are part of me I do not yet know. Starting from that place of wonder, the world begins to change: It is a practice that can transform a relationship, a community, a culture, even a nation. Kaur takes readers through her own riveting journey—as a brown girl growing up in California farmland finding her place in the world; as a young adult galvanized by the murders of Sikhs after 9/11; as a law student fighting injustices in American prisons and on Guantánamo Bay; as an activist working with communities recovering from xenophobic attacks; and as a woman trying to heal from her own experiences with police violence and sexual assault. Drawing from the wisdom of sages, scientists, and activists, Kaur reclaims love as an active, public, and revolutionary force that creates new possibilities for ourselves, our communities, and our world. See No Stranger helps us imagine new ways of being with each other—and with ourselves—so that together we can begin to build the world we want to see.
A Holy Pursuit: How the Gospel Frees Us to Follow and Lay Down Our Dreams
Dianne Jago - 2020
The opposite extreme, often advised by well-meaning Christians, is to lay down all of our dreams and passions, avoiding all self-interest. One narrative says to follow a passion, and the other says to lay it down. Both claim to offer happiness and purpose on the other side. But what does the Bible say about dreams, goals, and passions? With compelling illustrations from Dianne Jago’s unexpected journey in creating DeeplyRooted Magazine, along with thoughtful scriptural examples, Dianne shares an honest account of how God changed her plans and aligned them with His. As you read this book, you will be challenged to look upward instead of inward, seeing the God-given purpose of every Christian as the foundation of your “dreams.” Scripture shapes a believer’s pursuits and the gospel speaks to our passions. Instead of the one-size-fits-all formula for dream-chasing, A Holy Pursuit will help you identify whether it’s time to pursue, pause, or surrender a dream you hold.
When the Bough Breaks: Forever After the Death of a Child
Judith R. Bernstein - 1997
Explaining that parents can never get over the loss of a child, a psychologist and bereaved parent offers strategies by which parents can accept and integrate the effects of trauma into their lives.
How To Win The Lottery With The Law Of Attraction: Four Lottery Winners Share Their Manifestation Techniques (Manifest Your Millions! Book 2)
Eddie Coronado - 2014
Based on interviews with actual winners who have used the Law of Attraction to win lottery prizes, this book provides the metaphysical tools and insights that are necessary to win lottery and contest prizes through the creative power of thoughts and feelings. Although this book contains the manifestation techniques of people who have won money, these metaphysical exercises can be used to attract the perfect mate, a new career, financial success, or anything that you can make a part of your beliefs and feelings. There is no limit to how much money and success you can manifest through the Law of Attraction because this immense spiritual power does not have an opinion about what you should or should not have. You can use the Law of Attraction to manifest ten cents or ten million dollars. The determining factor is belief and expectancy, which can be harnessed by using the spiritual tools discussed in this book. THIS BOOK CONTAINS FOUR PARTS: PART 1: This section explores the tools that are used for the manifestation techniques in this book. The tools covered are as follows: Affirmations, Creative Visualization, Expectation, Gratitude, and the Practice of Receiving. You should take the time to carefully read this section even if you are familiar with the Law of Attraction and the power of intention. This section contains a number of insights and explanations that may have been missed by other authors and teachers. For example, the Practice of Receiving is a powerful tool that can help you attract a lot of money, yet many Law of Attraction books do not mention this important exercise. In addition, I have included some helpful information about gratitude and affirmations as it relates to manifesting money. Affirmations of words, thoughts, feelings, and actions are also covered. Finally, the most important element of any manifestation technique is creative visualization, which every Law of Attraction lottery and contest winner has used to win prizes. PART 2: This section includes the manifestation techniques used by the winners who were interviewed for this book. Each winner, including the author, is introduced and his/her manifestation exercise is documented to reflect the exact steps taken to win lottery prizes. No changes have been made in order to preserve the integrity of each winner’s method. PART 3: This is a Question and Answer Section that covers the most important questions about the manifestation techniques in this book. The answers have been provided by the lottery winners who were interviewed. This Question and Answer section will provide clarity and direction for those readers who are committed to using the Law of Attraction to manifest lottery prizes. The questions included in this section cover topics such as: Should I buy lots of tickets? How will I know that my intention will work? How long will it take for me to get results? What part does luck play in manifesting lottery prizes? In addition, a host of other important questions are discussed. PART 4: This section contains helpful tips and suggestions that will explain how to implement the following manifestation techniques and how to make the most of them. It also contains information regarding the common denominators of the winners' daily action plan in order to provide a clear understanding of the mental and emotional habits that are necessary for manifesting lottery prizes with the Law of Attraction.