Book picks similar to
Putting Children First: Proven Parenting Strategies for Helping Children Thrive Through Divorce by JoAnne Pedro-Carroll
parenting
non-fiction
psychology
self-help
Our Iceberg Is Melting: Changing and Succeeding Under Any Conditions
John P. Kotter - 2005
Fred must cleverly convince and enlist key players, such as Louis, the head penguin; Alice, the number two bird; the intractable NoNo the weather expert; and a passle of school-age penguins if he is to save the colony.Their delightfully told journey illuminates in an unforgettable way how to manage the necessary change that surrounds us all. Simple explanatory material following the fable enhances the lasting value of these lessons.Our Iceberg Is Melting is at once charming, accessible and profound; a treat for virtually any reader.
Better Than Chocolate: 50 Proven Ways to Feel Happier
Siimon Reynolds - 2005
From Taoism to psycho-cyberkinetics, this delicious little book distills simple lessons from the world’s major theories about happiness, such as:Ask uplifting questions (they can change the direction of your thinking).Try a low-insulin diet (balancing sugar levels sweetens your mood).Understand Buddhist theory (fewer desires leads to less suffering).Kiss someone (kissing just feels great).Animated with cheery illustrations, BETTER THAN CHOCOLATE is sweeter than a candy bar baked into a brownie and dipped in hot fudge—and a whole lot better for you.
The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters
Priya Parker - 2018
If we can understand what makes these gatherings effective and memorable, then we can reframe and redirect them to benefit everyone, host and guest alike. Parker defines a gathering as three or more people who come together for a specific purpose. When we understand why we gather, she says -- to acknowledge, to learn, to challenge, to change -- we learn how to organize gatherings that are relevant and memorable: from an effective business meeting to a thought-provoking conference; from a joyful wedding to a unifying family dinner. Drawing on her experience as a strategic facilitator who's worked with such organizations as the World Economic Forum, the Museum of Modern Art, and the retail company Fresh, Parker explains how ordinary people can create remarkable occasions, large and small. In dozens of fascinating examples, she breaks down the alchemy of these experiences to show what goes into the good ones and demonstrates how we can learn to incorporate those elements into all of our gatherings. The result is a book that's both journey and guide, full of big ideas with real-world applications that will change the way you look at a business meeting, a parent-teacher conference, and a backyard barbecue.
Unf*ck Your Habitat: You're Better Than Your Mess
Rachel Hoffman - 2017
Unf*ck Your Habitat is for anyone who has been left behind by traditional aspirational systems: The ones that ignore single people with full-time jobs; people without kids but living with roommates; and people with mental illnesses or physical limitations, and many others. Most organizational books are aimed at traditional homemakers, DIYers, and people who seem to have unimaginable amounts of free time. They assume we all iron our sheets, have linen napkins to match our table runners, and can keep plants alive for longer than a week. Basically, they ignore most of us living here in the real world.Interspersed with lists and challenges, this practical, no-nonsense advice relies on a 20/10 system (20 minutes of cleaning followed by a 10-minute break; no marathon cleaning allowed) to help you develop lifelong habits. It motivates you to embrace a new lifestyle in manageable sections so you can actually start applying the tactics as you progress. For everyone stuck between The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up and Adulting, this philosophy is decidedly more realistic than aspirational, but the goal is the same: not everyone will have a showcase of a home, but whatever your habitat, you deserve one that brings you happiness, not stress.
Community: The Structure of Belonging
Peter Block - 2008
The various sectors of our communities--businesses, schools, social service organizations, churches, government--do not work together. They exist in their own worlds. As do so many individual citizens, who long for connection but end up marginalized, their gifts overlooked, their potential contributions lost. This disconnection and detachment makes it hard if not impossible to envision a common future and work towards it together. We know what healthy communities look like--there are many success stories out there, and they've been described in detail. What Block provides in this inspiring new book is an exploration of the exact way community can emerge from fragmentation: How is community built? How does the transformation occur? What fundamental shifts are involved? He explores a way of thinking about our places that creates an opening for authentic communities to exist and details what each of us can do to make that happen.
How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind: Dealing with Your House's Dirty Little Secrets
Dana K. White - 2016
White. “But that’s not how my brain works. I’m lost on page three.” Dana blogs at A Slob Comes Clean, chronicling her successes and failures with her self-described “deslobification process.” In the beginning she used the name “Nony” (short for aNONYmous), because she was sharing her deep, dark, slob secret. Now she has truly come clean—with not only her real name but the strategies she has developed, tested, and proved in her own home. She has learned what it takes to bring a home out of Disaster Status, which habits make the biggest and most lasting impact, and how to keep clutter under control.In How to Manage Your Home Without Losing Your Mind, Dana explains that cleaning your house is not a onetime project but a series of ongoing premade decisions. Her reality-based cleaning and organizing techniques debunk the biggest housekeeping fantasies and help readers learn what really works. Chapter titles includeMy First Step: Giving Up on the FantasyThe Worst Thing About the Best WayJust Tell Me What to DoConquering LaundryGet Dinner on the TablePutting an End to the Never-Ending Weekly Cleaning TasksDon’t Get OrganizedHow to Declutter Without Making a Bigger MessFighting the Perceived Value BattleBut Will It Last?With a huge helping of empathy and humor, Dana provides a step-by-step process with strategies for getting rid of enormous amounts of stuff in as little time (and with as little emotional drama) as possible.
Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear
Elizabeth Gilbert - 2015
Gilbert offers insights into the mysterious nature of inspiration. She asks us to embrace our curiosity and let go of needless suffering. She shows us how to tackle what we most love, and how to face down what we most fear. She discusses the attitudes, approaches, and habits we need in order to live our most creative lives. Balancing between soulful spirituality and cheerful pragmatism, Gilbert encourages us to uncover the “strange jewels” that are hidden within each of us. Whether we are looking to write a book, make art, find new ways to address challenges in our work, embark on a dream long deferred, or simply infuse our everyday lives with more mindfulness and passion, Big Magic cracks open a world of wonder and joy.
Stress-Proof Your Life (52 Brilliant Ideas)
Elisabeth Wilson - 2008
Stress-proof your life is for the people who struggle to find time for a shower much less a bath. It's for the ones who are still clicking their mouse or ironing a shirt at 11.30pm. The ones who don't take their annual leave and worry that stress is affecting their health and relationships. Or they would worry if they weren't so knackered and that report wasn't due in at 9am. It's going to take a lot more than a candle-lit bubble bath to sort them out..." Elisabeth Wilson.
Stress is not a generic thing although it's always treated that way. Some people are really good at avoiding some stresses without realising that they are slaves to another kind. Elisabeth looks at the sources - occupational, genetic and environmental - and reveals 52 clever techniques and ideas that focus on the causes rather than simply telling people how to deal with the symptoms.
Here are just some of the chapters to be discovered:
* Admit your addiction!
* The power of positive stress;
* Give a little, get a lot - why volunteering could be the best decision you've ever made; * Too stressed to sleep? - it happens, here's what to do if it happens to you (Strictly no lavender candles);
* and The 'stop and collapse' effect - if you're fed up with getting sick on the very first day of your holiday, here's how to prevent it.
With the "52 Brilliant Ideas" series readers can enhance their existing skills with negligible investment of time or money and will substantially improve their performance over the course of a year. Each of the 52 chapters tackles a single aspect of the subject in an entertaining and lively way. At the end of each chapter is a "how did it go?" feature which allows readers to reflect on the lesson in a classical experiential learning pattern. The tone of each book is personal and informal; readers will feel as thought they are having a one-to-one with their favourite coach.
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
Peter A. Levine - 1997
It views the human animal as a unique being, endowed with an instinctual capacity. It asks and answers an intriguing question: why are animals in the wild, though threatened routinely, rarely traumatized? By understanding the dynamics that make wild animals virtually immune to traumatic symptoms, the mystery of human trauma is revealed.Waking the Tiger normalizes the symptoms of trauma and the steps needed to heal them. People are often traumatized by seemingly ordinary experiences. The reader is taken on a guided tour of the subtle, yet powerful impulses that govern our responses to overwhelming life events. To do this, it employs a series of exercises that help us focus on bodily sensations. Through heightened awareness of these sensations trauma can be healed.
Making Friends with the Menopause: A clear and comforting guide to support you as your body changes. 2016 edition reflecting the new 'NICE' guidelines
Sarah Rayner - 2015
Written with Sarah Rayner's trademark warmth and humour, this new edition of Making Friends with the Menopause has been updated to reflect the latest National Institute for Health and Care guidelines on diagnosis and management of the menopause. Together with Dr Patrick Fitzgerald, she explores why stopping menstruating causes such profound chemical changes in the body, leading us to react in a myriad of ways physically and mentally. There is practical advice on hot flushes and night sweats, anxiety and mood swings, muscular aches and loss of libido, early-onset menopause, hysterectomy and more, plus a simple explanation of each stage of the menopause so you'll know what to expect in the years before, during and after. You’ll find details of the treatment options available and their pros and cons, together with tips and insights from women keen to share their wisdom on a subject many still find hard to talk about. Whether you’re worried about feeling invisible, weight gain or loss of fertility, or simply want to take care of yourself well, knowledge is power, and Making Friends with the Menopause will give you a greater understanding of the process, so you can enjoy your body and your sexuality as you age. * From the author of the international bestselling novel One Moment, One Morning * And the word-of-mouth success Making Friends with Anxiety, a warm, supportive book to ease worry and panic * Includes advice on all the major health issues that can arise as a result of hormone change * Thoroughly researched and bang-up-to-date * Includes traditional and complementary medicine * Gives guidance on how to get the most from your GP appointments and finding good alternative practitioners * Useful links throughout, plus details of helplines and recommended reads * Fully illustrated with photographs by the author * Ongoing online support group available PRAISE FOR MAKING FRIENDS WITH ANXIETY 'Simple, lucid advice on how to accept your anxiety' Matt Haig, bestselling author of Reasons to Stay Alive 'Reads like chatting with an old friend; one with wit, wisdom and experience' ,Brighton and Hove Independent PRAISE FOR SARAH RAYNER: ‘Explores an emotive subject with great sensitivity’ Sunday Express ‘You'll want to inhale it in one breath' Easy Living 'Brilliant... Warm and approachable' Essentials ‘Carefully crafted and empathetic’ The Sunday Times ‘Brilliant…Warm and approachable’ Essentials ‘A sympathetic insight into the causes and effects of mental ill-health as it affects ordinary people. Powerful’ My Weekly
Relationships: How to Make Bad Relationships Better and Good Relationships Great
Les Parrott III - 1998
Relationships is an honest and timely guide to forming the rich relationships that are life's greatest treasure. Heading below the surface to the depths of human interactions, relationship experts Les and Leslie Parrott show how to make bad relationships better and good relationships great. Here are the tools you need to handle tough times and to really succeed at forging strong, rewarding relationships with friends, with the opposite sex, with family, and with God. This cutting-edge book will help you understand* Who you are and what you bring to your relationships* How your family of origin shapes the way you relate to others* How to bridge the gender gap and learn the language of the opposite sex* Tips for building friendships that last* Secrets to finding the love you long for and to handling sexual issues( How to handle failed friendships and breakups without falling apart* How to relate to God without feeling phonyIn a high-tech world, Relationships offers a high-touch solution to a better life.
Happy: Finding joy in every day and letting go of perfect
Fearne Cotton - 2017
The simple stuff. The stuff that's going to really hit up that happiness on a deep and nourishing level. Whether you dip into these pages every now and then when you feel you need it, or use it daily as a positive exercise, I hope it brings you much relief, joy and calm. Amen to the pen." - Fearne Cotton
For many of us, life can feel like it's moving too fast with pressure bearing down on us from all sides - whether that's from school or work, family or social media. As a result, we find ourselves frazzled, lost and - too often - feeling blue.It's a subject close to Fearne's heart. Drawing on her own experiences and including expert advice, HAPPY offers practical ways of finding joy each and every day. Happiness isn't a mountain to climb, it's just one foot in front of the other on the path of life, and here you'll find little steps that will help make the differences that count. With workbook elements to help you start and end the day well; get in touch with your creative side; and find peace through written exercises, simple practical ideas and visualisations, these are daily tricks and reminders to help you unlock that inner happiness.
How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk
Adele Faber - 1996
Enthusiastically praised by parents and professionals around the world, the down--to--earth, respectful approach of Faber and Mazlish makes relationships with children of all ages less stressful and more rewarding.Recently revised and updated with fresh insights and suggestions, How to Talk so Kids Will Listen & Listen so Kids Will Talk is full of practical, innovative ways to solve common problems and build foundations for lasting relationships.
Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time
Susan Scott - 2002
The master teacher of positive change through powerful communication, Susan Scott wants her readers to succeed. To do that, she explains, one must transform everyday conversations employing effective ways to get the message across. In this guide, which includes exercises and tools to take you step by step through the Seven Principles of Fierce Conversations, Scott teaches readers how to: * Overcome barriers to meaningful communication * Expand and enrich conversations with colleagues, friends, and family * Increase clarity and improve understanding * Handle strong emotions-on both sides of the table
The Disease to Please: Curing the People-Pleasing Syndrome
Harriet B. Braiker - 2000
Those who suffer from the Disease to Please are people who say "Yes" when they really want to say "No." For them, the uncontrollable need for the elusive approval of others is an addiction. Their debilitating fears of anger and confrontation force them to use "niceness" and "people-pleasing" as self-defense camouflage.Featured on NBC's "Today," The Disease to Please explodes the dangerous myth that "people pleasing" is a benign problem. Best-selling author and frequent Oprah guest Dr. Harriet Braiker offers clear, positive, practical, and easily do-able steps toward recovery.Begin with a simple but revealing quiz to discover what type of people-pleaser you are. Then learn how making even small changes to any single portion of the Disease to Please Triangle - involving your thoughts, feelings, and behavior - will cause a dramatic, positive and long-lasting change to the overall syndrome.As a recovered peoplepleaser, you will finally see that a balanced way of living that takes others into consideration but puts the emphasis first on pleasing yourself and gaining your own approval is the clearest path to health and happiness.