Book picks similar to
Living in the Borderland: The Evolution of Consciousness and the Challenge of Healing Trauma by Jerome S. Bernstein
non-fiction
psychology
psykologi
nonfiction
The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self
Alice Miller - 1979
I simply meant all of us who have survived an abusive childhood thanks to an ability to adapt even to unspeakable cruelty by becoming numb.... Without this 'gift' offered us by nature, we would not have survived." But merely surviving is not enough. The Drama of the Gifted Child helps us to reclaim our life by discovering our own crucial needs and our own truth.
The Brain: A Beginner's Guide
Ammar al-Chalabi - 2005
However, as the authors of this accessible guide demonstrate, there are at least some things we do understand about the brain, things which may lead us to think quite differently about the way we view ourselves and workings of our minds. Starting off with a brief tour of the history of neuroscience, from Aristotle's view that the function of the brain was to cool the heart to the ancient practice of drilling a hole in the skull to relieve headaches, the book covers all of the key areas - including the anatomy and development of the brain, the workings of the sensory and nervous systems, the function of sleep and the capacity for language - in a clear and comprehensible manner. The authors also consider the roots - and possible treatments - of some of the most common psychological disorders, and examine the way in which science may help us to find answers to philosophical questions about the nature of consciousness and the identity of the self. to be able to extend life well beyond the standard three score years and ten, this lively and entertaining introduction assumes no previous scientific knowledge and will be suitable for readers of all backgrounds.
Understanding the Highly Sensitive Child: Seeing an Overwhelming World through Their Eyes
James Williams - 2014
Nor is it always easy to raise, care for, guide and teach a highly sensitive child. Because the highly sensitive child experiences the world a little differently, and that can be difficult to understand. This book aims to help you experience the world from the child’s perspective, so that you can better understand them and help them to grow and thrive. In this simple, concise guide I distil the reams of information available on the highly sensitive child so that you can get the knowledge you need quickly and easily. Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche wrote: ‘And those who were seen dancing were thought to be crazy by those who could not hear the music.’ The highly sensitive child isn’t crazy. Nor are they slow, or weak, or just ‘not tough enough’. They simply dance to a tune that not everyone can hear. This book helps you hear the music to which the highly sensitive child dances. Once you know the tune exists, and you listen for it carefully, you’ll find it’s beautiful, moving, powerful music.This is what Elaine N. Aron, Ph.D. thought of the book. Elaine is the author of the worldwide bestsellers The Highly Sensitive Person and The Highly Sensitive Child she has pioneered the research into Highly Sensitive People.“As the author of this truly brilliant little book, Jamie Williamson explains that he is not an academic or a psychologist. I am simply a man who feels very passionately about the subject. He is highly sensitive and so is one of his daughters, and he writes about sensitivity with both simplicity and depth. His sensitivity also shows in his book’s briefness. Caregivers of children need an author to get to the point so they can go get groceries, pick up the kids etc. Jamie’s book can be read in an hour, yet it has charming examples as well as great suggestions and a full, scientifically accurate description of the trait. Jamie is reaching out to all parents, carers and teachers of sensitive children and whether through this book or on his website, he is a wonderful resource.” – Elaine N. Aron.
On Being Certain: Believing You Are Right Even When You're Not
Robert A. Burton - 2008
In On Being Certain, neurologist Robert Burton challenges the notions of how we think about what we know. He shows that the feeling of certainty we have when we know something comes from sources beyond our control and knowledge. In fact, certainty is a mental sensation, rather than evidence of fact. Because this feeling of knowing seems like confirmation of knowledge, we tend to think of it as a product of reason. But an increasing body of evidence suggests that feelings such as certainty stem from primitive areas of the brain, and are independent of active, conscious reflection and reasoning. The feeling of knowing happens to us; we cannot make it happen. Bringing together cutting edge neuroscience, experimental data, and fascinating anecdotes, Robert Burton explores the inconsistent and sometimes paradoxical relationship between our thoughts and what we actually know. Provocative and groundbreaking, On Being Certain, will challenge what you know (or think you know) about the mind, knowledge, and reason.
Myths to Live By
Joseph Campbell - 1972
Campbell stresses that the borders dividing the Earth have been shattered; that myths and religions have always followed the certain basic archetypes and are no longer exclusive to a single people, region, or religion. He shows how we must recognize their common denominators and allow this knowledge to be of use in fulfilling human potential everywhere.
How We Show Up: Reclaiming Family, Friendship, and Community
Mia Birdsong - 2020
They have family, friends, and colleagues, yet they still feel like they're standing alone. They're "winning" at the American Dream, but they're lonely, disconnected, and unsatisfied.It seems counterintuitive that living the "good life"--the well-paying job, the nuclear family, the upward mobility--can make us feel isolated and unhappy. But in a divided America, where only a quarter of us know our neighbors and everyone is either a winner or a loser, we've forgotten the key element that helped us make progress in the first place: community. In this provocative, groundbreaking work, Mia Birdsong shows that what separates us isn't only the ever-present injustices built around race, class, gender, values, and beliefs, but also our denial of our interdependence and need for belonging. In response to the fear and discomfort we feel, we've built walls, and instead of leaning on each other, we find ourselves leaning on concrete.Through research, interviews, and stories of lived experience, How We Show Up returns us to our inherent connectedness where we find strength, safety, and support in vulnerability and generosity, in asking for help, and in being accountable. Showing up--literally and figuratively--points us toward the promise of our collective vitality and leads us to the liberated well-being we all want.
But It’s Your Family…: Cutting Ties with Toxic Family Members and Loving Yourself in the Aftermath
Sherrie Campbell - 2019
Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too
Jenni Schaefer - 2003
He controlled Jenni’s life, distorted her self-image, and tried to physically harm her throughout their long affair. Then, in therapy, Jenni learned to treat her eating disorder as a relationship, not a condition. By thinking of her eating disorder as a unique personality separate from her own, Jenni was able to break up with Ed once and for all.Inspiring, compassionate, and filled with practical exercises to help you break up with your own personal E.D., "Life Without Ed" provides hope to the millions of people plagued by eating disorders. Beginning with Jenni’s “divorce” from Ed, this supportive, lifesaving book combines a patient’s insights and experiences with a therapist’s prescriptions for success to help you live a healthier, happier life without Ed.
Surfaces and Essences: Analogy as the Fuel and Fire of Thinking
Douglas R. Hofstadter - 2011
Hofstadter has been grappling with the mysteries of human thought for over thirty years. Now, with his trademark wit and special talent for making complex ideas vivid, he has partnered with Sander to put forth a highly novel perspective on cognition.We are constantly faced with a swirling and intermingling multitude of ill-defined situations. Our brain’s job is to try to make sense of this unpredictable, swarming chaos of stimuli. How does it do so? The ceaseless hail of input triggers analogies galore, helping us to pinpoint the essence of what is going on. Often this means the spontaneous evocation of words, sometimes idioms, sometimes the triggering of nameless, long-buried memories.Why did two-year-old Camille proudly exclaim, “I undressed the banana!”? Why do people who hear a story often blurt out, “Exactly the same thing happened to me!” when it was a completely different event? How do we recognize an aggressive driver from a split-second glance in our rearview mirror? What in a friend’s remark triggers the offhand reply, “That’s just sour grapes”? What did Albert Einstein see that made him suspect that light consists of particles when a century of research had driven the final nail in the coffin of that long-dead idea?The answer to all these questions, of course, is analogy-making—the meat and potatoes, the heart and soul, the fuel and fire, the gist and the crux, the lifeblood and the wellsprings of thought. Analogy-making, far from happening at rare intervals, occurs at all moments, defining thinking from top to toe, from the tiniest and most fleeting thoughts to the most creative scientific insights.Like Gödel, Escher, Bach before it, Surfaces and Essences will profoundly enrich our understanding of our own minds. By plunging the reader into an extraordinary variety of colorful situations involving language, thought, and memory, by revealing bit by bit the constantly churning cognitive mechanisms normally completely hidden from view, and by discovering in them one central, invariant core—the incessant, unconscious quest for strong analogical links to past experiences—this book puts forth a radical and deeply surprising new vision of the act of thinking.
The Open Secret
Tony Parsons - 1998
One day that possibility became a reality, and it was simple and ordinary, magnificent and revolutionary. It is the open secret that reveals itself in every part of our lives. But realisation does not emerge through our attempts to change our lives, it comes as a direct rediscovery of who it is that lives. "The Open Secret" is a singular and radical work which speaks of the fundamental liberation that is absolutely beyond effort, path, process or belief.
Conquering Your Own Goliaths
Steven A. Cramer - 1988
And you can claim it beginning now. The well know Bible story of David and Goliath is the back drop that Steven A. Cramer uses to show how we can enlist the aid of the Lord in overcoming any of our problems. In our day, we do not have to face nine-foot giants physically, but often our Goliaths come in the form of spiritual giants that will not yield to a stone or sword.
Healing the Adult Child's Grieving Heart: 100 Practical Ideas After Your Parent Dies
Alan D. Wolfelt - 2002
Practical advice is presented in a one-topic-per-page format that does not overwhelm with psychological language, but provides small, immediate ways to understand and reconcile grief. Some of the action-oriented tips include writing down memories, completing a task or goal left unfinished by your deceased parent, or honoring the parent's birthday. In addition the common challenges that face grieving adult children, such as helping the surviving parent, resolving sibling conflicts, and legal and financial issues, are addressed clearly and concisely.
Hygge: Unlock the Danish Art of Coziness and Happiness
Barbara Hayden - 2019
Cravings for comfort, for coziness, for contentment: everyone experiences the desire for a happier, less stressful, and more serene life. Hygge, the Danish-born philosophy, is one proven way to achieve such a life. From the Old Norse for “well-being,” hygge embodies a philosophy that is as much a mindset as it is a way of life. Specific activities are designed to encourage you to cultivate togetherness and joy at the smallest and simplest things in everyday life. This book provides an in-depth explanation of the hygge lifestyle, as well as numerous bits of practical advice on how to practice hygge every day. As you read this book, you will find the following, and much, much more!
A thorough grounding in the Danish art of hygge, the lifestyle equivalent of embracing a hug from the inside out
The eight ways to incorporate practical aspects of hygge into every part of your daily life, from hearth and home to food and crafts
The four things you should know about nurturing happy and serene relationships with children, parents, partners, and friends
Why living your life in a constant rush and stress - even if it feels materially lucrative - is not the path to ultimate happiness. Instead, engage with the simple things in life with gratitude and pleasure.
How to achieve household harmony without sacrificing friends and self-care
How to foster a sense of cozy happiness throughout the year, with simple ideas for each season and holiday
How to do all the above, surrounded by family and friends - the hallmark of a happy life
Learning to embrace the homemade and the found, creating thoughtful gifts and meaningful interactions in every aspect of your life
How to do all the above in frugal, environmentally responsible - and undeniably entertaining - ways
The fundamental understanding of where true happiness comes from and how you can embark on your journey to joy today!
And much, much more!
Take a second to imagine how you’ll feel once you start practicing hygge, and how your family and friends will react when they start to experience the joys of a peaceful, cozy, happy life. Even if you feel that your life is too busy to slow down and enjoy all the benefits of hygge, you can certainly achieve a state of hyggelige with a little assistance from the tips and techniques offered throughout this book. Beginning to practice hygge in your life simply requires a desire to create an atmosphere conducive to comfort and calm, a focus on togetherness and family rather than work and status, and a belief that material wealth and consumer products do not equal happiness. Rather, it is an intrinsic feeling that comes from leading a comforting life of self-care and well-being. Success, following hygge, is not defined via one material thing. Rather, success is about work-life balance, creativity, and productivity in your life, comfort, and happiness in your home. If you truly wish to unlock the secrets of serenity and happiness, then scroll up and click “add to cart.”
Passionate Marriage: Keeping Love and Intimacy Alive in Committed Relationships
David Schnarch - 1997
With a new preface by the author, this updated edition explores the ways we can keep passion alive and even reach the height of sexual and emotional fulfillment later in life. David Schnarch accompanies his inspirational message of attaining long-term happiness with proven techniques developed in worldwide workshops to help couples develop greater intimacy. Chapters provide the scaffolding for overcoming sexual and emotional roadblocks— from evaluating personal expectations to laying the groundwork for keeping the sparks alive years down the road, and everything in between. This book is sure to help couples overcome hurdles in their relationships and reach the fullest potential in their love lives.
I Ching: The Book of Changes and the Unchanging Truth
Hua-Ching Ni - 1983
We 'moderns' can use the sixty-four hexagrams found in the I Ching as a predictive tool to enhance our lives and reconcile our spiritual and physical selves. When one consults the 'I CHing', the hexagram gives the general background of the situation, while the lines indicate the correct way in which to handle the specific circumstance. This masterful translation by Hua-Ching Ni is popular throughout the world.