No Cure for Being Human: (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)

by Kate Bowler

Philosophy, 2021

A very fast and witty read despite the serious topic. It's a modern philosophy book that explores the relationship between death and the goodness of humanity.

Kate Bowler tells a story of the impact of health on our sense of self and sense of others. When our health changes it reshapes the way we think about ourselves, others, and our relationships with others. When you loose a measure of health there is a grief process.

I find the courage showcased in this book refreshing as it anchors in the truth. In terms of daring to be courageous, it delves deeper than Brené Brown. 

It's one of the best books I've read in this genre in a long time.

Choose Growth: A Workbook for Transcending Trauma, Fear, and Self-Doubt

by Scott Barry Kaufman PhD and Jordyn Feingold MD

Psychology, 2022

A very readable, concise, and deeply insightful workbook. The questions and writing prompts apply to any field and person, regardless of their background.

I was amazed how the authors were able to simplify Maslov's theory and apply it to everyday life by creating an applied model. 

Their model helps us recognize the impact of intellectual and emotional circumstance and then choose growth and more easily live in uncertainty.

Where Theory U is gritty and dense, this book provides simple and powerful models and prompts.

Whole Health, 2021

This will be a faster read if you have a background in human biology and physiology (though that's not necessary to understand the book).

Alex Howard is an English author who takes a more holistic look at health than most US specialists - by integrating emotional, biophysical, and neurological cues.

This book looks at fatigue and all of its impacts. When you're in a fatigue loop, it's helpful to discern when you're in that loop and find new patterns and Alex Howard provides the steps to do this.

Even if you aren't in a fatigue cycle the 12 steps give you a good sense of what an integrated health pathway is for health and healing - and I found it transferable to many other areas of life.

Wired for Love: A Neuroscientist's Journey Through Romance, Loss, and the Essence of Human Connection

by Stephanie Cacioppo

Psychology, 2022

A very fast, positive, and uplifting read. This book is a personal narrative of the authors experience working in neuropsychology and their own love story (with their partner in neuroscience and in life) along with ideas about love in general.

This book covers the current neuroscience and neurobiology and I especially appreciated the time spent on the significance of attachment theory in humans. I found this book to be a landmark conversation of what's current and how we understand love from a psycho-social point of view (and it's a great love story). 

Psychology, 2022

An easy and fun read. This book is a review of the current understanding about relationships from many angles: romantic, friendship, and work.

This book poses common relationship myths and takes the current research and science and dissects the myth.

Often you can be sure something is true, but once you give yourself a chance to look through a different lens or take an opposite lens, you can see other possibilities. This book opens eyes to the possibilities. 

Developmental Psychology, 2020

This book is written so that anybody, regardless of background, can read it. It's an unusual and helpful book about purpose - from the perspective of developmental stages in life (vs a moment in time).

It brings up the notion that our purpose and values changes over time - and we choose them over and over again, depending on what stage of life we're in.

Holly Woods answered a question I've had for a long time, about separating our core values and beliefs and how that informs purpose. She gave words that purpose is learned over and over and changes over time. It's not a stagnant concept. This is the only book I've read that has such a depth of understanding and framing in this way.

Both/And Thinking: Embracing Creative Tensions to Solve Your Toughest Problems

by Wendy K. Smith & Marianne W. Lewis

Leadership, 2022

This book was written by academics and it shows. 1/3 solid content, 1/3 examples, and 1/3 history of the academic research.

Both/And Thinking shows the significance of being able to hold two competing ideas at one time. It also charts a pathway to learning how to do this as a skill - without judgement of one right/wrong answer. Overall, it's a conversation about sitting in complexity and holding the both/and that are necessary for todays business world.

Self Discovery, 2021

A fast, funny, and lighthearted read on a serious subject. And you learn a lot!

Martha Beck skillfully takes apart the concept of integrity and skillfully puts it together with grace and humor. She talks about integrity from the point of view that you live in integrity out of your authentic self and your willingness to continue to learn more about yourself while listening to your own true inner conversation. 

She drew a straight line and shared a powerful story between the impact of culture on identity that deepened my own understanding of integrity.

IntraConnected: MWe (Me + We) as the Integration of Self, Identity, and Belonging

by Daniel J. Siegel M.D.

Social Psychology / Philosophy, 2022

A very slow read due to the density required to explain Social Psychology via Nueroanatomy.

"Intra" versus "Inter" in the title is significant. Daniel Siegel reports that solo endeavors are a false understanding of strength. Strength actually comes from being intraconnected.

This book weaves together the in-depth science and nuances of neurobiology. He applies the understanding of why being connected to others is the only healthy choice humans have.

The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture

by Gabor Maté M.D. and Daniel Maté

Social Psychology / Biographical, 2022

An easy but slow, well-written, read. It's emotionally heavy and full of truth-telling, and a really good book. Through personal story, this book looks at the impact of the trauma over time.

I've always been interested in how cultures can go to sleep on themselves and/or justify behavior that seems to, 'make no sense at all.' There's no normal. Normal is a statistical average. The general culture currently is destructive to human beings.

Calling trauma normal stops the healing. Yet this is a healing story. Given an environment of compassion and love people can heal. 

Like when I read Otto Scharmer's Theory U - I can tell this book is going to be incredibly influential into the future as it will influence the larger conversation.

The Energy of Money: A Spiritual Guide to Financial and Personal Fulfillment

by Maria Nemeth Ph.D.

Psychology of Finance, 2020

An interesting and light read, you could read it in a day. She's insightful and astute in unwrapping unconscious behavior that is reflected in the way we make decisions about money. There are exercises that result in journaling and discovery.

Maria Nemeth's solutions really demonstrated the power of saying aloud what's happening and how we'd like it to be different.

This book isn't financial advice as much as it is psychological advice. It provides a great introduction into the psychology of spending (or not spending).

Group Genius: The Creative Power of Collaboration

by Keith Sawyer

Business, 2007

An easy, fast, and fun read. This book is an easy entry for people who would like to discover more about collaboration. 

For folks familiar with collaboration, this book is a great reminder of going back to the basics. This book advances the insights further than what you can find at the Harvard Business Review.

Also a perfect gift for somebody wanting to learn more / step their toes into collaboration.

Culture Renovation: 18 Leadership Actions to Build an Unshakeable Company

by Kevin Oakes

Business, 2021

A quick and straight-forward read that is interesting, practical, and insightful. It's a progressive book that demystifies the change process in organizations, big or small. (Think Brené Brown.)

This book is about looking at change as a renovation vs reconstruction - where the interior systems need renovation but not the structure.

I really enjoyed that it reshapes the conversation about changing a business. I liked the research they've done and models they've shared about communication. The models are simple and clear AND they scale.

Your Body is Your Brain: Leverage Your Somatic Intelligence to Find Purpose, Build Resilience, Deepen Relationships and Lead More Powerfully

by Amanda Blake

Social Psychology, 2019

Perfect for anybody wanting to know more about how the mind and body are connected. 

Like a workbook you're led through exercises and perspectives to try on and pay attention to what is going on in your body. You also get to examine what is connecting those body sensations to your thinking.

I liked the focus on the impacts of the environment. I also liked the area where you recognize paying attention to other people being comfortable (and assisted by healthy environments).

This is my recommended book for anybody wanting to start learning about brain body integration. 

Return on Integrity: The Individual's Journey to the One Essential Thing

by John G. Blumberg

Philosophy in/of Business, 2019

A very easy read, it's positive and uplifting. The idea that it's worth living out of your integrity is not a new idea yet this book helps show the possibilities, in any arena.

For example, I chose not to work in corporate America because I didn't think it was possible to work in corporate America and keep your integrity. John Blumberg shows us it's possible, wherever you are, you can hold integrity.

I would especially recommend this book to young people or anybody that is starting to feel grouchy and bitter about the work or the times we live in. Or for anybody who is thinking that doing good "doesn't matter anymore" - this book reminds you it does.

Martin Buber: A Life of Faith and Dissent

by Paul Mendes-Flohr

Philosophy / Biography, 2019

I debated adding this book to the list because likely nobody will care about this book. I don't think there's even a person in my family who would read it! But I loved it and feel like more people should know about Martin Buber.

Martin Buber is a phenomenologist.  

Note: Phenomenology is a belief that the truth is found through experience.

This book was written in great part thanks to the Martin Buber Archives at the National Library of Israel which contains over fifty thousand letters between Buber and hundreds of correspondents – as well as in parenthetical autobiographical comments scattered throughout his writing.