“Prayers for Hard Times: Reflections, Meditations and Inspirations of Hope and Comfort” by Becca Anderson

"Wisdom, inspiration and prayer: As recent scientific research shows, the simple act of praying can be emotionally, spiritually, and even physically healing. With Prayers for Hard Times, author Becca Anderson offers solace in bringing together the wisdom of great thinkers, spiritual leaders and writers who have faced difficulty and learned from it. Sacred and inspirational sources: Organized in daybook form, the book draws from sacred sources such as the Bible, the Torah, Buddhist and Native American texts, as well as inspirational writings of: Joan Didion Elizabeth Gilbert Maya Angelou Rumi Mark Nepo Harriet Tubman ...>>

“Aimlessness’ by Tom Lutz

"Our culture values striving, purpose, achievement, and accumulation. This book asks us to get sidetracked along the way. It praises aimlessness as a source of creativity and an alternative to the demand for linear, efficient, instrumentalist thinking and productivity. Aimlessness collects ideas and stories from around the world that value indirection, wandering, getting lost, waiting, meandering, lingering, sitting, laying about, daydreaming, and other ways to be open to possibility, chaos, and multiplicity. Tom Lutz considers aimlessness as a fundamental human proclivity and method, one that has been vilified by modern industrial societies but celebrated by many religious traditions, philosophers, writers, and artists. He roams a circular path that snakes and forks down sideroads, traipsing through...>>

“Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It” by Ethan Kross

"Tell a stranger that you talk to yourself, and you’re likely to get written off as eccentric. But the truth is that we all have a voice in our head. When we talk to ourselves, we often hope to tap into our inner coach but find our inner critic instead. When we’re facing a tough task, our inner coach can buoy us up: Focus—you can do this. But, just as often, our inner critic sinks us entirely: I’m going to fail. They’ll all laugh at me. What’s the use? In Chatter, acclaimed psychologist Ethan Kross explores the silent conversations we have with ourselves. Interweaving groundbreaking behavioral and brain research from his own lab with real-world...>>

“Magic: The Addiction: My 20-Year Gaming Journey” by James Hsu

"What does it mean to be competitive, and to put all of yourself into a competitive activity? I have played Magic: The Gathering for twenty years. I have traveled around the world to play all over North America, Europe, and China. I have had lots of fun, and made incredible friends, along the way. But I have also experienced feelings of anguish, frustrations, and self-doubt. Many years later, I have come to be at peace with myself. I have developed a framework for controlling my emotions in the heat of competition. I wrote my story so that it can be shared with you. Playing Magic is not a requirement for enjoying this book. Struggle is universal,...>>

“The Twelfth Insight: The Hour of Decision” by James Redfield

"In The Twelfth Insight, the long-awaited fourth book in the beloved Celestine Series, we again follow our Hero and his close friend Wil. They have just received a portion of another ancient and mysterious manuscript that describes a secret approach to spirituality that is silently arriving in the second decade of the 21st Century. But the manuscript is only available in fragments. To understand its full meaning for mankind, our Hero and Wil begin an urgent search to find the message in its entirety. As they embrace the power of Synchronicity and begin their search, they are confronted by powerful political forces and religious extremists that stand in the way of these spiritual revelations. Utilizing what...>>