Category: Book Reviews

Unbreakable Spirit. 18 Stories of Feminine Resilience, Blessings and Renewal Compiled by Laura Joan Cornell, PhD. The inspiring title hints at deeds of extraordinary heroism followed by victorious endings, but these stories are about women we might pass on the street every day. They could be any one of us. Lives of courage, grace and […]

Mind Over Medicine: Scientific Proof That You Can Heal Yourself                                                                                             by Lissa Rankin After qualifying as a medical doctor, Lissa Rankin became fascinated by the placebo effect. How was it possible for people to heal simply through belief? Further research led her to discover what lay behind miraculous spontaneous remissions, and why happy […]

Born for Love. Why empathy is essential – and endangered by Bruce D. Perry and Maia Szalavitz Brain experts Perry and Szalavitz explain how our social experiences affect the way our brains develop, showing how harsh environments breed children with easily triggered stress systems, while stable nurturing grows empathy and rational thinking. With fascinating case […]

The Book of Overthinking. How to Stop the Cycle of Worry                                                                   By Gwendoline Smith ‘Overthinking’ is the name given to the repetitive, anxiety-provoking thoughts that can keep you awake at night, or the nagging negativity that can spoil an otherwise good experience. It’s not really the quantity of thinking that gets out of hand, […]

The Nature of Nature. The Metabolic Disorder of Climate Change by Vandana Shiva In this well-researched book, Vandana Shiva describes how modern human civilisation has contributed to the problem of climate change, not because humans are bad or greedy by nature, but because global corporations (the 1%) have become rich and powerful using methods that […]

The Biology of Kindness: Six Daily Choices for Health, Well-Being, and Longevity by Immaculata De Vivo and Daniel Lumera If you follow positive psychology, you’ll know that happiness is good for your health and leads to a longer life. You may also know that people who are compassionate and serve others tend to be happier […]

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures                                                                          by Merlin Sheldrake Written by a leading expert on fungi, this book stretches our usual understanding of life. There are slime moulds that can design efficient transport systems, fungi that render ants into zombies, others that enhance human understanding by […]

Elske writes: The book that impacted my personal life the most was: Leadership and Self-Deception. Getting out of the box, by the Arbinger Institute.  It is a fictional story that illustrates wisdom and principles about our relationships and conflict. Funny enough I actually bought it for an employee – but got curious and read it myself. I never did pass […]

Higher Purpose: How to Find More Inspiration, Meaning, and Purpose in Your Life                                                                                 by Robert Holden At some stage we all stop to wonder why we are here. Do I have some destiny to discover and fulfil, or is it up to me to create my life’s meaning? Robert Holden addresses these questions with […]