Category: Book Reviews

The 5 Languages of Appreciation in the Workplace. Empowering Organizations by Encouraging People        By Gary Chapman & Paul White You’ve probably heard of the five ‘love languages’, which are the different ways that people show love, or like to have it shown to them. Chapman and White have applied this concept to the ways that […]

The Myth of Normal. Illness, health & healing in a toxic culture by Gabor Maté with Daniel Maté It can be daunting to start a hefty book like this one, but the authors’ style is friendly and easy to read. Father and son Gabor and Daniel Maté talk about unwellness in the form of physical […]

The Happiness Hypothesis. Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom by Jonathan Haidt This thoroughly researched book gives a comprehensive overview of happiness, drawing on philosophy, psychology, ancient traditions and modern scientific knowledge, noting where they agree and where they differ. The cover features a person riding an elephant – a recurring metaphor throughout the book. […]

The Let Them Theory. A Life-Changing Tool That Millions of People Can’t Stop Talking About                                                 by Mel Robbins This book manages to summarise in two words an approach to life that can free you from worry about what others think, make you immune to being manipulated and release you from the burden of trying […]

Your Difference is Your Strength: A Guide to Accepting Yourself – for Anyone Who Has Ever Felt Out of Place                         by Kris Ferraro This book is aimed at people who feel, or once felt, that they didn’t fit in. Kris Ferraro assures us that being different doesn’t make you wrong or ‘less than’ others; […]

Aroha: Māori wisdom for a contented life lived in harmony with our planet.                                                                        By Dr Hinemoa Elder Divided into 52 sections, each expanding on a Māori saying, this is a book to be dipped into rather than read from front to back. Some of the proverbs are traditional whakataukī; others are whakatauākī, (which are sayings […]

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, […]