News Blog @ Wellington City Libraries

Gaining an understanding of ourselves on both a personal and human level is the theme of this month’s personal development picks. Discover theories on the evolution of morals, learn how to love yourself, apply ancient philosophy to your life, and more!

You can create an exceptional life / Louise Hay and Cheryl Richardson
“Renowned spiritual teacher Louise L. Hay joins forces with Cheryl Richardson to reveal their process for living an exceptional life. Travel with Louise and Cheryl throughout North America and Europe as they engage in a series of intimate conversations about their lives and how they’ve dealt with a variety of topics including loving themselves and their bodies; conscious ageing and a dignified, peaceful approach to death. This book is filled with the combined experience of two women who have lived their lives using trusted spiritual principles that really work. Reading and applying their wisdom will radically change your life, too!” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

A better way of dying : how to make the best choices at the end of life / Jeanne Fitzpatrick & Eileen M. Fitpatrick
“Designed by two sisters – one a doctor, one a lawyer – the five-step Compassion Protocol outlined in this work offers a simple and effective framework for leaving caretakers unambiguous and legally binding instructions about one’s wishes for his or her last days.” – (adapted from Syndetics summary)

Race, monogamy, and other lies they told you : busting myths about human nature / Agustín Fuentes
“There are three major myths of human nature: humans are divided into biological races; humans are naturally aggressive; men and women are truly different in behavior, desires, and wiring. In an engaging and wide-ranging narrative Agustín Fuentes counters these pervasive and pernicious myths about human behavior. Tackling misconceptions about what race, aggression, and sex really mean for humans, Fuentes incorporates an accessible understanding of culture, genetics, and evolution requiring us to dispose of notions of “nature or nurture.” Presenting scientific evidence from diverse fields, including anthropology, biology, and psychology, Fuentes devises a myth-busting toolkit to dismantle persistent fallacies about the validity of biological races, the innateness of aggression and violence, and the nature of monogamy and differences between the sexes. A final chapter plus an appendix provide a set of take-home points on how readers can myth-bust on their own. Accessible, compelling, and original, this book is a rich and nuanced account of how nature, culture, experience, and choice interact to influence human behavior.” – (adapted from Amazon.com summary)

Moral origins : the evolution of virtue, altruism, and shame / Christopher Boehm
“How did evolution produce a species that blushes? To explain the uniquely human moral sense, Boehm teases a provocative neo-Darwinian theory out of cutting-edge archaeological, anthropological, and psychological research. In this theory, the human conscience emerges as prehistoric tribes learn to share the meat of mammoths and other large game. The constraints of sharing, Boehm believes, made early humans newly resistant to the demands of despotic alpha males but responsive to internalized rules for virtuous behavior. In placing group behavior at the very center of his account of moral rules and the reproductive success they foster, Boehm defies the egocentric, or selfish gene, bias that pervades much of evolutionary theorizing. But this defiance opens surprising insights into the hidden biological logic of altruistic acts that benefit nonkin and of harsh tribal punishments that hold free riders in check. Some readers may find Boehm’s conception of morality, bereft of religious conviction or philosophic reflection, unsatisfyingly thin. But those looking for a daring new application of empirical science will find it here.” – (adapted from Booklist summary)

How will you measure your life? / Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, and Karen Dillon
“Based on a 2010 speech to the Harvard Business School graduating class, innovation expert and HBS professor Christensen (The Innovator’s Dilemma) tackles the question of how to live a happy, meaningful, purpose-filled life. Even before his stroke and cancer diagnosis, Christensen routinely questioned his students not just about their career ambitions but about what they hoped for their lives. He extends that conversation in this highly engaging and intensely revealing work, distilling lessons learned from studying businesses over the course of a multidecade academic career and spinning them into deeply personal wisdom. He draws on examples from companies like Intel, Disney, and Iridium to illustrate how we can align our actions, time, and resources with our priorities, manage relationships, and even improve parenting. He interweaves personal stories into these lessons, including his early, never realized desire to be the editor of the Wall Street Journal, being fired from a CEO job, his passion for teaching, and his own parenting experiences. Spiritual without being preachy, this work is especially relevant for young people embarking on their career, but also useful for anyone who wants to live a more meaningful life in accordance with their values.” – (adapted from Publisher Weekly summary)

When you think you’re not enough : the four life-changing steps to loving yourself / Daphne Rose Kingma
“There are thousands of reasons for not loving ourselves. Every person has one, or one hundred, it seems. We’re too fat or too thin. We cry too easily or not at all. We’re not good enough, pretty enough, tall enough, powerful enough, brave enough or interesting enough. We convince ourselves that we don’t deserve the lives we desire. In When You Think You’re Not Enough, bestselling author and psychotherapist, Daphne Rose Kingma, helps readers root out the behaviors and beliefs that have prevented them from loving themselves. She offers a four-step plan for reclaiming yourself: speaking out our heart’s desire, acting out to meet our heart’s desire, clearing out old patterns, and setting out on a new path. Through stories and examples, Kigma offers a profound, yet simple process for practicing how to feel good enough, smart enough, and deserving of happiness. When You Think You’re Not Enough is a positive guide to a fuller, happier life; one filled with compassion for yourself and others. Kingma’s book The Ten Things to Do When Your Life Falls Apart, published by New World Library, is the Winner of the 2010 Books for A Better Life Award, Best Spiritual Book.” – (adapted from Amazon.com summary)

Self-esteem : a practical guide / David Bonham-Carter
“Among many things, this practical guide shows you how raising your self-esteem can stop you worrying whether you are doing the right thing or whether you are good enough, help you engage in relationships constructively without putting yourself down, and allow you to assert yourself without worrying about others’ opinions.” – (adapted from Amazon.com summary)

Philosophy for life : and other dangerous situations / Jules Evans
“In his engaging book, Jules Evans explains how ancient philosophy saved his life, and how we can all use it to become happier, wiser and more resilient. Jules imagines a dream school, which includes 12 of the greatest and most colourful thinkers the world has ever known. Each of these ancient philosophers teaches a technique we can use to transform our selves and live better lives. These practical techniques are illustrated by the extraordinary stories of real people who are using them today – from marines to magicians, from astronauts to anarchists. Jules also explores how ancient philosophy is inspiring modern communities – Socratic cafes, Stoic armies, Platonic sects, Sceptic summer camps – and even whole nations in their quest for the good life.” – (adapted from Amazon.com summary)