Bookshelf • Created January 22, 2017 02:51

Five books to keep you safe in 2017

1) THE HAPPINESS HYPOTHESIS: FINDING MODERN TRUTH IN ANCIENT WISDOM by professor Jonathan Haidt : This book unearths 10 great theories of happiness as discovered by thinkers of the past from Plato to Jesus to Buddha to reveal a supreme  abundance of common tangents. For example Shakespeare: “There is nothing either good or bad, but […]

Five books to keep you safe in 2017

1) THE HAPPINESS HYPOTHESIS: FINDING MODERN TRUTH IN ANCIENT WISDOM by professor Jonathan Haidt : This book unearths 10 great theories of happiness as discovered by thinkers of the past from Plato to Jesus to Buddha to reveal a supreme  abundance of common tangents. For example Shakespeare: “There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” From Buddha: “Our life is the creation of our mind.” 

Human rationality depends critically on sophisticated emotionality. It is only because our emotional brains work so well that our reasoning can work at all.” Haidt takes the ambitious analysis of philosophical thought over the centuries and examines it through the prism of modern psychological research to extract a remarkably compelling blueprint for optimizing the human condition for happiness. 

2) Malcolm Gladwell is an essayist and non fictional writer of great repute. His books are about self improvement, self analysis and deeply philosophical. Using real life examples, Gladwell ensures that every reader of his book comes away better educated, well apportioned and ready to go. Every book has a failure and success theme going on and each one has a eureka moment to provide top level illumination.  From THE TIPPING POINT, to WHAT THE DOG SAW, Gladwell continues to achieve that which a simple class teacher, parent or even some mentors fail to achieve. Addressing those issues that you have thought about for a long time that becomes clearer is a gift that Gladwell has.  His researches are spot on, the lessons are unparalleled. If you do nothing for yourself this year, buy a Malcolm Gladwell book to set 2017 apart for you.  His debut book THE TIPPING POINT, defines a tipping point as “ the moment of critical mass, the threshold, the boiling point”. The book seeks to explain and describe the

“mysterious” sociological changes that mark every day life. As Gladwell states: “Ideas and products and messages and behaviours spread like viruses do.” The examples of such changes in his book include the rise in popularity and sales of Hush Puppies shoes in the mid 1990s and the steep drop in New York’s City’s crime rate after 1990. I particularly enjoyed What The Dog Saw but all of Gladwell’s books are genius.

3) THE SUCCESS PRINCIPLES: HOW TO GET FROM WHERE YOU ARE TO WHERE YOU WANT TO BE by Jack Canfield.  This is the 10th anniversary edition of this book and it was one of the top books of 2016. Not only does it have a book but it also has an online video training and a newly designed inspirational poster and action guide. The book is described as a one stop guide to a better life.  Canfield is one of my favourite inspirational writers and should get you started on a successful trajectory in 2017. You will learn: 
 
How to change the outcome of any event simply by changing your response to it.
How to access powerful mentors and friends who will open doors.
 
How to complete past projects, heal past relationships and process old hurts so you can embrace the future.
How to say “no” to the good, so you’ll have room in your life to say yes to the great.
How to ask for and get everything you want from people who can give it to you.
Why you should drop out of the “aint it awful” club and instead surround yourself with success, positive and nurturing.
Grab a copy.
 
4) To get ahead in your career in 2017, make sure you get a copy of the 12 BAD HABITS THAT HOLD GOOD PEOPLE BACK: OVERCOMING THE BEHAVIOR PATTERN THAT KEEP YOU FROM GETTING AHEAD by James Waldroop and Timothy Butler. According to Daniel Goldman, author of Emotional Intelligence, this is “an intelligent and   insightful guide to that essential task: managing your own career.” Professor of management at Harvard business school, Thomas Delory take on the book is illuminating: “A clear picture of what it takes to be successful….the authors take us from theory to practice, never leaning too heavily on one or the other. By the end of the book the reader will have a clear road map for the journey and the set of experiences we call a career.”
 
5) Any book on charity and any book on community development. These are the qualities for expanding your coast in 2017 and would assist you in making a grand entry to a world of plenty. Graces, love, kindness and abundance. Be charitable. Be kind. Contribute to the development of your community.  12 FEATURES OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT: SOCIAL, ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFITS AND TWO CASE STUDIES (Steve Peck, Peck & Associates & Guy Dauncey, Sustainable Communities consultancy) is a good place to start.

 

Tags