One-Word Wonders
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Happy 2023! As we pause and reflect on the year that just passed, we're also thinking about how to make the first steps to work towards our resolutions.
We recommend starting the year right with these self-help books—they may be just one-word titles, but you can expect them to hold plenty of truth on how to make your worldview a little better, one word at a time.
In Quiet, the international bestseller, Susan Cain shows how the brain chemistry of introverts and extroverts differs, and how society misunderstands and undervalues introverts. She gives introverts the tools to better understand themselves and take full advantage of their strengths. Passionately argued, superbly researched, and filled with real stories, Quiet will permanently change how we see introverts—and how you see yourself.
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Charles Darwin began as an underachieving schoolboy, Leonardo da Vinci as an illegitimate outcast. The secret of their eventual greatness lies in a 'rigorous apprenticeship': by paying close and careful attention, they learnt to master the 'hidden codes' which determine ultimate success or failure. Then, they rewrote the rules as a reflection of their own individuality, blasting previous patterns of achievement open from within. Told through Robert Greene's signature blend of historical anecdote and psychological insight and drawing on interviews with world leaders, Mastery provides a practical guide to greatness and how to start living by your own rules.
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Anders Ericsson has made a career studying chess champions, violin virtuosos, star athletes, and memory mavens. Peak distills three decades of myth-shattering research into a powerful learning strategy that is fundamentally different from the way people traditionally think about acquiring new abilities. Whether you want to stand out at work, improve your athletic or musical performance, or help your child achieve academic goals, Ericsson's revolutionary methods will show you how to improve at almost any skill that matters to you.
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According to the Japanese, everyone has an ikigai—a reason for living. And finding it is the key to a happier and longer life. Having a strong sense of ikigai—the place where passion, mission, vocation, and profession intersect—means that each day is infused with meaning. In researching this book, the authors interviewed 100-year-old residents of Japanese villages, revealing the secrets to their longevity and happiness: how they eat, move, work, foster collaboration and community, and how they find the ikigai that brings satisfaction to their lives. With practical tools to help you discover your own ikigai, this book might help you to find happiness in the every day.
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In this inspiring masterpiece, bestselling author Susan Cain shows the power of the "bittersweet"—the outlook that values the experiences of loss and pain, which can lead to growth and beauty. Bittersweet reveals that vulnerability and even melancholy can be strengths, and that embracing our inevitable losses makes us more human and more whole. This is a book for those who have felt a piercing joy at the beauty of the world; who react intensely to art and nature; and in a culture that celebrates toughness, who yearn for a wiser and more meaningful world. For bittersweetness is the hidden source of our love stories, moonshots and masterpieces.
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Partly genetic, partly environmental, shyness is largely viewed as a character flaw, something that needs to change, but why is no-one talking about the benefits of being shy? For example, shyness usually equates to being an excellent listener, considerate speaker and thoughtful observer. Interweaving personal experience with expertise from clinical psychologists, Annie Ridout explores why shyness affects some more than others, and offers tried-and-tested tools to help the reader deal with elements of shyness that can feel debilitating. Shy recasts our understanding of this often-misunderstood attribute, celebrating it as a pathway rather than a barrier to success and happiness.
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Your energy is everything: it is the fuel that drives your success and it gives you the power to achieve your potential. So how can you be your best self if you're always tired, stressed and burnt out? In Energize, award-winning life coach Simon Alexander Ong introduces you to the art and science of energy management. In a world where we are always on, Ong coaches you to work with your natural energy resources to recognize your most energized state—when to push and when to recoup—so that you can work sustainably towards your biggest goals. It's time to find out what you can achieve when you feel energized.
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Why are people successful? For centuries, humankind has grappled with this question, searching for the secret to accomplishing great things. Malcolm Gladwell reveals that we pay far too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where successful people are from: their culture, their family, and their generation. Gladwell examines how the careers of Bill Gates and the performance of world-class football players are alike; what top fighter pilots and The Beatles have in common; why so many top lawyers are Jewish; and why Asians are good at maths. Gladwell overturns many of our conventional notions and creates an entirely new model for seeing the world.
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Self-Compassion offers expert advice on how to limit self-criticism and offset its negative effects, enabling you to achieve your highest potential and a more contented, fulfilled life. More and more, psychologists are turning away from an emphasis on self-esteem and moving toward self-compassion in the treatment of their patients—and Dr. Neff’s extraordinary book offers exercises and action plans for dealing with every emotionally debilitating struggle, be it parenting, weight loss, or any of the numerous trials of everyday living.
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Everyone needs more calm in their life—the evidence in favour of calmness is huge. Practices like meditation and mindfulness improve life expectancy, productivity at work, health and even personal happiness. And you can reach Calm any way you like: take a walk with nowhere to go, savour a chocolate on the tip of your tongue, plant a seed, doodle pointlessly, notice the world around you. Smile, breathe and go slowly. Based on his work with mindfulness gurus and neurological experts alike, Michael Acton Smith's unique handbook is filled with activities, inspiration and clearly explained research. It can be read in any order you like, encouraging every reader to find their own path to calmness.
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It has long been held that thinking and feeling are separate and opposing forces in our behaviour. But extraordinary advances in psychology and neuroscience have proven that emotions are as critical to our well being as thinking. Mlodinow shows us how our emotions help, why they sometimes hurt, and what we can make of the difference. Cutting-edge research and deep insights into our evolution, biology, and neuroscience promise to help us understand our emotions better and maximize their benefits.
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Written by self-development coach and 'Queen of Manifesting' Roxie Nafousi, this book is the essential guide to anyone and everyone wanting to feel more empowered in their lives. Whether you want to attract your soulmate, land the perfect job, buy the home you have always wanted, or simply find more inner-peace and confidence, Manifest will teach you exactly how to get there. A meeting of science and wisdom, manifesting is a philosophy and a self-development practice to help you reach for your goals, cultivate self-love and live your best life. Unlock the magic for yourself and begin your journey to turning your dreams into reality.
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Every day we make decisions: about the things we buy or the meals we eat; about the investments we make and the time we spend; about our health and that of the planet. Unfortunately, we often choose badly. We are all susceptible to biases that can lead us to make bad decisions that make us poorer, less healthy and less happy. And no choice is ever presented to us in a neutral way. But by knowing how people think, we can make it easier for them to choose what is best for themselves, for their families and for society. With brilliant insight and wonderful levity, Thaler and Sunstein demonstrate how best to nudge us in the right directions, without ever restricting our freedom of choice.
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