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Non-Fiction

Happy Ever After

If you believe that happiness comes from being wealthy, successful, educated, married with children, healthy, etc., then read this book, and your beliefs will be challenged. The author, Paul Dolan, is a Professor of Behavioral Science who explores the concept of happiness by challenging societal norms. I enjoyed this book because it has many thought-provoking chapters that made me reflect a lot and gave me a fresh perspective on our society. It stayed with me long after I finished reading it. Title: Happy Ever After:… Read More »Happy Ever After

When Things Fall Apart

I picked up this book during one of the most difficult periods of my life when my son was in intensive care last summer. The anguish was visceral, and there wasn’t a single part of my body that didn’t ache. Colours seemed to vanish from my surroundings, and everything people said, except for those few who genuinely were there for me, had zero impact. Silently, I was screaming that I wanted it all to stop. So, I resonated with the book’s core concept: in moments… Read More »When Things Fall Apart

The Highly Sensitive Person

The Highly Sensitive Person

This book helps highly sensitive people (HSPs) to honour their traits and take care of themselves in a less sensitive society. Sometimes I felt the author was speaking to me directly; other times, I felt like an observer. This is not bad, as it makes this book thought-provoking. The paragraph about medications for HSPs was very interesting. I am deeply moved by things. I’d hate to miss the intense joy of that. Overall, it helped me ask questions, and so I practised a bit more… Read More »The Highly Sensitive Person

Happiness

Happiness

In a world consumed by the pursuit of material success and external appearances, this book offers a profound exploration of what it truly means to be happy. The author, a Buddhist monk, also known as the happiest person in the world, shares his insights on happiness from a scientific, philosophical, and personal perspective. Understanding that we are neither perfect nor completely happy is not a weakness. Right from the start, Ricard clarifies that this book isn’t strictly about Buddhism, yet the essence of Buddhist teachings… Read More »Happiness

Irriducibile

While Faggin’s theories are thought-provoking, I found it challenging to understand much of the book, even though I read it in my native language. The first part was extremely difficult to grasp, requiring significant effort to stick with it. The second part was less complex and more interesting to me.  Despite the glossary at the end, I don’t believe it explains the concepts in a way that’s accessible to a broad audience. For this reason, I wouldn’t consider it a popular science book; one needs… Read More »Irriducibile

The Highly Sensitive Person’s Guide to Dealing with Toxic People

Unfortunately, we all have a few toxic people in our lives. Sometimes, they’re easy to recognize, while at other times, they manifest subtly, and we only realize how dangerous they are after they’ve hurt us. They leave us with psychological and emotional wounds, and it’s usually more painful when the toxic person is a close family member or within our inner circle. Also, if we are highly sensitive individuals, we can be an easy target because we’re especially vulnerable. We need to learn to recognise… Read More »The Highly Sensitive Person’s Guide to Dealing with Toxic People

Who Moved My Cheese? (by Spencer Johnson)

I’ve come across this book countless times in bookshops. It was so in my face that I could hear it shouting: “Read me! You keep seeing me, yet you keep ignoring me!” Now I feel relieved that I’ve read it, although it didn’t have a significant impact on me. In fact, I could have happily continued living without having read it. This book is about change. It tells a very simple story, illustrating the point that nothing is permanent; things keep changing. The four characters,… Read More »Who Moved My Cheese? (by Spencer Johnson)

The Madness of Grief

The Madness of Grief (by Richard Coles)

While I was indulging in one of my favourite activities, wandering in a bookshop, my attention was caught by this book. When I realised it was written by a priest who is gay and in a love relationship, I had to read it. Coming from a Catholic background where the traditional religion doesn’t accept homosexuality or allow priests to have partners, I was immediately intrigued by the unique perspective this book could offer. I started to build my expectations, by assuming it would offer self-help… Read More »The Madness of Grief (by Richard Coles)

Fruit of Knowledge. The Vulva vs. The Patriarchy (by Liv Strömquist)

We’re all familiar with the story of Eve being held responsible for the fall of humanity. Not only did Eve commit the first sin, but she also influenced Adam to do the same, leading to their expulsion from Eden. Naughty girl, Eve. However, humans haven’t always lived in a patriarchal culture. In fact, in many ancient cultures, God was a woman, and menstruation was seen as sacred. The author of this book cleverly explores the condition of being female throughout history, with a focus on… Read More »Fruit of Knowledge. The Vulva vs. The Patriarchy (by Liv Strömquist)

Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West: Love Letters

Virginia and Vita loved their husbands, and they also loved each other. This book is a selection of letters that they exchanged, and some extracts from their diaries which offered some additional interesting insights. Their correspondence was highly intellectual, yet also so intimate that at times I felt like I was intruding. I learned lots of new English words; with almost every sentence containing one I had never heard of before. I was pleasantly surprised to find pictures of both of them on the inside… Read More »Virginia Woolf and Vita Sackville-West: Love Letters