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psychology

Good Girls Go to Heaven, Bad Girls Go Everywhere

Good Girls Go to Heaven, Bad Girls Go Everywhere

When I was (much) younger, I had a T-shirt with those words on it, which I wore with pride. So when I was in an Italian bookstore recently and came across this book, I had to read it. The writing is fluid and simple, but it left me with a sense of incompleteness. The book loses itself in a list of precepts, a series of “do this” and “behave like that”, without a trace of a guide that teaches us, first and foremost, how to… Read More »Good Girls Go to Heaven, Bad Girls Go Everywhere

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

This book has opened my eyes. I firmly believe that words matter. The way we use them shapes our world and our connection with others. The way we speak to others can change the way they feel. We can be violent with our words because words can hurt, but we can also be compassionate with our words, they can heal. In the Italian version, the title of this book is: “Words are windows (or walls)”. The method the author offers is simple but powerful (and… Read More »Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life

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

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)

Heal Thy Self (by Saki Santorelli)

As someone who has been interested in mindfulness for a few years now, I was excited to read this book and learn more about how mindfulness can be applied in the context of illness and medicine in general. The book follows the structure of the eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) program developed at the University of Massachusetts Medical Center in the 1970s by Jon Kabat-Zinn. I found the book less useful than I had hoped because I struggled to follow the format. There was little… Read More »Heal Thy Self (by Saki Santorelli)

Women Who Think Too Much (by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema)

I was hooked on this book from the first page as it got straight to the point.  The first part explained the concept of overthinking and provided potential explanations for why women tend to overthink.  The second part offered practical steps to overcome overthinking in three phases: 1) breaking free of its grip, 2) moving to higher ground and gaining a new perspective, and 3) avoiding future traps. I found the author’s use of the quicksand analogy to be spot-on and effective.  The third part of the… Read More »Women Who Think Too Much (by Susan Nolen-Hoeksema)