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self-help

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)

Buddhism Plain and Simple (by Steve Hagen)

If you are curious about Buddhism and seeking a simple, accessible introduction to its basic concepts, this book is for you. I really enjoyed reading it and found it insightful. My favourite part was the explanation that there’s no permanent “self”. This really got me thinking about the impermanence of everything around us. Everything changes, even the concept of “I”. Another aspect that I liked about this book was its modern and pragmatic style. While it’s rooted in ancient Buddhist philosophy, it speaks directly to… Read More »Buddhism Plain and Simple (by Steve Hagen)

10 Days to Faster Reading (by Abby Marks Beale)

As you might have guessed by now, I love reading. It’s never enough; I only stop reading because I must do something else, not because I’m tired of it. I mainly read non-fiction because I’m curious about the world and have an insatiable appetite to learn. I read every day, but the more I read the more I want to read. So, I looked for something that could help me read faster without compromising comprehension. Based on my research, this book came up as the… Read More »10 Days to Faster Reading (by Abby Marks Beale)

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)

Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? (by Julie Smith)

This book! I had an instant connection with it, it felt like the author was speaking directly to me. She educates us about how our mind works and how it can affect our moods and emotions. She also provides us with useful and practical tools we need to manage our mental health. Julie Smith is a therapist so the content of the book is not that mumbo-jumbo spiritual stuff that you find on the internet. All those self-help books that told the world to just… Read More »Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? (by Julie Smith)

What to Say When You Talk to Yourself (by Shad Helmstetter)

The title of this book was intriguing, but when I chose to read it, I wasn’t expecting much. I had picked it up simply because, during my 1982-2022 book challenge, I was desperately looking for a book originally published in 1986 and this fit the criteria. I was positively surprised by this book. I guess that sometimes when you don’t have expectations, good things can seem even better. This book is not about making you feel better, but rather about helping you achieve your goals… Read More »What to Say When You Talk to Yourself (by Shad Helmstetter)

Start With Why (by Simon Sinek)

It’s amazing how such a simple concept can be so powerful, thought-provoking, and inspiring. The idea is that most successful leaders and organizations have one thing in common: they all start with “why”. This is another book, like “Eat That Frog“, that I started reading many years ago when I was running my own business but never finished. So, I took the opportunity to finally finish reading it. I bought the book because I had watched the TED talk (which now has over 60 million… Read More »Start With Why (by Simon Sinek)

Eat That Frog (by Brian Tracy)

Do you want to increase your productivity, achieve your goals, and stop procrastinating? If so, you may be interested in the practical tips offered in this book. First of all, you must realise that it is impossible to complete every task you have to do, as the amount of time is limited, so the key to better managing your time is to prioritize tasks and focus on the most important ones first. This book encourages you to practice “creative procrastination” meaning that by prioritizing the… Read More »Eat That Frog (by Brian Tracy)

Peace Is Every Step (by Thich Nhat Hanh)

I kept having a smile on my face while I was reading this book. It made me feel calm and reminded me of “The wisdom of no escape” by Pema Chödrön. Thich Nhat Hanh was a Buddhist monk and peace activist who had a significant impact on Buddhism around the world and specifically he was one of the first to bring the concept of mindfulness to the West. In the 1960s, he worked to bring an end to the conflict in his native Vietnam through… Read More »Peace Is Every Step (by Thich Nhat Hanh)