Top 10 Books 2017

#10. The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (2000)

Although I didn't like it as much as David & Goliath or Outliers, I found this book interesting.  Malcolm Gladwell is a sociologist, psychologist, and journalist all wrapped into one. What I love the most about his books is his ability to break down complex ideas into simple, accessible ones. His review of social psychology principles in the chapter on crime epidemics was especially interesting.

#9. Going to Pieces Without Falling Apart: A Buddhist Perspective on Wholeness (1998)

Mark Epstein in a psychiatrists who integrates Buddhism into his clinical practice. He has some excellent points. If you are a therapist interested in meditation, Buddhist philosophy, or psychotherapy, it is worth reading. 

#8.  A Monster Calls (2011)
This is an excellent exploration of grief from the perspective of a child losing his mother to cancer (thought it is not really for kids). It is beautifully written.  It is also an excellent movie.  Although I didn't include it on my movie list, it is one of the few movies that actually enhances the book.  I recommend reading it or watching it. 

#7.  Wherever You Go There You Are: Mindfulness Meditation in Everyday Life (1994)
This was one of the better books on mindfulness I have read. I very much enjoyed the balance between simplicity and complexity in both the conceptualization and practice of mindfulness. 

#6. The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself From Destructive Thoughts and Emotions (2009) 
This is the most comprehensive and most valuable book on self-compassion I have come across.  Even though I have read a lot about self-compassion, and I incorporate it frequently into my practice and teaching, I feel I read things in this book I hadn't come across before. We all struggle with self-criticism, feeling isolated in our physical or emotional pain, or getting caught up in negative thoughts and emotions.  It is not enough to just be aware of that.  It takes an active process of cultivating and nourishing self-compassion - which I truly believe can be a healing balm in our lives.

5. Attending: Medicine, Mindfulness, and Humanity (2017)
I read this book just as I beginning a new collaboration with the UCI Medical School - developing and teaching a 12 week class on mindfulness, wellness, and resilience to 1st year OB/GYN residents.  This book amazingly came out the week we began the program, and it is the first book written for physicians that deals with this topic.  Epstein is in family practice and highlights the needs for doctors to increase their own levels of mindfulness in an effort to improve patient care and reduce physician burnout. I am excited that mindfulness is now making its way into medicine - quite a wonderful thing to bring a more holistic philosophy into the more traditional models of the western medicine.

#4. Golf is Not a Game of Perfect (1995)

I have read many books on golf.  This is by far the best one about the mental aspects of the game.  I am not only golfing better, I am having a lot more fun doing it.  After reading it, I played two of the best rounds of my life!

Thanks to my friend Rob for getting me and my daughter Makenzie out on the course more this year. 

#3.  News of the World (2016)
This book is different than anything I have ever read. It paints an intriguing portrait of life in the 1870s in Texas - a world I never knew existed.  I loved the relationship between the two main characters.   The less you know about the story, the better.  Just watching it unfold was rewarding. My students and I selected this for our January 2017 bookclub selection and had a great discussion.

#2. The Handmaid's Tale (1985)
This is an amazing book! Margaret Atwood is a master story teller and one of the most talented writers I have ever had read. Her words are beautiful, poetic, and haunting - all at the same time. I was hooked by the first three sentences and it never let up. The writing. . . . I mean, THE WRITING!!! Several times I would just shake my head in awe. What a gift to be taken into the inner world of the Handmaid who narrates the book. Atwood details the thoughts and perceptions of her character who has lived in two vastly different societies.  She has an uncanny ability to provide multiple perspectives in nearly every situation, and by doing so demonstrates a complex understanding of human nature and the many ways we might handle the various circumstances we find ourselves in.  One of my students recommended we read it for our bookclub, and I am so glad we did.  What a beautiful and tragic tale. 

 



#1 Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion (2009)
My friend Brent recommended this book to me in January 2017 - and at the time, he predicted it would be my #1 book at year's end.  Well, he was absolutely right.  It is difficult to put into words how deeply moved I was by the message of this book. Gregory Boyle is a Catholic priest who ministers to the youth in Los Angeles probation camps and juvenile detention centers. In an effort to combat gang related violence, he founded Homeboy Industries - an organization that provides jobs and meaningful work for youth affected by gangs. What he has done -- and what the countless number of youth have done in response -- is as inspiring as any thing I know.  His stories are full of heartbreak, hope, sorrow, and joy.  He shares messages of unconsolable loss and transformative consolation. Ultimately the book shows time and time again how the power of compassion can transform the life of another. There is boundless power in compassion and love - they transcends all other attributes and virtues - they are the keys to helping others realize that they matter, that their life has purpose, and that they are loved for who they are, not for what they do. This is a book I know I will read again. And I will probably read again after that.