Help Transform Your Life with Reading

Subtitle: Putting Ancient Wisdom and Philosophy to the Test of Modern Science

The title may seem superficial to some, but it is not at all superficial. The author will open your eyes to the inescapable biological components challenging everyone's attempts to "constantly be happy." He does so by citing MRI results, decades of social experiments and his own personal experiences. He also presents a history of how modern medicine and psychiatry has tried to help people with that struggle... and which of these attempts continue to be considered effective treatments.

Spoiler alert, but an important one, we are not all equally challenged by our genetics; Scans of brain activity show that people divide into left-brain and right-brain oriented people. Which of those you are strongly affects your innate ability to feel and maintain a level of happy feelings.

Subtitle: Lessons From the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness

This book presents a synopsis of many of the most important findings from an 80-plus year, multi-generational study of a large population of people from the Boston area. You will learn about and start to understand basic principles and priorities that will lead anyone towards better (or worse) lives regardless of your genetics, where and how you were raised, and your current life situation.

Earth-related not wisdom-related.

This book opened my eyes to how technological "progress" simultaneously makes the lives of a lucky few much easier and/or safer but simultaneously and inevitably (because of how physics works among other reasons) shortens how long Earth can remain habitable to humans. It will allow you to see, perhaps for the first time, that most of us see "progress" as an "only good" thing but it is actually a trade-off with some very steep, back-ended costs. And that back end gets more and more brutal for humans (and all other life forms) as we continue along our current paradigm of how we currently define "progress". 

Of course, nothing keeps us from redefining "progress" into a healthier, more balanced combination of metrics... but that hasn't happened yet.

As a 12 or 13 year-old I had figured out that people created most of their own suffering via non-mastery of their emotional reactivity. When I happened upon this book I was shocked and thrilled to learn there were others, many others in fact, that understood this as well... and provided techniques for gaining control of that reactivity.

Appears to only be available in traditional book format through Amazon.

If you self-identify as "a seeker", whatever that means to you, you should consider learning about this guy... and this would be a great book to get a first introduction to who he could be for you. Beware trying to "get to know" Sadhguru on YouTube. There are thousands of videos which are usually snipits created by others unaffiliated with him or his organization Isha. As such they could mislead you in ways that prevent you from learning what he really represents. Proper context is always important in life don't you think?

Below is an exact, but partial quote, from the back cover of the hardback book I have.

"By any measure, Sadhguru is a remarkable man. For countless people around the world, he is a luminous spiritual guide. He is as well a pragmatic social activist and compassionate campaigner for human rights, for universal education, and for global peace and well-being. In this signature book, he sets out the personal experiences and deep insights that have transformed his own life and consciousness. More than that, he offers a practiced program for personal transformation that also draws from the venerable teachings of the yogic masters who continue to inspire him..."

Quote by Sir Ken Robinson, author of "The Element", "Finding Your Element", and "Out of Our Minds: Learning to Be Creative".

A personal acquaintance, and hands-down one of the most genuine people I've ever known, Kathy Escobar is a local activist and minister of "The Refuge" in Denver. This book provides real, practical advice on how anyone, atheist-leaning or theist-leaning can succeed at behaving more aligned to their own belief system however challenging it is. 

 Society-related not wisdom-related.

The author is incredibly wise as he repeats a few times in his book something like "I am not predicting the future; I am predicting the future as it will be if society does not change the current trajectory [of social beliefs and behaviors]. And then he does, with remarkable clarity and citing exactly the right current and past historical details to support his conclusions. For such a daunting objective, this is unconditionally an easy and fascinating read. 

I think most will agree that he paints the picture of the future very compellingly... and it's not great for the majority of us that cannot offer talents that AI can't offer better. But again, history is rife with fundamental turning points, so the future is not inevitable... only likely in the context of the current norms of social behavior.

Subtitle: 7 Ways to Think Like a 21st Century Economist

Economics/Society-related not wisdom-related. 

This book is not listed because I consider it a particular well-written book... and therefore a bit of a slog, for me, to get through. BUT in content it succeeds in introducing how a growing number of world economists are conceding that our still-prevalent view of "good economics"- how economies should help efficiently distribute limited resources to society has badly failed to serve both the Earth (which provides those resources) and a huge swath of humanity that is to receive the outputs of those resources.

She outlines what she and this growing population of economists have identified as the fundamental source of the problem (an overly narrow view of what constitutes "good/successful economic progress") and outlines many of the ways they all feel that economics should be taught... and implemented differently.

Subtitle:  The Case for an Environmental Conservatism

Earth-related not wisdom-related.

This book is written by a world-renowned, far-right conservative, which I am not. He writes about "taking care of the Earth" as a conservative that clearly, deeply cares about it. He makes so many excellent arguments of political, social and economic positions I never would have thought even worth considering. And yet, over and over and over again I wrote something like "another great point" in the margins of my Kindle Scribe.

It is impossible for an intelligent, open-minded person to dismiss almost any of his positions easily... or at all. He argues very well, often citing superb examples, why, in his opinion, many mainstream progressive approaches just can't succeed when taken in the context of what history teaches us about typical human behaviors. And I am left somewhat flabbergasted no longer knowing which side suggests the better approaches for trying to save the planet.

If you honestly care about the Earth, you owe yourself and the Earth a bit of time to read this superb book so that you too can have a much better chance of having balance in your own opinions and debate more respectfully with "the other side." A remarkably written book.

Subtitle: Mapping the Collapse of Globalization

Economics/Society-related not wisdom-related.

Strap-in for a rocket-ship ride with this book. If you are anxiety prone you will have to decide whether you'd rather just cover your eyes rather than see the future the author argues is probably coming our way.

Personally, being an engineer myself, the numbers and information that he uses to support his predictions seem very compelling. Certainly, the foundation of most of his arguments is completely irrefutable: the reality of the decades long drop in birthrates that "modern lifestyles" have induced around the world are eroding the foundation necessary for our current economic infrastructures to work properly. Growth of the aging population is outpacing growth of the youth population in most countries. Demographic pyramids across the globe are far less "pyramid" these days and for more columnar.

Along with the grim predictions, however, and fairly early in the book, the author does a wonderful job of painting the broad strokes of how technological progress, warfare and economics since before agriculture began developed into what we have today. That part again is completely irrefutable and was a complete thrill to read.

Subtitle: Ideas from Philosophy That Change the Way You Think

If you have come to the opinion that there appears to be no "assigned meaning or purpose to life"... "no God in the image the popular religions try to convey to us" and you are struggling to "bother to" create your own meaning because of that conclusion, then I think, I hope, this book will turn your frown upside down. It easily earns a place in the list of the most influential books for my life.

The below quote is a straight-up cut-n-paste from the description of the book at www.Amazon.com.

" A collection of essays that journey through philosophy and grapple with the increasingly relevant problem of finding meaning in what appears, for many of us, to be an inherently meaningless existence.

Without any of the sugarcoating often found in the modern hyper-positive self-help genres, Robert Pantano attempts to provide the value of motivation and personal development through unwavering philosophical honesty. Studying and pulling from ideas in Stoicism, Existentialism, Nihilism, Absurdism, Buddhism, Taoism, and more, he combines his own thoughts with concepts from philosophy to create accessible, thought-provoking, and beautiful takeaways that will change the way you think about yourself, existence, and how to appreciate the absurdity of it all. "

Translation: Thoughts are Free

A book that is a collection of many wonderful aphorisms. Regrettably written in German. This book is what kick-started me as a deliberate and conscious seeker when I came across it in my grandmother's unfinished basement at around 13 years old.

I have not found this exact title on the web; only many similarly titled but different books.   :-(