interesting books – Page 7

wordy ramblings on world philosophy day

once again i’m incapacitated by an awful cold. however, today is world philosophy day, so i just have to throw my thoughts into the mix. because, you know, the world, and especially the world of philosophy, would be so very much impoverished without my snot-nosed words of wisdom. so here’s a few chatty bits, laced,… Continue reading wordy ramblings on world philosophy day

masha malkin: celebrating our resources

if there is something you want in life and still do not have it, never blame yourself for it. because if you can dream it, you can have it!if you haven’t reached your goals yet, it is not because you are not smart enough or capable enough – in fact you have everything you need… Continue reading masha malkin: celebrating our resources

my virtual bookshelf

i’m still battling this cold, so i’m just playing around. this personalized bookshelf from shelfari is something i found on virtual wordsmith today. i played around and stocked it with a few of my favourite books, trying to choose some that i hadn’t mentioned here much yet. what a great waste of time! (please be… Continue reading my virtual bookshelf

heroes of healing: thich nhat hanh

this is my contribution to jennifer mannion’s heroes of healing project. it’s a project where bloggers write about people who put helping others ahead of whatever might come in the way. the people on this list have gone against the norm and had to put mainstream thinking aside to get their message across. they have… Continue reading heroes of healing: thich nhat hanh

depression and AA: as bill sees it

john at storied mind recently wrote a post on the intersection between depression and the 12 steps of alcoholics anonymous. it just so happens that same evening i was browsing through “as bill sees it”, a compilation of writings by bill w., the founder of that group. it has a few entries on depression. you… Continue reading depression and AA: as bill sees it

addiction, genetics and early brain development

in a comment yesterday on my article on some research on adult children of alcoholics, CP stressed the importance of genetics in alcoholism. i would like to contrast that with another point of view. gabor mate offers this theory in his book in the realm of hungry ghosts: close encounters with addiction brain development in… Continue reading addiction, genetics and early brain development

blogathon: compassionate curiosity, knowledge and objectification

posed in a tone of compassionate curiosity, “why?” is transformed from rigid accusation to an open-minded, even scientific question. instead of hurling an accusatory brick at your own head (e.g., “i’m so stupid, when will i ever learn,” etc.), the question “why did i do this again, knowing full well the consequences?” can become the… Continue reading blogathon: compassionate curiosity, knowledge and objectification

blogathon: vancouver magic

okay, here’s another book: city magick, by christopher penczak. it contains some wonderful ideas and exercises about how to experience city environment in a new, reverent and magical way. i feel very ambivalent about some aspects of city environment. for example, a few years ago, when a huge forest fire raged in kelowna, i was… Continue reading blogathon: vancouver magic

blogathon: mental health support in churches

in my announcement of this blogathon last week, i mentioned marja bergen, the founder of the living room, a church-based support group for people with mood disorders. let me give you a few excerpts from her new book, a firm place to stand, where she describes the birth of the living room. marja’s experience stands… Continue reading blogathon: mental health support in churches