Four Mindful Books to Read This Summer: 2013

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Random Acts of Kindness

Then & Now
By the editors at Conari Press

The 20th-anniversary edition of this classic holds the same power as the original: readers can expect a boost to their overall happiness and also experi- ence a strong urge to go out and commit some kindness. As the original author, M.J. Ryan, suggests, reading these stories in the midst of a busy life still has the power to so en and warm the heart—and help us “remember to enjoy the moments rather than just race through them.”

Mastermind

How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes
By Maria Konnikova

The reasoning mind and the meditative mind are o en thought to be at odds. Not so, says Konnikova: meditation gives you “the quiet distance you need for integra- tive, imaginative, observant, and mindful thought.” Just like Sherlock Holmes. Okay, he probably didn’t meditate every morn- ing, but he did perfect the quiet-distance thing. This book is fun—particularly all the quotations and references to Conan Doyle’s stories—and it gives good guid- ance about how to unfuzzy your thinking

The Still Point of the Turning World

A Mother’s Story
By Emily Rapp

Most parents agree on one thing when it comes to raising children: it’s the letting go, in all its various forms, that demands the most of us. Emily Rapp’s experience
of letting go was tragically accelerated: at just nine months old her son was diagnosed with the rare and fatal degenerative disorder Tay-Sachs disease. In this elegant memoir, Rapp tells us how she and her husband faced the heartbreak and managed to find the tools—calling on everything from literature to meditation—to live within the almost countable moments they had left with their first born.

Improv Wisdom

Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up
By Patricia Ryan Madson

Say yes, start anywhere, be average, pay attention: these are a few of the lessons Patricia Ryan Madson has culled from a lifetime of practicing and teaching improv. And she suggests we try them on for size—right now. Improv is “not only about comedy, it’s a way of doing things,” she says in her introduction to this just- released audiobook. It’s relevant stu for anyone—entrepreneurs, cooks, engineers, educators, caregivers, you name it—who is faced with the unending unpredictabilities and challenges of life. We’re always called upon to improvise. So here’s how.

Learning to Breathe
A Mindfulness Curriculum for Adolescents to Cultivate Emotion Regulation, Attention, and Performance
By Patricia C. Broderick

The Sexy Vegan’s Happy Hour At Home
Small Plates, Big Flavors, and Potent Cocktails
By Brian L. Patton

The Rough Guide to Mindfulness
The Essential Companion to Personal Growth
By Albert Tobler and Susann Herrmann

Journey Into Mindfulness
Gentle Ways to Let Go of Stress and Live in the Moment
By Patrizia Collard

Unconditional Forgiveness
A Simple and Proven Method to Forgive Everyone and Everything
By Mary Hayes Grieco

No Ordinary Apple
A Story About Eating Mindfully
By Sara Marlowe
Illustrated by Philip Pascuzzo

Embracing the Shadow
Discovering the Hidden Riches in Our Relationships
By David Richo