The Happiness Trap: How to Stop Struggling and Start Living by Russ Harris

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There’s a myth floating around that says we’re supposed to be happy all the time—and that myth is making us miserable. That’s the claim of Australian physician and stress-management specialist Russ Harris, and he makes a powerful case. The more we strive for a constant “fix” of good feelings, the more those good feelings elude us. It’s a vicious cycle that ends only when we understand the value of the whole range of feelings that we encounter in our lives—both the pleasant and the unpleasant—and when we learn to comprehend, appreciate, and learn from them. Dr. Harris presents the insights and techniques of a revolutionary method called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) that uses mindfulness as a tool to help us open ourselves to all the experiences and emotions life has to offer. ACT can help you reduce stress and worry, handle painful feelings and thoughts more effectively, and make your life altogether more satisfying and meaningful.

I Love Dirt! 52 Activities to Help You and Your Kids Discover the Wonders of Nature by Jennifer Ward

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The messy and wonderful world of nature is the ideal place for parents and their children to connect—so what are you and your kids doing indoors? Join Jennifer Ward on a journey through the seasons as she gets you started with a wealth of open-ended activities for getting outside, getting dirty, and getting in touch with the kind of learning than comes from a joyous connection to the natural world. Go on bird hunts, have cloud races, investigate animal tracks, and play connect-the-dots with the stars. There are enough activities to do one a week for a year, but once you get started, you’ll find that ideas for new things to do in the dirt will occur to you as you go. This book is just the beginning—the possibilities are endless.

Training the Samurai Mind: A Bushido Sourcebook edited and translated by Thomas Cleary

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Thomas Cleary has been credited with translating Asian texts “with the energy of a person carrying antique furniture out of a burning house” (San Francisco Chronicle). The analogy is apt, as his output is truly amazing. His latest offering is this marvelous collection of writings on the ethos of the samurai. The twenty-two selections are by Japanese warriors, scholars, statesmen, and teachers from the fifteenth through nineteenth centuries, and they deal with the whole range of subjects pertinent to the martial artist’s world: from military strategy and political science to personal discipline and character development. Each text exemplifies the samurai values of honor; fearlessness; calm, decisive action; and martial skill.

The Wisdom of Maimonides: The Life and Writings of the Jewish Sage by Edward Hoffman

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The physician-philosopher Rabbi Moses Maimonides (1135–1204) is one of the most influential Jewish thinkers in history, and as is the case with most influential thinkers, more people have heard of him than have actually read his works. Here’s your chance to read and get to know the man who has been called the “second Moses,” through a collection of gems from among his many writings, including A Guide for the Perplexed and Mishneh Torah. The book also includes a brief biography of this colorful figure, whose life spanned the worlds of medieval Spain, Palestine, and Egypt, and a selection of legendary stories about him that are instructive as well as humorous.