Wabi-sabi for artists, designers, poets & philosophers

By Koren, Leonard

Publishing Date: [2008]

Classification: 100

Call Number: 111.85 KOR

"Wabi-sabi is the most conspicuous and characteristic feature of what we think of as traditional Japanese beauty. It occupies roughly the same position in the Japanese pantheon of aesthetic values as do the Greek ideals of beauty and perfection in the West . . . Wabi-sabi, in its purest, most idealized form, is precisely about the delicate traces, the faint evidence, at the borders of nothingness . . . Author Leonard Koren was trained as an architect but never built anything-except an eccentric Japanese tea house-because he found large, permanent objects too philosophically vexing to design. Instead he created WET: The Magazine of Gourmet Bathing , one of the premier avant-garde magazines of the 1970s. Subsequently Koren has produced unusual books about design- and aesthetics-related subjects. Koren resides in both America and Japan."--Publisher's description.

The choice: embrace the possible

By Eger, Edith Eva

Publishing Date: 2017

Classification: 100

Call Number: 150.92 EGE

"A powerful, moving memoir--and a practical guide to healing--written by Dr. Edith Eva Eger, an eminent psychologist whose own experiences as a Holocaust survivor help her treat patients and allow them to escape the prisons of their own minds. Edith Eger was sixteen years old when the Nazis came to her hometown in Hungary and took her Jewish family to an internment center and then to Auschwitz. Her parents were sent to the gas chamber by Joseph Mengele soon after they arrived at the camp. Hours later Mengele demanded that Edie dance a waltz to 'The Blue Danube' and rewarded her with a loaf of bread that she shared with her fellow prisoners. These women later helped save Edie's life. Edie and her sister survived Auschwitz, were transferred to the Mauthausen and Gunskirchen camps in Austria, and managed to live until the American troops liberated the camps in 1945 and found Edie in a pile of dying bodies. One of the few living Holocaust survivors to remember the horrors of the camps, Edie has chosen to forgive her captors and find joy in her life every day. Years after she was liberated from the concentration camps Edie went back to college to study psychology. She combines her clinical knowledge and her own experiences with trauma to help others who have experienced painful events large and small. Dr. Eger has counselled veterans suffering from PTSD, women who were abused, and many others who learned that they too, can choose to forgive, find resilience, and move forward. She lectures frequently on the power of love and healing. The Choice weaves Eger's personal story with case studies from her work as a psychologist. Her patients and their stories illustrate different phases of healing and show how people can choose to escape the prisons they construct in their minds and find freedom, regardless of circumstance. Eger's story is an inspiration for everyone. And her message is powerful and important: 'Your pain matters and is worth healing: you can choose to be joyful and free.' She is eighty-nine years old and still dancing."--

Quiet power: the secret strengths of introverts

By Cain, Susan

Publishing Date: [2016]

Classification: 100

Call Number: 155.4182 CAI

"The monumental bestseller Quiet has been recast in a new edition that empowers introverted kids and teens Susan Cain sparked a worldwide conversation when she published Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking. With her inspiring book, she permanently changed the way we see introverts and the way introverts see themselves. The original book focused on the workplace, and Susan realized that a version for and about kids was also badly needed. This book is all about kids' world--school, extracurriculars, family life, and friendship. You'll read about actual kids who have tackled the challenges of not being extroverted and who have made a mark in their own quiet way. You'll hear Susan Cain's own story, and you'll be able to make use of the tips at the end of each chapter. There's even a guide at the end of the book for parents and teachers. This insightful, accessible, and empowering book, illustrated with amusing comic-style art, will be eye-opening to extroverts and introverts alike"--

NEW RELEASE

12 rules for life: an antidote to chaos

By Peterson, Jordan B.

Publishing Date: [2018]

Classification: 100

Call Number: 170.44 PET

"What does everyone in the modern world need to know? Renowned psychologist Jordan B. Peterson's answer to this most difficult of questions uniquely combines the hard-won truths of ancient tradition with the stunning revelations of cutting-edge scientific research. Humorous, surprising and informative, Dr. Peterson tells us why skateboarding boys and girls must be left alone, what terrible fate awaits those who criticize too easily, and why you should always pet a cat when you meet one on the street. What does the nervous system of the lowly lobster have to tell us about standing up straight (with our shoulders back) and about success in life? Why did ancient Egyptians worship the capacity to pay careful attention as the highest of gods? What dreadful paths do people tread when they become resentful, arrogant and vengeful? Dr. Peterson journeys broadly, discussing discipline, freedom, adventure and responsibility, distilling the world's wisdom into 12 practical and profound rules for life. [This book] shatters the modern commonplaces of science, faith and human nature, while transforming and ennobling the mind and spirit of its readers."--

The collected works of Saint John of the Cross

By John of the Cross

Publishing Date: c1991

Classification: 200

Call Number: 230.2 JOH

The fourth centenary of the death of St. John of the Cross inspired this revised edition of the English translation of his writings. The result is an edition that preserves the true meaning of the great mystic's writings, presents them as clearly as possible, and at the same time gives the reader the doctrinal and historical information that will lead to a deeper understanding and appreciation of the teachings of the Mystical Doctor.

The dark night of the soul: a psychiatrist explores the connection between darkness and spiritual growth

By May, Gerald G.

Publishing Date: 2004

Classification: 200

Call Number: 248.2 MAY

Publisher's description: Distinguished psychiatrist, spiritual counselor, and best selling author Gerald G. May argues that the "shadow" side of the spiritual life has been trivialized and neglected to our serious detriment. In The Dark Night of the Soul, Dr. May shows that the dark side is a vital ingredient for deep, authentic, healthy spirituality. Superficial and naively upbeat spirituality does not heal and enrich the soul; nor does our tendency to relegate deep spiritual growth to mystics and saints help us cope with the fullness of what we experience in life. Only honest, sometimes difficult encounters with what Christian spirituality calls "the dark night of the soul" can lead to true spiritual wholeness. May emphasizes that the dark night is not necessarily a time of suffering and despair, but rather one of deep transition, during which our lives are clouded and full of mystery as we move through a time of trial and uncertainty to freedom and joy. The darkness of the night implies nothing sinister, but rather that our liberation takes place mysteriously, in secret, and beyond our conscious control. May draws on the great Christian spiritual teachings and writings on the "dark night," especially by John of the Cross and Teresa of Avila, on other spiritual traditions, psychiatric ideas and resources, and on poetry and literature. The Dark Night of the Soul embraces the universal spiritual experience of disorientation, doubt, fear, emptiness, "dryness," and despair, all of which are ingredients in developing a mature, authentic spiritual life.

Uninvited: living loved when you feel less than, left out, and lonely

By TerKeurst, Lysa

Publishing Date: [2016]

Classification: 200

Call Number: 248.86 TER

New York Times bestselling author Lysa TerKeurst leans into the deeply personal topic of rejection and takes readers on a journey to explore its roots; the lies we believe as a result; and the truth about who God is, who we are, and what it looks like to live loved. --

NEW RELEASE

Educated: a memoir

By Westover, Tara

Publishing Date: [2018]

Classification: 200

Call Number: 270.092 WES

"Tara Westover was seventeen the first time she set foot in a classroom. Born to survivalists in the mountains of Idaho, she prepared for the end of the world by stockpiling home-canned peaches and sleeping with her "head-for-the-hills bag." In the summer she stewed herbs for her mother, a midwife and healer, and in the winter she salvaged in her father's junkyard. The family was so isolated from mainstream society that there was no one to ensure the children received an education, and no one to intervene when one of Tara's older brothers became violent. As a way out, Tara began to educate herself, learning enough mathematics and grammar to be admitted to Brigham Young University. Her quest for knowledge would transform her, taking her over oceans and across continents, to Harvard and to Cambridge. Only then would she wonder if she'd traveled too far, if there was still a way home. With the acute insight that distinguishes all great writers, Tara Westover has crafted a universal coming-of-age story that gets to the heart of what an education offers: the perspective to see one's life through new eyes, and the will to change it."--Provided by publisher.

Waking up to what you do: a Zen practice for meeting every situation with intelligence and compassion

By Rizzetto, Diane Eshin

Publishing Date: 2005

Classification: 200

Call Number: 294.3444 RIZ

Life is rising up to meet us at every moment. The question is: Are we there to meet it or not? Diane Rizzetto presents a simple but supremely effective practice for meeting every moment of our lives with mindfulness, using the Zen precepts as tools to develop a keen awareness of the motivations behind every aspect of our behavior—to "wake up to what we do"—from moment to moment. As we train in mindfulness of our actions, every situation of our lives becomes our teacher, offering priceless insight into what it really means to be happy. It's a simple practice with transformative potential, enabling us to break through our habitual reactions and to see clearly how our own happiness and well-being are intimately, inevitably connected to the happiness and well-being of everyone around us. - (Random House, Inc.)

The mind of clover: essays in Zen Buddhist ethics

By Aitken, Robert

Publishing Date: 1984

Classification: 200

Call Number: 294.35 AIT

examines the elements of a virtuous life - (Baker & Taylor) In Taking the Path of Zen, Robert Aitken provided a concise guide to zazen (Zen meditation) and other aspects of the practice of Zen. In The Mind of Clover he addresses the world beyond the zazen cushions, illuminating issues of appropriate personal and social action through an exploration of the philosophical complexities of Zen ethics. Aitken's approach is clear and sure as he shows how our minds can be as nurturing as clover, which enriches the soil and benefits the environment as it grows. The opening chapters discuss the Ten Grave Precepts of Zen, which, Aitken points out, are "not commandments etched in stone but expressions of inspiration written in something more fluid than water." Aitken approaches these precepts, the core of Zen ethics, from several perspectives, offering many layers of interpretation. Like ripples in a pond, the circles of his interpretation increasingly widen, and he expands his focus to confront corporate theft and oppression, the role of women in Zen and society, abortion, nuclear war, pollution of the environment, and other concerns. The Mind of Clover champions the cause of personal responsibility in modern society, encouraging nonviolent activism based on clear convictions. It is a guide that engages, that invites us to realize our own potential for confident and responsible action. - (McMillan Palgrave)

The two-income trap: why middle-class parents are (still) going broke

By Warren, Elizabeth

Publishing Date: 2016

Classification: 300

Call Number: 301 WAR

" ... provide ... evidence that the culprit is not "over-consumption" ... they point to the ferocious bidding war for housing and decent schools that has quietly engulfed America's suburbs, driving up the cost of raising children in the middle class"--Jacket flap.

The true believer: thoughts on the nature of mass movements

By Hoffer, Eric

Publishing Date: [2002]

Classification: 300

Call Number: 303.484 HOF

A stevedore on the San Francisco docks in the 1940s, Hoffer wrote philosophical treatises examining mass movements--from Christianity in its infancy to the national uprisings of modern times. His analysis of the psychology of mass movements is a brilliant and frightening study of the mind of the fanatic.

NEW RELEASE

She caused a riot: 100 unknown women who built cities, sparked revolutions, & massively crushed it

By Jewell, Hannah

Publishing Date: [2018]

Classification: 300

Call Number: 305.409 JEW

Women's stories are often written as if they spent their entire time on Earth casting woeful but beautiful glances towards the horizon and sighing into the bitter wind at the thought of any conflict. Well, that's not how it f**king happened. When you hear about a woman who was 100% pure and good, you're probably missing the best chapters in her life's story. Maybe she slept around. Maybe she stole. Maybe she crashed planes. Maybe she got shot, or maybe she shot a bad guy (who probably had it coming.) Maybe she caused a scandal. Maybe she caused a riot... From badass writer Hannah Jewell, She Caused a Riot is an empowering, no-holds-barred look into the epic adventures and dangerous exploits of 100 inspiring women who were too brave, too brilliant, too unconventional, too political, too poor, not ladylike enough and not white enough to be recognized by their shitty contemporaries. From 3rd-century Syrian queen Zenobia to 20th-century Nigerian women's rights activist Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti, these are women who gave absolutely zero f**ks, and will inspire a courageous new movement of women to do the same.

The doctor and the saint: caste, race, and the annihilation of caste : the debate between B.R. Ambedkar and M.K. Gandhi

By Roy, Arundhati

Publishing Date: 2017

Classification: 300

Call Number: 305.5122 ROY

"To best understand and address the inequality in India today, Arundhati Roy insists we must examine both the political development and influence of M. K. Gandhi and why B. R. Ambedkar's brilliant challenge to his near-divine status was suppressed by India's elite. In Roy's analysis, we see that Ambedkar's fight for justice was systematically sidelined in favor of policies that reinforced caste, resulting in the current nation of India: independent of British rule, globally powerful, and marked to this day by the caste system. This book situates Ambedkar's arguments in their vital historical context-- namely, as an extended public political debate with Mohandas Gandhi. "For more than half a century--throughout his adult life--[Gandhi's] pronouncements on the inherent qualities of black Africans, untouchables and the laboring classes remained consistently insulting," writes Roy. "His refusal to allow working-class people and untouchables to create their own political organizations and elect their own representatives remained consistent too." In The Doctor and the Saint, Roy exposes some uncomfortable, controversial, and even surprising truths about the political thought and career of India's most famous and most revered figure. In doing so she makes the case for why Ambedkar's revolutionary intellectual achievements must be resurrected, not only in India but throughout the world."--

NEW RELEASE

Our towns: a 100,000-mile journey into the heart of America

By Fallows, James M.

Publishing Date: [2018]

Classification: 300

Call Number: 306.0973 FAL

"A unique, revelatory portrait of small-town America: the activities, changes, and events that shape this mostly unseen part of our national landscape, and the issues and concerns that matter to the ordinary Americans who make these towns their home. For the last five years, James and Deborah Fallows have been traveling across America in a single-prop airplane, visiting small cities and meeting civic leaders, factory workers, recent immigrants, and young entrepreneurs, seeking to take the pulse and discern the outlook of an America that is unreported and unobserved by the national media. Attending town meetings, breakfasts at local coffee shops, and events at local libraries, they have listened to the challenges and problems that define American lives today. Our Towns is the story of their journey--an account of their visits to twenty-one cities and towns: the individuals they met, the stories they heard, and their portrait of the many different faces of the American future"--

NEW RELEASE

Ayesha's Gift: A Daughter's Search for the Truth About Her Father

By Sixsmith, Martin

Publishing Date: [2018]

Classification: 300

Call Number: 306.874 SIX

"Ayesha's Gift is the true story of a young woman, born in Pakistan, living in Britain, whose life is thrown into desperate turmoil by the violent death of her father. The Pakistani authorities talk of suicide, but why would Ayesha's happy, gentle father kill himself? Ayesha's quest to find the truth takes her away from her safe English existence and into Pakistan, where she is met with threats, violence and smiling perjurers. She is warned that her life is in danger; powerful, ruthless men have reasons to want her silenced. But there are things she needs to know, that compel her to press on with her search for the truth. Was her father an innocent victim? Can she continue to revere the image of him she grew up with, that of a good, loving parent? Or will she be forced to accept that her father was not the person she thought he was? As the two countries she had considered home reveal themselves as foreign and inimical, Ayesha is forced to confront the tormented issues of identity and belonging. When she travels to Pakistan, Martin Sixsmith goes with her. A shared tragedy and an unlikely friendship lead them both to question the things that give meaning to their lives, and ultimately to find solace in the common human values of kindess and respect. " --Amazon.com.

NEW RELEASE

Natural causes: an epidemic of wellness, the certainty of dying, and killing ourselves to live longer

By Ehrenreich, Barbara

Publishing Date: 2018

Classification: 300

Call Number: 306.9 EHR

Offers insight into healthcare practices, identifying the cellular sources of aging and illness and revealing that aggressive treatments provide an illusion of control and survivability at the cost of life quality.

A visual history of houses and cities around the world

By Faulkner, Nicholas

Publishing Date: 2017

Classification: 300

Call Number: 307.7609 CIC

This book is a fascinating look at the history of human habitats and cities. Readers will gain insight into an area of history often overlooked. The book covers different types of dwellings and cities from ancient times, the Middle and Modern Ages, and the contemporary age. It takes a close look at the first settlements such as the Sumerian house and the Roman insula, the Mongolian yurt, and ancient cities such as those of Egypt and megacities of today. Detailed illustrations bring the reader into the heart of the subject matter. Charts, Graphs, Tables, Detailed Table of Contents, Diagrams, Further Information Section, Glossary, Graphic Organizers, Illustrations, Index, Sidebars, Websites, Further Reading List, List of Organizations.

The all new don't think of an elephant: know your values and frame the debate

By Lakoff, George

Publishing Date: [2014]

Classification: 300

Call Number: 320.513 LAK

This handbook is for progressives who want to articulate their goals and values to voters, understand how conservatives think and why people often vote against their best interests, and frame the political debate. It not only explains what framing is and how it works but also reveals why, after a brief stint of winning the framing wars in the 2008 elections, the Democrats have gone back to losing them, and what can be done about it. George Lakoff delves into the issues that dominate the midterm elections, the presidential elections, and beyond. He examines the current progressive and conservative frames on climate change, inequality, immigration, education, abortion, marriage, healthcare, national security, energy, and more. He explores why some issues have been difficult to frame, guides readers on how to frame complex issues without losing important context, and drives home the important differences between framing and spin. Do you think facts alone can win a debate? Do you think you know what makes a Tea Party follower tick? Do you think you understand how to communicate on key issues that can improve peoples' lives? Whether you answer yes or no, the insights in Don't Think of an Elephant! will not only surprise you, but also give you the tools you need to develop frames that work, and eradicate frames that backfire.

NEW RELEASE

U.S. national debate topic, 2018-2019: Immigration

Publishing Date: 2018

Classification: 300

Call Number: 325.73

The focus of this issue is Immigration, the subject of the National Forensics Leagués (NFL) 2018-2019 Policy Debate. It examines current trends in immigration policy and collects a variety of thought pieces on the issue of immigration. Among the topics explored are: the future of DACA and Dreamers, the merits of the proposed border wall along the southern US, the travel ban and its legitimacy and the refugee crisis.