Books

Some books are to be tasted, others swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested. Francis Bacon

I. BOOKS ON OVERCOMING PAIN

The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness, by Jerome Groopman, MD

The Keeler Migraine Method, by Robert Cowan, MD

The Migraine Brain, by Carolyn Bernstein, MD

Understanding Chronic Pain: A Doctor talks to his Patients, by Robert T. Cochran, MD

II. THESE BOOKS HAVE INSPIRED MY OWN PERSONAL GROWTH

The Mature Mind, the Positive Power of the Aging Brain, by Gene D. Cohen

This book refutes previous myths about age-related decline by referring to the latest neuroscience research. The increasing complexity of a brain that has been exercised throughout life provides a marvelous foundation for tapping into creative potential, more growth and new directions for people well into the second half of life.

The Element, by Ken Robinson

Robinson explores all facets that contribute to the holy grail of human development: when people discover what they are naturally good at and absolutely love to do. He provides multiple examples from all fields of endeavour and ends with a plea to orient our education systems so that more learners, whatever their age, will reach this magical but achievable state.

Igniting the Third Factor, by Dr. Peter Jensen

The author uses his experience in both sport and business to examine the factor that is beyond nature and nurture in an individual’s development : that of self-development and personal choice. He draws from exceptional coaches in each field and recognizes that it is their ‘developmental bias’ that most influences the success of their people.

Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Albom

A truly wise book about mentorship regained, this time from his dying but courageous former professor. I read it a second time during a period of personal grief, and was much comforted by several of Morrie's lessons, including the penultimate one that "death ends a life, not a relationship".

Man’s Search for Meaning, by Victor E. Frankl

Even in the terrible suffering of the concentration camps , there were still people who were able to rise above their circumstances. Frankl’s powerful discovery is that, although we cannot avoid suffering, we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and still move forward with renewed purpose. This book has changed lives.

The Unwritten Laws of Business, by W.J. King & J. G. Skakoon

If you suspect that there are certain fundamentals in how a person can achieve business success, you are correct, and the authors lay them out in this slim volume which has recently been re-issued. It is so full of common sense that I have the feeling that it should be pushed down to high school curricula.

A Whole New Mind, by Daniel Pink

One of the 21^st century’s new breed of innovative thinkers produces a persuasive case why successful people of the future will be calling on a different range of skills. They will be interested, for example, in making meaning, not just accumulating things; in being more caring and relationship oriented; and more capable of synthesizing components and fashioning persuasive narratives about the whole.

Why Be Good?, by Byron L. Sherwin

This book touches upon fundamental life questions – ethics, morality, ego management, love, friendship, happiness, attitudes to money, gratitude and more – in an accessible style with many examples. I closed the book feeling very grateful to have had the author as my guide.

Quiet Leadership, Six Steps to Transforming Performance at Work, by David Rock

Rock popularizes the influence of neuroscience on coaching techniques by updating the research and linking it to what successful leaders do. The first part of the book is particularly evocative for readers unfamiliar with recent brain research and its implications. The implications for leadership technique are no less startling.

The SPEED of Trust: The One Thing that Changes Everything, by Stephen M.R. Covey

Focusing on trust as the element that oils personal relations and business, this is the masterwork on the subject. Covey Jr. leads us through it in an easy-to-read style with many great quotes, and he leaves readers with some simple formulas/lists that can last a lifetime.

Authentic Happiness, by Martin E.P.Seligman

The founder of the Positive Psychology movement explains why it is more valuable to capitalize on your strengths than to concentrate on your weaknesses. Take the tests on his website to discover your signature strengths and then (with the help of your coach, of course) you will have a strong base to move forward with these and your other gifts to achieve your goals and create a great life.

Kitchen Table Wisdom, by Rachel Naomi Remen

Dr. Remen is a master listener whose mission in life is to capture the stories of those who are suffering, and in doing so to help heal them in some way. She writes theses stories beautifully, and in doing so interweaves her own story, which has had its own serious challenges.

The Art of Possibility, by Rosamund Stone Zander and Benjamin Zander

One of those rare works that, once read, makes you want to instantly re-read it to absorb the real gold within. And then I read it a third time to cement the learning!
Absolutely fundamental for people who are working with others whose lives can be transformed, and for others who want to “break out” into new possibilities themselves.