Reader's Place: December 13, 2020
Winter is a season for quiet contemplation and restoration of our emotional reserves. This collection of books present different concepts from around the world to gain new perspectives on self-care, inner nourishment, and living in the present during difficult times.
American Cozy: Hygge-Inspired Ways to Create Comfort & Happiness, by Stephanie Pedersen (eLibrary)
Hygge gets a warm American twist with this illustrated guide from bestselling Danish-American author Stephanie Pedersen. With their overscheduled lifestyles, Americans can't always find time for the people and things they love. Enter American Cozy, which uses the Danish phenomenon of hygge—comfort, togetherness, and well-being—to bring coziness and ease to readers' homes, work, and lives. Filled with charming four-color illustrations, it explores organization and home décor, entertaining, cooking, creating a happier, more productive work life, de-cluttering, and slowing down.
The Art of Living: Peace and Freedom in the Here and Now, by Thich Nhat Hanh (eLibrary, Library Catalog)
In troubled times, there is an urgency to understand ourselves and our world. We have so many questions, and they tug at us night and day, consciously and unconsciously. In this important volume, Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh reveals an art of living in mindfulness that helps us answer life's deepest questions and experience the happiness and freedom we desire. Thich Nhat Hanh presents seven transformative meditations that open up new perspectives on our lives, our relationships and our interconnectedness with the world around us. Based on the last full talks before his sudden hospitalization, and drawing on intimate examples from his own life, Thich Nhat Hanh shows us how these seven meditations can free us to live a happy, peaceful and active life, and face ageing and dying with curiosity and joy and without fear. Containing the essence of the Buddha's teachings and Thich Nhat Hanh's poignant, timeless, and clarifying prose, The Art of Living provides a spiritual dimension to our lives. This is not an effort to escape life or to dwell in a place of bliss outside of this world. Instead, this path will allow us to discover where we come from and where we are going. And most of all, it will generate happiness, understanding, and love, so we can live deeply in each moment of our life, right where we are.
The Book of Ichigo Ichie: The Art of Making the Most of Every Moment, the Japanese Way, by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles (eLibrary, Library Catalog)
Find happiness by living fully in the present with this definitive guide to ichigo ichie—the Japanese art of making the most of every moment. Every moment in our life happens only once, and if we let it slip away, we lose it forever—an idea captured by the Japanese phrase ichigo ichie. Often spoken in Japan when greeting someone or saying goodbye, to convey that the encounter is unique and special, it is a tenet of Zen Buddhism and is attributed to a sixteenth-century master of the Japanese tea ceremony, or "ceremony of attention," whose intricate rituals compel us to focus on the present moment.
The Little Book of Lykke: Secrets of the World's Happiest People, by Meik Wiking (eLibrary, Library Catalog)
While the Danes are the happiest people on the planet, happiness isn't exclusively Danish; cultures around the world have their own unique approaches to leading a contented, fulfilled life. For his work at the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen, Meik Wiking travels the globe from Dubai to Finland, Rio de Janeiro to Bhutan, South Korea to the United States, to discover the secrets of the very happiest people. In The Little Book of Lykke, Meik identifies the six factors that explain the majority of differences in happiness across the world—togetherness, money, health, freedom, trust, and kindness—and explores what actions we can take to become happier. As he reveals, we can deepen our blissfulness and contentment with little adjustments in our behavior, whether it's eating like the French (sitting around a table and savoring our time) or dancing the tango like Argentinians in Buenos Aires. With his trademark warmth and wit, Meik explores the happiness gap for parents, how much money you really need to buy happiness, how we can be healthier without having to go to the gym, how we can learn to build trust and collaboration, how we can help ourselves by helping others, and why our expectations often outweigh our reality. Weaving together original research and personal anecdotes, The Little Book of Lykke is a global roadmap for joy that offers a new approach to achieving everyday happiness that not only improve our own lives, but help us build better communities and a better world.
The Power of Nunchi: The Korean Secret to Happiness and Success, by Euny Hong (eLibrary, Library Catalog)
The Korean sixth sense for winning friends and influencing people, nunchi, can help you connect with others so you can succeed in everything from business to love. The art of reading a room and understanding what others are thinking and feeling, nunchi is a form of emotional intelligence that anyone can learn—all you need is your eyes and ears. Sherlock Holmes has great nunchi. Cats have great nunchi. Steve Jobs had great nunchi. With its focus on observing others rather than asserting yourself—it's not all about you!—nunchi is a refreshing antidote to our culture of self-promotion, and a welcome reminder to look up from your cell phone. The Power of Nunchi will show you how the trust and connection it helps you to build can open doors for you that you never knew existed.
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times, by Katherine May (eLibrary, Library Catalog)
An intimate, revelatory book exploring the ways we can care for and repair ourselves when life knocks us down. Sometimes you slip through the cracks: unforeseen circumstances like an abrupt illness, the death of a loved one, a break up, or a job loss can derail a life. These periods of dislocation can be lonely and unexpected. For May, her husband fell ill, her son stopped attending school, and her own medical issues led her to leave a demanding job. Wintering explores how she not only endured this painful time, but embraced the singular opportunities it
Compiled by Jenny Zbrizher