Books Like “This is how it always is”

Big Little Lies

Liane Moriarty

2014

From the author of Here One Moment and The Husband’s Secret comes the #1 New York Times bestselling novel about the dangerous little lies we tell ourselves just to survive. THE INSPIRATION FOR THE AWARD-WINNING HBO® SERIES STARRING REESE WITHERSPOON, NICOLE KIDMAN, SHAILENE WOODLEY, LAURA DERN, ZOË KRAVITZ, AND MERYL STREEP—AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON MAX® A murder...A tragic accident...Or just parents behaving badly? What’s indisputable is that someone is dead. Madeline is a force to be reckoned with. She’s funny, biting, and passionate; she remembers everything and forgives no one. Celeste is the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare but she is paying a price for the illusion of perfection. New to town, single mom Jane is so young that another mother mistakes her for a nanny. She comes with a mysterious past and a sadness beyond her years. These three women are at different crossroads, but they will all wind up in the same shocking place. Big Little Lies is a brilliant take on ex-husbands and second wives, mothers and daughters, schoolyard scandal, and the little lies that can turn lethal.

By the time you read this

Lola Jaye

2008

When he discovered that he had only six months to live, thirty-year-old Kevin Bates picked up his pen and wrote The Manual—advice for his five-year-old daughter, Lois, to live by, laugh at, and follow from twelve until thirty. Seven years later, when Lois is given The Manual, she can barely bring herself to read her father's words, the pain of his loss is still so raw. Yet soon Kevin's advice is guiding her through every stage of life from teen angst to career arcs, to knowing when she's at long last met "the one." While The Manual can never be a substitute for having Kevin back, the words left behind become Lois's steady support through all of life's ups and downs, and prove invaluable to unlocking the key to happiness.

Option B

Sheryl Sandberg, Adam Grant

2017

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER • From authors of Lean In and Originals: a powerful, inspiring, and practical book about building resilience and moving forward after life’s inevitable setbacks After the sudden death of her husband, Sheryl Sandberg felt certain that she and her children would never feel pure joy again. “I was in ‘the void,’” she writes, “a vast emptiness that fills your heart and lungs and restricts your ability to think or even breathe.” Her friend Adam Grant, a psychologist at Wharton, told her there are concrete steps people can take to recover and rebound from life-shattering experiences. We are not born with a fixed amount of resilience. It is a muscle that everyone can build. Option B combines Sheryl’s personal insights with Adam’s eye-opening research on finding strength in the face of adversity. Beginning with the gut-wrenching moment when she finds her husband, Dave Goldberg, collapsed on a gym floor, Sheryl opens up her heart—and her journal—to describe the acute grief and isolation she felt in the wake of his death. But Option B goes beyond Sheryl’s loss to explore how a broad range of people have overcome hardships including illness, job loss, sexual assault, natural disasters, and the violence of war. Their stories reveal the capacity of the human spirit to persevere . . . and to rediscover joy. Resilience comes from deep within us and from support outside us. Even after the most devastating events, it is possible to grow by finding deeper meaning and gaining greater appreciation in our lives. Option B illuminates how to help others in crisis, develop compassion for ourselves, raise strong children, and create resilient families, communities, and workplaces. Many of these lessons can be applied to everyday struggles, allowing us to brave whatever lies ahead. Two weeks after losing her husband, Sheryl was preparing for a father-child activity. “I want Dave,” she cried. Her friend replied, “Option A is not available,” and then promised to he

Let her fly

Ziauddin Yousafzai

2018

The father of Malala Yousafzai traces his journey from an unconfident, stammering little boy living in a mud hut in Pakistan to a man who has broken with tradition and proven there are many faces of feminism.

Finding Your Way with Your Baby

Dilys Daws, Alexandra De Rementeria

2015

Finding Your Way with Your Baby explores the emotional experience of the baby in the first year, and that of the mother, father and other significant adults. It does so in a way that is deeply informed by psychoanalytic understandings, infant observation, developmental science and decades of clinical experience. Combining the wisdom of many years' work with the freshness of up-to-date knowledge, Dilys Daws and Alexandra de Rementeria engage with the most difficult emotional experiences that are often glossed over in parenting books – such as pregnancy, through birth into bonding, ambivalence about the baby, depression, and the emotional turmoil so often brought to the surface by being a new parent. Acknowledgement and understanding about this darker side of family life offers a sense of relief that can allow parents to harness the power of knowing, owning and sharing feelings to transform situations and break negative cycles and old ways of relating. With real-life examples, references to current thinking and a calm and simple writing style they also provide new insights into the more commonly covered issues such as weaning, sleeping and crying. Finding Your Way with Your Baby is primarily aimed at parents but it will be a helpful resource for all those working with parents and babies including health visitors, midwives, social workers, GPs, paediatricians and childcare workers. It will appeal to parents and professionals who are interested in ideas from psychoanalytic clinical practice and the latest research in developmental psychology and neuroscience.

Father-Daughter Relationships

Linda Nielsen

2012

In this fully revised new edition, Father-Daughter Relationships: Contemporary Research and Issues summarises and analyses the most relevant research regarding father-daughter relationships, aiming to break down the persistent misconceptions regarding fatherhood and father-daughter relationships and encourage the reader to take a more objective and analytical approach. The research is brought to life with compelling personal stories from fathers and daughters, including well-known celebrities and politicians. Boxed quizzes and questionnaires show students how the research can be applied to their own lives while others highlight the relationships between real-life fathers and daughters. Nielsen discusses the father-daughter relationship within a diverse range of family structures, including divorced and separated parents, gay parents, adopted children and children of sperm donors. Covering a wide range of topics, including the father’s impact on his daughter’s cognitive, academic, social and physical wellbeing, ethnic minorities, and incarcerated or abusive fathers, Father-Daughter Relationships: Contemporary Research and Issues gives panoramic view of the most recent research and statistics. This book is essential reading for upper level undergraduate and for graduate students, as well as for practitioners working with families, such as social workers, mental health professionals and family counsellors. It is especially relevant for courses in psychology, sociology, women’s studies, and counselling. Linda Nielsen is a Professor of Adolescent and Educational Psychology at Wake Forest University. A member of the faculty for 35 years, she is a nationally recognized expert on father-daughter relationships.

How Oliver Olson changed the world

Claudia Mills

2009

Afraid he will always be an outsider like ex-planet Pluto, nine-year-old Oliver finally shows his extremely overprotective parents that he is capable of doing great things without their help while his class is studying the solar system.

The parent survival guide

Theresa Kellam

2008

When parents turn to the parenting/self-help section of their local bookstore, they are looking for both practical guidance and a childrearing philosophy that resonates with them - an approach they can relate to and be comfortable implementing in their own household. In The Parent Survival Guide: From Chaos to Harmony in Ten Weeks or Less, Theresa Kellam presents a way to strengthen the relationship with the child that simultaneously promotes the parent's own emotional healing and wellness. Grounded in a research-supported therapeutic technique that uses structured play time as the catalyst for interpersonal connection and growth, Kellam's model is subtle in its simplicity. Through a series of guided exercises, Kellam gives parents the skills they need to begin to set aside special playtimes with their children, during which the most important part of the process is simply "being there" in a way that promotes healing, growth, and communication. The beauty of this approach is that in only 30 minutes, once a week, the results can be seen in only a few weeks. Features of the book include: "Parent Survival Tip" at the start of each chapter Original cartoon illustrations bring text to life Short but insightful workseet questions bring focus to the program The Parent Survival Guide is structured over a series of 10 chapters, which can be read in conjunction with the 10-sessions of the CPRT workshops for those parents enrolled in a formal filial training program. But the material in the book is designed to be read and implemented by anyone. The author is not only a licensed psychologist and filial therapist, but she has also gone through the program with her own son and continues to rely on its principles within her family.

Read to Your Bunny

Rosemary Wells

1997

Brief text and colorful illustrations tell what happens when parents and children share twenty minutes a day reading.

Louder Than Words

Jenny McCarthy

2007

The celebrity author presents an account of her experiences as a mother of an autistic son, describing her efforts to manage the condition's symptoms while sorting through conflicting medical theories.

Family ties

Danielle Steel

1995

From Manhattan to Paris and all the way to Tehran, Danielle Steel weaves a powerfully compelling story that reminds us how challenging and unpredictable life can be—and how the bonds of family hold us together. FAMILY TIES Annie Ferguson was a bright young Manhattan architect with a limitless future—until a single phone call changed the course of her life forever. Overnight, she became the mother to her sister’s three orphaned children, keeping a promise she never regretted making, even if it meant putting her own life indefinitely on hold. Now, at forty-two, still happily single with a satisfying career and a family that means everything to her, Annie is suddenly facing an empty nest. With her nephew and nieces now grown and confronting challenges of their own, she must navigate a parent’s difficult passage between helping and letting go. The eldest, twenty-eight-year-old Liz, an overworked editor in a high-powered job at Vogue, has never allowed any man to come close enough to hurt her. Ted, at twenty-four a serious law student, is captivated by a much older woman with children, who is leading him much further than he wants to go. And the impulsive youngest, twenty-one-year old Katie, is an art student about to make a choice that will lead her to a world she is in no way prepared for but determined to embrace. Then, when least expected, a chance encounter changes Annie’s life again in the most surprising direction of all. . . .

Building resilience in children and teens

Kenneth R. Ginsburg, Martha M. Jablow

2005

Confronting the overwhelming amount of stress kids face today, this invaluable guide offers coping strategies for facing the combined elements of academic performance, high achievement standards, media messages, peer pressure, and family tension. The handbook acknowledges that adolescents commonly survive stress by either indulging in unhealthy behaviors or giving up completely, and its suggested solutions are aimed at strengthening resilience. The proposed plan enables kids from the age of 18 months to 18 years to build the seven crucial "C's"--Competence, confidence, connection, character, co.

The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life, and Achieve Real Happiness

Ichiro Kishimi (Author), Fumitake Koga (Author), Noah Galvin (Narrator), Graeme Malcolm (Narrator), January LaVoy (Narrator), Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher) & 3 more Format: Audible Audiobook

2024

"[This book] demonstrates how to unlock the power within yourself to be the person you truly want to be. Using the theories of Alfred Adler, one of the three giants of twentieth century psychology, The Courage to Be Disliked follows an illuminating conversation between a philosopher and a young man. The philosopher explains to his pupil how each of us is able to determine our own life, free from the shackles of past experiences, doubts, and the expectations of others. It's a way of thinking that is deeply liberating, allowing us to develop the courage to change, and to ignore the limitations that we and other people have placed on us. The result is a book that is both highly accessible and profound in its importance. Millions have already read and benefited from its wisdom. This truly life-changing book will help you declutter your mind of harmful thoughts and attitudes, helping you to make a lasting change, achieve real happiness, and find success"--

Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love

Sue Johnson (Author), Helen Keeley (Narrator), Little, Brown Spark (Publisher) & 0 more Format: Audible Audiobook

2008

Strengthen and deepen your relationships with this "much-needed" (Harville Hendrix, PhD) guide that has sold over one million copies, through revelatory practical exercises, seven profound conversations, and sage advice from “the best couple’s therapist in the world” (John Gottman, PhD, bestselling author) Are you looking to enrich a healthy relationship, revitalize a tired one, or rescue one gone awry? We all want a lifetime of love, support, and companionship. But sometimes we need a little help. Enter Dr. Sue Johnson, developer of Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy and “the most original contributor to couple’s therapy to come along in the last thirty years,” according to Dr. William J. Doherty, PhD. In Hold Me Tight, Dr. Johnson shares her groundbreaking and remarkably successful program for creating stronger, more secure relationships. The message of Hold Me Tight is simple: Forget about learning how to argue better, analyzing your early childhood, making grand romantic gestures, or experimenting with new sexual positions. Instead, get to the emotional underpinnings of your relationship by recognizing that you are emotionally attached to and dependent on your partner in much the same way that a child is on a parent for nurturing, soothing, and protection. Dr. Johnson teaches that the way to enhance or save a relationship is to be open, attuned, and responsive to each other and to reestablish emotional connection. With this in mind, she focuses on key moments in a relationship and uses them as touch points for seven healing conversations, including: Recognizing the Demon Dialogues Finding the Raw Spots Revisiting a Rocky Moment Forgiving Injuries Keeping Your Love Alive These conversations give you insight into the defining moments in your relationship and guide you in reshaping these moments to create a secure and lasting bond. Through stories from Dr. Johnson’s practice, illuminating advice, and practical exercises, you will learn how to nurture, protect, and

Smart Woman's Guide to PMS and Pain-Free Periods

Linda Woolven

2008

An unabashed guide to symptom-free, drug-free periods For the 30 to 40 percent of women afflicted with PMS, traditional medicine can offer no genuine cures, only hormones, anti-depressants, and temporary pain-killers. Offering a practical, easy-to-implement plan for recovery from even the most debilitating forms of PMS, herbalist Linda Woolven outlines a natural powerhouse regimen of herbs, vitamins, minerals, and nutritional changes. A comprehensive guide to every aspect of women's menstrual and sexual health, the book also addresses menopause and osteoporosis. Combining scientific research and clinical experience with clear practical guidelines, this is an essential how-to health book for women of all ages. Linda Woolven (Toronto, ON, Canada) is the author of The Vegetarian Passport Cookbook (978-1-555041-331-1) and Healthy Herbs (978-1-555041-329-8).

The Freedom of Life

Annie Payson Call

1905

Annie Payson Call's "The Freedom of Life" offers a practical philosophy for achieving inner peace and mental well-being by emphasizing the power of conscious thought and disciplined will. The book guides readers toward self-mastery, asserting that true freedom lies not in external circumstances but in cultivating a serene and resilient inner life through consistent self-effort and a positive outlook. Call's enduring insights provide a framework for navigating life's challenges with greater equanimity and purpose, fostering personal growth and sustained happiness.

The Artist's Way: 30th Anniversary Edition

Julia Cameron (Author) Format: Paperback

2002

"Without The Artist's Way, there would have been no Eat, Pray, Love.” —Elizabeth Gilbert A stunning gift edition of the powerful bestselling book on creativity. The Artist’s Way is one of the bestselling gift books of all time. Beautifully packaged with a slipcase and ribbon, this tenth anniversary gift edition is the ideal gift for loved ones engaged in creative lives.

The Next Conversation: Argue Less, Talk More

Jefferson Fisher (Author, Narrator), Penguin Audio (Publisher) Format: Audible Audiobook

From communication expert Jefferson Fisher, the definitive book on making your next conversation the one that changes everything No matter who you’re talking to, The Next Conversation gives you immediately actionable strategies and phrases that will forever change how you communicate. Jefferson Fisher, trial lawyer and one of the leading voices on real-world communication, offers a tried-and-true framework that will show you how to transform your life and your relationships by improving your next conversation. Fisher has gained millions of followers through short, simple, practical videos teaching people how to argue less and talk more. Whether it’s handling a heated conversation, dealing with a difficult personality, or standing your ground with confidence, his down-to-earth teachings have helped countless people navigate life’s toughest situations. Now for the first time, Fisher has distilled his three-part communication system (Say it with control, Say it with confidence, Say it to connect) that can easily be applied to any situation. You will learn: Why you should never “win” an argument How to assert yourself and communicate with intention How to set boundaries and frame conversations Why saying less is often more How to overcome conflict with connection The Next Conversation will give you practical phrases that will lead to powerful results, from breaking down defensiveness in a hard talk with a family member to finding your own assertive voice at the boardroom conference table. Your every word matters, and by controlling how you communicate every day, you will create waves of positive impact that will resonate throughout your relationships to last a lifetime. Everything you want to say, and how you want to say it, can be found in The Next Conversation.

The Highly Sensitive Person: How to Thrive When the World Overwhelms You

Elaine N. Aron Phd

The 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION of the original ground-breaking book on high sensitivity with over 500,000 copies sold. ARE YOU A HIGHLY SENSITIVE PERSON? Do you have a keen imagination and vivid dreams? Is time alone each day as essential to you as food and water? Are you noted for your empathy? Your conscientiousness? Do noise and confusion quickly overwhelm you? If your answers are yes, you may be a highly sensitive person (HSP) and Dr. Elaine Aron’s The Highly Sensitive Person is the life-changing guide you’ll want in your toolbox. Over twenty percent of people have this amazing, innate trait. Maybe you are one of them. A similar percentage is found in over 100 species, because high sensitivity is a survival strategy. It is also a way of life for HSPs. In this 25th anniversary edition of the groundbreaking classic, Dr. Elaine Aron, a research and clinical psychologist as well as an HSP herself, helps you grasp the reality of your wonderful trait, understand your past in the light of it, and make the most of it in your future. Drawing on her many years of study and face-to-face time spent with thousands of HSPs, she explains the changes you will need to make in order to lead a fuller, richer life. Along with a new Author’s Note, the latest scientific research, and a fresh discussion of anti-depressants, this edition of The Highly Sensitive Person is more essential than ever for creating the sense of self-worth and empowerment every HSP deserves and our planet needs. “Elaine Aron has not only validated and scientifically corroborated high sensitivity as a trait—she has given a level of empowerment and understanding to a large group of the planet’s population. I thank Dr. Aron every day for her having brought this awareness to the world.” —Alanis Morissette, artist, activist, teacher

The War of Art

Dr.

Steven Pressfield's "The War of Art" identifies the pervasive internal force, "Resistance," that hinders creative and productive endeavors. The book offers practical strategies and motivational insights for overcoming this self-sabotage. It encourages artists, writers, and entrepreneurs to recognize Resistance's tactics and commit to their work despite its influence.

Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself (Revised and Updated)

Melody Beattie (Author) Format: Paperback

1992

Codependent No More

Make Your Bed: Little Things That Can Change Your Life...And Maybe the World

Admiral William H. McRaven

Admiral William H. McRaven distills the profound impact of seemingly small daily habits, drawn from his experiences as a Navy SEAL, into ten actionable lessons. He argues that mastering these simple acts, like making your bed each morning, builds discipline and resilience, equipping individuals to overcome life's challenges. By embracing these fundamental principles, readers are encouraged to not only improve their own lives but also to contribute positively to the world around them.

Never Split the Difference: Negotiating as if Your Life Depended on It

Robert Greene

This book offers a framework for negotiation derived from the author's experience as a former FBI hostage negotiator. It emphasizes understanding the other party's motivations and emotions through active listening and tactical empathy. The techniques presented aim to uncover hidden desires and leverage them to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes, even in high-stakes situations.

The Mountain Is You: Transforming Self-Sabotage into Self-Mastery

Morgan Housel

This book explores how our ingrained patterns of self-sabotage, often rooted in fear and past experiences, act as formidable obstacles to achieving our goals. It provides practical strategies for recognizing these patterns and reframing our relationship with challenges, ultimately guiding readers toward greater self-awareness and control. The author emphasizes that true mastery comes not from eliminating difficulties, but from learning to navigate them with resilience and intention.