8 Books recommended by Jack Kornfield
Jack Kornfield is a bestselling American author and teacher in the vipassana movement in American Theravada Buddhism. He trained as a Buddhist monk in Thailand, Burma and India, first as a student of the Thai forest master Ajahn Chah and Mahasi Sayadaw of Burma. He has taught meditation worldwide since 1974 and is one of the key teachers to introduce Buddhist mindfulness practices to the West.
Jack Kornfield
Book Recommendations
The Better Angels of Our Nature
The Better Angels of Our Nature
Steven Pinker
PsychologyBelieve it or not, today we may be living in the most peaceful moment in our species' existence. in his gripping and controversial new work, new york times bestselling author steven pinker shows that despite the ceaseless news about war, crime, and terrorism, violence has actually been in decline over long stretches of history. exploding myths about humankind's inherent violence and the curse of modernity, this ambitious book continues pinker's exploration of the essence of human nature, mixing psychology and history to provide a remarkable picture of an increasingly enlightened
“In that way, one of my favorite recent books is called The Better Angels of Our Nature, by Stephen Pinker.”
— Source
The Book of Joy
The Book of Joy
Dalai Lama XIV,Desmond Tutu,Douglas Carlton Abrams
Self-HelpThe occasion was a big birthday. and it inspired two close friends to get together in dharamsala for a talk about something very important to them. the friends were his holiness the dalai lama and archbishop desmond tutu. the subject was joy. both winners of the nobel prize, both great spiritual masters and moral leaders of our time, they are also known for being among the most infectiously happy people on the planet.from the beginning the book was envisioned as a three-layer birthday cake: their own stories and teachings about
“there's a wonderful book that came out last year or the year before called the book of joy, which was a conversation between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Tutu.”
— Source
Be Here Now
Be Here Now
Ram Dass
BodyMind & SpiritDescribes one man's transformation upon his acceptance of the principles of yoga & gives a modern restatement of the importance of the spiritual side of human nature. illustrated.the book is divided into four sections:journey: the transformation: dr richard alpert, phd into baba ram dassfrom bindu to ojas: the core bookcookbook for a sacred life: a manual for conscious beingpainted cakes (do not satisfy hunger): books
“Recommended on Jack Kornfield's website”
— Source
Bury the Chains
Bury the Chains
Adam Hochschild
HistoryFrom the author of the widely acclaimed king leopold's ghost comes the taut, gripping account of one of the most brilliantly organized social justice campaigns in history - the fight to free the slaves of the british empire. in early 1787, twelve men - a printer, a lawyer, a clergyman, and others united by their hatred of slavery - came together in a london printing shop and began the world's first grass-roots movement, battling for the rights of people on another continent. masterfully stoking public opinion, the movement's leaders pioneered
“there's a wonderful book called Bury the Chains”
— Source
The Telomere Effect
The Telomere Effect
Elissa Epel,Elizabeth Blackburn
Have you wondered why some sixty-year-olds look and feel like forty-year-olds and why some forty-year-olds look and feel like sixty-year-olds? while many factors contribute to aging and illness, dr. elizabeth blackburn discovered a biological indicator called telomerase, the enzyme that replenishes telomeres, which protect our genetic heritage. dr. blackburn and dr. elissa epel's research shows that the length and health of one's telomeres are a biological underpinning of the long-hypothesized mind-body connection. they and other scientists have found that changes we can make to our daily habits can protect our
“Recommended on Tom Ferriss' podcast”
— Source
Emotional Intelligence
Emotional Intelligence
Daniel Goleman
Self-HelpEveryone knows that high iq is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until , we could only guess why. daniel goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our "two minds"—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.through vivid examples, goleman delineates the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine our success in relationships, work, and even our physical well-being. what emerges is an entirely new way to talk about being smart. the best
“Recommended on Tom Ferriss' podcast”
— Source
The Water of Life
The Water of Life
Michael Meade
Social ScienceStarting with a new preface that describes the dual nightmares of global terror and global warming, the water of life addresses meaning and purpose in personal life and the need to return culture to its mythic context. meade is a masterful storyteller with a genius for metaphorical thinking; he draws on the power of myths, fairy tales, and his own personal story of descent and transformation during the vietnam war. at once a mythic journey, a study in depth psychology, and a treatise on initiation the water of life addresses
“Recommended on Tom Ferriss' podcast”
— Source
Mind – A Journey to the Heart of Being Human
Mind – A Journey to the Heart of Being Human
Daniel J. Siegel M.D.
What is the mind? what is the experience of the self truly made of? how does the mind differ from the brain? though the mind’s contents—its emotions, thoughts, and memories—are often described, the essence of mind is rarely, if ever, defined.in this book, noted neuropsychiatrist and new york times best-selling author daniel j. siegel, md, uses his characteristic sensitivity and interdisciplinary background to offer a definition of the mind that illuminates the how, what, when, where, and even why of who we are, of what the mind is, and what
“Recommended on Tom Ferriss' podcast”
— Source
