Nonfiction
Human stories & teachings.
Untamed
Glennon Doyle
Glennon Doyle changed my life.
I can't get enough of her, and am often gleaning new insights into the tenets of Untamed through her podcast: "We Can Do Hard Things". She tirelessly champions love and self discovery.
The Emotional Life of Your Brain
Richard J. Davidson
The work that went into this book completely changed the world's understanding of neuroscience. An introduction to neuroplasticity (the ability of the brain to make lasting change) & a gamechanging study with meditating monks inform practical ways to change your emotional brain.
How To Be An Antiracist
Ibram X. Kendi
Kendi weaves personal stories into academic concepts & the statistics most of us need to hear. He also casually beats cancer. This book was a good starting place for me in my reeducation about Black civil rights and the ways racism evolves & goes unseen.
The Body Keeps the Score
Bessel Van Der Kolk
Van Der Kolk's studies of veterans with PTSD & sexual assault victims sheds light on abuse, trauma, and the healing process. His findings are incredibly important for all of us on the road to healing ourselves, helping our loved ones, & doing better by humanity.
The Fact of a Body
Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich
This book absolutely blew my brain. Marzano-Lesnevich takes you all the way through the limits of law, of crime, of empathy. Her personal struggles, relationships, and childhood traumas seem to align with that of the criminal she's writing about at these perfect trigger points. Brilliant, honest, fascinating writing.
Unapologetic
Charlene A. Carruthers
Carruthers studied policy in South Africa and has been on the front lines defending America's most oppressed groups since 2005. She cofounded the Black Youth Project 100 and has worked with some of the most high profile activism/civil rights groups in the nation. Reading her first book gives you an instant snapshot of the paradigms Black, Queer, Feminist activists work to shift and the many obstacles & dangers they face.
The Brain That Changes Itself
Norman Doidge
It's amazing what brains are capable of. Enjoy some of the latest & greatest achievements in neuroplasticity, a newly discovered phenomenon that is changing brain science & showing us what we're truly capable of.
Quit Like A Woman
Holly Whitaker
Whitaker gives you permission to see the fucked-up-ness of the alcohol industry and the patriarchal values around getting sober. As someone who already doesn't drink much, and who questions the constant need to always be drinking in order to have a good time, I found the message clear and resonant.
Naked
David Sedaris
I encourage you to read everything David Sedaris ever wrote, and to go see his readings in person. "Naked" was the first collection of essays I read of his (he now has a dozen or so) and it's the most enduring one for me because it explains his childhood experience with OCD.
Lean In
Sheryl Sandberg
The CFO of Facebook wrote this reflection on the many ways women are held back in the workplace, by outdated societal beliefs in both their peers and themselves. The statistics alone will make you think differently about the lopsided world of tech & business we're all navigating.
The Liars' Club
Mary Karr
A powerful memoir that will lodge lasting images and poetic acceptance in your thoughts far later. Karr is a playful genius at transcribing her hilarious, heartbreaking childhood in a small Texas oil town.
How to Change Your Mind
Michael Pollan
There is no book by Michael Pollan I don't recommend... His writing is so engaging & useful & his research is exhaustive. But "How to Change Your Mind" was the exact book I was ready to read on the power of psychedelic science & ceremony. It pairs with the timely decriminalization of psilocybin in a few states & the funding of new studies helping PTSD & addiction.
