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Her Father Was Diagnosed With Cancer: A Girl’s Act of Kindness Comes Full Circle
Uplifting News

Her Father Was Diagnosed With Cancer: A Girl’s Act of Kindness Comes Full Circle

Growing up, Emily Bhatnagar didn’t have many friends. She was a shy, nervous child who often found herself on the outside. “If I’m being honest,” Emily said, “I don’t think I’ve ever felt ‘enough’ a single day in my life.” But she did have books and a loving family — her two favorite things. She was an avid reader, and her father Mike Bhatnagar was her best friend.That made it all the more devastating when Mike was diagnosed with Stage 4 thyroid cancer. It was another source of anxiety added onto Emily’s already full plate. The teenager kept her head down and tried to juggle school and her job at her family’s food store; but she felt increasingly overwhelmed and more alone than ever. She was so worried about her father that she spent every spare minute she had at his side, running to and from the hospital.“I would tube feed him during my small breaks,” Emily said. “I wanted to spend more time with him just in case anything were to happen. At that point my anxiety was so bad I had to take a break from high school.” She was depressed and had developed a worrying eating disorder. It was time to take back control of her life.Emily put her senior year on hold to focus on her family. Visiting her father day after day, she realized that she was not alone in her sadness. But there was no solace in that. It occurred to Emily that thousands of families must be struggling with the cancer diagnosis of a loved one. Even worse, that loved one might be a child.The Reason Why One Teen Started a Book DrivePhoto by Huỳnh Đạt“I thought, there’s a child out there who’s fighting the same or a similar battle as my dad,” Emily remembered. “Imagine being that young and having to go through that and not understanding it fully. I thought about how terrifying that would be.”And so Emily selflessly put her own fears aside and thought about how she could help children who were struggling with theirs. What would make them happy? What would help them escape their loneliness and fear? For Emily, the answer was obvious: books. “They kept me company [when I was young] and I became so immersed in them. It felt like I was less lonely.” So she started a book drive, calling it For Love and Buttercup. Emily says that buttercup flowers represent all that is “pure and innocent and happy in the world.” Those were the exact three things that she hoped that kids undergoing cancer treatment would be able to find their way back to.That summer, she started locally and asked neighbors to donate books for children of all ages. The response was overwhelming — in a good way, this time. Emily and her brother drove around town picking up books…and did so again and again and again. Eventually, Emily created an Amazon Wishlist so that people from anywhere could donate books to the cause and have them shipped directly to Emily.Several years later, For Love and Buttercup is still going strong, so strong in fact that Emily is working on creating a proper nonprofit organization. So far, she’s been able to donate over 15,000 books to hospitals in the Washington, DC area where she lives. She still thinks about the kids she’s met on these book drops every day.How One Girl’s Book Drive Helped Children Feel Less AloneIn the winter of 2021, Emily walked back through the halls of MedStar Georgetown University, where her father was treated for cancer. This time, though, it wasn’t to visit her father but rather to bring books. It felt good, Emily remembered. “Full circle,” she called it.Emily’s father Mike isn’t in the hospital anymore. Much to the joy of everyone who knows him, Mike recovered from his thyroid cancer. Although he lost his ability to speak, he doesn’t need his voice in order to be able to communicate with his daughter. The two spend lots of time together delivering books.“He helps me lift up the boxes,” Emily smiled. “It’s just really heartwarming to see everything and see his reaction. It’s probably one of the most special parts of the book drive.”In an email to Today.com, Mike wrote: “I have never seen such warmth and kindness from people as I have during these past few months during Emily’s book drive. I have learned that people have a great capacity to show love to others.” He couldn’t be more proud of his daughter and how far she’s come from the quiet, insecure little girl she used to be.“The first time I gave believing in myself a try,” Emily admitted, “the book drive happened, and it’s one of the most precious things to have ever happened to me.”Indeed, it’s one of the most beautiful things to happen to a lot of people.

22 Success Books to Help You Get More Out of Life
Motivation

22 Success Books to Help You Get More Out of Life

Ask anybody about what they want from life and you’re likely to hear about improvements they want to make, goals to tackle, and dreams to reach. Ultimately, we’re all seeking success. Whether we focus on our relationships, job, academics, physical fitness, diet, home, athletic endeavors, kids, artistic pursuits, or something else entirely, many of us are focused on doing our best, taking on new challenges, and reaching our potential. But what’s the best way to do it? There are many strategies people use to boost success. These might include such things as using the pomodoro technique, creating to-do lists, brainstorming, making resolutions, hiring a coach, seeking out a mentor, or tapping into your willpower. Another great way to find the motivation and skills you need to reach your aspirations and live your life to the fullest is to read an inspiring—and helpful—success book.However, with thousands of personal development books about success on the market, it can be a real challenge to pick the right New York Times bestselling author. So, how do you find the success book that will help you live the life of your dreams? We’re here to help with this comprehensive guide to the best books for success. Simply read through our picks of books about being successful to find the one that will teach you a valuable lesson or two. Success books for a successful life If you are looking for a book about being successful, it can get overwhelming really fast, as there are just so many options out there. We’ve taken the guesswork out of the equation by curating the best of the best. Any of these options is sure to give you the knowledge and encouragement you’re seeking. Of course, we have a separate list of motivational books here. Some books offer general advice on how to achieve extraordinary success in just about any realm of life. Others hone in on one particular area, such as how to grow rich, how to succeed in business, how to find personal freedom or professional success, or how to improve your romantic and other interpersonal relationships. The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple HabitMel Robbins’ The High 5 Habit: Take Control of Your Life with One Simple Habit offers the simple but brilliant guidance to become your own cheerleader. “It’s time to cheer for yourself” is the crux of this bestselling book. While the author’s previous book, The 5 Second Rule, showed readers how to refuel their personal motivation, this success book teaches you how to put the same encouragement and love into yourself that you’re probably already doing for everybody else you know. The High 5 Habit helps you learn to ignore your self-doubt and self-criticism and instead, tap in to your potential, successes, and what’s going right.Choose to Win: Transform Your Life, One Simple Choice at a TimeChoose to Win: Transform Your Life, One Simple Choice at a Time, by Tom Ziglar, hinges on the belief that each singular choice will add up to big successes as long as each choice is the right one for you. So, you focus on these small incremental changes and decisions in order to work toward achieving your dreams. Ziglar shares the lessons he learned by overcoming his own personal challenges, ultimately creating a path toward success that anyone can follow.Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!, by Robert Kiyosaki, is heralded by many as one of the best personal finance books of all time. (Patrick McMullan / Contributor / Getty)It teaches you all you need to know about money, sharing the secrets only the rich usually know. Beyond that, the book goes into the transformative power behind how you think about money and investing, too. It also brings home the point that you don’t need to be rich in order to make a lot of money—and explains how to shift from working for your paycheck to getting your money to work for you.Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad OnesAtomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones, by James Clear, gives you a step-by-step approach to overhauling your habits to ensure success. The beauty of this book is that it’s message—and the tools to bring its lessons to life—are applicable in just about any situation. So, you can apply the guidance from Atomic Habits to reach your goals in all areas of your professional and personal life, from losing weight or quitting smoking to improving your marriage or springboarding your company to the next level.The Magic of Thinking BigThe Magic of Thinking Big, by David J. Schwartz, operates under the “go big or go home” principle. Schwartz argues that thinking like a success breeds success. The book details how to build your self-confidence, positivity, and big thinking in order to capitalize on the success within you. The lessons of this book are applicable to helping you achieve your goals for your job, your marriage, your family, your friends, and really every other aspect of your life. Forbes magazine has called this one of the best self-help success books on the market.Good to GreatAs this success book’s title suggests, Jim Collins’ Good to Great explains how to go from doing okay or just fine to doing really phenomenally great. Collins offers key insights and practical suggestions on how to elevate your success in business to jump from an ordinary company to one of the greats. He evaluated how 28 companies excelled over multiple decades to create a blueprint to success that any company (or person) can follow with ease and great results.You are a Badass You are a Badass, by Jen Sincero, tells you how to silence your inner critic and listen to your inner badass instead. Sincero believes that the key to success is tuning into the parts of yourself that are ready to take on your goals. The award-winning personal development author helps you notice and nix the self-defeating thoughts, fears, and behaviors that are keeping you from success in all areas of your life.How to Win Friends and Influence PeopleLike the title of this book promises, How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie teaches you how to maximize your interpersonal relationships. Carnegie’s classic self-help success book offers key insights into making friends in business and your personal life—and tells you how to cultivate success from those relationships.Imagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity, and the Power of ChangeImagine It Forward: Courage, Creativity, and the Power of Change, by Beth Comstock with Tahl Raz, offers a deeply personal—but also practical—look at how to reinvent yourself and bring success your way. Self-permission, self-discovery, innovation, and storycraft create the framework for building a new mindset and “operating system” that will allow you to conquer your goals.The 7 Habits of Highly Effective PeopleStephen R. Covey’s classic success tome, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, breaks down the top practices and strategies of highly successful people so that you can learn to embody these habits. No matter what your end goals are, this book will teach you how to get more organized, productive, and effective.Creating Business Magic: How the Power of Magic Can Inspire, Innovate, and Revolutionize Your BusinessCreating Business Magic: How the Power of Magic Can Inspire, Innovate, and Revolutionize Your Business, by David Morey, Eugene Burger, and John E. McLaughlin, shares how thinking like a magician can help you find success. Innovation, creativity, cleverness, quickness, and showmanship, these are all qualities of magic that can also translate into creating a successful business and life.Peak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive With the New Science of SuccessPeak Performance: Elevate Your Game, Avoid Burnout, and Thrive With the New Science of Success, by Brad Stulberg and Steve Magness, offers practical suggestions on how to achieve and sustain success. The book's lessons are taught through uplifting and motivating stories about real world top performers, so you can see the principles and tips in action. And be inspired to implement these peak performance skills in your own life.Invaluable: Master the 10 Skills You Need to Skyrocket Your CareerInvaluable: Master the 10 Skills You Need to Skyrocket Your Career, by Maya Grossman, details, in 10 steps, how to become an invaluable employee. Believing in yourself, setting yourself apart, and effective communication are key to making yourself indispensable—and setting yourself apart. Lots of relatable anecdotes help you understand how to put each strategy to use in the real world.The Power of Positive ThinkingDr. Normal Vincent Peale’s The Power of Positive Thinking is based on the simple but profound premise that the secret to success—and really to everything—is simply believing in yourself and having a positive frame of mind. The compound effect of continual optimism feeds each new success, making the next one even more likely. And makes life much more enjoyable.Black Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth About SuccessBlack Box Thinking: The Surprising Truth About Success, by Matthew Syed, takes the view that failure (and learning from mistakes) is the pathway to success. Embracing and learning from mistakes is at the heart of this book. According to Syed, “Only by redefining failure will we unleash progress, creativity, and resilience.” Thinking Fast and Slow The book Thinking Fast and Slow, by Daniel Kahneman, breaks down our thoughts into two types of thinking—fast and slow. Fast thinking is made up of the reactive, emotional, and intuitive mindset, while the slow is more rational, practical, and logical. This book explains how to maximize these two ways of thinking for optimal success. Strategies include how to more effectively frame choices and understand loss aversion so that you can go after your goals.The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your SuccessDarren Hardy’s The Compound Effect: Jumpstart Your Income, Your Life, Your Success explains how small decisions and tiny changes can snowball into huge successes. Hardy offers a step-by-step primer on how to use these daily choices to bring about the life and achievements you’re after.Outliers: The Story of Success(Brad Barket / Stringer / Getty)Outliers: The Story of Success, by Malcolm Gladwell, chronicles the lives—and success secrets—of some of the world’s most successful people. Gladwell, who also wrote the bestselling The Tipping Point and Blink, looks for answers in what these high achievers have in common. Often he finds usual, innovative thinking or what he calls an outlier way of being. He then breaks down how to find success and offers guidance for those that would like to follow in their footsteps.The Winner WithinBasketball legend Pat Riley teaches you how to unleash your inner champion in The Winner Within. One of the NBA's winningest coaches, Riley shares how to succeed on and off the court in this wildly successful book about learning to challenge yourself and shine your brightest self. Riley breaks down how to strive for—and achieve—excellence in whatever it is you are going after.Unlimited Power: the New Science of Personal AchievementIn Unlimited Power: the New Science of Personal Achievement, author Anthony Robbins explains his belief in the awesome power of transforming your thoughts and attitude—and also dives in to the science that backs up his claims. The book also focuses on the benefits of truly knowing exactly what you want to achieve. Success Is for You: 25 Rules to Manage Money and Life With SuccessSuccess Is for You: 25 Rules to Manage Money and Life With Success, by Faith F. Blake, tackles the important role that having the right mindset and optimism plays in managing your finances and finding success. Blake offers 25 guidelines to help you get your money—and your life—on track.The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That LastsElevate your romantic relationships with Gary Chapman’s bestselling The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts. The hugely popular relationship success book translates the inner languages of love to help you relate more effectively and with more satisfaction. Ultimately, its transformative wisdom helps you unlock the key to understanding yourself—and your partner—so that you can connect on a whole new level. Key takeawaysWhether it’s learning a new philosophy for success or building small habits into your life to change it for the better, a self help book can also do great things for you. Choose one that highlights successful careers, or pathways to financial freedom. If you know what knowledge you’re looking for, you’ll be more likely to find it. Once you make your pick, set aside time to not only read your book about success principles but also to really think about what it says. Finally, use the secrets to success that you learn to go after your dreams. Remember, the hardest part is usually about believing in yourself and just getting started. The difference between those that succeed and those that don’t often really is simply about taking that first step—and sticking with it. Once you get going, you’ll be unstoppable. (Claudiu Maxim / EyeEm / Getty)Didn’t find what you need? Maybe you’ll find something great in our list of motivational books for women.

8 of the Best Manifestation Books
Mindset

8 of the Best Manifestation Books

You can spend a lifetime wanting things. Or, from another perspective, you can spend a lifetime wanting things to be different. But until you create the conditions to ‘get, change, and achieve’ things in your life, that desire will not convert into a ‘have, changed, or achieved.’The good news is that the path to change and achievement does indeed start with want. As long as the next steps are a change of mentality, emotional focus, and redirected energy, you will be on your way toward getting what you want - maybe even your dream life! Why? Because with the conditions of a mind prepared for and open to success, and a heart committed to goals the mind has fixed, there’s really nothing that can stop you. That’s because these are the conditions for manifestation. Quite simply, when you become a person ready for and committed to getting the things you want and need out of life, they manifest as if of themselves. This is true for finding a more fulfilling life, to attract wealth and make more money, or finding your own way in the world. In reality, these things appear because you make them so.What is manifesting?When we say manifesting, here’s what we mean when it’s boiled down to the most basic form: Manifestation is achieving things in life thanks to the energy you exert, the self-esteem you feel, and the attraction to you that these qualities create in others. It can be an inspiring spiritual journey, or a way to transform fear into the fuel you need to move forward. It can be a “master key system” that doesn't just prepare you for your future, but that also helps you live more fully in the present moment.Someone who manages to fully manifest is someone not with a set of goals, but with a set of plans, and plans that are in action, no less. It is someone who exudes self-confidence yet without arrogance, for anyone with true self-worth need not show off. Quotes on manifesting and positive thinkingManifesting is doing, not wanting or wishing, in other words. A few quotes about manifesting can help you grasp the concept more fully and more quickly, so let’s share a few:“Destiny is not a matter of chance; it is a matter of choice.” – William Jennings Bryan“Take the first step in faith. You don’t have to see the whole staircase. Just take the first step.” – Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.(Don Uhrbrock / Contributor / Getty)“Beware of what you set your heart upon, for it shall surely be yours.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson Now here’s the thing: a quote about manifesting can help you understand the importance of it and make manifestation a goal, but a book (or nine books) can help make manifestation a physical reality.Laws of attractionThe reason you so often hear about manifestation and the so-called Law of Attraction associated with one another is that they are, in a sense, inseparable. While the Law of Attraction is a precept of the pseudoscientific, pseudo-spiritual New Thought movement, it need not be debunked, merely interpreted. The Law of Attraction essentially states that positive thinking and action lead one to getting the desired results in life. That’s a distillation of a larger concept, of course. There are plenty of Law of Attraction books. But the idea that getting your head in the right place will help you get the things you want – or at least increase the chances of such happening – is anything but bunk. Indeed it is correct. And that, from another point of view, is manifestation: it’s living the life one wants because one makes the choices and takes the actions to do so.And yes, it’s easier said than done. And easier read than done, too, but reading manifestation books is a good step toward taking control of your very destiny. Which sounds dramatic because… it is.Manifest yourself and you manifest your destinyIn many ways, your manifestation journey is simply about taking as much control as possible over your own life, and creating your own reality. While family, friends, and colleagues can (and of course should) support one another and add joy and positivity to each other's lives, in the end, personal happiness is a matter of personal responsibility. And happiness is generally achieved following personal growth. Reduce your negative thinkingIf you can curtail negative thinking, increase your positive thinking, and work toward making life goals into life realities, then you shape your own destiny rather than simply making your way in life. In other words, you live your best life by being the best version of yourself. And remember, living your best life is what manifesting is all about.Fortunately, you do have the chance to read what each book teaches. You can grow and improve, so if you are wondering how to manifest into your best self, then you are about to fill your queue with the perfect reading material. Just remember, there is no complete How-To book that answers all questions. So review a few of these, and find the advice that works best for you. Open your eyes to the power of manifesting with these manifestation booksDo you absolutely need to read manifestation books in order to self-manifest? No, you don’t. Neither do you need to get a degree studying geology if you want to be a geologist. You could just wander out into the forests or deserts or canyons and spend a few decades studying all the rocks you found. But wouldn’t it make more sense to instead spend a much shorter period learning from experts in the subject? Just like those that read Think and Grow Rich, by Napoleon Hill, you can use the books here to add enormous amounts of wisdom. The manifestation books here – from law of attraction books to works focused on healthy relationships to books centered on manifestation techniques – are a quicker, steadier path toward unlocking your subconscious mind, seeing the power your thoughts create, and taking the helm of your own life.Here are eight manifestation books to consider.The Game of Life and How to Play It - Florence Scovel ShinnThis book was first published in 1925, and it was most recently published within the past decade. Let that sink in: nearly one hundred years on, this book remains relevant and actionable enough that publishers keep creating new runs of it. It does that by being one of the finest examples of so-called “prosperity literature” ever written, and it is written with an infectious sense of positivity (and often humor) that still resonates today. Shinn believed life is a long round of giving and receiving, and when you give off what today might be called good vibes, you get back good things.How the Secret Changed My Life – Rhonda Byrne(David A. Walega / Contributor / Getty)Reading this book can make you feel less alone on your path toward mastering the method of the Law of Attraction and manifesting things in your life. That’s because it is a collection of stories – all nonfiction, of course – of people who had their lives profoundly changed by the profound book The Secret. So in reading this book, you will see manifestation made, well, manifest. Also, consider the audio book on this one, as Byrne narrates her own work well.Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires - Esther Hicks(Abraham-Hicks Publications)Now for the record, this book leans heavily into spiritual and into some areas many people might find a bit too unusual to be actionable, such as the underpinning that wisdom and insight come down to us from a cohort of non-physical entities that Hicks collectively refers to as Abraham. Abraham has, in Hicks’ mind and writing, infinite wisdom and intelligence, and in the right mindset, we can tap into it and improve for so doing. Which sounds a bit odd because it is a bit odd when measured against the mainstream. Still, taken with a grain of salt, the book can unlock new ways of thinking about life.Good Vibes, Good Life: How Self-Love Is the Key to Unlocking Your Greatness – Vex King(Twitter)It’s all right there in the subtitle, really: “How Self-Love Is the Key to Unlocking Your Greatness.” But let’s unpack that a bit anyway. Without self-love, you really can’t have self-esteem, and without self-esteem, motivation is no easy feat. And of course without motivation, achievement is pretty much not possible. So how to get that self-love? The author describes it in many different ways, but the most important take away you will get from Good Vibes, Good Life is the feeling that you are worthy of self-love. And rightly so. The book achieves this aim not just through a lot of aphorisms and put-ups, but with action steps you can use, such as self-care routine suggestions, guidance to understanding your emotions, and tips for finding that all-important positivity.Super Attractor: Methods for Manifesting a Life beyond Your Wildest Dreams – Gabrielle Bernstein(Instagram)If you are looking for a very relatable and easy read all about how to achieve success and reach for the infinite possibilities in your life, then this is your book. And that’s not to denigrate the book by saying it’s an easy read, for it is entirely of substance, it is simply written in such a way that the pages keep turning and the insight keeps flowing. Bernstein’s central assertion is that locked within all of is already a “super attractor,” a being that will bring the good and desired things to itself, if said being can merely start exuding their best. It’s a comforting book in many ways, and one that may help you worry less, feel less stressed, and achieve more even as you relax and take a calmer calm approach to life. Bernstein will be your highly relatable manifestation coach.The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment – Eckhart Tolle(Yashoda / Contributor / Getty)If you’re on the fence about whether books about manifestation are right for you but you know you want to make some positive changes in your life, then ask yourself this question: do you consider yourself spiritual? Or at least open to spirituality? If so, then this is your book – you and millions of other people, as it happens. While not intentionally a book about the Law of Attraction or manifesting or any of it, indeed Tolle’s celebrated book is all about removing self-made barriers to achievement and fulfillment, and that can start for you when you read the relatively brief book yourself.Infinite Possibilities: The Art of Living Your Dreams – Mike Dooley(Twitter)In terms about as direct and understandable as you can get, Dooley explains in this book how it really is all up to you: there are indeed a great many possibilities in life, but only if you take advantage of them. Otherwise, life is just a long series of unrealized potential. Dooley is motivating but without pressure, more with support and encouragement. He wants you to believe that you are powerful, capable, and destined to achieve great things, because he genuinely believes that if you genuinely believe all that, then it becomes the truth.Dear Universe: 200 Mini-Meditations for Instant Manifestations – Sarah ProutSo, you’re intent on achieving manifestations in your life but right now your life is just too busy to really get to work on it? Well every little step you take is a step in the right direction, and with this book, you can take little steps a few at a time. Its short chapters are broken down into sections purposefully designed not to necessitate a cover-to-cover read – not in order, anyway. You can pick through and read what you need to help you in that moment – Prout’s words and wisdom will be there for you in small doses as needed. Of course you can just read the whole thing, too.

7 of the Best Books on Intermittent Fasting
Diet & Exercise

7 of the Best Books on Intermittent Fasting

Engaging in periods of fasting has deep historical roots. People fast for numerous reasons, including weight loss, scarcity of food, or religious fervor. But over the past decade, intermittent fasting has become an uber-popular dieting trend. A-list celebrities from Gisele Bündchen and Jennifer Aniston to Reese Witherspoon and Halle Berry swear by the on-again, off-again eating plan. And there’s lots of science to back up many of its claims. For the most part, an intermittent fasting plan includes diets that are usually simple to follow, however, there are numerous fast plan structures you could use. There are also many different ways to incorporate intermittent fasting into a healthy lifestyle. So, the real challenge, if you seek to adopt an intermittent fasting practice, is to choose the fasting diet that fits with your health, wellness, and weight loss goals. This is where books on intermittent fasting can really help.There are a number of excellent intermittent fasting books that can illuminate the methodology behind fasting and teach you how to tailor the practice to your needs. Here, we provide an overview of intermittent fasting, explain the pros and cons of this dieting approach, and review the 7 best books on intermittent fasting to help you find the right one.How to lose weight: 7 books on intermittent fastingThere are scores of diet books out there—and dozens more specifically detailing various intermittent diet plans. Some offer a complete guide to the vast intermittent fasting world, while others hone in on specific intermittent fasting approaches. There are a variety of goals an intermittent fasting book may address, such as weight loss, maintaining a healthy weight, improving mental health, slowing aging, or achieving a healthy lifestyle. Other books devote their pages to exploring the science behind intermittent fasting. So, picking the optimal fasting book that addresses your needs is key. This is especially important as you are much more likely to stick to the fasting diet you choose if the plan resonates with you. Below, we review the best books on intermittent fasting. But before we delve into that, let’s review exactly what an extended fasting diet is as well as the benefits of embracing an intermittent fasting lifestyle. What is intermittent fasting, and can it help with weight loss?(shironosov / Getty)Intermittent fasting is a way of eating that incorporates periods of fasting into your daily eating plan. This approach to eating basically involves withholding food for specific time periods. Various fasting plans (and the intermittent fasting books explaining them) each look a bit different, with some offering a complete guide to fasting, while others are tailored to a specific approach. This vast range of approaches to the fasting lifestyle suit different needs, such as intermittent fasting for beginners and intermittent fasting for women. Additionally, some fasting plans will focus on achieving aims like permanent weight loss, intuitive fasting, fasting-mimicking, or how to stay healthy. Others offer meal plans or explore the science behind intermittent fasting as well.However, essentially, those embarking on the intermittent fasting world will be restricted from eating for various stretches of time. For example, you might have set times of extended fasting within each day, alternative days, or every few days. Or you may have periods of restricted calories. In this case, rather than not eating, you are counting your calories to ensure you only consume the allotted amount during proscribed times each day.Types of Fasting DietsWhile the vast intermittent fasting world includes a multitude of ways to utilize this trend, there are several common methods. One of the most popular approaches is to limit the hours you can eat to specific times each day. This can be more or less restrictive. One version is the overnight fasting plan which calls for a 12 hour fast each night, with normal eating allowed during the other 12 hours. A more extreme alternative is called the 16:8 method. In this approach, dieters can eat for 8 hours a day and must not eat for the remaining 16. You may also tweak this method by making your eating window a bit shorter or longer, depending on your preferences.Another well-known approach is 5:2 fasting. With this type of fast diet, you follow an unrestricted diet for five days each week, but drastically restrict your eating on the other two days to just 500 to 600 calories per day. Note that you can also adjust this (and any other) fast diet parameter to suit your health and weight loss goals. So, for instance, you might restrict your daily intake on your two fasting days to 800 to 1000 calories per day, as needed or desired.Other intermittent fasting diet options include having one or two 24-hour fasts per week or only eating one meal per day. Additionally, some intermittent fasters alternate days of fasting (or restricted eating) with days of typical eating.Benefits of Intermittent FastingThe science behind intermittent fasting is somewhat divided. However, a variety of studies conclude that, when followed in a healthy manner, intermittent fasting meal plans can provide a wealth of health benefits. In fact, according to scientists at Harvard University and other prestigious research universities, fasting diets can provide both physical and mental health benefits. The key is that fast diets need to be used with care and only should be used by healthy individuals. Overuse can lead to malnutrition and other health problems. But when used appropriately (this is where a book can be helpful), fast diets offer a range of possible benefits. Some studies show that intermittent fasting may:Boost your metabolismEnhance cognitive function and focusFoster intuitive eating (with periods of intuitive fasting)Help you lose weightImprove mental health(Oscar Wong / Getty)Prevent weight gainPromote a healthy lifestyleProvide some protection against various diseases, such as type 2 diabetes, some types of cancer, and heart diseaseReduce the need to count calories or restrict food choicesAdditionally, many proponents of the intermittent fasting lifestyle, enjoy the simplicity of many of these eating plans. Instead of worrying about what to eat, you only need to remember when to fast. Often dieters can still lose weight, while eating whatever foods they like on their non-restricted days or time periods. The secret is that by limiting your window for eating, you’re likely to consume less calories over the course of a day, whether you’re eating french fries or an egg white omelette.Why should I get an intermittent fasting book?Books on intermittent fasting offer a complete guide to this approach to eating. Many offer specific meal plans as well as all the answers to common questions that may come up as a dieter follows a specific fasting method. Additionally, many books provide information on the science behind intermittent fasting. Essentially, getting an intermittent fasting book will explain how fasting works and give you a detailed playbook on how to properly follow the fast diet promoted by its author.How to choose a book on intermittent fastingThe best way to choose an intermittent fasting book is to pick one that aligns with your health and fitness goals, beliefs, and lifestyle. So, if you’re new to the intermittent fasting lifestyle, choose a book for intermittent fasting beginners. If your goal is permanent weight loss, select one geared toward losing weight—and keeping it off. If you hate counting calories, pick one that only restricts when you can eat, not how much.Additionally, you’ll want to pick a book that simply appeals to you. This may mean that its core philosophy just speaks to you in some way. Or that the way it’s structured fits in well with your lifestyle.Make sure intermittent fasting is healthy for youFor many people, fast diets can be a part of a healthy lifestyle. However, they are not safe for everyone. Some people should not try intermittent fasting due to various health concerns that make this eating plan unwise. Avoid Intermittent fasting if you have an eating disorder, as fasting can compound these issues. Likewise, fast diets are contraindicated for those with chronic health conditions like diabetes. Generally, people who are pregnant or breastfeeding, children, and young adults who are still growing should also not fast, as restricting their caloric intake can be dangerous and impede their body’s ability to function and develop optimally.(The Good Brigade / Getty)The bottomline is that it’s a good idea to consult your doctor to make sure intermittent fasting (and the version you are considering trying) is a good fit for you.Best books on intermittent fastingWhile there are many great intermittent fasting books, there are several that really stand out. Here is our complete guide to the best books about the intermittent fasting practice.Delay, Don’t DenyGin Stephens’ best-selling “Delay, Don’t Deny: Living an Intermittent Fasting Lifestyle'' focuses on limiting the hours when you can eat, rather than having you count calories or eliminate favorite foods. This book is ideal for people who want to lose weight without restricting the types of foods they eat. This approach changes when you can eat instead of altering the meals themselves. The book explores the science behind intermittent fasting and also offers a variety of ways to adjust the plan to suit your needs. Stephens’ method also shines in its simplicity—all you really need to remember is when you can and can not eat.The Complete Guide to Fasting“The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting,” by Dr. Jason Fung, MD, delivers on its promise of providing a complete guide to the fasting lifestyle. Dr. Fung offers a full range of fasting diet approaches that can be used for a variety of purposes from maintaining a healthy weight or losing weight to simplifying your eating plan, improving health, or boosting your body image. The author explains the difference between starving and fasting and gives you all the tools you need to use fast diets to reach your health and fitness goals. Fast. Feast. Repeat.“Fast. Feast. Repeat.: The Comprehensive Guide to Delay, Don't Deny Intermittent Fasting” is another book by “Delay, Don’t Deny” author Gin Stephens. In this book, she offers an even more detailed guide to her method. It also includes a jumpstart program, “28-Day FAST Start,” which promises: “Change when you eat and change your body, your health, and your life!”Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50If you’re a woman over 50, try “Intermittent Fasting for Women Over 50: The Fuss-Free Program for Losing Weight. Discover 300 Easy-to-Prepare Recipes.” This fasting lifestyle guide for older women by Anna Evans offers everything from recipes and healthy living advice to information on the best ways to detox and speed up your metabolism. Its comprehensive approach considers the whole woman—and how being over 50 impacts health and eating. The book succeeds by helping women get the weight loss results they want without feeling like they’re on a restrictive diet.Intermittent Fasting Diet Guide and CookbookBecky Gillaspy’s “Intermittent Fasting Diet Guide and Cookbook: A Complete Guide to 16:8” explains the basics of the popular 16:8 fasting plan. The 16:8 plan springs from the idea of simply extending your nightly fast to 16 hours, while also eating what you like during the rest of the day. Still Gillaspy also points out that even more health and weight loss benefits come to those who don’t overindulge during their hours of eating. The beauty of this book is that it also offers a swath of healthy and delicious recipes to enjoy when you’re not fasting.The Wiggle FactorIn Cody Smith’s “The Wiggle Factor: Intermittent Fasting and Dieting Made Easy,” you can learn how to make the fasting lifestyle your go-to eating habit. The book offers easy-to-understand explanations, guidelines, and rules to help you adopt the fast plan diet and timing that will work best for you. Smith breaks down the science of fasting to make sense of how the practice impacts our metabolism, body weight, and overall health. The author also shares foods to avoid and what to eat during your eating window.The Longevity DietThe fasting-mimicking diet detailed in this book was developed by cell biologist and biogerontologist professor Valter Longo, PhD. A prominent researcher on how to extend life, Longo’s “The Longevity Diet: Discover the New Science Behind Stem Cell Activism and Regeneration to Slow Aging, Fight Disease, and Optimize Weight” explains how fasting can help keep you young. The book is less focused on losing weight than it is about combating aging, but it also offers effective tips for achieving and maintaining a healthy body weight.Key takeawaysWhile intermittent fasting is not for everyone, many people find that fast diets can be a sustainable way to recharge metabolism, simplify dieting, and maintain or lose weight. In fact, one of the big pluses of these diet plans is that they are much simpler to follow than traditional diets. Even better, simply you cut down on the hours you can eat rather than depriving yourself of specific foods. (Getty)If you’re interested in giving a fasting diet a try, consider getting one of the best intermittent fasting books detailed above. Reading one of these fasting books will immerse you in the fasting lifestyle. The best of them give you a deep dive into the science of fasting and the nitty-gritty of each specific plan—providing all the information you need to stick with it.

Self-Esteem Books: The Best Books for Boosting Self Esteem
Self-Development

Self-Esteem Books: The Best Books for Boosting Self Esteem

Maintaining healthy self-esteem leads to a more fulfilling life. When you’re down on yourself and feeling an overall lack of confidence, you might perform poorly at work, start turning down invites from friends, withdraw from your partner, or adopt a more negative attitude in general. Being a part of the self esteem movement can help you avoid that.Self acceptance isn’t a lofty goal that some people are just born with, it’s a skill that you can work on in those seasons when those low self esteem feelings creep in. One of the best ways to practice healthy self esteem—or help yourself in overcoming the confidence gap so often associated with low self esteem—is to read books that can inspire you toward improving your self image and your overall confidence.Besides this list of the best self help books, we recommend you explore that comprehensive guide to self esteem. Whether you need assistance with practicing self understanding, regaining positive thinking, finding opportunities for self care or overcoming self doubt, there’s a self esteem-boosting book on this list that will help you get to where you want to be. Why is self-esteem so important?Self esteem is the foundation for your emotional self. When you feel confident, your positive attitude radiates and influences those around you, making your relationships stronger and healthier. On the flip side, self esteem issues can cause you to lack confidence in yourself. You might doubt your ability to make solid decisions. You might act out toward others. You might even slip into depression or get tangled up in anxiety.A healthy self esteem is the basis for valuing yourself and knowing your worth in romantic relationships, in the workplace and within your family unit. Without this confidence, you might feel lost and unfilled. When you believe in yourself, you not only feel proud of who you are but you continually strive for getting the most out of life. That’s why maintaining self confidence and working to overcome low self esteem is critical for a happier, healthier existence overall. Best self esteem books for adultsThe following self esteem books are geared toward adults who need help in overcoming low self esteem and other self esteem issues. Some are straight psychology self-help books that are more traditional in their approach. (Westend61 / Getty)Others are narratives that will inspire you to build self esteem by hearing someone else’s story. The descriptions of each book will help you further understand which of these self esteem books would be the right choice for you. The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are by Brené BrownWritten by esteemed shame research professor Brené Brown’s, this New York Times bestseller was named one of the "Five Books That Will Actually Change Your Outlook On Life" by Forbes magazine. In this self esteem book, Brown outlines “ten guideposts” that can help you establish a life that’s imperfectly yours by overcoming low self esteem, finding ways to embrace change and creating self compassion. As you work through each chapter, you’ll be presented with interactive prompts to help you grow and shift your perspective on yourself. Untamed by Glennon DoyleThis memoir might not be a traditional self esteem book but the story that author Glennon Doyle tells within its pages can inspire readers to “untame themselves” from what’s holding them back in life, from low self image to other people’s expectations. By inspiring women in particular to bring their whole selves to the table of life—with honesty, not apology—this self love manifesto is a must-read for anyone who’s feeling stuck within their own lives. Speaking of self love, take a look at our self love quotes to help you stay empowered.Welcome Home: A Guide to Building a Home for Your Soul by Najwa ZebianIf you prefer metaphorical self help books, this guide by Najwa Zebian will be an excellent choice for finding self love and fulfillment. In this book, Zebian guides readers on how to build various “rooms” within the house that is you: self-love, forgiveness, compassion, clarity, surrender and the dream garden, which is where you nurture your goals. With meditation and journaling prompts, this book provides a more spiritual path for finding self acceptance and overcoming low self esteem. What’s Right With Me: Positive Ways to Celebrate Your Strengths, Build Self-Esteem, and Reach Your Potential by Carlene DeRoo and Carolyn DeRooWritten by Carlene DeRoo, PhD, a psychologist specializing in pain management and mind-body connections, and her daughter, Carolyn, this book focuses on bolstering self confidence by narrowing in on your strengths and successes. Part self esteem self help book, part self esteem workbook, this book option gives you practical exercises and prompts to follow, if you so choose, in an effort to assist you in reframing and overcoming negative self talk. The Six Pillars of Self-Esteem: by Nathaniel BrandenSelf esteem author Nathaniel Branden is a leader in the self help category for his many books on how to improve self worth. Braden’s book explains that high self esteem can lead to personal happiness and achievement in life in general. His pillars of self esteem are action-based practices that readers can incorporate into their daily lives within the culture at large, their relationships, their workplace and in their parenting. Healing Your Emotional Self: A Powerful Program to Help You Raise Your Self-Esteem, Quiet Your Inner Critic, and Overcome Your Shame by Beverly EngelFor those who are plagued with low self esteem and self doubt as a result of abusive parents or traumatic childhood circumstances, this book outlines a powerful therapeutic program for overcoming self criticism. In this comprehensive guide for healing, author Beverly Engle explains how to build self esteem and become more self compassionate, working to undo the damage from the wounds of your past. You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life by Jen SinceroWritten by a success coach, this self esteem book helps readers identify the ways they self sabotage with 27 short chapters of inspiring stories, practical exercises and witty, yet smart, life advice. Author Jen Sincero helps readers find self acceptance and work toward harnessing high self esteem in a fun, motivating voice that’s edgier than most self esteem books. The Self Confidence Workbook: A Guide to Overcoming Self-Doubt and Improving Self-Esteem by Barbara Markway PhD, Celia Ampel and Teresa Flynn PhD If you’re looking for a self esteem book that’s more interactive, this self esteem workbook is filled with practical exercises for building self esteem. It’s a great choice for anyone who has already read a book or two on self confidence and is looking to go deeper with their self discovery. Best self esteem books for kidsIt’s never too early in life to start building confidence. These books, geared toward kids as young as toddlers all the way up to the teenage years, can help young people of all ages establish and grow their self love. It’s Okay to Be Different by Todd ParrWritten for preschool-age kids, this self esteem book for children has simple, colorful drawings and a strong message: no matter who you are, where you come from or how you look, it’s okay to be different. Parr promotes his positive message with fun and irreverent illustrations, making this one of the most beloved self confidence books for kids. I Am Enough by Grace ByersThis New York Times bestseller encourages confidence, being kind to others and loving who you are. Written for kids from preschool to grade school age, this book is a must for kids as they start school so they can develop a strong sense of self. Remarkably You by Pat Zietlow MillerAnother option for younger kids, this rhyming self esteem book for kids encourages confidence, self love and high self esteem. The book’s message encourages individuality and discovering one’s own special skills and talents that make them unique. Just As You Are: A Teen’s Guide to Self-Acceptance and Lasting Self-Esteem by Michelle Skeen and Kelly SkeenThis book encourages self confidence by asking teens to stop comparing themselves to other people and to cultivate a positive inner voice. An important message as teens navigate the high school years, this book discusses handling peer pressure and finding the self love you need to do what’s right, or what’s best for yourself, no matter the situation. Beyond the Gender Binary by Alok Vaid-MenonWritten by trangender activist Alok Vaid-Menon, this book gives teens permission (and resources) to see their gender as a full color spectrum, not as a black and white binary. There are not many self esteem books for teens (and adults alike) who are gender-nonconforming and need guidance for finding confidence and self love. This one truly is a gem. Best self esteem books for healthy relationshipsThe following books are geared toward creating fulfilling relationships by working on your own self confidence. When you improve your self esteem, you can be more present in your relationship, or happier without a relationship.The Dance of Connection: How to Talk to Someone When You're Mad, Hurt, Scared, Frustrated, Insulted, Betrayed, or Desperate by Harriet LernerThis self esteem book is all about helping you build self confidence in the moments where you are most vulnerable. Oftentimes, people have a hard time expressing themselves when they’re in conflict with loved ones, from romantic partners to siblings and parents. This book helps you build confidence in your approach to tough conversations and helps you understand your loved ones so you can both emerge from interactions feeling valued. The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love that Lasts by Gary ChapmanWhile this bestselling book isn’t necessarily geared toward boosting self esteem, it does create relationship confidence by better understanding your and your partner’s needs. In this book, Gary Chapman outlines five different love languages people “speak” when giving and receiving love. If you’re feeling misunderstood by your partner or are having a hard time communicating, this book can help restore your self esteem and start the process of repairing your relationship. What a Time to be Alone: The Slumflower's Guide to Why You Are Already Enough by Chidera EggerueIn this witty, sharp guide to loving being alone, Chidera Eggerue highlights that single people aren’t exempt from having high self esteem, as society might have you believe, and that nurturing your relationship with yourself is the most important thing you can do to feel satisfied in life. Whether you’re unattached romantically, feel like your friends aren’t showing up for you or don’t mesh with your family, this book helps you learn how to avoid toxicity from other people and feel secure in your solitude, helping you harness powerful self love in the process.Love & Self-Esteem: How to Help And Support A Partner Struggling With Low Self-Esteem. Learn How To Deal And Overcome Low Self Esteem And Negativity in Your Relationship by Birgit Roswell This self esteem book is a good choice when your partner is lacking confidence and you want to best support them in finding their way back to self love. Trying to show love to a partner who doesn’t love themselves can be painful, frustrating and difficult overall. This book can guide you toward helping your partner without sacrificing your own needs. Best self esteem books for your careerThese self esteem books focus on how you can develop confidence and inner knowing to do your absolute best in the workplace without caving to self doubt. Having one of these books guide you in your self love journey will equip you with the emotional tools you need to succeed. Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway: Dynamic techniques for turning Fear, Indecision and Anger into Power, Action and Love by Susan JeffersWhen you lack self confidence at work, you can be more susceptible to fear when it comes to managing a team, public speaking or making key decisions. Without a strong sense of self, you might find that you second-guess yourself or succumb to periods of anxiety when deadlines are looming. This self esteem book outlines how you can improve your ability to handle any situation, even stressful ones, so that you can be more decisive and less unsure of yourself. Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts. by Brené Brown The second self-help book from Brené Brown on this list, Dare to Lead focuses on the workplace and how to be a confident leader who is also willing to be vulnerable. Geared toward leaders and decision-makers, this book helps you cultivate the confidence needed to lead not from a place of power but a place of curiosity and compassion for those you manage. When you truly love yourself, you don’t need your title or your position to give you confidence, which then makes you a leader that your employees truly want to work for. The Imposter Cure: Escape the mind-trap of imposter syndrome by Dr. Jessamy Hibberd You’ve likely heard of imposter syndrome before: it’s where you don’t believe you are deserving of your own success and that, at any minute, someone is going to figure out that you’re not good enough for your job, the promotion you just got, the award you recently won, and so on and so forth. Imposter syndrome is of course rooted in a lack of self esteem and not truly knowing that you are indeed enough. While everyone has these fleeting thoughts of not being up for the challenge, chronic imposter syndrome can be crippling and even prevent you from taking the next steps in your career. Like other self esteem books, it gives practical tips, but it also walks you through exactly how to get that negative self talk soundtrack out of your head for good, which is what sets it apart. Step Up: Confidence, Success and Your Stellar Career in 10 Minutes a Day by Phanella Mayall Fine and Alice Olins Being able to find your self worth in just 10 minutes a day sounds like an easy way to cultivate confidence. This self esteem book helps you do just that: Filled with practical tips that are born from well-researched theory and first-hand experience from the authors, Step Up is a go-to self confidence manual for women wanting to learn how to shatter glass ceilings. By addressing many of the challenges women still face in the workplace with candor, this book can help you harness your self worth and get you commanding a boardroom in no time. Build self-esteem, build a better lifeThere are a number of self esteem books to choose from, whether you’re looking to nurture your overall confidence in general or needing assistance in the context of your relationships or work aspirations.Working on your self esteem is a worthy endeavor, no matter how you do it. Self-love is the foundation for how you live your life. (d3sign / Getty)Your thoughts and feelings, especially about yourself, often translate into action. When you lack confidence, every area of your life suffers. And you, too, suffer greatly from the negative self talk that just won’t relent.With the push of some trusted self esteem books, you can go inward and discover how to cultivate self love and embrace who you truly are. While the journey may not always be easy, you’re worth the time and effort it takes to regain your self worth.MINDSET IS EVERYTHINGAre you ready to keep growing?

How to Write a Book: A Complete Guide for New Authors
Self-Development

How to Write a Book: A Complete Guide for New Authors

Climbing a mountain, seeing the pyramids, learning to cook, writing a book – these are but a few life goals that many of us share. In the minds of many, the book writing process is the most daunting of all. Having the ability to write fiction and master the editing process can be one of the most rewarding things a person does in his or her entire life, but it can also be one of the most challenging, trying, frustrating, and often thankless endeavors. Simply put, it’s not for everyone. But just about anyone who really wants to write a book can do so. In fact, in many ways, it’s easier than ever, thanks to book writing software that can take dictation, catch errors, and help keep things moving, and of course thanks to the great ease of researching allowed by the internet.On the other hand, all the challenges writers have faced for untold generations still exist: finding the time to work, creating characters and a setting readers will believe, finding the right words to get your ideas into a shape others will receive, and, of course, the hardest part of all: sticking with the actual writing until the book is done. We’ll never know how many novels, memoirs, or plays were abandoned and uncompleted, but it’s a safe bet that they outnumber all the published works!If you think you want to write a book despite all the challenges, then let’s stop right there: don’t think it, know it. Now, if you know you want to write a book, then let’s roll. Before the writing process: The whyThe most important thing you need to ask yourself, before you take any further steps, is why you want to write a book. Because while there are many good reasons to want to write a book, there are a few good reasons why writing a book may not be the best idea.To begin here, let’s consider a few arguments in favor of you taking the plunge (AKA the often-heroic time and effort needed) and writing a book.Do you want a writing career?First, if you simply really, deeply want to write a book, you have your book idea, and you know you just won’t be fulfilled unless you do this thing, then do it. Go for it, no other reason needed than your own “I want to write a book!” Self-publishing is always an option, so there’s nothing at all to stop you.Second, even if you’re not consumed by the desire to have written a book but you happen to have a good book (or books) within you, based on an idea you had, a life experience or the life story of someone you know of, or perhaps your expertise in a field that just begs for you to pen a nonfiction book, then you may want to go ahead. In this case, it’s the book demanding you write it, not you simply wanting to have a finished book to your credit.Third, writing a book can be a source of income. Don’t quit your job and bank on your new career as a professional writer (and definitely don’t quit your day job or buy a new car or anything of the sort until you are well established), as writing can be a hard way to make a living at all and an even harder one at which to enjoy a stable, steady career. But if you can add writing into your existing life balance, it may just add in some revenue if it turns out you’re a decent hand at writing. And in fact, you can even make decent money via self-publishing, provided you’re also rather good at self-promoting.Why you shouldn’t write a bookBefore you begin writing, we do need to talk about a few reasons why perhaps you should not write a book.If trying to write a book is going to add undue stress to your life, if you are already spread thin in terms of time and emotional stamina as it is, then don’t try to write a book, at least not right now. Life changes over the years, and it will quite likely be a better time to start writing later. That said, short stories, poems, nonfiction essays, and the like? You can always write such shorter form work now, no grand commitment needed.If you are considering writing a book at the behest of someone else but your heart's not in it, then find a polite way to say no and to redirect the person elsewhere – your aunt with the “amazing” life story can always hire a paid professional writer as a ghost writer.And finally, if you want to write a book just because you want to have written a book, then it’s probably in your best interest to let the notion go. Writing an entire book just to check that box, as it were, is almost surely going to yield a book most people would just as soon not read. Even if it took you less than a year, save yourself the time and effort until you get an idea for the book, not a book, and know that it’s OK to live a perfectly happy life having never written a book at all.None of this is to discourage you from writing fiction, a memoir, a children’s story, a YA novel, or anything else, it’s just to get you thinking about the why of it all, because after all, it’s a lot of work, whether you’re writing nonfiction or a fantastical story that takes place in a world you create yourself. That way, when you finally write those first words, you’ll know you are committed to sticking with the writing habit and writing routine until you get to the last words, even if it’s a long slog.The first step: Reading books. Lots of books(ArtistGNDphotography / Getty)For your own book, you know your story, your characters, your setting, all that. So why would you need to do a good deal of reading before you get to writing? Well, if you’re a regular reader already, maybe you don’t. But if it has been a while since you read much, then it’s time to crack some books open. And it’s not just my opinion. It’s good practice that is espoused by many of the greatest writers out there. This is especially important if you are writing in a genre, such as crime fiction, fantasy, or romance, or so on. Read other works in the same genre for inspiration, to see what readers are enjoying (and what’s selling), and to make sure you actually enjoy the genre as much as you think you do. Read to learn new words, to see new writing styles. Read to gain a better appreciation of what makes dialogue work in a particular story (and when it doesn’t – almost every book ever published has its problem points!). Read to find out how many words are in the most popular books written by a New York Times bestselling author. Information is power!Reading other books isn’t the only way to prime your mind for writing, but it is a great start. And also to make sure what you’re writing ends up as original a work as possible as you hone your writing style, sometimes also called the writing voice.The two kinds of writers: The gardener and the architectGranted, lumping all writers ever into but two categories is a messy business. One could come up with dozens of more specific subcategories and fit writers into them, and also of course many writers cross the lines, working via one approach for one novel, another in the next, and even blurring the process during the course of working on one project in some cases.But for our purposes, we’re drawing a single line down the middle and demarking two types of writer: the gardener and the architect. You can switch sides as you please, but as you start a given project, you have to be in one camp or the other if you expect success.The architectLet’s talk about the architect first. An architect can’t leave anything to chance: do so, and the pipes and wires will be installed all wrong, the windows and doors at rakish angles, the walls askew, and the very foundation of building unsound, the whole structure likely to collapse. The writer who follows the architect's approach knows where her book is going to end before she even starts it. She knows how to focus, she makes plans, she makes notes, maybe even outlines. She writes character sketches, location descriptions, and on it goes. In short, she has a roadmap for the whole story right from the start. If this sounds like it saps creativity, it doesn’t; rather it provides a framework into which you can pour your best prose, your most pointed dialogue and poetic phrasing. The problems for the architect is that if a great new idea comes along, it may not be able to fit in, and if a pre-planned plot point falls flat or a character just isn’t working, it can be hard to fix the story without going too far astray from the plans.The gardener(skynesher / Getty)The gardener takes a markedly different approach to writing. For them, the work done beforehand isn’t specific, it isn’t planning, per say, but daydreaming. It’s wondering. It’s picturing and imagining but it’s not committing to any given story arc or character trait or any of it. The gardener wonders and ponders for a long time, and this is the planting of the seeds. Then they get to work, and this is the watering and feeding and tending; it is the growing of the garden, in other words. And when they finish writing and the entire manuscript is done, that is the harvest. The gardener knows what is planted and has an idea of what will grow, but is ready to be as pleasantly surprised by the exact shape the book takes as it grows. The gardener approach can unleash creativity to its fullest bounds, because you’re never tied to any one plan. But it can also allow you to write yourself into a hole in ways that the architect will seldom if ever experience, given the plans drawn up from the start.Exactly what type of writer are you?Is one approach better than the other? Well, in some cases, yes. If you are going to write nonfiction books, it’s probably better to plan it out pretty well. There will likely be chronology to consider, quotes to include, facts to factor in, and of course lots of citation and attribution to keep track of.On the other hand, if you are writing fiction, all those plans may well trap you and end up feeling limited. So do consider a hybrid approach in both cases: planning out, perhaps, the beginning and the denouement of your novel well and then letting things wind their way a bit in between, or using detailed outlines for the chapters of that nonfiction book but letting yourself enjoy the prose writing within each section.Setting up your writing space and establishing writing habitsThe first thing to keep in mind when considering how you will establish a dedicated writing space and writing habits is to tell yourself not to be too rigid about them. Yes, when writing books it’s a great idea to have a dedicated space in which and time at which you write, but if you anchor to these too fully, you’ll begin giving yourself excuses to skip writing when everything is not in place.Private spacesFor most people, writing is a quiet, solitary activity and as such the ideal writing space is one in which you can be alone and with relatively little sound. A private writing cabin by the lake is ideal, but likely not an option. So instead this space can be a desk in an office, the dining room table if the house is calm, your garage, the deck, a library alcove, or anywhere else that’s readily accessible and does not usually warrant interruption.Public spacesOn the other hand, some people thrive on working in busy spaces, inspired by the sights and sounds and action around them. Thus the common (and accurate) trope of the writer working in a coffee shop or a bench on a busy city street. Not only can these environments work well for some writers, but in other cases you may simply need to get out of your living space to get into a writing headspace and to truly capture the reader’s interest, so take what you can get and make it work, be it a quiet park or bustling diner.(Juan Algar / Getty)Don’t sweat the word count, just put in the time. It’s better to write a paragraph you love than a chapter you hate. But better still? Write a page you’re pretty happy with, and that you can edit into something great later on. Because often it’s in the editing where the book truly comes into its own.Writer’s block is not real… but it can feel that wayAgain, writer’s block is not a real thing, not in the way that a tonsil infection or broken laptop or other tangible things that can interrupt your flow are. But getting stuck wondering how to end a chapter, difficulty making a new character feel real, trouble with dialogue or scenery description, uncertainty how to weave an interviewee’s quotes into your nonfiction piece – these are all real difficulties you can and will face if you write enough.For the sake of argument, we’ll just call all those and more “writer’s block” anyway, as we’re talking about how to move past it and get on with your writing process. And indeed one of the best ways to overcome writer’s block is through a process, is through disciplined writing habits. If you sit down at the same time in the same writing space ready to do the work every day (or most days), your mind will become primed to shift into writing gear, build on fresh ideas, and you may never even hit a snag. Just make sure you stay with it for at least 20 to 30 minutes of writing time during each writing session. Almost overwhelmingly, you’ll find that successful writers are disciplined writers that follow the same structure during their routine. (And hey, the same goes for lawyers, explorers, painters, boxers, detectives, and on it goes.)Keep things freshNext, you can avoid getting stuck on one project by keeping things fresh through variety. If you are stuck working on a chapter in your novel, write out that poem you thought of while stuck in traffic. Or dash out a journal entry about your day. Or write a short story about a subject and characters entirely unlike the project at which you’re stumbling. Not only can switching gears refresh and recharge you to keep on with your primary book ideas, but you may actually end up with a great piece of writing from the secondary work you did. (You know Robert Frost’s arguably most famous poem, “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening,” right? Well, had the poet not been working all night long on a different piece. He dashed off “Stopping” in a matter of minutes in the morning in the year 1922.)Take breaks(Rowan Jordan / Getty)And finally, if you’re stuck hard and fast and you’re starting to get frustrated, stop writing. Not entirely, of course, just for the moment. Take a break; take a day off, even. Worse than not being productive during one or two writing sessions is developing a larger frustration with writing in general; that may see you lose interest and give up instead of just giving it a rest. Take a walk, call a friend, watch a show, read a book, just take a break, then get back to it.Okay, you wrote an entire book! What now?Done with your book? Amazing, congratulations are well due! Take a breath, relax, feel some pride. Now back to work! After giving yourself a few days away from the book, or maybe even a couple of weeks, go through the whole thing and make any and all edits you think will improve it.Now get that book into the hands of someone you trust – someone who isn’t looking to hurt your feelings, of course, but won’t be afraid to do so if honesty leads to such. Get a few people to read the book and give you notes if you can, and cross-reference their input, weighing your own feelings, too.Once the book is in a form you feel you and your crew can’t make better, it’s time to consider whether you will self-publish or try to go big and get a publisher to take your book on. This is true for nonfiction writers and poets alike. Get yourself an agent. Which will not be easy, by the way.To find an agent, do the research. Look in acknowledgement sections of books similar to yours and see who the author thanked, then read up on what that agent likes and go through the steps. Prepare to be met usually with silence, occasionally with rejections. But keep at it, because once you get someone in your corner, you are much closer to getting a book on shelves.It’s never too lateWilliam Wordsworth (aptly named, right?) is one of the most famous poets of one of the most famous groups of poets, the English Romantics. He was born in the year 1770 and died in 1850 and, while prolific throughout much of his life, many of the poet’s most famous and enduring poems were written when he was over the age of 50.Raymond Chandler, an icon of the noir writing of the first half of the 20th century, didn’t start writing until he was 44. And Toni Morrison didn’t have a single novel published until she was 40 – a couple decades later, she was a Nobel prize winner. The same thing could be true for you!If that’s not inspiration enough, then read some quotes about writing from successful writers or, better yet, read some books about writing written by masters of the craft, like Stephen King’s On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft, to name one.And as mentioned earlier, as you work, don’t sweat the daily word count goal – Flaubert often obsessed over single sentences for entire days before they fit a style he felt suitable for their novel. And don’t stress if you get stuck – first drafts are meant to be just that, drafts. Switch gears and write something else for a bit, or charge ahead even if you know a sentence or two aren’t great and then edit the hell out of them later. It’s never too late to write a book… until it is. But you won’t be around to know about it then, so do it now. Read, plan, ponder, get excited, then start writing. And don’t stop until the book is done. If you enjoy yourself in the process, you can go ahead and write another one. And another.

180 Reading Quotes that Will Make You Enjoy Reading Even More
Quotes

180 Reading Quotes that Will Make You Enjoy Reading Even More

Reading is a pleasant activity -- one that you should always find time for. Why? Well, there are many reasons, but the most important are the fact that reading helps you disconnect when you need to, it opens your mind and it makes you wiser.The more you read, the more you realize how little you actually know about the world you live in, and even about yourself. Reading makes you understand other people’s points of view, or their culture -- it’s a chance to connect with others in a unique and profound way.While reading you can explore the author’s imagination, or better yet, you can use your own to make everything you read even more interesting.There are thousands of worlds and lives that can only be explored through reading. You will meet, resonate and connect with amazing characters only by enjoying a good book.Read for pleasure or to gain more knowledge in whatever field interests you -- it will feed your mind and soul!Here are 180 reading quotes that you’ll love, regardless if you’re an avid reader or not:Reading quotes to remind you of its importanceYou don’t have to be or become a bookworm, but not reading at all means missing one of life’s greatest pleasures. We know, some people just don’t like reading, but we don’t think one can actually hate it. Once you find the right book for you and you’ll be patient enough to go through all its pages, you’ll see that reading is actually great. Never trust anyone who has not brought a book with them. LEMONY SNICKETYou can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me. C.S. LEWIS (more C. S. Lewis quotes)We read to know we're not alone. WILLIAM NICHOLSONIf one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. OSCAR WILDEI find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book. GROUCHO MARXA children's story that can only be enjoyed by children is not a good children's story in the slightest. C.S. LEWISDo not read, as children do, to amuse yourself, or like the ambitious, for the purpose of instruction. No, read in order to live. GUSTAVE FLAUBERTSome books should be tasted, some devoured, but only a few should be chewed and digested thoroughly. SIR FRANCIS BACONYou get a little moody sometimes but I think that's because you like to read. PAT CONROYThere are worse crimes than burning books. One of them is not reading them. JOSEPH BRODSKYReading was my escape and my comfort, my consolation, my stimulant of choice: reading for the pure pleasure of it, for the beautiful stillness that surrounds you when you hear an author's words reverberating in your head. PAUL AUSTERI read a book one day and my whole life was changed. ORHAN PAMUKNo. I can survive well enough on my own — if given the proper reading material. SARAH J. MAASPeople say that life is the thing, but I prefer reading. LOGAN PEARSALL SMITHI am too fond of reading books to care to write them. OSCAR WILDEReading is the sole means by which we slip, involuntarily, often helplessly, into another's skin, another's voice, another's soul. JOYCE CAROL OATESFor some of us, books are as important as almost anything else on earth. ANNE LAMOTTReading was a joy, a desperately needed escape -- I didn't read to learn, I was reading to read. CHRISTIAN BAUMANReading a book is like re-writing it for yourself. You bring to a novel, anything you read, all your experience of the world. You bring your history and you read it in your own terms. ANGELA CARTERThat's what I love about reading: one tiny thing will interest you in a book, and that tiny thing will lead you to another book, and another bit there will lead you onto a third book. It's geometrically progressive - all with no end in sight, and for no other reason than sheer enjoyment. MARY ANN SHAFFERClosed in a room, my imagination becomes the universe, and the rest of the world is missing out. CRISS JAMIWhy can't people just sit and read books and be nice to each other? DAVID BALDACCIHe liked the mere act of reading, the magic of turning scratches on a page into words inside his head. JOHN GREENReading is that fruitful miracle of a communication in the midst of solitude. MARCEL PROUSTMan reading should be man intensely alive. The book should be a ball of light in one's hand. EZRA POUNDRead the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all. HENRY DAVID THOREAUMy personal hobbies are reading, listening to music, and silence. EDITH SITWELLLet others pride themselves about how many pages they have written; I'd rather boast about the ones I've read. JORGE LUIS BORGESI know every book of mine by its smell, and I have but to put my nose between the pages to be reminded of all sorts of things. GEORGE GISSINGFools have a habit of believing that everything written by a famous author is admirable. For my part I read only to please myself and like only what suits my taste. VOLTAIREI can feel infinitely alive curled up on the sofa reading a book. BENEDICT CUMBERBATCHRainy days should be spent at home with a cup of tea and a good book. BILL WATTERSONThe problem with books is that they end. CAROLINE KEPNESI always read. You know how sharks have to keep swimming or they die? I’m like that. If I stop reading, I die. PATRICK ROTHFUSS[I] read books because I love them, not because I think I should read them. SIMON VAN BOOYThat I can read and be happy while I am reading, is a great blessing. ANTHONY TROLLOPEA precondition for reading good books is not reading bad ones: for life is short. ARTHUR SCHOPENHAUERI am an omnivorous reader with a strangely retentive memory for trifles. ARTHUR CONAN DOYLELet's be reasonable and add an eighth day to the week that is devoted exclusively to reading. LENA DUNHAMReading quotes for kids to make them value booksReading is for any age, but it is so important that we encourage children to do it. There are tons of great stories out there that will develop the child’s imagination and teach him to distinguish between good and evil. Children’s books are filled with hope, amazing places, exciting adventures, and heroes. A kid’s life is better with books in it, so make sure they know that.Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers. CHARLES W. ELIOTBooks are the plane, and the train, and the road. They are the destination, and the journey. They are home. ANNA QUINDLENOnce you have read a book you care about, some part of it is always with you. LOUIS L'AMOURReading brings us unknown friends. HONORE DE BALZACWe read books to find out who we are. What other people, real or imaginary, do and think and feel... is an essential guide to our understanding of what we ourselves are and may become. URSULA K. LEGUINSome of these things are true and some of them lies. But they are all good stories. HILARY MANTELNo matter who you are, no matter where you live, and no matter how many people are chasing you, what you don't read is often as important as what you do read. LEMONY SNICKETIf you don’t like to read, you haven’t found the right book. J.K ROWLING (more J. K. Rowling quotes)So Matilda’s strong young mind continued to grow, nurtured by the voices of all those authors who had sent their books out into the world like ships on the sea. These books gave Matilda a hopeful and comforting message: You are not alone. ROALD DAHLRead. Read. Read. Just don't read one type of book. Read different books by various authors so that you develop different style. R.L. STINEKeep reading. It's one of the most marvelous adventures that anyone can have. LLOYD ALEXANDERChildren are made readers on the laps of their parents. EMILIE BUCHWALDTo learn to read is to light a fire; every syllable that is spelled out is a spark. VICTOR HUGOBooks shouldn't be daunting, they should be funny, exciting and wonderful; and learning to be a reader gives a terrific advantage. ROALD DAHLWhen I look back, I am so impressed again with the life-giving power of literature. If I were a young person today, trying to gain a sense of myself in the world, I would do that again by reading, just as I did when I was young. MAYA ANGELOUA truly great book should be read in youth, again in maturity and once more in old age, as a fine building should be seen by morning light, at noon and by moonlight. ROBERTSON DAVIESReading is to the mind what exercise is to the body. JOSEPH ADDISONIt wasn't until I started reading and found books they wouldn't let us read in school that I discovered you could be insane and happy and have a good life without being like everybody else. JOHN WATERSReading is a basic tool in the living of a good life. MORTIMER J. ADLERAt one magical instant in your early childhood, the page of a book—that string of confused, alien ciphers—shivered into meaning. Words spoke to you, gave up their secrets; at that moment, whole universes opened. You became, irrevocably, a reader. ALBERTO MANGUELOh, magic hour, when a child first knows she can read printed words. BETTY SMITHDr. Seuss reading quotesDr. Seuss is one of the most beloved and quoted authors of all time. His stories and words have inspired and entertained people of all ages. One of his main goals was to motivate young kids to read, so here’s our list of Dr. Seuss reading quotes:The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go. DR. SEUSSYou can find magic wherever you look. Sit back and relax, all you need is a book.DR. SEUSSYou’re never too old, too wacky, too wild, to pick up a book and read to a child.DR. SEUSSFantasy is a necessary ingredient in living.DR. SEUSSBe awesome! Be a book nut!DR. SEUSSFill your house with books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.DR. SEUSSReading can take you places you have never been before.DR. SEUSSVirtually every page is a cliffhanger – you’ve got to force them to turn it.DR. SEUSSWords and pictures are yin and yang. Married, they produce a progeny more interesting than either parent.DR. SEUSSFiction is my addiction.DR. SEUSSIt has often been said, there’s so much to be read, you never can cram all those words in your head. So the writer who breeds more words than he needs is making a chore for the reader who reads.DR. SEUSSA book is just like life and anything can change.DR. SEUSSYou really can’t teach reading as a science. Love gets mixed up in it.DR. SEUSSRead. Travel. Read. Ask. Read. Learn. Read. Connect. Read.DR. SEUSSThis book is to be read in bed.DR. SEUSSYou have to be a speedy reader because there’s so so much to read.DR. SEUSSReading is our thing!DR. SEUSSReading quotes from books and literatureIt’s no surprise that every great author has devoured books, but some of them were/are so passionate about reading that they mention it in their masterpieces. The way they talk about their love for books is almost contagious.Here are the best reading quotes from books and literature that you should know:What really knocks me out is a book that, when you're all done reading it, you wish the author that wrote it was a terrific friend of yours and you could call him up on the phone whenever you felt like it. J.D. SALINGER (more J. D. Salinger quotes)I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of anything than of a book! -- When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library. JANE AUSTENThe books that the world calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame. OSCAR WILDEBooks are the ultimate Dumpees: put them down and they’ll wait for you forever; pay attention to them and they always love you back. JOHN GREENBooks are a uniquely portable magic. STEPHEN KINGUntil I feared I would lose it, I never loved to read. One does not love breathing. HARPER LEE (To Kill a Mockingbird quotes)A great book should leave you with many experiences, and slightly exhausted at the end. You live several lives while reading. WILLIAM STYRONBooks are mirrors: you only see in them what you already have inside you. CARLOS RUIZ ZAFÓNI spent my life folded between the pages of books. In the absence of human relationships I formed bonds with paper characters. TAHEREH MAFIMany people, myself among them, feel better at the mere sight of a book. JANE SMILEYWords can be like X-rays if you use them properly -- they’ll go through anything. You read and you’re pierced. ALDOUS HUXLEYA good library will never be too neat, or too dusty, because somebody will always be in it, taking books off the shelves and staying up late reading them. LEMONY SNICKETFinally, from so little sleeping and so much reading, his brain dried up and he went completely out of his mind. MIGUEL DE CERVANTES SAAVEDRAThe world was hers for the reading. BETTY SMITHThe best books... are those that tell you what you know already. GEORGE ORWELL (more George Orwell quotes)he best moments in reading are when you come across something – a thought, a feeling, a way of looking at things – which you had thought special and particular to you. ALAN BENNETTLiterature is the most agreeable way of ignoring life. FERNANDO PESSOAWe are of opinion that instead of letting books grow moldy behind an iron grating, far from the vulgar gaze, it is better to let them wear out by being read. JULES VERNEWhen we read a story, we inhabit it. The covers of the book are like a roof and four walls. What is to happen next will take place within the four walls of the story. And this is possible because the story's voice makes everything its own. JOHN BERGERThere is nothing more luxurious than eating while you read—unless it be reading while you eat. Amabel did both: they are not the same thing, as you will see if you think the matter over. E. NESBITThat perfect tranquility of life, which is nowhere to be found but in retreat, a faithful friend and a good library. APHRA BEHNI was raised among books, making invisible friends in pages that seemed cast from dust and whose smell I carry on my hands to this day. CARLOS RUIZ ZAFÓNMaybe this is why we read, and why in moments of darkness we return to books: to find words for what we already know. ALBERTO MANGUELHe read while he walked. He read while he ate. The other librarians suspected he somehow read while he slept, or perhaps didn't sleep at all. LAINI TAYLORRead more quotes to make you grab a bookTrust us when we say that one life is not enough to go through all the great books ever written, so make sure you read as many as possible. Don’t force yourself to read other people’s recommendations because they might not suit your taste. Read for yourself, whatever interests you -- that’s when reading becomes enjoyable.Here’s our list of read more quotes that’ll make you grab a book in no time:Read, read, read. Read everything -- trash, classics, good and bad, and see how they do it. Just like a carpenter who works as an apprentice and studies the master. Read! You'll absorb it. WILLIAM FAULKNER'Classic′ - a book which people praise and don't read. MARK TWAINSleep is good, he said, and books are better. GEORGE R. R. MARTINLet us read, and let us dance; these two amusements will never do any harm to the world. VOLTAIREWe live for books. UMBERTO ECOBooks should go where they will be most appreciated, and not sit unread, gathering dust on a forgotten shelf, don't you agree? CHRISTOPHER PAOLINIShe read books as one would breathe air, to fill up and live. ANNIE DILLARDA half-read book is a half-finished love affair. DAVID MITCHELLIt is a good rule after reading a new book, never to allow yourself another new one till you have read an old one in between. C.S. LEWISThe worst thing about new books is that they keep us from reading the old ones. JOSEPH JOUBERTMy alma mater was books, a good library... I could spend the rest of my life reading, just satisfying my curiosity. MALCOLM XTake a good book to bed with you—books do not snore. THEA DORNNo matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance. ATWOOD H. TOWNSENDThe odd thing about people who had many books was how they always wanted more. PATRICIA A. MCKILLIPI guess there are never enough books. JOHN STEINBECKSit in a room and read--and read and read. And read the right books by the right people. Your mind is brought onto that level, and you have a nice, mild, slow-burning rapture all the time. JOSEPH CAMPBELLRead a thousand books, and your words will flow like a river. LISA SEEMy reading list grows exponentially. Every time I read a book, it'll mention three other books I feel I have to read. It's like a particularly relentless series of pop-up ads. A.J. JACOBSQuotes about the wisdom of readingIt is impossible not to become smarter after reading books. Of course, maybe only a selection of them will actually make you wiser, but reading anything is better than not reading at all. In time, you will eventually learn how to pick the best books off a shelf. In the meantime, enjoy our list of quotes about the wisdom of reading.I cannot remember the books I've read any more than the meals I have eaten; even so, they have made me. RALPH WALDO EMERSONSometimes, you read a book and it fills you with this weird evangelical zeal, and you become convinced that the shattered world will never be put back together unless and until all living humans read the book. JOHN GREENReading is essential for those who seek to rise above the ordinary. JIM ROHNOnly the very weak-minded refuse to be influenced by literature and poetry. CASSANDRA CLAREToday a reader, tomorrow a leader. MARGARET FULLERAll I have learned, I learned from books. ABRAHAM LINCOLNReading furnishes the mind only with materials of knowledge; it is thinking that makes what we read ours. JOHN LOCKEIf you would tell me the heart of a man, tell me not what he reads, but what he rereads. FRANCOIS MAURIACEmploy your time in improving yourself by other men's writings so that you shall come easily by what others have labored hard for. SOCRATESI owe everything I am and everything I will ever be to books. GARY PAULSENYou want weapons? We're in a library. Books are the best weapon in the world. This room's the greatest arsenal we could have. Arm yourself! RUSSELL T. DAVIESBooks don't offer real escape, but they can stop a mind scratching itself raw. DAVID MITCHELLShow me a family of readers, and I will show you the people who move the world. NAPOLEON BONAPARTEI read for pleasure and that is the moment I learn the most. MARGARET ATWOODReading is everything. Reading makes me feel like I've accomplished something, learned something, become a better person. Reading makes me smarter. Reading gives me something to talk about later on. NORA EPHRONReading without reflecting is like eating without digesting. EDMUND BURKEDespite the enormous quantity of books, how few people read! And if one reads profitably, one would realize how much stupid stuff the vulgar herd is content to swallow every day. VOLTAIREAh, how good it is to be among people who are reading. RAINER MARIA RILKERead not to contradict and confute; nor to believe and take for granted; nor to find talk and discourse; but to weigh and consider. FRANCIS BACONDon't join the book burners. Don't think you're going to conceal faults by concealing evidence that they ever existed. Don't be afraid to go in your library and read every book... DWIGHT D. EISENHOWERIf we encounter a man of rare intellect, we should ask him what books he reads. RALPH WALDO EMERSONYou should never read just for 'enjoyment.' Read to make yourself smarter! Less judgmental. More apt to understand your friends' insane behavior, or better yet, your own. Pick 'hard books.' Ones you have to concentrate on while reading. JOHN WATERSI am a part of everything that I have read. THEODORE ROOSEVELTThe ability to read awoke inside of me some long dormant craving to be mentally alive. MALCOLM XFrederick Douglass taught that literacy is the path from slavery to freedom. There are many kinds of slavery and many kinds of freedom, but reading is still the path. CARL SAGANIn principle and reality, libraries are life-enhancing palaces of wonder. GAIL HONEYMANSomebody who only reads newspapers and at best books of contemporary authors looks to me like an extremely near-sighted person who scorns eyeglasses. He is completely dependent on the prejudices and fashions of his times, since he never gets to see or hear anything else. ALBERT EINSTEINInspiring quotes about readingBooks inspire us -- they expand our thinking, our imagination and make us live countless lives through our favorite characters. So why wouldn’t you want all this when you can have it even for free? If you can’t afford books, you can always borrow them from friends or public libraries.To increase your appetite for good books, we’ve handpicked a list of inspiring quotes about reading. Enjoy!'A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies', said Jojen. 'The man who never reads lives only one.' GEORGE R.R. MARTIN (more George R. R. Martin quotes)It is what you read when you don't have to that determines what you will be when you can't help it. OSCAR WILDE (more Oscar Wilde quotes)If you don't have time to read, you don't have the time (or the tools) to write. Simple as that. STEPHEN KINGYou don't have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them. RAY BRADBURYYou think your pain and your heartbreak are unprecedented in the history of the world, but then you read. It was books that taught me that the things that tormented me most were the very things that connected me with all the people who were alive, who had ever been alive. JAMES BALDWINThink before you speak. Read before you think. FRAN LEBOWITZNo tears in the writer, no tears in the reader. No surprise in the writer, no surprise in the reader. ROBERT FROSTThere is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written, or badly written. That is all. OSCAR WILDEIn the case of good books, the point is not to see how many of them you can get through, but rather how many can get through to you. MORTIMER J. ADLERReading is escape, and the opposite of escape; it's a way to make contact with reality after a day of making things up, and it's a way of making contact with someone else's imagination after a day that's all too real. NORA EPHRONPeople can lose their lives in libraries. They ought to be warned. SAUL BELLOWA good book is an event in my life. STENDHAWhat a blessing it is to love books as I love them;- to be able to converse with the dead, and to live amidst the unreal! THOMAS BABINGTON MACAULAYA peasant that reads is a prince in waiting. WALTER MOSLEYReading is like thinking, like praying, like talking to a friend, like expressing your ideas, like listening to other people's ideas, like listening to music, like looking at the view, like taking a walk on the beach. ROBERTO BOLAÑOEverything in the world exists in order to end up as a book. STÉPHANE MALLARMÉOne glance at a book and you hear the voice of another person, perhaps someone dead for 1,000 years. To read is to voyage through time. CARL SAGANTo acquire the habit of reading is to construct for yourself a refuge from almost all the miseries of life. W. SOMERSET MAUGHAMLiterature is news that stays news. EZRA POUNDBooks loved anyone who opened them, they gave you security and friendship and didn't ask anything in return; they never went away, never, not even when you treated them badly. CORNELIA FUNKEA book is a garden, an orchard, a storehouse, a party, a company by the way, a counselor, a multitude of counselors. CHARLES BAUDELAIRENo entertainment is so cheap as reading, nor any pleasure so lasting. MARY WORTLEY MONTAGULibraries will get you through times of no money better than money will get you through times of no libraries. ANNE HERBERTIn books I have traveled, not only to other worlds, but into my own. ANNA QUINDLENI was burning through books every day - stories about people and places I'd never heard of. They were perhaps the only thing that kept me from teetering into utter despair. SARAH J. MAASThe reading of all good books is like conversation with the finest men of past centuries. RENÉ DESCARTESMost of what makes a book 'good' is that we are reading it at the right moment for us. ALAIN DE BOTTONBooks are good company, in sad times and happy times, for books are people - people who have managed to stay alive by hiding between the covers of a book. E.B. WHITENo two persons ever read the same book. EDMUND WILSONIt is well known that reading quickens the growth of a heart like nothing else. CATHERYNNE M. VALENTEA well-read woman is a dangerous creature. LISA KLEYPASBooks can be dangerous. The best ones should be labeled ‘This could change your life’. HELEN EXLEYI have good reason to be content, for thank God I can read and perhaps understand Shakespeare to his depths. JOHN KEATS

5 Books You Need To Read In 2021 To Find Hope, According To Bill Gates
Self-Development

5 Books You Need To Read In 2021 To Find Hope, According To Bill Gates

Keeping with tradition, Bill Gates recently released his annual holiday book list. Aptly named "5 good books for a lousy year," it's a rundown of his most "clever and engaging" reads of 2020.In tough times—and there’s no doubt that 2020 qualifies as tough times—those of us who love to read turn to all kinds of different books.- Bill Gates With topics ranging from social justice to international spies, there's sure to be something to pique your interest.The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle AlexanderWhile a difficult subject to discuss, racial injustice is an important topic to confront if we're to heal post-George Floyd. Gates sees being informed as a critical step. “Like many white people, I’ve tried to deepen my understanding of systemic racism in recent months,” Gates said.The book takes an in-depth look at how the criminal justice system "unfairly targets communities of color and especially Black communities", he adds. Finishing the book, Gates is "more convinced than ever that we need a more just approach to sentencing and more investment in communities of color."https://www.amazon.com/New-Jim-Crow-Incarceration-Colorblindness/dp/1620971933/#ace-9859629705Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World,by David EpsteinIt's only fitting for Microsoft's co-founder to include a book about broad thinking in his top reads. “In this fascinating book, [Epstein] argues that although the world seems to demand more and more specialization—in your career, for example—what we actually need is more people ‘who start broad and embrace diverse experiences and perspectives while they progress,’ Gates writes.The author uses examples ranging "from Roger Federer to Charles Darwin to Cold War-era experts on Soviet affairs". It concludes that their diverse life experiences make generalists better set to excel."For very complex things, actually having a range of skills you bring to the problem is better than just being a single-focused expert", said Gates. https://www.amazon.com/Range-Generalists-Triumph-Specialized-World/dp/0735214484The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz, by Erik Larson.This book gives a historical perspective to a current crisis. Someone Gates calls a "brilliant history writer," Larson takes us back to World War II England. English citizens were "huddled in basements and Tube stations as Germany tried to bomb them into submission." Although almost 80 years ago, there are similarities with the current climate. “The fear and anxiety they felt—while much more severe than what we’re experiencing with COVID-19—sounded familiar", writes Gates.While it sounds all doom and gloom, there's a silver lining.The book describes the incredible leadership of Winston Churchill and his advisors in leading the British to victory against overwhelming odds. Gates calls it a "very inspiring book" that shows "incredible leadership and honest assessment of the times that should draw us together and give us a chance".https://www.amazon.com/Splendid-Vile-Churchill-Family-Defiance-ebook/dp/B07TRVW6VXThe Spy and the Traitor: The Greatest Espionage Story of the Cold War By Ben MacintyreIt’s a "real-life espionage thriller" that Gates calls "every bit as exciting as my favorite spy novels."The book centers around Oleg Gordievsky, the KGB agent turned British double agent who secretly working for M16 for nearly a decade.The CIA, suspecting the British had an ace up their sleeve, were hellbent to find out who it was. They assign Aldrich Ames to the case, who turns out to be secretly spying for the Soviets.The intrigue builds up fast, making for a "delicious three-way gamesmanship between America, Britain, and the Soviet Union."https://www.amazon.com/Spy-Traitor-Greatest-Espionage-Story/dp/1101904194Breath from Salt: A Deadly Genetic Disease, a New Era in Science, and the Patients and Families Who Changed Medicine,by Bijal P. TrivediEven years after science discovered its primary gene, for a long period of time, cystic fibrosis was considered a mysterious, awful lung disease with no cure.Thanks to the efforts of many everyday heroes outlined in Trivedi's book, the more than 10,000 kids stricken with CF have real hope for health.A book Gates calls "truly uplifting", it "documents a story of remarkable scientific innovation and how it has improved the lives of almost all cystic fibrosis patients and their families.”Trivedi looks at the many stories of parents, scientists, engineers, donors, scientists, and many others who made possible the medical breakthroughs against all odds."Pretty miraculous stuff," said Gates. The story is particularly meaningful to Gates because he knows families who’ve benefited from the new medicines described in this book.https://www.amazon.com/Breath-Salt-Patients-Families-Medicine/dp/1948836378More uplifting stories:4 Years Ago, He Was Homeless–Today, He Bought His First HousePoor Man Who Missed Job Interview To Save A Life Had Employers Lining Up To Hire HimDomestic Abuse Survivor Marries The First Responder Who Saved Her LifeBrooklyn Landlord Cancels Rent For Hundreds Of Tenants, Setting An Unprecedented Example For Others

What We Can Learn About Trauma From IT's Creepy Clown
Mental Health

What We Can Learn About Trauma From IT's Creepy Clown

It’s no secret that Stephen King is a master of the horror genre, and It (1986) is by far one of his scariest novels. In 2017, director Andy Muschietti, has successfully turned the first part of it It into a hit movie. Two years later, a sequel covering the second half of the story followed. While the first movie deals more directly with bullying, fear, and grief, the second, It – Chapter Two, addresses the consequences of an unaddressed childhood trauma.What is It?In It, the clown many of us have come to fear is an ancient demonic entity from a dimension containing and surrounding our world. It first arrived to Earth during prehistoric times causing a massive cataclysmic event similar to an asteroid impact in the area which would later become known as Derry, Maine. It remained dormant until the arrival of mankind. This evil being is a shapeshifter who uses its ability to transform into each of one’s greatest fears, but the shape it uses to lure children is that of a clown – Pennywise.Unresolved childhood trauma is a clown?At a closer look, Pennywise is not your average scary clown – he is a metaphor for unaddressed childhood trauma, worst nightmares, individual demons and everything in between. It is the worst our mind can put us through if we let it.It - Chapter Two addresses the price paid for repressed or long-forgotten traumaThe groupof children in the first chapter were all outsiders, “losers” as theydeliberately call themselves. All of them were bullied by Henry Bowers and his gangand suffered their own share of childhood trauma.Now, all of them have grown to become successful adults, but not everything is as great as it seems. All of those who left the town gradually forget the events of their childhood, except Mike who remained in Derry. He is the one who calls everyone to return to their hometown when It resurfaces.Even if the characters seem to have forgotten about It, the trauma of past events is projected into their adult lives.When forgetting isn't enough:Grief and lossIn the first Chapter, Bill grieves over the loss of his little brother and is constantly bullied for his speech disorder – stuttering. After 27 seven years, Bill is a successful writer who is now able to speak correctly, but as soon as Mike calls him, he reverts to a state where he is not able to physically communicate properly. He realizes that he is still mourning the disappearance of his brother for which he also feels guilty.Mike, on the other hand, is an orphan whose parents burned alive, an event he witnessed first-hand. As the only character that chose to remain in Derry, he hasn’t forgotten a single detail of his past trauma.Physical abuseBeverly used to live with her abusive father and has earned an unjust reputation as the town slut. She is the strongest in the group and she proves it when she confronts and defeats her father – she faced her biggest fear and won.But even after leaving Derry and becoming an adult, Bev couldn’t get out of the cycle of abuse, so she married a violent husband who, despite the appearances of their chic life, controls and abuses her.Emotional abuseEddie was regarded as a fragile individual who was a hypochondriac. He had an extremely overprotective mother who made him believe he was constantly sick and even gave him fake medicine.Later in life, Eddie marries a woman who is very similar to his mother in personality and looks, controlling him and keeping him afraid.HomophobiaRichie is the club’s “trashmouth” who uses his sense of humor as a coping mechanism. Richie’s biggest secret is that he is gay, and his story becomes clearer in Chapter Two, where as an adult, Richie is not over how virulently homophobic Derry was -- and still is. He instantaneously pukes upon receiving “the call” from Mike in a physiological reaction to remembering the traumatic event -- a symptom of PTSD.Body imageBen is the “new kid” bullied for his obese appearance. After 27 seven years, he comes back as a confident, built, handsome man. It later reveals that although Ben’s body drastically changed, inside he’s still a fat boy with a low self-esteem. How doesour brain cope with trauma?Our brains automatically stores our experiences into a form of memory. Some of those memories are held indefinitely (long-term memory), and some we forget quite fast, but can still access (short-term memory). However, there are times where your brain "walls off" the memory of a painful experience, for its own good (repression).The original concept of repression was proposed back in 1824 by Johann Friedrich Herbart, but was later popularized by Sigmund Freud. The father of psychoanalysis has made a clear distinction between repression and suppression. He believed the first one to be an unconscious way for the mind to act against trauma, while suppression is a conscious decision to block out memories.Experts state that when we experience intense stress or trauma, actual neurological changes happen in the brain to enable us to survive the event. These changes help us cope by pushing the memory out of our consciousnessAccording to Darlene McLaughlin (MD, psychiatrist), if the brain registers an intense trauma, then it can essentially block that memory in a process called dissociation -- or detachment from reality. The impactof repressed memoriesYour brain is doing its best to protect you, but as it turns out, the process is not a perfect defense mechanism. At the time of the painful event, repressing the memory might be the only way that keeps us from a severe breakdown, but if the memory is left repressed, many psychologists believe that it will lead to mental problems further down the line. PTSD, or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, is proof that memories can find their way back into the conscious and hit us as hard as the first time we experienced them.When someone buries a particularly painful event to protect themselves, PtSD results in them suddenly and without warning reliving it. Certain environmental cues can trigger traumatic flashbacks of the event.When someone experiences a negative or traumatic event in childhood, their brain records the specific sensations (sights, sounds, smells, etc.) and brings that negative experience to memory when similar stimuli is encountered in the future. JORDAN JOHNSON, LMFT, tells Bustle Address and confront your fears Dealing with trauma in any way can be an overwhelming and scary experience, and we don’t have to face it on our own. We need to understand that the struggle to overcome it does not make us weak, it just means that the trauma is powerful and its roots have grown deep. Sometimes we remember what hurt us, and sometimes we just find ourselves in a chaos that we have no explanation for. Either way, once we realize something is “off," we should get professional help in order to move forward. By confronting our fear, we rise above it, we take away its power, reduce it, and finally get rid of it.This is what the characters do in their final battle with It – they face their biggest fears one last time when they realize they have full control over the situation. They destroy the evil from their past by realizing its limitations, facing it head on, and conquering their fears. For more information on conquering the darkness within, check out our piece on shadow work.

5 Life-Changing Books That Inspired Leonardo DiCaprio's Passion
Studying

5 Life-Changing Books That Inspired Leonardo DiCaprio's Passion

You know him from his performances on the big screen for the past few decades — but there’s more to this suave actor than his career. Academy Award-winning actor, producer and philanthropist Leonardo DiCaprio has built a legacy through his impressive character work and his investment within the Hollywood community. He’s also a passionate activist for the environment and often speaks out vocally about global warming. Though he’s never married or had children, his big abode is full of… books! Before beginning any on-screen gig, he always reads the text that inspired the scenes first. Of course, he also reads just for fun and inspiration, depending on the season. Here are a few books you can steal from DiCaprio’s bookshelf:The Garden of Eden by Ernest Hemingway When it came out in the mid-80s, The Garden of Eden was a best-seller, and happens to be the last book the iconic author Ernest Hemingway ever penned. According to an interview with America Reads Spanish, DiCaprio raved about this masterpiece — alongside a few other Hemingway novels, including The Old Man and the Sea and A Farewell to Arms. He likes them so much he would page through them in his second language. “One of my favorite authors is Ernest Hemingway… he is not Spanish but he was in love with the Spanish culture. Many things I learn from your country [Spain] are through his eyes,” he shared.The Great Gatsby by F. Scott FitzgeraldUnless you’re a megafan of F. Scott Fitzegerald (like me!), you probably haven’t read this legendary tale since high school. Maybe DiCaprio’s fascination with it could persuade you to give The Great Gatsby another go as an adult. Especially since he had a starring role in the film, it makes sense that he would have added it to his own library. In discussing the experience with Time, he shared he was attracted to the role of Gatsby because he liked “the idea of a man who came from absolutely nothing, who created himself solely from his own imagination. Gatsby’s one of those iconic characters because he can be interpreted in so many ways: a hopeless romantic, a completely obsessed wacko, or a dangerous gangster, clinging to wealth.” Revolutionary Road by Richard YatesThis provocative book rings a little too true to home for some American households. So does the movie, which DiCaprio starred in alongside talented actress (and his good friend) Kate Winslet. In an interview with GQ, he said Revolutionary Road was a classic for a reason: “The conversations that each character has in his or her head… While I’m sitting here kissing my wife and telling her how much I love her, and how everything is gonna be okay, there’s this inner voice that just detests her and detests my life and knows I’m lying about everything. That inner dialogue in the book was fabulous for all of us.”This Changes Everything by Naomi KleinDiCaprio had a conversation with Naomi Klein after reading her take on how climate change impacts everything — including our financial picture. In an effort to argue that the more we invest in the planet, the more we build our stability, many people say This Changes Everything one of those books you can’t put down and that keeps you thinking for long after you turn the last page. In an interview with Wired, DiCaprio revealed what he thought: “I once was talking to Naomi Klein, who to me is one of the most powerful voices in the climate movement. She wrote a book called This Changes Everything, and it’s about capitalism versus the environment. And look, everyone loves money, I love money — we live in the United States. This is a capitalist country. But ultimately we’ve locked ourselves, through capitalism, into an addiction to oil that’s incredibly hard to reverse.”The Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight by Thom HartmannDiCaprio produced The Eleventh Hour and the HBO special, Ice on Fire, Last Hours of Ancient Sunlight — both of which discuss environmental issues. With the hope of provoking urgency and inspiring others to do the same, he developed these programs after reading this comprehensive book that doesn’t just talk about the bad stuff, but gives solutions on what to do. More inspiring book recommendations:4 Life-Changing Books That Inspire George Clooney to Challenge Himself5 Life-Changing Books That Inspired LeBron James to Keep Winning6 Life-Changing Books That Inspired J.K. Rowling to Write4 Life-Changing Books That Inspired Madonna to be Fearlessly Different