Mind, Body & Spirit

Thinley Norbu Rinpoche is a world renowned Tibetan Buddhist teacher and a longtime driving force responsible for a tremendous amount of local dharma activity. He hails from one of the most prominent Nyingma families--he was the son of Dudjom Rinpoche and father to Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche. This is easily one of the most important Buddhist books of the year. Rinpoche reveals his humanity while simultaneously exemplifying a dharmic way of life. His storytelling is akin to listening to your grandpa recounting the stories that weave the tapestry of a life well lived.   

In Focus, bestselling author Daniel Goleman (Emotional Intelligence) takes a look at the underrated asset of attention—something sorely tested in this age of distraction. “With compelling insights, wide-ranging examples, and cutting-edge science, Goleman makes the convincing case that the ability to focus is a key to excellence, in both our personal and professional lives—and also explains how to boost that focus.” —Gretchen Rubin, author of The Happiness Project

Erik Pema Kunsang, a highly respected Tibetan translator, has compiled a treasure trove of Buddhist wisdom. Sourced from sutra and tantra and an immesity of Mahayana Buddhist teachers ranging from the historical Buddha to yogis of ancient India to contemporary Tibetan Buddhist Lama. These teachings address a myriad of circumstances and situations, and are certain to inspire and enrich practitioners of all levels.

As a yoga teacher wary of anything celebrity, fad-like, or commercial, I was surprised and satisfied with Rebecca Pacheco’s down-to-earth, respectful framework into the history and purpose of yoga applied to modern life. With impressive depth of knowledge and refreshing humility, she guides the reader through yoga’s tradition, physical practice, and real-world functionality—while maintaining its authenticity as a discipline and way of compassionate living.

The author of Shop Class as Soulcraft returns with a philosophical examination of how we perceive and interact with the world. In a culture that largely engineers our experiences—every surface, moment between YouTube videos, every bus passing by bombards our mental space—silence is a luxury good and autonomy is valued over interaction. By looking at skilled professions that require complete attention, Crawford’s manifesto argues for reclaiming mindfulness and engagement with the outside world as a means of achieving highest human potential. 

“I used to roll my eyes when people described themselves as ‘spiritual but not religious.’ Not anymore. With his usual sharp and elegant prose, Sam Harris—one of the great skeptics of our time—shows how spiritual traditions provide important truths that have largely been missed by the scientific and secular communities. Waking Up is an extraordinary book: It is a seeker’s memoir, a scientific and philosophical exploration of the self, and a how-to guide for transcendence. It explores the nature of consciousness, explains how to meditate, tells you the best drugs to take, and warns you about lecherous gurus. It will shake up your most fundamental beliefs about everyday experience, and it just might change your life.” —Paul Bloom, Yale University Professor

When award-winning journalist Brigid Schulte, a harried mother of two, realized she was living a life of all work and no play, she decided to find out why she felt so overwhelmed. This book is the story of what she discovered—and of how her search for answers became a journey toward a life of less stress and more leisure. “[Schulte’s] a detective in a murder mystery: Who killed America’s leisure time, and how do we get it back?” —Lev Grossman, Time

I love Aziz Ansari, and love that his first book isn’t exactly what you’d expect from a comedian. This isn’t a celebrity memoir—it’s better: an incisive look at modern romance, written with a sociologist following a year-long sociological study. It’s pretty brilliant: informative, smart, and really, really funny. This is an Aziz-infused guide to dating, and as a confused single person, I’m thrilled with this practical, totally entertaining book. Thanks, Aziz!

More than opposable thumbs, the greatest asset to humanity, after millennia of progress, is our drive to keep asking questions. Weighing the collective human drive and ingenuity required to survive in the natural world, as well as the individual contributions of our most famous historical theorists and practitioners, Leonard Mlodinow celebrates the history of Western knowledge, finding the greatest human triumph in the progress of scientific discovery and thought.

I don't know whether to be relieved that my experience of being female is normal or depressed about how much, um, annoyance is inevitable. Julie Holland unveils the hormonal chemistry behind our feelings and discusses many strategies for living well with our changes. She backs up her information and advice with over forty pages of notes and references. Best of all, she addresses sometimes uncomfortable material with a matter-of-fact writing style that I found very helpful.