Forsyth County Public Library: Self Help: August 2026

Our 2026 On The Same Page selection is Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez. From Sept. 21-Oct. 18 all Forsyth County Public Library branches will host discussions, events, and activities highlighting the book and its themes. Review the full schedule of On The Same Page events, information about the book, and more on forsythlibrary.org.

New & Noteworthy

The Courage to Commit: Embrace the Radical Power of Sticking with Something
by Shawn Johnson & Andrew East

As a gold medal winning Olympic gymnast and a former NFL pro, husband and wife team Shawn Johnson and Andrew East know a thing or two about committing. And with The Courage to Commit, they're here to prove just how contrarian committing can be in an age of dopamine-chasing impatience. Through scientific studies and personal stories, Shawn and Andrew show readers why commitment matters, how it works, and the strategies and tactics to get things done--so you can become the type of person who gets that promotion, enjoys a rewarding marriage, and achieves that long-held dream.

The Monk's Mindset: Finding Stillness in a World That Won't Stop Moving
by Sam Yo

The Monk's Mindset blends memoir and practical wisdom, offering emotional insight and transformative tools to guide you back to presence, purpose, and peace--perfect for fans of Jay Shetty, Thich Nhat Hanh, and Robin Sharma. Former Buddhist monk and renowned Peloton instructor Sam Yo shares the transformative lessons that helped him move from chaos to clarity. Drawing on his monastic training, meditation practice, and experiences as a performer and coach, he reveals how anyone can weave ancient Buddhist wisdom into modern life to find calm, focus, and purpose, even in a world that never slows down.

Think Less, Sleep More: From Panic & Perfectionism to Stress-Free Sleep
by Stephanie Romiszewski

If there's anything worse that not getting sleep, it's lying awake and worrying about it. Here's Stephanie Romiszewski's--a sleep physiologist and founder of the UK's Sleepyhead Clinics -- promise: This book is your guide to liberating yourself from the endless cycle of sleep anxiety and obsession. By the end, you'll have regained control -- not through perfection, but by letting go of the need to constantly manage your sleep. Sleep will start working for you, not as something to fear or fix, but as your natural ally. For an audience who found Matthew Walker's Why We Sleep a bit daunting, Romiszewski's is the sensible, seasoned, calming voice you want to think of a 3AM.

Self-Help from the Middle Ages: What the Seven Deadly Sins Can Teach Us about Living
by Peter Jones

Although today we think of the seven deadly sins as a catalog of forbidden behavior, in the Middle Ages they were a path to self-knowledge and self-forgiveness. In Self-Help from the Middle Ages, Peter Jones explores each sin, searching the hellscapes of Hieronymous Bosch and Giotto, the intimate confessions of Dante and Margery Kempe, and the personal struggles of Francis of Assisi and Catherine of Siena. Along the way he discovers a treasure trove of lost truths about temptation, frustration, addiction, compulsion, burnout, rage, fear, anxiety, and grief that still pulse with life.

What's Going Right: A Powerful New Method for Optimizing Your Mental Health
by Paul Conti

This affirming book from world-renowned psychiatrist, Dr. Paul Conti, presents a paradigm-shifting approach to optimizing mental health, offering readers a proven way towards a joyful life--based on the popular series on Andrew Huberman's podcast. With Dr. Conti's notorious straightforward sincerity, he shares the exact method he uses on his patients and celebrity clients to help them tap into their generative drives -- the thing that helps you get things done, solve problems creatively, help others, and feel connected to something larger than yourself.

The Balancing Act: Creating Healthy Dependency and Connection Without Losing Yourself
by Nedra Glover Tawwab

From the bestselling author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace, therapist Nedra Glover Tawwab offers a relatable guide to understanding codependency, enmeshment, and what it means to get our needs met for real. Discover new ways to identify your needs, navigate conflict, and find more harmony and trust with your spouse or partner, close friends, family members, and the other important people in your life.

The Small Stuff: How to Lead a More Gratifying Life
by Ian Bogost

From popular The Atlantic columnist Ian Bogost, a lively reflection about how we've become disconnected from the physical world--and how to reclaim gratification in your day-to-day life. Humorous, thought-provoking, and practical, The Small Stuff reveals that finding joy isn't about achieving monumental happiness or prolonged satisfaction. It's about doing small things, deliberately and with attention, to unlock the basic pleasures that flavor our daily lives. By reforming how we approach ordinary tasks, we can rediscover the gratification embedded in the tactile world around us.

Engaged Compassion: Seven Practices to Cultivate Resilience, Connection, and a Joyous Life
by Lobsang Tenzin Negi

With the guidance of the Dalai Lama, former Tibetan Buddhist monk and current Emory professor and scholar, Lobsang Tenzin Negi, explores new ways of sharing ancient Tibetan wisdom to create a more compassionate, peaceful, and happier modern world. Through seven evidence-based steps, readers learn to transform their relationship with suffering--both their own and others'--into a source of resilience rather than exhaustion. The result? Discovering compassion as the key to making a meaningful difference in the world without sacrificing your own well-being.