Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise
December 2022

Recent Releases
Thinking 101: How to Reason Better to Live Better
by Woo-Kyoung Ahn

What it is: a thought-provoking exploration of the preconceptions that can cloud our judgement and negatively impact our reasoning skills, with strategies to help readers improve their critical thinking skills. 

Topics include: confirmation bias; anecdotal evidence; and perspective-taking techniques.

Why you might like it: Though author Woo-Kyoung Ahn bases her conclusions in comprehensive psychological research, her analysis is accessible, engaging, and full of useful, everyday examples.
Strangers to Ourselves: Unsettled Minds and the Stories that Make Us
by Rachel Aviv

What it's about: the importance of our self-perception and the stories we tell ourselves, with a focus on mental health and how current psychiatric frameworks can both help and hinder our sense of who we are. 

How it's structured: as a collection of candid, moving profiles of people with mental illness, interspersed with the author's own conclusions based on original research and reporting.

Reviewers say: "A moving, meticulously researched, elegantly constructed work of nonfiction (Kirkus Reviews).
The Chaos Machine: The Inside Story of How Social Media Rewired our Minds and Our World
by Max Fisher

What it is: a candid and well-researched examination of the effect social media is having on our minds and societies.

Best for: readers curious about the relationship between their individual experiences and the wider structural forces that may play a role in how they think and feel about themselves. 

About the author: Pulitzer Prize finalist Max Fisher is a New York Times columnist whose work has also appeared in The Atlantic and the Washington Post.
Platonic: How the Science of Attachment Can Help You Make--and Keep--Friends
by Marisa G. Franco, PhD

What it's about: the importance of friendship, how to foster it in our lives, and how learning about attachment styles can help us connect with one another. 

Don't miss: the chapter exploring the unique hurdles that marginalized people can face in friendships with privileged people and how set and maintain boundaries.

Reviewers say: Platonic is a "pleasing mix of research, advice, and humor" an a "
useful tonic to a key social ailment" (Kirkus Reviews).
Don't Call It Quits: Turn the Job You Have Into the Job You Love
by Shana Lebowitz Gaynor

What it's about: Shana brings her expertise covering human resources management and workplace culture to help you challenge and expand your thinking around every aspect of your work life. 

What you'll learn: how to tackle the most frustrating elements of your workday, tailor your current role to include more of what you enjoy, identify sources of fulfillment in life other than work, and much more. 

Chapters include: "What's the Real Problem?"; "How to Break Down Barriers to Happiness at Work"; and "How to Know When It's Time to Quit"
Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be
by Dr. Becky Kennedy

What it's about: how to develop a parenting framework that emphasizes connecting with children over correcting them.

The title: refers to the central argument that parents should aim to view their children as "good inside" when considering their behavior, which sounds obvious but can be difficult to put into practice.

Reviewers say: "Frustrated parents will find this well worth their time" (Publishers Weekly).
The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness & Healing in A Toxic Culture
by Gabor Maté with Daniel Maté

What it's about: the increase in chronic illness in wealthy countries and the potential connections between trauma and capitalism and these poorer health outcomes.

Topics include: the physiological impact of stress the body; the uptick in mental illness diagnosis in adolescents; how socioeconomic factors like racism can lead to lower life expectancy.

Reviewers say: Myth is a "bold reappraisal" of modern medicine that "has the power to change how readers think about health" (Publishers Weekly).
Girls on the Brink: Helping Our Daughters Thrive in An Era of Increased Anxiety...
by Donna Jackson Nakazawa

What it is: an incisive look at factors that can have a negative impact on girls' mental health and strategies for navigating their formative years.

Why you should read it: although the subject matter is sobering, the engaging and accessible writing style makes reading about such an important topic a little less daunting. 


About the author: Donna Jackson Nakazawa is an award-winning science journalist whose previous books include The Last Best Cure and Childhood Disrupted.
The Gospel of Wellness: Gyms, Gurus, Goop, and the False Promise of Self-Care
by Rina Raphael

What it's about: the rapid rise of the wellness industry, what it can actually offer, and how to approach it with a critical eye.

Chapters include: "Why the Hell is the Advice Always Yoga?"; "Is My Face Wash Trying to Kill Me?"; and "Gym as Church."

Reviewers say: "This astute and revealing investigation packs a punch" (Publishers Weekly).
Buyer Aware: Harnessing Our Consumer Power for a Safe, Fair, and Transparent Marketplace
by Marta Lourdes Tellado

What's inside: Tellado explains how consumers can defend against predatory business practices and how to advocate for change in an increasingly deregulated marketplace.

Don't miss: the QR codes at the end of each chapter, which link you to more references and ways to get engaged in taking action on the issues discussed. 

About the author: Marta L. Tellado is president and CEO of Consumer Reports (CR), an independent nonprofit that works to create a fair and just marketplace, and has been an advocate for consumers for decades. 
Contact your librarian for more great books!
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