Recommendations based on "Sm Fierce Conversations"

#1 NEW YORK TIMES AND USA TODAY BESTSELLER • In an inspiring follow-up to her acclaimed memoir Becoming, former First Lady Michelle Obama shares practical wisdom and powerful strategies for staying hopeful and balanced in today’s highly uncertain world.There may be no tidy solutions or pithy answers to life’s big challenges, but Michelle Obama believes that we can all locate and lean on a set of tools to help us better navigate change and remain steady within flux. In The Light We Carry, she opens a frank and honest dialogue with readers, considering the questions many of us wrestle with: How do we build enduring and honest relationships? How can we discover strength and community inside our differences? What tools do we use to address feelings of self-doubt or helplessness? What do we do when it all starts to feel like too much?Michelle Obama offers readers a series of fresh stories and insightful reflections on change, challenge, and power, including her belief that when we light up for others, we can illuminate the richness and potential of the world around us, discovering deeper truths and new pathways for progress. Drawing from her experiences as a mother, daughter, spouse, friend, and First Lady, she shares the habits and principles she has developed to successfully adapt to change and overcome various obstacles—the earned wisdom that helps her continue to “become.” She details her most valuable practices, like “starting kind,” “going high,” and assembling a “kitchen table” of trusted friends and mentors. With trademark humor, candor, and compassion, she also explores issues connected to race, gender, and visibility, encouraging readers to work through fear, find strength in community, and live with boldness.“When we are able to recognize our own light, we become empowered to use it,” writes Michelle Obama. A rewarding blend of powerful stories and profound advice that will ignite conversation, The Light We Carry inspires readers to examine their own lives, identify their sources of gladness, and connect meaningfully in a turbulent world.

An extraordinary "practical resource for beginners" looking to write their own memoir—now new and revised (Kirkus Reviews)!The greatest story you could write is one you've experienced yourself. Knowing where to start is the hardest part, but it just got a little easier with this essential guidebook for anyone wanting to write a memoir.Did you know that the #1 thing that baby boomers want to do in retirement is write a book—about themselves? It's not that every person has lived such a unique or dramatic life, but we inherently understand that writing a memoir—whether it's a book, blog, or just a letter to a child—is the single greatest path to self-examination.Through the use of disarmingly frank, but wildly fun tactics that offer you simple and effective guidelines that work, you can stop treading water in writing exercises or hiding behind writer's block. Previously self-published under the title, Writing What You Know: Raelia, this book has found an enthusiastic audience that now writes with intent.

An informative and inspiring guide to rebounding from childhood hardships to find uncommon strength and courage   “The Resilient Self reminds us all of the importance of being aware of and building on the strengths of our young people, whatever their early life experiences. We must work to give them hope and to craft services and programs that are respectful of the resiliencies so thoughtfully characterized by the Wolins. This guide, although based on the experiences of adults, offers extremely useful insights too for those working on behalf of children and adolescents.”—Marian Wright Edelman, president, Children’s Defense Fund   “This book offers a strong sense of hope for everyone who has grown up in a troubled family. I salute the authors for their masterful synthesis of research, clinical experiences, and insights gleaned from the voices of poetry. The Wolins’ book cautions the reader that no one emerges from troubled childhood without some scars, but it challenges us to finds ways in which we can transforms pain into joy in our lives.”—Emmy E. Werner, Ph.D., author of Vulnerable But Invincible and Overcoming the Odds   “This marvelous book can turn the tide for people injured during their childhoods, not by ignoring the ashes of the past, but by winnowing out the precious elements from which the phoenix can triumphantly rise. It is a book that has been badly needed, and for which many will long be grateful.”—Timmen L. Cermak, M.D., former chairman, National Association for Children of Alcoholics   “At last, a compassionate and realistic challenge to abandon the idea that one is a passive object of an unhappy childhood. The Resilient Self encourages readers to recognize and appreciate their strong, insightful, and creative survival.”—Barbara Mathis, author of Between Sisters: Secret Rivals, Intimate Friends   “The Resilient Self shows adult children of dysfunctional families that they can escape a painful past and become resilient survivors. It describes the strategies which have been used successfully by those who grew up in troubled homes but who managed to work well, play well, and love well as adults. I recognized myself in this book with a survivor’s pride.”—Anonymous survivor

‘Powerful, humane and wise’ JULIA SAMUEL‘Everyone should read it’ NIGELLA LAWSON‘Beautiful … This is a book for everyone. You feel held by it’ PHILIPPA PERRYMost of us have a conversation we’re avoiding.From the bestselling author of With the End in Mind, this is a book about the conversations that matter and how to have them better – more honestly, more confidently and without regret.A child coming out to their parent. A family losing someone to terminal illness. A friend noticing the first signs of someone’s dementia. A careers advisor and a teenager with radically different perspectives.There are moments when we must talk, listen and be there for one another. Why do we so often come away from those times feeling like we could have done more, or should have been braver in the face of discomfort? Why do we skirt the conversations that might matter most?By bringing together stories with a lifetime’s experience working in medicine and the newest psychology, Mannix offers lessons for how we can better speak our mind and help when others need to.Kathryn Mannix’s ‘With the End in Mind’ was a Sunday Times bestseller the weeks ending 6 January 2018, 13 January 2018 and 3 February 2018.

"An inspiring, insightful read about how to overcome insecurities, build bonds, and break barriers. There’s no bigger childhood dream than becoming an astronaut, and there’s no bigger adult aspiration than becoming more like Cady Coleman. This is an inside look at what it’s like to be in outer space—and a guide to leading a meaningful life."—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Hidden Potential and Think AgainIn 2010, Cady Coleman boarded a rocket and blasted off into space for her third NASA mission, a six-month expedition to the International Space Station where she was the only woman on her six-person crew. After years spent overcoming obstacles in competitive, high-performance environments, including grappling with her own doubts and training in a spacesuit that was too big, Coleman became a success story in a role that wasn’t built with her in mind—an astronaut who is also a mother, Air Force colonel, scientist, and leader. Her determination and amazing experiences give her a unique perspective on how to set yourself up for success, in space and here on Earth.In Sharing Space, Cady shares counterintuitive insights integral to her success, such as how to know when to adapt and when to press for change instead, how to leverage insecurities to beat expectations, and how to be the glue that holds a disparate team together, shaping it to thrive. Illustrated with stories from her life and training, Cady takes readers from meteorite hunting in Antarctica to launching a $1.6 billion telescope into space to the wonder of spending six months living and working in zero gravity. This book will inspire anyone eager to escape a box in which they have been (wrongly) placed and to develop the confidence to succeed, even when they’re not an obvious “fit.”

An urgent, enlightening and empowering guide to disavowing diet culture and learning to make peace with our bodies, from body confidence and anti-diet advocate, Alex Light.When we look in the mirror, so many of us see a ‘before’ picture: the miserable person in the side-by-side shot waiting for the ‘glow-up’ (read: weight loss) that will bring true happiness. But it’s not our fault that we see our bodies as projects in need of constant work: this is just one of the beliefs that has been ingrained in us by diet culture. We have been taught to view ourselves as a collection of ‘problem’ areas for which the billion-dollar diet industry holds the solutions.Step-by-step, You Are Not A Before Picture provides a framework for changing the way we view ourselves and the world around us. Working with experts in the fields of psychotherapy, fitness and nutrition, Alex empowers readers to interrogate their underlying beliefs, challenge the external and internal forces that are holding us back, and finally find freedom in our bodies, for good.Alex Light was a number 4 Sunday Times Non Fiction bestseller in the w/e June 19th 2022Alex Light's book 'You Are Not a Before Picture' was a Sunday Times bestseller w/c 20-06-2022.

From Dr. Becky Kennedy, the psychologist known as the "Millennial Parenting Whisperer," comes a practical guide that offers a radical new approach to parenting.Over the past several years, Dr. Rebecca Kennedy--known to her many followers as simply "Dr. Becky"--has been sparking a parenting revolution. Tired of advice that doesn't work or simply doesn't feel good to put into practice, hundreds of thousands of parents have been turning to Dr. Becky for her empowering, forgiving, and effective approach to parenting that meets parents exactly where they are--and gives them the tools to do better.In Good Inside, Dr. Becky shares her popular philosophy and tools in a comprehensive resource designed to help parents move from frustration and self-blame to empowerment, confidence, and sturdy leadership. For decades, Dr. Becky suggests, parents have been sold a model of childrearing that simply doesn't work. From reward charts to time outs, the "evidence-based" incentives and punishments many experts recommend are based on shaping behavior, not raising humans. These techniques don't build the skills kids need for life and don't account for kids' complex emotional needs. Add to that the conditioning we've inherited from our own parents--which often discounts the validity of emotions altogether--and you end up with a generation of parents who feel lost, burned out, and worried they're failing their kids.In this ground-breaking book, Dr. Becky builds from the baseline of a radically simple but profound truth: You are good inside. Your kids are good inside. There are no "bad kids" or "bad parents"--there are only good kids having a hard time, and good parents struggling to do their jobs well. After diffusing blame and shame, she asks readers to shift their focus from discipline to connection. Because the only way we can help our kids through tough times, suggests Dr. Becky, is to reinforce secureattachment.Part manifesto, part how-to guide, Good Inside is as focused on self-development as it is child development, since it's impossible for parents to meet their child's needs without first meeting their own. Filled with both perspective-shifting strategies as well as troubleshooting for specific scenarios--including sibling rivalry, separation anxiety, tantrums, rudeness and defiance, not listening, and more--Good Inside is a stand-alone resource for a generation of parents looking for a new way to raise their kids while still setting them up for a lifetime of resilience, confidence, and self-regulation.

The ultimate crash guide to changing your life. You'll never read another self-help book ever again.The narrative around being strong has been a crown of thorns for African American women since shewe were brought to this country as slaves. Being smart and clever and efficient was a matter of life and death. Now in present time, being a smart, educated and successful African American woman doesn't determine if we live or die but it often creates an isolating and lonely world because more times than not she is we are hustling to prove herour worth to everyone.You've been accommodating all your life. You've been willing to set aside your own interests, needs and desires "for the greater good." You've been playing the sacrificial lamb on the altar selflessness for far too long. It's time to stop trying to be everyone's hero, putting the needs of others above your own.It is making you miserable and you know it.Deep within you, you know your Strong Black Woman complex leaves a bad taste in your mouth more often than not, leaving you feeling exhausted, unfulfilled, alone and angry with the world... and at the people you love. All your life you've been told to be a tough, strong, self-reliant, inscrutable Black woman without a chink in her armor, without an ounce of weakness, so you plod on, isolated and lonely because you're not being true to yourself.You're suffering, and whether you're complaining or not. It's time to stop.With soul-baring stories and anecdotes from her own life, Jennifer gives a detailed account of her journey to healing and shows you how stop "Caping" and begin to have a more compassionate view of yourself and begin making yourself the number one priority in your life and trust your own instincts and abilities without having to compromise to please anyone else.F*ck That Cape is a book that will show you how to trust your inner voice and intuition, a natural talent that we've crushed underneath the weight of societal expectations.Here's what you're going to learn in this no-fluff, definitive guide to self-care: -How to go from meeting everyone else's needs to getting your own needs met first-Figuring out what you really want, firmly asking for it and getting it without being an asshole-How to build an awesome support system of people that encourage you and boost your confidence-How to give yourself permission to relentlessly pursue your dreams and live the life you've always wanted-Why you should stop trying to please and make everyone happy and practical steps to go about it-And much more! Deeply insightful, intuitive and even life changing, F*ck that Cape is the ultimate blueprint to crafting your life the way you want it. On your own terms.

What if the mental health symptoms we face aren't the actual problem? What if they're signals that help us see and solve the real problem--the imbalances in our wider systems that are making us all sick? As our world clashes and collapses around us, it's no surprise that one in two of us will be diagnosed with a mental health condition by the age of 40, with one in five people affected each year. It's hard to view all our mental health symptoms as disordered if so many of us are experiencing them. Perhaps it's not that something's gone wrong in our bodies and minds, but that something's gone right: These symptoms are brilliant alarms and adaptions to survive a disordered world. Having sensitive protective functions that sound alarms or short-circuit when we're threatened isn't a design flaw. It's a design success. As a psychiatrist, professor, and mental health speaker, Joanna Cheek argues that we're not broken or doing it wrong when we're stressed or struggling. As our systems are pushed to the brink of collapse, self-improvement alone neglects the source of our suffering. Instead, to care for ourselves, we must heal the imbalances in our wider systems that keep making us all sick. In It's Not You. It's the World, Dr. Cheek offers a survival guide of mental health tools to care for both ourselves and our collectives, helping us understand and befriend our alarms so we can come together to solve the shared problems they're signaling. With a foreword by Gabor Maté, chapter-by-chapter guidance, and practical action to empower, connect, and instill hope in the reader, It's Not You. It's The World is the go‑to guide for anyone feeling depressed, anxious, enraged, despairing, numb, or sick from adapting to a world on fire.

From the social media superstar behind @SimonSits, Isabel Klee--known for her heartwarming tales of dog rescue--comes an utterly winning memoir about a twentysomething woman's search for true love in New York City and the dogs who helped her find it. A Jersey girl by birth, Isabel Klee had always wanted to live in New York City. At age 20, she got her chance, ditching her college upstate for Marymount Manhattan and moving into a tiny basement apartment on the Upper East Side. Dog-obsessed since childhood, her first post-grad job was managing content for the mega-popular account The Dogist, and something clicked into place: a career focused on helping dogs was the new dream. Isabel quickly found a passion for using her own growing platform to help rescue pups find their forever homes. At the same time, she was caught up in a whirlwind of friendships, parties, fickle boyfriends and grand romances, which she recounts in honest, tender, and sometimes devastating chapters about the search for love and belonging. Isabel's first true love, though, was Simon, a fluffy puppy who'd been saved from the meat trade. As the highs and lows of this classically-turbulent decade hit Isabel in wave after wave, it was Simon who kept her grounded. Together, Isabel and Simon created an online community of dog-lovers, fellow foster advocates, and girls just trying to get through the trenches of their twenties. In this adorable and moving memoir, Isabel weaves together the stories of her foster dogs--and the challenges she helped them overcome--with tales of bad dates, hard decisions, and great loves in New York City, all leading to a happy ending not only for the rescue pups, but for Isabel herself.