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Book Recommendations

Published over 1 year ago • 1 min read

Book Recommendations

Your weekly dose of Life fully loved, switched up a little bit this week!

Happy Sunday Reader!
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Today I'm sharing with you a few of my favourite books. You likely already know how much I love reading so I'm picking a few that might pique your interest. If you're in a pinch, email me as I have "Cole's Notes" for each of these and I'm happy to send them to you.

If you've read one or all of them, tell me what you think of them.

And, please, let me know what you're reading. The best recommendations come from people I care about and that is you, my friend!

Current Fave

Give back, pay it forward, be useful. "We are all connected," says Schwarzenegger in his delightful book (which is written exactly as you'd think)!

His main argument is that usefulness and self-sufficiency are the primary tools to fight apathy and unhappiness.

Other Contenders

Dickinson says persuasion is about "authenticity, honesty, reciprocity." It's about creating emotional connection and it doesn’t involve tricks, coercion, or shading the truth. Both sides benefit. View setbacks as a chance to dig deeper, not that you don't have what it takes to succeed.

While I find it a bit too granular at times, it's an excellent resource for understanding more precise definitions of emotions. I particularly enjoyed 1) her coverage of the Four Horsemen (criticism, defensiveness, contempt, stonewalling), courtesy of the Gottman Institute and 2) explaining the difference between empathy and its "near enemy" - sympathy.

An excellent explanation of how the inability to pay attention is a systemic issue more than a personal one. He breaks down why and provides practical solutions for how to fix it, including avoiding too much switching (multitasking actually doesn't work), and limiting intrusive technology designed to hack and hook you (aka "surveillance capitalism."

Discusses fluid versus crystallized intelligence. As we age, we move from the fluid, knowledge-based curve to the crystallized, wisdom-based curve. When we don't make this shift, unhappiness ensues. He asks, if you had one year left to live, how would you structure the coming month? What would change on your to-do list? What would you NOT worry about?

All-Time Favourite

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I've recommended this book to many clients and friends. Her gentle 12-week program unlocked my creative potential. I still do Morning Pages daily. This is the book that ignited Elizabeth Gilbert to write her famous Eat, Pray, Love. She's done it 3x over the ensuing years! I love, love, love, this book!

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Hope you enjoy today's edition. I'll talk to you next week!
Love, Laura

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♡ Life fully loved

Laura Barker Coaching

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