I never wanted to be the person who says, “Why me?” when bad things happen. Nor did I want to fall into the common traps of feeling like I must have done something to deserve it, or that I must endure it with gritted teeth. So I sought out the books and guidance that make up the counterculture of the self-help world. Finally, rather than being told to “Pick myself up” again and again, these books and authors gave me what I needed most in times of challenge and difficulty: rest, solace, and return. Only from that space could I fully re-engage with my work in this world.
Who are we, and why are we here? Any book that grapples with these existential questions calls my name. And especially, books that ask these questions in light of the immense upheaval and change we are currently living in.
One of the greatest gifts of growing wiser is that we begin to see our life patterns and cycles with greater clarity. Was it fate? Was it destiny? And how do we find meaning through all of it?
Michael Meade is one of our time’s greatest teachers, and in this book, he gives us permission to view our own lives like a story in which times of trial become the very things that shape us into who we are meant to be.
In this highly anticipated book, renowned mythologist and storyteller Michael Meade explores the complex and mysterious territories of the human soul with daring and hard-won wisdom. Drawing on folktales and myths from many cultures and spiritual ideas from the East and West, he leads us to an undeniable truth: that the only story we came here to live is our own.
What other book can you think of that has a section entitled “The Healing Powers of Depression”?
This was the book that taught me the key to whole body, mind, and spirit transformation was to cease all the habitual “overcoming” language and behavior and go deep into the places the ego fears the most.
In this approach, dark times are initiations that don’t just help us get through but strip us so completely down to the bareness of our own souls.
#1 New York Times Bestseller With a new introduction by the author and additional material, this 25th anniversary edition of the #1 New York Times bestseller by Thomas Moore provides a powerful spiritual message for our troubled times. In this special 25th anniversary edition of Thomas Moore's bestselling book Care of the Soul readers are presented with a revolutionary approach to thinking about daily life-everyday activities, events, problems and creative opportunities-and a therapeutic lifestyle is proposed that focuses on looking more deeply into emotional problems and learning how to sense sacredness in even ordinary things. Basing his writing on the…
Pathways to Inner Peace offers the light of hope to a world often overwhelmed by stress, disconnection, and uncertainty.
This inspiring and accessible guide blends scientific insight with spiritual wisdom in a comprehensive approach to help readers cultivate greater emotional resilience and hope. The book takes readers on a transformational…
As a mother myself, this book deepened my intentionality about what kinds of lessons I gather and pass on down the family lineage.
How can I contribute to the continuation of growing consciousness, love, and compassion through the ancient method of telling stories, versus the more Western, modern way: the laying down of rules?
Reading this book is like sitting at the feet of a wise elder, contemplating the past, current state, and future of humanity.
Tackling some of the world’s most profound questions through the intimate lens of fatherhood, Bayo Akomolafe embarks on a journey of discovery as he maps the contours of the spaces between himself and his three-year-old daughter, Alethea. In a narrative that manages to be both intricate and unguarded, he discovers that something as commonplace as becoming a father is a cosmic event of unprecedented proportions. Using this realization as a touchstone, he is led to consider the strangeness of his own soul, contemplate the myths and rituals of modernity, ask questions about food and justice, ponder what it means to…
I grew up believing ambition to be a virtue. I assumed it was a positive trait to have, to aspire to. And then, I read this definition by David Whyte, and my whole outlook changed.
“Ambition left to itself, like a Rupert Murdoch, always becomes tedious, its only object the creation of larger and larger empires of control.” I no longer aspire to be ambitious, because it doesn’t coexist with cooperation, sharing, and communal good.
I have a fondness for etymology, studying the origin of words. But to do so with 52 words and a poet’s guidance? Chef’s kiss.
After many years of revising the essays, author David Whyte has published this revised edition of his well loved book. In addition to sharper versions of many of the essays, it contains an additional piece, CLOSE:
To consciously become close is a form of unilateral disarmament, a chancing of our arm and our love, a willingness to hazard our affections and an unconscious declaration that we might be equal to the inevitable loss that the vulnerability of being close will bring.
With the imagery of a poet and the reflection of a philosopher, David Whyte turns his attention to 52…
Coming Together in the Great Turning
by
Aravinda Ananda,
The Work That Reconnects, first developed by Joanna Macy and her colleagues, has guided countless people from despair into purposeful, collective action. Coming Together in the Great Turning deepens this work by confronting systemic racism, injustice, and oppression, and expanding its revolutionary vision with a decade of dialogue and practice,…
Joanna sadly left this world in 2025, but her work will stay with me forever.
This was the book that helped me move past my panic attacks about the future of humanity. How should we be when we accept the fact that the world is falling apart? How does one act, prioritize, and engage? How do you do it, without falling apart yourself?
Not an easy book to read, because it clearly lays out the trouble we’re in as human beings on this planet—no tiptoeing around. And yet, that’s exactly what gave me comfort. I needed to recognize, name, and honor the fears I felt within, instead of continuing to try to bat them away.
This book meets our moment with truth and clarity.
The challenges we face can be difficult even to think about. Climate change, war, political polarization, economic upheaval, and the dying back of nature together create a planetary emergency of overwhelming proportions. This revised, tenth anniversary edition of Active Hope shows us how to strengthen our capacity to face these crises so that we can respond with unexpected resilience and creative power. Drawing on decades of teaching an empowerment approach known as the Work That Reconnects, the authors guide us through a transformational process informed by mythic journeys, modern psychology, spirituality, and holistic science. This process equips us with tools…
When our personal lives don’t unfold as planned, it’s easy to lose hope. When the world feels overwhelming, it’s tempting to believe we are powerless.
The Essential Ingredient reframes these moments through the endless cycle of breakdown, reflection, and rebirth. Grounded in Jungian principles and inspired by alchemy—the art of transformation—The Essential Ingredient asks us to explore what it might take to remake ourselves, and our society, from the inside out.
