As is now my annual tradition, I’m sharing my favorite
reading from last year… just in case any of you have made a resolution to learn
more and/or read more and need a solid recommendation. This is the short list,
so if you want any other recommendations, please don’t hesitate to ask. But if
you’re looking for the gems, I’ve listed them below.
They’re in a particular kind of order. I’m going to start
off with what I believe are the most important readings (those concerning
spiritual growth), then move to some non-fiction that will make you very angry
(re: capitalism, greed, exploitation, racism), then transition to some
non-fiction that will warm the heart and make you smile (one classic, one
contemporary), and end with the most powerful collection of poetry I have ever
read that can lift your spirit and inspire you to go out into your natural
environment—to love nature and to love yourself as a unified being with
creation.
As always, I look forward to talking to you after you’ve
read one, since all literature really comes to life and becomes part of you if
you share your thoughts and ideas on it with another… and because it’s just so
fun to talk about books!
By Eckhart Tolle
I am not sure how to sum up this book other than this: it
can change your life. Of all the books I’ve read over the last few years on
spirituality, this is the one that does the best job of summing it all up. In
other words, were I left with only one contemporary spiritual teaching, it
would be this accessible work.
By M. Scott Peck
This is another enlightening work that can change your life.
Peck offers my favorite definitions of love: “The will to extend one’s self for
the purpose of nurturing one’s own or another’s spiritual growth” (81). This
conception of Love is still so profound to me, even as I type this and
reconsider it… because its meaning is contingent upon spiritual growth, both
for the self and for the other person. I read this book on the recommendation of
my spiritual teacher, Melissa Love Glidden (also one of the founders of MOSAIC, my yoga studio in San Diego to
which I’ve referred throughout this blog). Peck’s words are powerful—so much on
how to truly love, both others and yourself. If taken to heart, this book will
revolutionize how you interact in relationships.
By Pope Francis
As most of you know, I am not affiliated with
any one faith or doctrine, but I believe there are universal truths in written
form that are worth sharing, and the Pope's most recent Encyclical on the issue
of "care for our common home" is one such written work. I came across
it while researching my dissertation topic on ecology, and it is full of
beautiful gems and disheartening truths... ones that I hope we all take the
time to think about and bring into our hearts. His final message, at least
how I interpret it, is a recipe for how to save our planet from destruction—in
order to care for nature and ourselves, we must learn to LOVE in a way that
exhibits “universal fraternity” for all life, and once we tap into this deep,
profound LOVE, we can then see the interconnectedness of all that is and we can
then know the ecological and spiritual truths that permeate our existence.
By Elizabeth Kolbert
There have been five mass extinctions during Earth’s 4.5
billion years of existence, and Kolbert provides scientific proof that we are
on the verge of a sixth mass extinction (meaning, more than 50% of all species
will be eradicated from the planet). Such an important book for all of us to
read, so we can be informed about this critical situation we’ve got ourselves
in. However, I must say that this book needs a warning sign attached to it:
Contains very disturbing information about the fate of humanity and our planet.
I have never cried so much while reading before, and not for good reasons. I
was appalled at some of the events she recalls and information she relays
because it is difficult for me to believe that humanity can be so corrupt,
selfish, greedy, and dark. Nonetheless, the ending reminds us that there is
still hope—we can change the course of our inevitable doom if we change our
actions now.
By Naomi Klein
Klein has easily become my favorite non-fiction author. She
is fearless in her critique of free-market capitalism and its greedy,
exploitative actions against those most vulnerable—those living in a region
where there is disaster, be it human-created disaster, like the Iraq War, or
natural disaster, like Hurricane Katrina. Examining Milton Friedman’s and the Chicago
School’s influence on economic strategies implemented around the globe, she
tells the unfortunate story of how people in positions of power take advantage
of shock to gain capital and power. If
you want to skip the long reading and watch a documentary outlining the major
concepts, check out some options like this
and this
on Amazon.
By Naomi Klein
I was serious about loving Klein’s work. This is her most
recent book, and if you’re noticing a trend here, you’re right. She basically
has it out for free-market capitalism. And she should. We all should. This
book, published in 2015, tells how we got ourselves into this mess of climate
crisis (note, if Kolbert predicts our future, Klein gives us our history).
By Michelle Alexander
Alexander, a civil-rights lawyer and legal scholar, argues
that we are not in an age of colorblindness, as many people believe, but rather
in an age where the US criminal justice system operates to control racial
groups and discriminate against people of color. She explains how the War on
Drugs is actually a contemporary version of the Jim Crow Laws from the Reconstruction
Period, meaning, a redesigned version of a caste-system that targets the
African American community, specifically men. Alexander includes a remarkable
amount of evidence, statistics, and figures on the issue that will appall you for
the injustice it reveals. Her book offers a call to action to confront this
issue in the name of racial justice and civil rights. Take a look at her website for more info and definitely
watch the trailer.
By Miguel De Cervantes
For those of you who love a good laugh and need some fiction
in your life, this is for you! Tells the story of Don Quixote, a man living in
sixteenth-century Spain who believes he is a knight-errant (in a time when
knights are of the distant past), and who ventures forth with his squire,
Sancho Panza, in search of ways to make himself useful. The tale explores the
themes of how we construct identity, how individuals quest to find their place
in the world, and how all of life contains elements of seeking, both externally
and internally. I read Don Quixote in
a course on world literature and was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading
it. Not only is it hilarious, but it is also an important work in the literary
canon, since it marks the rise of the novel in the west. Note, don’t be
discouraged by its length—the novel is comprised of two sections, and I felt
satisfied to stop at end of the first section.
By David Rhodes
Another beautiful work of fiction. Doc (aka Professor Arthur
Seamans) recommended this reading to me years ago, and I finally got around to
reading it. So glad I did. I rarely make time for contemporary fiction, and
novels like this make me worry I’m missing out! Includes one of the most lovely
descriptions of death, a few of the most memorable scenes of human tribulation,
and some of the most poetic prose I’ve ever read.
By Mary Oliver
This year, something incredible happened. I switched to a
new favorite poet—Mary Oliver. Though I still love Elizabeth Bishop, I find
Oliver’s poetry full of so much hope. There is a sense of universal connection
to all living beings that permeates her work. She marvels at nature, at life, at
all things, and finds in them a reflection of herself and the cosmos. Love and
Truth are at the heart of every poem, even when presenting a challenge to how
we normally conceive of love and truth. A truly remarkable collection of poems—within
its pages lies an invitation to change how you see the world, yourself, and all
of creation.
