GOOD BOOKS
My Age of Anxiety, Scott Stossel
A book about the author's personal struggle with anxiety as well as a history of theories and treatments.
Autism, Temple Grandin
An exceptionally enlightening discussion of what life is like for a person with autism.
Brainstorm: The power and purpose of the teenage brain, Daniel Siegel
Easy to understand neuroscience of the development of the adolescent brain and strategies for communicating with young people.
The Secrets to Stepfamily Success, Gloria Lintermans
A look at common conflicts within stepfamilies and how to approach them successfully
Bringing Up Bebe, Pamela Druckman
A funny and insightful look at parenting differences in France and the US -truly eye opening
Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain and Illness, Jon Kabat-Zinn
A landmark book on mindfulness, meditation and healing using principles of Kabat-Zinn's mindfulness-based stress reduction program.
The Feeling Good Handbook, David Burns, MD
A cognitive behavioral therapy approach to depression and anxiety. A very practical, hands-on guide to controlling negative, destructive thinking that leads to mental health problems
The Drama of the Gifted Child, Alice Miller
Gifted children are those who have been raised by difficult parents and hence have developed problems with attachment. A deep psychological understanding of our relational lives
The Courage to Heal: A Guide for Women Survivors of Child Sexual Abuse, Ellen Bass and Laura Davis
A handbook on recovering from sexual abuse. Also for partners of people who have survived sexual abuse.
Our Bodies, Ourselves, by the Boston Women's Health Collective
A thorough discussion of women's bodies and development with special chapters on women's health and mental health issues. A good start for getting into the connections between mind and body.
Dante's Cure, by Daniel Dorfman, MD
A book about schizophrenia that does not endorse our usual ways of treating this illness. Brilliant and unusual.
Our Inner Conflicts, by Karen Horney
A general look at the things that disturb us and cause psychological distress. Beautifully written look at how to change our inner landscape.
Listening to Prozac and Against Depression, by Peter Kramer, MD
Two wonderful books, by a psychiatrist who is also an excellent writer, that look at depression and medication.
The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work, by John Gottman and Nan Silver
Gottman's work on couples and marriage is phenomenal. This book is one of my favorites but it's worth looking at his other work as well.
Driven to Distraction: Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood through Adulthood, by Edward Hallowell and John Ratey
The first book to really understand ADD/ADHD and destroy the myths that surround these learning disorders.
The Myths of Suicide, by Thomas Joiner
A book about what it takes to commit the act of suicide based on Joiner's research as well as his experience with his father's suicide.