Finding Meaning In The Second Half of Life: How to Finally, Really Grow Up

I'm left a little speechless and humbled after reading this book. There was no corner its insight didn't reach into. Like other books that call us forth to live a larger life, Finding Meaning in the Second Half of Life by James Hollis, Ph.D., probed into every arena of our daily lives. Yet unlike other books, it called for an immense amount of responsibility to see the depth of our addictions and distractions. I had thought I understood how far I'd come in my personal journey of enlightenment and soul "answering", but I learned that no one is free of addictions and that addictions take on many, unnoticeable forms, some of which we as a culture judge as valuable. At first reading this, I balked, thinking surely I am free of addictions. But this book revealed to me the many facets of distractions that serve the purpose of keeping us from facing our true selves and answering the call of the soul.

This book is not for those wishing to advance at a snail's pace or those who may be newly initiated at facing themselves. This is an honest and bare Jungian analysis of the human condition, and at times felt raw, yet right. The language is elevated and intricate, which requires a deliberate and processed reading to comprehend the nuances of the insight. But if you take your time, and in some paragraphs, re-read the text, you will walk away with an understanding of yourself and our fellow neighbors that is deeply contemplative and revealing. Prepare to meet the real you. Then prepare to walk into the new you.

Enough, Dammit!

One of the most refreshing books to make its way into my hands. As usual, my random perusing of the library shelves, proved fruitful. If ever there were a concise, yet engaging book to get you out of your personal slump... this is it! Illustrated in the style of a children's book, the photos are bright and vivid, and accompany the insightful, humorous text perfectly.

If self-help and quick-read sounds like an oxymoron to you, Enough Dammit! will change your mind. Literally. I recommend this book highly, whether you're just beginning to look more deeply into yourself and want to change your life, or you are a veteran self-improvement reader. You will gain some lasting, provocative thoughts with this book. Short enough to read in one sitting, its wisdom is profound and dead-on. It's portability makes it easy to read again and again - mandatory for lasting change.

Become Who You Were Born to Be

I walked into my local library looking for a book on finances, and saw instead this title on a top shelf - staring me down and calling for me read its message. Like the ABBA song, Take a Chance, it got in my head and wouldn't leave. And my new-found Believe-In-The-Universe mentality obliged.

This book turned out to be one of the best books I've read in a long time. Highly motivational and very intelligently written, I found it to have a lot of wisdom derived from great works like Think And Grow Rich mixed with personal mini-biographies of successful people. Unlike other self-improvement writings, it contains incredible and inspiring stories of extraordinary people you may never have heard of, along with well known people in history, which for me made it more tangible and real.

If you're a self-improvement addict, which I now believe I am, you'll find this book manages to successfully summarize some of the classic self-improvement titles while still maintaining its own style and message. My personal favorites are the anecdotes which begin each chapter. These are thoroughly novel, witty and deeply insightful.

All of the above said, the book manages to give you a few tools, or exercises, to help you on your path to becoming who you were born to be, but nothing that you can put to use for any length of time, which is a requirement if a self-improvement method is to be successful. I've personally found that the best books are those that encourage you, and provide ways, to keep at it. Any change involves breaking old habits, and replacing them with new, better, more deliberate and useful habits (for example, The Power of Positive Thinking and You Can Heal Your Life).

Still, this book did push me to the edge of the plateau I currently find myself on, and I believe as I ponder its wisdom in the days and weeks to come, it will succeed in elevating me to a higher plain.