Nonfiction4Life

Using traditional parenting techniques, author Rebecca Eanes felt disconnected from her children. Frustrated and discouraged, she decided to trust her gut instead. She documented online her newfound success with positive parenting and quickly found her message resonated with countless parents. In fact, she gained over a million followers on her “Positive Parenting” Facebook page and plenty of material for her first book, Positive Parenting: An Essential Guide.

Now, two years later, Eanes shares her Positive Parenting Workbook: An Interactive Guide for Strengthening Emotional Connection. This companion guide or stand-alone book offers a place for parents to reflect on motivations, reactions, and goals. Ultimately, Eanes writes to help parents connect (or reconnect) with their children in order to create calmer, happier familial relationships.

Since research shows healthy parents help children thrive, the author encourages all parents to “look within” first. In other words, before blaming society or our children, it’s imperative we engage in proper self-care. To take good care of ourselves, Eanes suggests we slow down in one way or another. This can include taking deep breaths, doing push-ups, calling a friend, or asking for a hug. After all, as American author Robert Brault once said, “In our happiest childhood memories, our parents were happy, too.”

The Workbook is replete with insightful exercises to help parents, such as:

• Build a foundation of trust
• Identify and change damaging, negative thought patterns
• Implement calm-down techniques instead of succumbing to anger and frustration
• Reconnect with partners, then approach parenting on a united front
• Create a positive family culture that allows kids to feel safe and loved
• Trade punishments for solutions
• Engage in daily loving rituals that strengthen family bonds

In addition, Eanes addresses how to face proactively “Top Parenting Challenges.” These include tough cases such as Aggression, Whining, Not Listening, Back Talk, and Tantrums.

Designed to reduce the drama, stress, and resentment all too common in families, Eanes’s book shows parents how to intentionally chart a new path. Then, with greater emotional awareness, clear communication, and genuine connection with loved ones, parents are equipped to create joyful family moments.

Eanes is the founder of Positive-Parents.org.

BUY The Positive Parenting Workbook: An Interactive Guide for Strengthening Emotional Connection

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A bestseller for more than 20 years, A Complaint Is a Gift: Recovering Customer Loyalty When Things Go Wrong provides guidelines for handling customer grievances. As the subtitle reminds us, when doing business, things can, do, and will go wrong. With a foreword by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, the book focuses on pleasing customers by first listening to what they have to say. 

Rather than bristling at customers’ unmet expectations, authors Janelle Barlow and Claus Møller encourage us to welcome all feedback, especially complaints. In fact, by reframing criticism as a gift, businesses actually tap into one of the least expensive marketing tools available. Moreover, in contrast to static market research, talking directly to customers in real time can provide razor-sharp insights to hone current products and services. Such interactions can also shine bright lights on a company’s roadmap for the future.

Surprisingly, satisfied customers are the ones most likely to complain, yet they’re also most likely to remain loyal. Truly, when they speak up, we know they care.

To handle complaints, companies have taken to outsourcing call centers. But reduced expenses can’t compensate for language and culture barriers standing in the way of begrudged customers feeling fully understood and cared for. In the 21st century, we continue to use the phone to express our complaints, but with the advent of technology, we’ve added many other options. Whatever the method of communication--emails, online chats--every response tool should be easy to find and just as easy to use.

While reducing common complaints is valuable, we should make hassle-free complaining a business cornerstone. After all, without the gift of complaints, we cut ourselves off from our most reliable, honest, perceptive advice for improvement.

Now available in 25 languages, the book covers a wide range of solid principles and practices to help both customers and companies deal with unmet expectations. But perhaps the authors’ greatest gifts to us are their “gift formulas.” Whether verbal or written, these begin with saying “Thank you.” Taking this step alone can begin to help calm even the angriest, most aggressive customers.

Barlow predicts the future of business will depend heavily on how well companies can handle customer complaints in timely, personal way. Those who actively seek complaints, act on the feedback and deliver the best solutions for recovering goodwill will thrive.

BUY A Complaint Is a Gift: Recovering Customer Loyalty When Things Go Wrong by Janelle Barlow

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A bestseller for more than 20 years, A Complaint Is a Gift: Recovering Customer Loyalty When Things Go Wrong provides guidelines for handling customer grievances. As the subtitle reminds us, when doing business, things can, do, and will go wrong. With a foreword by Tony Hsieh, CEO of Zappos.com, the book focuses on pleasing customers by first listening to what they have to say. 

Rather than bristling at customers’ unmet expectations, authors Janelle Barlow and Claus Møller encourage us to welcome all feedback, especially complaints. In fact, by reframing criticism as a gift, businesses actually tap into one of the least expensive marketing tools available. Moreover, in contrast to static market research, talking directly to customers in real time can provide razor-sharp insights to hone current products and services. Such interactions can also shine bright lights on a company’s roadmap for the future.

Surprisingly, satisfied customers are the ones most likely to complain, yet they’re also most likely to remain loyal. Truly, when they speak up, we know they care.

To handle complaints, companies have taken to outsourcing call centers. But reduced expenses can’t compensate for language and culture barriers standing in the way of begrudged customers feeling fully understood and cared for. In the 21st century, we continue to use the phone to express our complaints, but with the advent of technology, we’ve added many other options. Whatever the method of communication--emails, online chats--every response tool should be easy to find and just as easy to use.

While reducing common complaints is valuable, we should make hassle-free complaining a business cornerstone. After all, without the gift of complaints, we cut ourselves off from our most reliable, honest, perceptive advice for improvement.

Now available in 25 languages, the book covers a wide range of solid principles and practices to help both customers and companies deal with unmet expectations. But perhaps the authors’ greatest gifts to us are their “gift formulas.” Whether verbal or written, these begin with saying “Thank you.” Taking this step alone can begin to help calm even the angriest, most aggressive customers.

Barlow predicts the future of business will depend heavily on how well companies can handle customer complaints in timely, personal way. Those who actively seek complaints, act on the feedback and deliver the best solutions for recovering goodwill will thrive.

BUY A Complaint Is a Gift: Recovering Customer Loyalty When Things Go Wrong by Janelle Barlow

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Dr. Mark Hyman debunks food myths and answers the question, “What the heck should I eat?” As a functional medicine doctor, Hyman believes food is the best medicine. His practical guide to achieving optimal weight and lifelong health includes plenty of do’s and don’ts, always acknowledging what the experts have got right so far.

Packed with solid research but also replete with sensible ideas, Hyman’s book Food is endorsed by dozens of high-profile experts, including scientists, politicians, journalists, and authors. Their accolades are well deserved. Hyman takes on controversies surrounding GMOs, hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, salt, and spices. He also speaks about why we need to choose organic foods and how to afford them. Readers will find dozens of recipes for detoxing and to help create new eating patterns for overall well-being.

With decades of clinical experience, Hyman untangles conflicting research and opposing dietary philosophies. For example, should we eat wheat and other grains or avoid products with gluten? Is it important to get recommendations for dairy, or are many people lactose-intolerant? Specifically, he dives deep into categories that confuse most of us: meat; poultry, and eggs, dairy; fish and seafood; vegetables; fruit; fats and oils; beans; grains; nuts and seeds; sugar and sweeteners; and beverages. A bit tongue-in-cheek, Hyman recommends a “Pegan” diet. Based on his research and experience, Hyman has found this hybrid of Paleo and vegan diets has tremendous power to reduce inflammation and, therefore, eliminate many common illnesses.

But beyond nutritional science, Hyman puts food in a larger context---how it affects our health, environment, economy, and social fabric. He even broaches touchy subjects such as how food is affecting our children’s capacity to learn and our youth’s fitness readiness for military service.

Above all, Dr. Hyman advocates eating simple meals using real food prepared at home. Using his “eater’s guide,” millions who suffer unnecessarily from our current food system can find relief.

BUY Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?

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Dr. Mark Hyman debunks food myths and answers the question, “What the heck should I eat?” As a functional medicine doctor, Hyman believes food is the best medicine. His practical guide to achieving optimal weight and lifelong health includes plenty of do’s and don’ts, always acknowledging what the experts have got right so far.

Packed with solid research but also replete with sensible ideas, Hyman’s book Food is endorsed by dozens of high-profile experts, including scientists, politicians, journalists, and authors. Their accolades are well deserved. Hyman takes on controversies surrounding GMOs, hormones, antibiotics, chemicals, salt, and spices. He also speaks about why we need to choose organic foods and how to afford them. Readers will find dozens of recipes for detoxing and to help create new eating patterns for overall well-being.

With decades of clinical experience, Hyman untangles conflicting research and opposing dietary philosophies. For example, should we eat wheat and other grains or avoid products with gluten? Is it important to get recommendations for dairy, or are many people lactose-intolerant? Specifically, he dives deep into categories that confuse most of us: meat; poultry, and eggs, dairy; fish and seafood; vegetables; fruit; fats and oils; beans; grains; nuts and seeds; sugar and sweeteners; and beverages. A bit tongue-in-cheek, Hyman recommends a “Pegan” diet. Based on his research and experience, Hyman has found this hybrid of Paleo and vegan diets has tremendous power to reduce inflammation and, therefore, eliminate many common illnesses.

But beyond nutritional science, Hyman puts food in a larger context---how it affects our health, environment, economy, and social fabric. He even broaches touchy subjects such as how food is affecting our children’s capacity to learn and our youth’s fitness readiness for military service.

Above all, Dr. Hyman advocates eating simple meals using real food prepared at home. Using his “eater’s guide,” millions who suffer unnecessarily from our current food system can find relief.

BUY Food: What the Heck Should I Eat?

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SUMMARY

To be happy together, whether you’re starting a new relationship, weathering difficult times, or jump-starting a long-term marriage, Suzie and James Pawelski can help. Their book, Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love That Lasts, isn’t the typical approach to romance. But this husband-and-wife research team has found how to ignite (or reignite) passion.

KEY POINTS

Together, the Pawelskis have identified four key areas crucial to building and sustaining love over the long run:

1. Harmonious passion: remembering who we are as individuals and seeking out new adventures together that both enjoy
2. Positive emotions: feelings of joy, gratitude, and hope to help motivate couples to invest in each other’s well-being and engage in mutual care
3. Mindful savoring: the importance of actively and consciously valuing another and expressing this appreciation to nurture and enhance the relationship
4. Character strengths: why we need to define, find, and cultivate our individual potential and support our partner’s growth simultaneously

Happy Together is the first book to apply principles of positive psychology to create successful, satisfying bonds that last. It’s a roadmap for rewarding, long-lasting romance. Refreshingly upbeat, the Pawelskis encourage couples to focus on their strengths. In other words, rather than prescribe cures for failing relationships, they suggest exercises as simple as talking about each other’s strengths to build positive emotions. From there, couples can further leverage strengths by planning dates that bring out the best in both partners. Another healthy exercise to lengthen and strengthen sweet moments of emotional closeness is slowing down to share your love story—the highs and the lows. Recounting how you’ve both conquered challenges and relished the good times can greatly increase your enjoyment of those experiences.

Of course, falling in love and even being in love doesn’t mean you will magically have your dream relationship. Rather, relationships improve over time when partners practice key skills and cultivate loving habits. The Pawelskis encourage us to practice these skills in our own “relationship gym” because all relationships need work.

BUY Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love That Lasts by Suzann Pileggi Pawelski, MAPP and James O. Pawelski, Ph.D

RECOMMENDATIONS

Check out the Pawelskis’ website Build Happy Together, and spend 15 minutes with your loved one taking the VIA Survey of Character Strengths.

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Whether you’re starting a new relationship, weathering difficult times, or jump-starting a long-term marriage, Suzie and James Pawelski can help. Granted, their book, Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love That Lasts, isn’t the typical approach to romance. But this husband-and-wife research team has found how to ignite (or reignite) passion. Together, they’ve identified four key areas crucial to building and sustaining love over the long run.

1. Harmonious passion: remembering who we are as individuals and seeking out new adventures together that both enjoy
2. Positive emotions: feelings of joy, gratitude, and hope help motivate couples in to invest in each other’s well-being and engage in mutual care
3. Mindful savoring: the importance of actively and consciously valuing another and expressing this appreciation to nurture and enhance the relationship
4. Character strengths: why we need to define, find, and cultivate our individual potential and support our partner’s growth simultaneously

Happy Together is the first book to apply principles of positive psychology to create successful, satisfying bonds that last. It’s a roadmap for rewarding, long-lasting romance. Refreshingly upbeat, the Pawelskis encourage every couple to focus on their strengths. 

Of course, falling in love and even being in love doesn’t mean you will magically have your dream relationship. Rather, relationships improve over time when partners practice key skills and cultivate loving habits. The Pawelskis encourage us to practice these skills in our own “relationship gym” because all relationships need work.

BUY Happy Together: Using the Science of Positive Psychology to Build Love That Lasts by Suzann Pileggi Pawelski, MAPP and James O. Pawelski, Ph.D

We asked book lovers in the Bay Area to tell us about their favorite nonfiction. We found people selling, sharing, and reading books at Half Price Books, a brick-and-mortar Amazon Bookstore, a public library, Stanford Library, and even Costco. Listen to their recommendations for insightful, inspiring, and uplifting books. (See links below.) As we always say, at Nonfiction4Life we believe there's something for everyone.

Also, to celebrate Valentine's Day all month long, we plan to show our love of books. Follow us closely on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get alerts and learn details about:

• Book Fairies - We’re at it again! Look for our hidden books throughout the month of February. You'll know you've spotted one when you see our Nonfiction4Life sticker covered with hearts and the words, “We share our love of great books.”
• Polls - Let us know who and what you love. Be ready to vote on authors, categories, and books that grab you most.
• Free book giveaway - We’ve had fantastic feedback about our podcast with Jess Shatkin, author of Born to Be Wild: Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep Them Safe. Check in often to find out when we'll be giving away a copy of his book.

Nonfiction books recommended in the podcast:

1. BUY A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid
2. BUY Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by Jocko Willink
3. BUY Crossing the Borders of Time: A True Story of War, Exile, and Love Reclaimed by Leslie Maitland
4. BUY Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit
5. BUY Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman
6. BUY A Couple's Guide to Communication by John Gottman
7. BUY Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink
8. BUY When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi and Abraham Verghese
9. BUY Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O'Donohue
10. BUY Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond
11. BUY Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
12. BUY The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization by Martin Puchner
13. BUY From P.O.W. to C.E.O.: An After-War Memoir by Hester Velmans
14. BUY The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman
15. BUY Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
16. BUY The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
17. BUY The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman
18. BUY Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires by Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks
19. BUY Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis
20. BUY Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
21. BUY Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly

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We asked book lovers in the Bay Area to tell us about their favorite nonfiction. We found people selling, sharing, and reading books at Half Price Books, a brick-and-mortar Amazon Bookstore, a public library, Stanford Library, and even Costco. Listen to their recommendations for insightful, inspiring, and uplifting books. (See links below.) As we always say, at Nonfiction4Life we believe there's something for everyone.

Also, to celebrate Valentine's Day all month long, we plan to show our love of books. Follow us closely on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter to get alerts and learn details about:

• Book Fairies - We’re at it again! Look for our hidden books throughout the month of February. You'll know you've spotted one when you see our Nonfiction4Life sticker covered with hearts and the words, “We share our love of great books.”
• Polls - Let us know who and what you love. Be ready to vote on authors, categories, and books that grab you most.
• Free book giveaway - We’ve had fantastic feedback about our podcast with Jess Shatkin, author of Born to Be Wild: Why Teens Take Risks, and How We Can Help Keep Them Safe. Check in often to find out when we'll be giving away a copy of his book.

Nonfiction books recommended in the podcast:

1. BUY A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid
2. BUY Discipline Equals Freedom: Field Manual by Jocko Willink
3. BUY Crossing the Borders of Time: A True Story of War, Exile, and Love Reclaimed by Leslie Maitland
4. BUY Pandora's Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit
5. BUY Eighty Days: Nellie Bly and Elizabeth Bisland's History-Making Race Around the World by Matthew Goodman
6. BUY A Couple's Guide to Communication by John Gottman
7. BUY Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us by Daniel H. Pink
8. BUY When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi and Abraham Verghese
9. BUY Anam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom by John O'Donohue
10. BUY Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed by Jared Diamond
11. BUY Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
12. BUY The Written World: The Power of Stories to Shape People, History, Civilization by Martin Puchner
13. BUY From P.O.W. to C.E.O.: An After-War Memoir by Hester Velmans
14. BUY The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking by Oliver Burkeman
15. BUY Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers by Mary Roach
16. BUY The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg
17. BUY The Zookeeper's Wife: A War Story by Diane Ackerman
18. BUY Ask and It Is Given: Learning to Manifest Your Desires by Esther Hicks and Jerry Hicks
19. BUY Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis
20. BUY Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol Dweck
21. BUY Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever by Bill O'Reilly

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SHOW NOTES: Dr. Alan Briskin co-wrote The Power of Collective Wisdom: And the Trap of Collective Folly with Sheryl Erickson, John Ott, and Tom Callanan. Together, the authors seek to answer the key question, “How does magic happen in groups?” With the encouragement and support of The Fetzer Institute, they combine their own research, theory, and practice with that of hundreds of others, as noted in the Acknowledgments. In short, they teach how to maximize the best in us.  “Collective wisdom,"" says Briskin, is about how we come to make sound judgments with others, touched by what is common and decent in all of us.”

But leveraging this wisdom, or finding a new joint perspective, requires deep connection with others and our surroundings. Briskin's multiple examples of both positive and negative group participation illustrate the urgent need for “large-scale change efforts in business, health care, education, mental health, criminal justice, conflict resolution, and global initiatives.”

To increase the likelihood of collective wisdom emerging, Briskin proposes six “stances” or attitudes. The first is “Deep Listening.” To illustrate, Briskin introduces us to Paula Underwood, a Turtle clan mother of the Iroquois nation. Taught by her father to listen to people’s hearts and to read between the lines, she learned both emotional and cognitive empathy. As a tribal leader, she uses these skills while anticipating life seven generations into the future. Such foresight or concern for the future, which Briskin calls “the DNA of wisdom,” can be adopted by any culture. In fact, today we see it often in environmental groups.

A similar stance is “Seeing whole systems/Seeking diverse perspectives.” This attitude is what we hope will frame robust political debates, which have long been part of our nation’s history. For example, in Benjamin Franklin’s final speech at the Constitutional Convention, he champions individuals who engage in vigorous discourse with the express purpose of moving group goals forward.

Humility is another key component to collective wisdom. Cesar Chavez, the leader of the United Farm Workers, openly admitted he did not have all the solutions to organize his little band of grape harvesters. And, by publicly confessing he lacked answers, the group helped him find a way to unite and galvanize others.

Without building deep relationships, we can fall into “the trap of collective folly,” Briskin warns. This folly may begin as mere separation and fragmentation. However, if we don't take precautions against polarizing, accusing, blaming, and talking past each other, then collective folly can lead to dysfunction and even evil. For example, the “not me” or “not us” attitude can devolve into “confirmation bias,” with members welcoming only data confirming what they already believe or know. Another form of collective folly is false agreement and the (outward) appearance of unity. To illustrate, Briskin shares the true story of the disastrous, deadly failure of the Challenger Space Shuttle mission. In the end, the book can help immunize us against such dangerous folly.

BUY The Power of Collective Wisdom: And the Trap of Collective Folly by Briskin (1-Oct-2009) Paperback

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