February Bookshelf

Photo by Ryan M. (cc)

Another month, another heap of books. And it looks like it’s Pema Chödrön bookshelf month, with three titles (they were all on sale). For March the fresh blood (in alphabetical order) consists of:

Comfortable with Uncertainty, by Pema Chödrön

The subtitle of this book is 108 Teachings on Fearlessness and Compassion, which sounds like a long text, but it’s a compact book. Each teaching is a 2-3 page essay on a different topic, in a sort of anthology. Feels a little I Ching-y flipping through it, but that’s not a far assessment. Bite-sized chapters are good.

Embracing the Beloved: Relationship as a Path of Awakening, by Stephen and Ondrea Levine

A book on extremely fearless relationship building. I found this years ago at the Seattle Metaphysical Library, loved it, and promptly forgot the title and the authors’ names. I remembered where in the library it was shelved, but of course they rearranged everything and it was hopelessly lost to me. Well, eureka, for I have found it and am looking forward to seeing if it’s held up as well as I like to remember it.

Getting Unstuck, by Pema Chödrön

This one is an audio recording from a Buddhist retreat. I got it out of the woowoo bargain bin, but I’m really looking forward to it. She covers a lot of ground in it on shenpa (sticky urges) and it sounds like it will be interesting stuff.

The Highly Sensitive Person, by Elaine Aron

A self-help and practical guide for people emotionally and physically sensitive to the surrounding environment. Extends beyond just analyzing introverted personalities, which I appreciate as a sensitive extrovert. This is listed as a resource in a lot of other books I’ve read so it’s time to finally give it a whirl.

Meeting the Shadow: The Hidden Power of the Dark Side of Human Nature, edited by Connie Zweig and Jeremiah Abrams

Haven’t even cracked it open yet, but had to buy it just based on the title. Plutonian much?

Spiritual Emergency: When Personal Transformation Becomes a Crisis, edited by Stanislav Grof, M.D. and Christina Grof

A collection of essays by various experts discussing the nature of spiritual crisis, and comparing the Western experience of psychic disturbances and schizophrenia to kundalini awakening and shamanic initiations of other cultures. Lots of theory, hoping for some more concrete practice as well. Good breadth of analysis so far.

The Places that Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times, by Pema Chödrön

This book looks to be a work on breaking habits that lead to bitterness and resistance. More short but powerful-looking chapters.

The Wishing Year: A House, a Man, My Soul, by Noelle Oxenhandler

A memoir about a year-long prosperity experiment in an Eat, Pray, Love style. The author is a philosophy professor and long-time Zen Buddhist. The first chapter in the store hooked me in, so it should be a worthwhile read on style, if nothing else.

Related posts:

1. March Bookshelf
2. October Bookshelf
3. January Bookshelf