My Essential Books

 

A book that brought me back to religion, or at least gave me an acceptable way of thinking about God and religion. It also convinced me to favor a vegetarian diet, in a not-trying-to-convince-you sort of way.
 

A fascinating look at humans as beings of light energy. Written by a former NASA physicist who became a therapist & New Age healer. She claims to have the ability to see people's energy fields through High Sense Perception, which she cultivated in her lonely youth as an only child, spending hours outdoors with forest plants & animals. See also her follow-up book, Light Emerging: The Journey of Personal Healing.
  An unbelievable collection of stories from the great Indian Yogi who eventually traveled to America to found the Self-Realization Fellowship in California in 1920. A free online version is available.
  A classic & a masterpiece from the Lebanese-American, who lived from 1883 - 1931. A poetic book of advice on 26 matters ranging from marriage, to eating & drinking, to pleasure, to good & evil. A free online version is available.
  This was an influential book for me--it caused me to see the world as much less human-centric. The theme is human evolution & its toll on the world, as told from an ape's perspective.
  This was a book recommended by Oprah, as the reason she and her boyfriend were still together. After reading it, it became the reason my boyfriend & I got back together. It totally transformed the way I was looking at problems in my relationships and communicating. I was so grateful for the insight that I bought this book for just about all my close friends & family members! This book is the reason I became fascinated with psychology. I think it was unjustly marketed as a guide for singles, when it really has much broader usefulness.