6 life changing books recommended by The Together Project
STORY BY
Anna Delprat
Voracious bookworms we are here at The Together Project, so you can count on us to advise on the most moving and profound tomes that will quite literally make you see the world in a new light. Find our round up below.
Psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the experiences of others he treated later in his practice, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory-known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning")-holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful.
In The Four Agreements, bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, which four principles - be impeccable with your word, don't take anything personally, don't make assumptions and always do your best, the tome offers a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.
Fewer, Better Things explores the history of craft in its many forms, explaining how raw materials, tools, design, and technique come together to produce beauty and utility in handmade or manufactured items. Whether describing the implements used in a traditional Japanese tea ceremony, the use of woodworking tools, or the use of new fabrication technologies, Adamson writes expertly and lovingly about the aesthetics of objects, and the care and attention that goes into producing them. Reading this wise and elegant book is a truly transformative experience.
Are trees social beings? In this international bestseller, forester and author Peter Wohlleben convincingly makes the case that, yes, the forest is a social network. He draws on groundbreaking scientific discoveries to describe how trees are like human families: tree parents live together with their children, communicate with them, support them as they grow, share nutrients with those who are sick or struggling, and even warn each other of impending dangers. Wohlleben also shares his deep love of woods and forests, explaining the amazing processes of life, death, and regeneration he has observed in his woodland.
In an increasingly frenetic and fractured world, we have lost the essence of ourselves. This book is a guide to stripping away artifice in your life to discover your 'broad place', where you come into contact with your higher self as a creative and conscious human.High-Grade Living demonstrates how a strong foundation of meditation can benefit all areas of your life, from the home to relationships, creativity and happiness. The book examines how to audit, edit and refine your home through considered exercises on assessing excess and determining how well your possessions reflect who you are. Other prompts will help your creativity flow and establish how your words and actions embody who you want to be. Author Jacqui Lewis is a long-time practitioner of Integrated Meditation and founder of multiple businesses who has lived life at the extremes of stress and anxiety, and now teaches others the grounded, innovative and resilient approach that brought her back to herself.
Transform your life with tiny changes in behaviour - starting now. People think that when you want to change your life, you need to think big. But world-renowned habits expert James Clear has discovered another way. He knows that real change comes from the compound effect of hundreds of small decisions - doing two push-ups a day, waking up five minutes early, or holding a single short phone call. He calls them atomic habits. In this ground-breaking book, Clears reveals exactly how these minuscule changes can grow into such life-altering outcomes. He uncovers a handful of simple life hacks (the forgotten art of Habit Stacking, the unexpected power of the Two Minute Rule, or the trick to entering the Goldilocks Zone), and delves into cutting-edge psychology and neuroscience to explain why they matter. Along the way, he tells inspiring stories of Olympic gold medalists, leading CEOs, and distinguished scientists who have used the science of tiny habits to stay productive, motivated, and happy. These small changes will have a revolutionary effect on your career, your relationships, and your life.