Self-Help Book Reviews

Wisdom from the Dojo and Other Tales by Soke Larry Barr 10 Dan is an inspirational work of self-help using martial arts as a basis.

Filled with stories from the author’s experiences and lessons learned from Karate, it gives the reader something to reflect on in every chapter. From the story about the arrogant young karate student who learned that it’s the focus that matters and not necessarily his perception of his skills, to the one about our God-Given Potential, there is a new lesson to be learned on each page.

While the book is inspiring and contains many nuggets […]

Are You Happy?: A Guidebook to Earning Happiness is a wonderfully illustrated book that offers sage advice and some handy metaphors that distill our behavior in the pursuit of happiness.

Colleens starts by breaking down human behavior by looking at the three types of ‘brain’: the dog brain, the reptile brain, and the master brain. While scientifically vague, it is true that there are parts of the brain that stem from the time humans were reptiles, or when we were bottom-feeding mammals. It is with these classifications that Colleens describes the behaviors that lead away from happiness– ego driven, pleasure-seeking, […]