Collection: Self-Development

The instant New York Times bestseller A Washington Post Notable Book One of NPR's Best Books of the Year

"Expert storytelling . . . [Pollan] masterfully elevates a series of big questions about drugs, plants and humans that are likely to leave readers thinking in new ways." --New York Times Book Review

From #1 New York Times bestselling author Michael Pollan, a radical challenge to how we think about drugs, and an exploration into the powerful human attraction to psychoactive plants--and the equally powerful taboos.

Of all the things humans rely on plants for--sustenance, beauty, medicine, fragrance, flavor, fiber--surely the most curious is our use of them to change consciousness: to stimulate or calm, fiddle with or completely alter, the qualities of our mental experience. Take coffee and tea: People around the world rely on caffeine to sharpen their minds. But we do not usually think of caffeine as a drug, or our daily use as an addiction, because it is legal and socially acceptable. So, then, what is a "drug"? And why, for example, is making tea from the leaves of a tea plant acceptable, but making tea from a seed head of an opium poppy a federal crime?

In This Is Your Mind on Plants, Michael Pollan dives deep into three plant drugs--opium, caffeine, and mescaline--and throws the fundamental strangeness, and arbitrariness, of our thinking about them into sharp relief. Exploring and participating in the cultures that have grown up around these drugs while consuming (or, in the case of caffeine, trying not to consume) them, Pollan reckons with the powerful human attraction to psychoactive plants. Why do we go to such great lengths to seek these shifts in consciousness, and then why do we fence that universal desire with laws and customs and fraught feelings?

In this unique blend of history, science, and memoir, as well as participatory journalism, Pollan examines and experiences these plants from several very different angles and contexts, and shines a fresh light on a subject that is all too often treated reductively--as a drug, whether licit or illicit. But that is one of the least interesting things you can say about these plants, Pollan shows, for when we take them into our bodies and let them change our minds, we are engaging with nature in one of the most profound ways we can. Based in part on an essay published almost twenty-five years ago, this groundbreaking and singular consideration of psychoactive plants, and our attraction to them through time, holds up a mirror to our fundamental human needs and aspirations, the operations of our minds, and our entanglement with the natural world.

Fuel your life with positive energy with this bestselling fable

It's Monday morning and George walks out of the front door to his car and a flat tire. This is the least of his problems. His home life is in shambles and his team at work is in disarray. With a big product launch coming in two weeks, he has to find a way to get it together or risk losing his marriage and job. Forced to take the bus to work, George meets a unique bus driver and an interesting cast of characters who, over the course of two weeks, share the ten rules for the ride of his life. In the process, they help him turn around his work and life, saving his job and marriage from destruction.

The Energy Bus, an international bestseller, takes readers on an enlightening and inspiring ride that reveals ten secrets for approaching life and work with the kind of positive, forward thinking that leads to true accomplishment--at work and at home.

• Build positive energy with vision, trust, optimism, enthusiasm, purpose, and spirit
• Learn how to turn negative energy into positive achievement
• Overcome obstacles and bring out the best in yourself and your team

For managers and team leaders or anyone looking to turn negative situations into positive outcomes, The Energy Bus provides a powerful plan for overcoming common life and work obstacles and bringing out the best in yourself and your team. When you get on The Energy Bus, you'll enjoy the ride of your life.

More than 300 random tables designed to help you build a new world from scratch or take your existing RPG campaign to new levels of creativity and excitement, plus 3 exciting one-shot adventures!

While The Game Master's Book of Astonishing Random Tables is not a wondrous item, you'd be forgiven for assuming it has magical properties. That's because within these pages are countless adventure hooks - side quests and travel complications and chase sequences and skill challenges and other encounters suitable for any environment. And that's just one section.

These table results aren't just short line listings of random answers either. Inside, you'll find rich, fully examined results and supplemental pieces of text that provide you with all the information you need to use them effectively. With this book by your side, you can develop an entire campaign setting, its pantheon, its various continental forms and proclivities of its population. From the big questions ("Where does magic come from?," "Who's in charge?," "Why are we at war with our neighbors?") down to the most minute detail ("Can my party avoid paying property taxes on their new keep if it's actually an instant fortress?"), this book has you covered.

Develop a rich tapestry of trade and commerce by randomizing your realms economy or find out who's really pulling the strings by rolling on the Puppet Government table. Want more ideas? How about a table or curses or dreams or wild magic results or spell scroll side effects or a random potions generator or a list of things your party shouldn't tough (but probably will)? All those and much, much more are waiting within.

So relax, unwind and unleash the unknown. By letting this book spark your creativity and set the stage for each session, you can focus on the important things like how to properly destroy that instant fortress).

So no one taught you about money, either? Let's figure this me$$ out together.

In this illustrated, deeply unserious guide to money, Berna Anat--aka the Financial Hype Woman--freaks out her immigrant parents by doing the unthinkable: Talking about money. Loudly.

Because we're done staying silent, anxious, and ashamed about our money. It's time to join the party and finally learn about all the financial stuff that always felt too confusing. Stuff like:

How to actually budget, save, and invest (but also make it fun) How our traumas shape our most toxic money habits, and how to create new patternsHow to build wealth in a system designed to keep us broke How to use money to fund our biggest dreams--and change the world

No more keeping our money on mute. It's time to grab the mic.

Play as a gnome, half-orc, or... TOASTER OVEN? Dungeons & Dragons is now officially a Mad Lib.

The world's greatest role-playing game meets The World's Greatest Word Game. Embark on a JIGGLY quest, ride PEACOCKS into battle, and enjoy 21 fill-in-the-blank stories based on Dungeons & Dragons.

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER - "An empathetic and wise book that will guide you on a journey toward a deeper understanding of self."--Nedra Glover Tawwab, LCSW, New York Times bestselling author of Set Boundaries, Find Peace

A radically compassionate plan for turning inward and lifting the heaviness that prevents us from healing ourselves and the world, from the New York Times bestselling author of Clarity & Connection

"During the years when I had abandoned myself, my mind felt undeniably heavy. I knew I needed to find a clear way to help me feel lighter."

yung pueblo's path to deep healing began only after years of drug abuse had taken a toll on his mind and body. Searching for a way forward, he found that by honestly examining and addressing the anxieties and fears that he had been running away from, he no longer felt like a stranger inside of his heart and mind. And once he dedicated himself to meditation and trusting his intuition, he started to finally feel mentally lighter, with more love emerging from within. This was not an easy journey, and it's one that he is still on, but it showed him that real healing is possible.

In Lighter, yung pueblo demonstrates how we can all move forward in our healing, from learning self-compassion to letting go to becoming emotionally mature. As the heaviness falls away, our minds will finally stop feeling overburdened with tension and we'll be able to reconnect with the present. And the world around us will hopefully become more inviting in crisp and newly vibrant ways. But these are just the first steps. As we grow stronger and expand our self-awareness, it's our responsibility--and also part of the healing journey--to take actions to support the health and harmony of all people. The final section of Lighter shows how we can and must contribute to building a world that is no longer structurally harmful but, instead, structurally compassionate.

yung pueblo's hope is that as more of us heal, our actions will become more intentional, our decisions will become more compassionate, our thinking will become clearer, and the future will become brighter.

This follow-up volume to the immensely popular Poetry of Presence presents a feast of mindfulness poems. The poems are skillfully crafted and highly accessible. Its authors speak from a rich variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and life-paths. Most are contemporary or recent poets.

Many of the poems delve into relational or social mindfulness, exploring "the tough stuff" of living among others with presence. These poems invite us to face relational challenges without turning away from them. They encourage us to seek equanimity, and to address challenges with compassion, hope, courage, and humility.

Invite tranquility into your workplace or home with your own desktop bonsai tree.

With a little patience, you'll enjoy growing a small version of this already miniature art. Kit includes:

• Mini pot
• Jack Pine seeds
• peat pellet
• small scissors
• Mini book on the beauty of bonsai
  

Enter a world of creative self-expression with this relaxing coloring book for adults. Inside you'll find 30 amazing art activities that will take you to a happy place of patterning, shading, and coloring. These whimsical images offer an easy way to de-stress and unleash your inner artist. Thaneeya McArdle's transcendental art explores a visual language of shape, form, line, and color. Each vibrantly detailed illustration is designed to exercise your creativity. Beautifully colored finished examples are provided, along with a handy guide to basic coloring techniques, from patterning and combinations to shading and color theory. This therapeutic coloring book is perfect for decorating with markers, colored pencils, gel pens, or watercolors. Designs are printed on a single side of each high-quality, extra-thick, perforated page for easy removal and display.

Keep your mind engaged while you create beautiful art with Sticker by Number Vintage Flowers.

• Includes 28 images to sticker, featuring bouquets, floral designs, and natural settings.
• Images range in difficulty.
• Perforated pages make the book easy to use.
• Made for adults but kids can enjoy as well!

As in color or paint-by-number, each design is divided into dozens of spaces. Each space has a number that corresponds to a sticker. Find the sticker, peel it, and place it in the right space. Watch as a full-colored image emerges from the original unfinished illustration.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A Book Riot best book of 2023
A Science Friday best book of 2023
An Audible best well-being audiobook of 2023

By the time they reach kindergarten, most kids believe that "fat" is bad. By middle school, more than a quarter of them have gone on a diet. What are parents supposed to do?

Kids learn, as we've all learned, that thinness is a survival strategy in a world that equates body size and value. Parents worry if their kids care too much about being thin, but even more about the consequences if they aren't. And multibillion-dollar industries thrive on this fear of fatness. We've fought the "war on obesity" for over forty years and Americans aren't thinner or happier with their bodies. But it's not our kids--or their weight--who need fixing.

In this illuminating narrative, journalist Virginia Sole-Smith exposes the daily onslaught of fatphobia and body shaming that kids face from school, sports, doctors, diet culture, and parents themselves--and offers strategies for how families can change the conversation around weight, health, and self-worth.

Fat Talk is a stirring, deeply researched, and groundbreaking book that will help parents learn to reckon with their own body biases, identify diet culture, and empower their kids to navigate this challenging landscape. Sole-Smith draws on her extensive reporting and interviews with dozens of parents and kids to offer a provocative new approach for thinking about food and bodies, and a way for us all to work toward a more weight-inclusive world.

Brand-new tools to unlock your brain's potential! This expanded edition of the New York Times and #1 Wall Street Journal bestseller includes chapters on A.I., nootropics, discovering your brain type, and more.

For over 30 years, Jim Kwik, the world-renowned brain coach, has been the secret weapon of success for a diverse range of high achievers, including actors, athletes, CEOs, and business pioneers. In Limitless, he reveals science-based practices and field-tested tips to accelerate self-learning, communication, memory, focus, recall, and speed reading to create amazing results.

In this expanded edition, you'll find four new chapters:

• How to harness A.I. (Artificial Intelligence) to boost H.I. (Human Intelligence)
• The latest breakthroughs in nootropics and nutrition to enhance cognitive performance
• Limitless at Work-tools to adapt and thrive, whether you're fully remote, embracing the hybrid model, or resuming the traditional office setting
• A self-assessment to crack your "brain animal" code

Newly updated with transformative success stories from people who've used Jim's teaching in the real world, the expanded edition of Limitless gives people the ability to accomplish more--more productivity, more transformation, more personal success, more business achievement--by changing their Mindset, Motivation, and Methods and creating unstoppable Momentum. These "4 M's" live in the pages of Limitless along with practical techniques that unlock the superpowers of your brain and change your habits.

Learn how to:

• FLIP YOUR MINDSET - Identify and challenge the assumptions, habits, and procrastinations that limit you and expand the boundaries of what you believe is possible.

• IGNITE YOUR MOTIVATION - Uncovering what motivates you is the key that opens up limitless mental capacity. When you unleash your passions, purposes, and sources of energy, you stay focused and clear on your goals.

• MASTER THE METHODS - Accelerate learning, improve memory, and enhance brain performance. Jim Kwik applies the latest neuroscience for accelerated learning so you can finish a book 3x faster through speed reading (and remember it), learn a new language in record time, and master new skills with ease.

• BUILD MOMENTUM - Unstoppable momentum is the product of mindset, motivation, and methods. Jim offers new insights and tools to unlock the first 3 M's so you can become truly limitless.

Limitless Expanded Edition is the ultimate brain training book, packed with practical techniques to help you level up your mental performance and transform your life.

"There's no genius pill, but Jim gives you the process for unlocking your best brain and brightest future." -- Mark Hyman, M.D.

This adults coloring book is made of 100 high quality Mandalas, each mandala is a unique design perfect for every age and skill level.

Our adult coloring book featuring a variety of mandalas patterns and provides hours of stress relief through creative expression.

Whether you are looking for a challenging mandalas or an easy one, This anti-stress coloring book for adults with his 100 pages of the most beautiful mandals patterns is for you.

Get creative and relieve some stress with this beautiful and unique coloring book for adults.

INSIDE THIS BOOK, YOU 'LL DISCOVER:

BEAUTIFUL DESIGNS: 100 stunning mandalas with unique designs for you to express your creativity.

GREAT FOR ALL SKILLS LEVELS: Let your mind escape and create beautiful works of art, with this book you can any page however you want and there is no wrong way to color.

SIMPLE WHITE RELAXING COLORING PAGES.

Discover how much there is to love about yourself with this bestselling workbook. And then keep your journey going with the official companion, the Self-Love Journal for Women.

Embrace who you are with this guided self-love book for women of any age and any background. You'll embark on your journey of self-discovery by learning what self-love is, and then immersing yourself in activities that help you build your self-esteem and improve your relationships. This book includes a variety of exercises to engage with your sense of self-love, and the companion journal encourages you to go even deeper with writing and reflection.

• Proven techniques--Fall in love with yourself using a variety of compassionate exercises rooted in mindfulness, self-care, and positive psychology.
• Inspiring activities--This self-esteem workbook features prompts like quizzing yourself on what matters to you, making a happy playlist, and writing a message to your younger self to help you tap into your emotions and let go of limiting beliefs.
• Empowering affirmations--Boost your positivity and nurture yourself with the uplifting affirmations interspersed throughout the book.
• Share the self-love--This book makes an amazing gift for yourself--or any woman in your life who deserves to put herself first and explore how awesome she is!

Create a life filled with greater purpose and pleasure using the Self-Love Workbook for Women.

An instant New York Times bestseller

Two spiritual giants. Five days. One timeless question.

Nobel Peace Prize Laureates His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu have survived more than fifty years of exile and the soul-crushing violence of oppression. Despite their hardships--or, as they would say, because of them--they are two of the most joyful people on the planet.

In April 2015, Archbishop Tutu traveled to the Dalai Lama's home in Dharamsala, India, to celebrate His Holiness's eightieth birthday and to create what they hoped would be a gift for others. They looked back on their long lives to answer a single burning question: How do we find joy in the face of life's inevitable suffering?

They traded intimate stories, teased each other continually, and shared their spiritual practices. By the end of a week filled with laughter and punctuated with tears, these two global heroes had stared into the abyss and despair of our time and revealed how to live a life brimming with joy.

This book offers us a rare opportunity to experience their astonishing and unprecendented week together, from the first embrace to the final good-bye.

We get to listen as they explore the Nature of True Joy and confront each of the Obstacles of Joy--from fear, stress, and anger to grief, illness, and death. They then offer us the Eight Pillars of Joy, which provide the foundation for lasting happiness. Throughout, they include stories, wisdom, and science. Finally, they share their daily Joy Practices that anchor their own emotional and spiritual lives.

The Archbishop has never claimed sainthood, and the Dalai Lama considers himself a simple monk. In this unique collaboration, they offer us the reflection of real lives filled with pain and turmoil in the midst of which they have been able to discover a level of peace, of courage, and of joy to which we can all aspire in our own lives.

Luxuriate in the pages of THE ANTIQUARIAN STICKER BOOK: BIBLIOPHILIA, a compendium of over 1,000 gorgeous stickers for lovers of the sensational series and new fans alike, curated and composed by artist and designer Tae Won Yu.

The highly anticipated sequel to the most beautiful sticker book ever created has arrived with even more stunning sticker ephemera! Create a collage or adorn your junk journal with evocative imagery, letter forms, or literary quotes to add another dimension to your project.

Peel and decorate or browse and feast on the beauty of this lush sticker book unlike any other. A treasure trove of authentic historical prints from the ornate Victorian era can live on its own, be used on stationery and wrapping, or create an amazing collage.

Featuring beautiful, odd, and inspiring stickers from the past for the modern-day crafter, scrapbooker, art and book lover, or for anyone who just loves stickers, The Antiquarian Sticker Book: Bibliophilia has something for everyone.