8 Books that inspire Hope, Healing, and Doing Good.
“Or I could decide that, even in the wake of such unspeakable malice, I could live a purposeful life by choosing hope.” – Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis, CHOOSING HOPE
“When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, “Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.” To this day, especially in times of “disaster,” I remember my mother’s words and I am always comforted by realizing that there are still so many helpers – so many caring people in this world.” – Mr. Rogers
FEATURED TITLES
Choosing Hope: Moving Forward from Life’s Darkest Hours by Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis, Robin Gaby Fisher
On December 14, 2012, Sandy Hook Elementary School teacher Kaitlin Roig-DeBellis saved the lives of fifteen six- and-seven-year-old students by piling them into a single-occupancy bathroom in her first-grade classroom. Choosing Hope is a memoir that bears witness to a tragedy that shall never be forgotten, but even more so it is a testament to a decision that we can all make to choose hope in order to conquer tragedy, even in our darkest hours.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
One of the world’s leading experts on traumatic stress explains how trauma affects people, its underlying neurobiology, and the many new treatments that are making it possible for sufferers to move beyond trauma in order to reclaim their lives.
Stitches: A Handbook on Meaning, Hope and Repair by Anne Lamont
What do we do when life lurches out of balance? How can we reconnect to one other and to what’s sustaining, when evil and catastrophe seem inescapable? These questions lie at the heart of Stitches, Lamott’s profound follow-up to her New York Times–bes …
Everyone Helps, Everyone Wins: How Absolutely Anyone can Pitch in, Help Out, Give Back, and Make the World a Better Place by David T. Levinson
Speaking to the reluctant volunteer in everyone, the director of one of the largest grassroots volunteer programs in the country, Big Sunday, shows how everyone can give back.
The Art of Comforting: What to Say and Do for People in Distress by Val Walker
In this practical, step-by-step guide to what she calls “the art of comforting,” Val Walker draws on numerous interviews with “Master Comforters” to guide readers in gently and gracefully breaking through the walls that those who are suffering often erect around themselves.
Grace: Quotes & Passages for Heart, Mind, and Soul by B. C. Aronson
This treasury of quotes and passages on leading a centered, purposeful, and spiritual life offers the advice and observations of leaders from all walks of life. Included are Ghandi, Lao-Tzu, Maya Angelou, Martin Luther King, Jr., Mother Teresa, and hundreds more.
Dear Mr. Rogers, Does it Ever Rain in Your Neighborhood?: Letters to Mr. Rogers by Fred Rogers
In this collection of letters and replies, Mister Rogers encourages parents, grandparents, and teachers to cherish the questions and comments that come from their children. With sincerity and sensitivity, real-life issues are addressed in chapters arranged by theme—the world, Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, feelings and fears, television, family relationships, and death.
Invisible Heroes: Survivors of Trauma and How They Heal by Belleruth Naparstek, Robert C. Scaer
Drawing on more than thirty years’ experience as a therapist, Belleruth Naparstek presents a clinically proven program for recovery using the potent tool of guided imagery – offering hope to the millions who are affected by post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
