August Read

Title: Head Cases: Stories of Brain Injuries and Its Aftermath
Author: Mason, Michael Paul
Call Number: 617.48104 M411H 2008
Book Description from amazon.com:

Head Cases takes us into the dark side of the brain in an astonishing sequence of stories, at once true and strange, from the world of brain damage. Michael Paul Mason is one of an elite group of experts who coordinate care in the complicated aftermath of tragic injuries that can last a lifetime. On the road with Mason, we encounter survivors of brain injuries as they struggle to map and make sense of the new worlds they inhabit.

Underlying each of these survivors' stories is an exploration of the brain and its mysteries. When injured, the brain must figure out how to heal itself, reorganizing its physiology in order to do the job. Mason gives us a series of vivid glimpses into brain science, the last frontier of medicine, and we come away in awe of the miracles of the brain's workings and astonished at the fragility of the brain and the sense of self, life, and order that resides there. Head Cases "[achieves] through sympathy and curiosity insight like that which pulses through genuine literature" (The New York Sun); it is at once illuminating and deeply affecting.

My Read:

The following are takeaways from pages in the book:

"The most spiritual question in the world is not whether there is a god, or how we came to be in the universe. The most spiritual question in the world does not concern itself with knowing why there is suffering or why we are here; those ponderings stem from the most spiritual question. The aim of every mystical tradition in any religion is a sincere and relentless pursuit of the answer to the most spiritual question. The most spiritual question is about you. The question is: Who am I, really? Brain injury, above all other anguishes known to man, perpetually invites us to embark on the search for our selves. Who are we, other than our brains, really?"--Page 212-213

'Who are you, really?" I ask.

"I love myself the way I am now," she says. "I appreciate that I am not my brain injury

. It was a traumatic experience, to be sure, but it deepened my relationship to myself and to others. I have become a more loving person. I am a lot more empathetic, and I know what compassion is now."-page 223

A verse in Case 19 in the book "The Gateless Gate":

The spring flowers, the moon in autumn

The cool breeze of summer, the winter's snow;

If idle concerns do not cloud the mind,

This is man's happiest season.

A conversation in the koan in Case 19:

"What is the Way?"

"The ordinary mind is the Way."

"Should I direct myself toward it or not?"

"If you try to turn toward it, you go against it."

"If I do not try to turn toward it, how can I know it is the Way?"

"The Way does not belong to knowing or not-knowing. Knowing is delusion, not-knowing is blank consciousness. When you have really reached the true Way beyond all doubt, you will find it vast and boundless as the great empty firmament. How can it be talked about on a level of right and wrong?"

At these words, Joshu was suddenly enlightened.--page 219

July Read

Title: Leaders Eat Last: Why Some Teams Pull Together and Others Don't
Author: Sinek, Simon
Call Number: 658.4092 S616L 2014
Book Description from amazon.com:
Imagine a world where almost everyone wakes up inspired to go to work, feels trusted and valued during the day, then returns home feeling fulfilled. This is not a crazy, idealized notion. Today, in many successful organizations, great leaders create environments in which people naturally work together to do remarkable things. 

In his work with organizations around the world, Simon Sinek noticed that some teams trust each other so deeply that they would literally put their lives on the line for each other. Other teams, no matter what incentives are offered, are doomed to infighting, fragmentation and failure. Why?

The answer became clear during a conversation with a Marine Corps general. "Officers eat last," he said. Sinek watched as the most junior Marines ate first while the most senior Marines took their place at the back of the line. What's symbolic in the chow hall is deadly serious on the battlefield: Great leaders sacrifice their own comfort--even their own survival--for the good of those in their care.
     
Too many workplaces are driven by cynicism, paranoia, and self-interest. But the best ones foster trust and cooperation because their leaders build what Sinek calls a "Circle of Safety" that separates the security inside the team from the challenges outside.

Sinek illustrates his ideas with fascinating true stories that range from the military to big business, from government to investment banking.
My Read:
Leaders set the tone, no doubt.
I like the Leadership Lessons in this book. Some are:
-So goes the culture, so goes the company
-So goes the leader, so goes the culture
-Lead the people, no the numbers
I also like the three things Captain Marquet points out he can't delegate:
"I can't delegate my legal responsibilities.
I can't delegate my relationships.
I can't delegate my knowledge.
everything else, however, I can ask others to take responsibility for."--page 145

June Read/2

Title: Full Catastrophe Living: Using the Wisdom of Your Body and Mind to Face Stress, Pain, and Illness

Author: Kabat-Zinn Jon

Call Number: 155.9042 K11F 2013

Book Description from amazon.com:

Stress. It can sap our energy, undermine  our health if we let it, even shorten our lives. It makes us more vulnerable to anxiety and depression, disconnection and disease. Based on Jon Kabat-Zinn’s renowned mindfulness-based stress reduction program, this classic, groundbreaking work—which gave rise to a whole new field in medicine and psychology—shows you how to use medically proven mind-body approaches derived from meditation and yoga to counteract stress, establish greater balance of body and mind, and stimulate well-being and healing. By engaging in these mindfulness practices and integrating them into your life from moment to moment and from day to day, you can learn to manage chronic pain, promote optimal healing, reduce anxiety and feelings of panic, and improve the overall quality of your life, relationships, and social networks. This second edition features results from recent studies on the science of mindfulness, a new Introduction, up-to-date statistics, and an extensive updated reading list. Full Catastrophe Living is a book for the young and the old, the well and the ill, and anyone trying to live a healthier and saner life in our fast-paced world.
My Read: 

This is a book of the landmark work on mindfulness, meditation, and healing. What I take away is pretty simple. It’s one of the subtitles in chapter one. It states: You Have Only Moments to Live. In addition I found the chapter titled “Yoga Is Meditation” helpful. Meditation comes with different forms and activities. With mindfulness and paying attention one can practice meditation through 1)sitting, 2) walking, 3)body scan, or 4)yoga. Breathing, specially deep breathing(below belly button) not only can calm you down it is also your ally in the healing process.

When you are mindful take a deep breath!

June Read

Title: The Surrender Experiment: My Journey into Life's Perfection
Author: Michael, A. Singer
Call Number: 204 S617S 2015
Book Description from amazon.com:
• A thriving spiritual community on over six hundred acres of pristine forest and meadows in Florida
• A cutting-edge software package that transformed the medical practice management industry
• A billion-dollar public company whose achievements are archived in the Smithsonian Institution
• A book that became a New York Times bestseller and an Oprah favorite
• A massive raid by the FBI that would lead to unfounded accusations by the U.S. government

How could all of this spring from a man who had decided to live alone in the middle of the woods, let go of himself, and embrace a life of solitude? 

Michael A. Singer, author of The Untethered Soul, tells the extraordinary story of what happened when, after a deep spiritual awakening, he decided to let go of his personal preferences and simply let life call the shots. As Singer takes you on this great experiment and journey into life’s perfection, the events that transpire will both challenge your deepest assumptions about life and inspire you to look at your own life in a radically different way.
My Read:
Page 4: We have been gifted with the power of will. From deep inside, we can determine how we want something to be and apply the power of our minds, hearts, and bodies in an attempt to make the outside world conform.
Page 34: I would eventually learn that everything in life has something to teach you and that it is all for your growth.
Page 54: I didn't want to be in charge of my life; I wanted to be free to soar far beyond myself. What would happen to me if I just inwardly surrendered my resistance and let the flow of life be in charge?
The author described how he let go of his own personal preferences and instead, allowed the flow of life to be in charge in his life.
To me, it feels like when things happened in a timely manner or coincided with each other I had better pay attention to events that unfolded in front of me. Sometimes things would not make sense in the beginning. But as time would tell that things usually happened with certain reasons known or unknown at the moment. I like the term "flow of life" the author used repetitively in this book.

May Read-2

Title: Reclaim Your Brain: How to Calm Your Thoughts, Heal Your Mind, and Bring Your Life Back Under Control.
Author: Joseph A. Annibali, M.D.
Call Number: 158.1 A615R 2015
Subjects: Calmness; Brain; Stress Management; Mindfulness
Book Description from amazon:
A prescriptive guide to restoring cognitive calm, based on Amen Clinics chief psychiatrist Dr. Joseph Annibali’s three decades of treating patients who suffer from overloaded, overstimulated brains.
 
Dr. Joseph Annibali has treated thousands of people with overloaded, overstimulated brains. Some people describe their brain as being “in chaos”; others feel that their brain is “on fire.” But whether they are ultimately diagnosed with anxiety, disabling OCD, depression, bipolar disorder, or even substance abuse, the underlying problem is a Too-Busy Brain, a great irritant that interferes with attention, concentration, focus, mood, and often much more. It may even be a sign of undetected damage to either the brain or the body itself. But through practical strategies, understandable explanations, and prescriptive mind-management techniques, Dr. Annibali will help readers finally reclaim their brains and get back in control of their lives.
My Read:
Takeaways from the chapters:
page 7-Many are quick to believe that their too-busy brains result from today's rapid-fire media culture, digital technology, and modern-world megadistractions. These ever-present distractions have a negative impact, no doubt. But an overactive brain is not strictly the result of our modern 24/7 device-driven culture. Hidden contributors to a busy brain can include genetics, vitamin deficiencies, dysfunctional thyroids, heavy metal toxicity, infections, and even physical brain trauma.
page 43-The healthiest stories about ourselves emerge from our ability to engage in self-reflection.
page 66-Rather, when you experience tension in the interaction, take a few moments to reflect before responding. A few seconds is all you need. Get ahold of yourself. Be calm, centered. Don't struggle to be in control of the experience. Instead, focus on first being aware of what is going on in your mind. Notice what you are experiencing. What do you feel? What are you thinking? Does this reaction seem familiar to you? Perhaps your reaction is rooted more in another relationship than in the current one.
page 128-The heart can be at the core of our being, if we know how to use it.

May Read

Title: Two Weeks to A Younger Brain
Author: Small, Gary and Vorgan, Gigi
Call Number: 616.8 S635T 2015
Book Description(from amazon.com):
Misplacing your keys, forgetting someone’s name at a party, or coming home from the market without the most important item — these are just some of the many common memory slips we all experience from time to time. But such cognitive lapses don’t just plague middle-agers and seniors; UCLA studies indicate that forgetfulness begins much earlier in life. Scientists can detect subtle changes in the brain that coincide with mental decline by the time we reach age 40, and our findings show that people as young as 20 already have memory problems.
Dr. Gary Small and Gigi Vorgan’s 2 Weeks To A Younger Brain translates the latest brain science into practical strategies and exercises that yield quick and long- lasting benefits. It will not only improve your memory, but will also strengthen your physical health by reducing your risk for diabetes, heart disease, and stroke. The latest research confirms that there is a lot we can do to boost our memory and keep our brains young. After three decades of helping thousands of patients improve their memory and mental acuity, Dr. Small and Gorgan are convinced that our daily lifestyle habits are directly linked to our brain health. This book will show that it only takes two weeks to form new habits that bolster cognitive abilities and help stave off, or even reverse, brain aging.
If you commit only 14 days to 2 Weeks To A Younger Brain, you will reap noticeable results. During that brief period, you will have learned the secrets to keeping your brain young for the rest of your life.
My Read: 
At page 66, it states: to help keep your brain young and healthy, try some or all of the top 10 stress-busting strategies(from the chapter named Cut Stress to Sharpen Your Mind):
1-Meditation
2-Yoga and Tai Chi
3-Exercise
4-Cutting back on Multitasking
5-Lighten Your Load and Laugh
6-Restful Sleep
7-Get Organized
8-Acupuncture
9-Positive Attitude and Relationships
10-Asking for Help
At page 154, it says: They(scientists) found that emotional support of holding a spouse's hand turned off the frontal lobe brain area that manages pain anticipation..The researchers also found that holding hands had a greater antianxiety effect on volunteers from strong marriages. The findings suggest that holding hands with someone you love can have a profound effect on the deepest parts of your brain that controls stress.
At page 151, the author points that "Maintaining close relationships with other people is a basic human need. Interacting with family and friends not only increase our life expectancy, it lowers our risk for future cognitive decline by keeping our brain engaged and young." "Live longer and smarter with friends. But connection with the right people is also crucial, the author points it out at page 157 to page 160.
At the end of this book the author lists the two-week younger brain program. It includes physical fitness, brain training, stress management in the morning, afternoon and the evening.
At page 135 there is this case the author shares with his readers. Here it is:
World's Oldest Marathon Runner: On October 16, 2011, Fauja Singh became the oldest person to complete a marathon. At 100 years of age, Singh completed the 26-mile Toronto Waterfront Marathon in eight hours. It's never too late to start running marathon. Singh ran his first one at age 89. How inspiring this story is!

April Read

Title: The Untethered Soul: the Journey Beyond Yourself
Author: Singer, Michael
Call number: 153 S617U 2007
Summery from the publisher:
Who are you? In this remarkable book, author and spiritual guide Michael Singer explores this fundamental question, seeking the very root of consciousness in order to help readers learn how to dwell in the present moment. Written in an engaging and uncomplicated voice, this book will open readers up to the radical and powerful experience of simply being themselves.
My Read:
I found the following paragraph very inspiring:
"When you move in the Tao, you are always present. Life becomes absolutely simple. In the Tao, it's easy to see what's happening in life-it's unfolding right in front of you. But if you have all kinds of reactions going on inside because you're involved in the extremes, life seems confusing, That's because you're confused, not because life's confusing.

When you stop being confused, everything becomes simple. If you have no preference, if the only thing you want is to remain centered, then life unfolds while you simply feel for the center. There is an invisible thread that passes through everything. All things move quietly through that center balance. That is the Tao. It is really there. It is there in your relationships, in your diet, and in your business activities. It is there in everything. It is the eye of the storm. It is completely at peace."-Page 169