Adult Children of Alcoholics/Dysfunctional Families – ACA Fellowship Text was written by anonymous ACA members providing guidance on working the 12 Step ACA program leading to recovery from the effects of growing up in an alcoholic or otherwise dysfunctional family. This book is now often referred to as the “Big Red Book” or “BRB.”

Alcoholics Anonymous – The foundational text for millions in recovery worldwide.

Anxiously Attached: Becoming More Secure in Life and Love, by Jessica Baum- A road map for building strong and secure relationships for those who struggle with anxiety in their romantic connections.

Around the Year with Emmet Fox: A Book of Daily Readings, by Emmett Fox – Nourish Your Soul 365 Days a Year. This collection of 365 daily meditations captures the essence of a great spiritual leader—one who has influenced millions with his dynamic message of the power of positive thinking.

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity, by Julia Cameron – Since its first publication, The Artist’s Way phenomena has inspired the genius of Elizabeth Gilbert and millions of readers to embark on a creative journey and find a deeper connection to process and purpose.

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience,  by Brené Brown – In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances.

Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, by Anne Lamott – For a quarter century, more than a million readers—scribes and scribblers of all ages and abilities—have been inspired by Anne Lamott’s hilarious, big-hearted, homespun advice. Advice that begins with the simple words of wisdom passed down from Anne’s father—also a writer.

Breathing Under Water: Spirituality and the Twelve Steps, by Richard Rohr – Every one of us suffers from some sort of addiction. For some, it might be a television series, while others struggle with a crippling reliance on drugs or alcohol. The cycle of dependency always leaves you wanting more; you are never satisfied no matter how much you indulge.

Broken Whole: A Memoir, by Jane Binns – At the age of thirty-five, desperate to salvage a self that has been suffocating for years―and to save her two-year-old son from witnessing a miserable relationship between his parents―Jane Binns leaves her husband of twelve years. She has no plan or intention but to leave, however, and therein begins the misadventures lying in wait for her.

Coupleship: How to Build a Relationship, by Sharon Wegscheider-Cruse – Forming a happy, joy-filled partnership is one of the greater challenges. Through Coupleship, many can find greater understanding and tools to enhance a current marriage,  make a decision about commitment, or explore ways to find a partner.

A Drinking Life: A Memoir, by Pete Hamill – This bestselling memoir from a seasoned New York City reporter is “a vivid report of a journey to the edge of self-destruction” (New York Times).

Dry: A Memoir,  by Augusten Burroughs – The Tenth Anniversary Edition of the New York Times bestselling book that has sold over half a million copies in paperback.

Facing Codependence: What It Is, Where It Comes From, How It Sabotages Our Lives, by Pia Mellody – Break the cycle, heal from past trauma, form fulfilling relationships, save your self-worth, and develop lasting, healthy habits and behavioral patterns.

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ, by Daniel Goleman – Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman’s brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our “two minds.”

For the Love of Men: From Toxic to a More Mindful Masculinity, by Liz Plank – A nonfiction investigation into masculinity, For The Love of Men provides actionable steps for how to be a man in the modern world, while also exploring how being a man in the world has evolved.

The Four Sacred Secrets: For Love and Prosperity, A Guide to Living in a Beautiful State, by Preethaji and Krishnaji – Combines proven scientific approaches with ancient spiritual practices to take you on a journey that will open your mind to an extraordinary destiny.

Fire in the Belly: On Being a Man, by Sam Keen – An inspiring guide for men seeking new personal ideals of strength, potency, and warrior-ship in their lives.

How Can I Get Through to You? Closing the Intimacy Gap Between Men and Women, by Terrence Real – The nationally renowned therapist unearths the causes of communication blocks between men and women in this groundbreaking work. 

How Emotions are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain―How We Create Emotions Through Brain, Body, and Culture, by Lisa Feldman Barrett – The science of emotion is in the midst of a revolution on par with the discovery of relativity in physics and natural selection in biology. Leading the charge is psychologist and neuroscientist Lisa Feldman Barrett, whose research overturns the long-standing belief that emotions are automatic, universal, and hardwired in different brain regions.

How to Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen, by David Brooks – Driven by his trademark sense of curiosity and determination to grow as a person, Brooks draws from the fields of psychology and neuroscience and the worlds of theater, philosophy, history, and education to present a welcoming, hopeful, integrated approach to human connection. 

Iron John: A Book About Men, by Robert Bly – In this timeless and deeply learned classic, poet and translator Robert Bly offers nothing less than a new vision of what it means to be a man.

The Language of Letting Go: Daily Meditations for Codependents, by Melody Beattie – In this daily inspirational book, Beattie provides us with a thought to guide us through the day and she encourages us to remember that each day is an opportunity for growth and renewal.

Letters to a Young Poet, by Rainer Maria Rilke – Timeless letters about poetry, sensitive observation, and the complicated workings of the human heart.

Love First: A Family’s Guide to Intervention, by Jeff Jay and Debra Jay – Over the course of the last twenty years, Love First has become the go-to intervention guide for tens of thousands of families. This trailblazing book empowers and equips families and friends to use the power of love and honesty to give their addicted loved ones a chance to reach for help.

Man’s Search for Meaning, by Viktor Frankl – A book for finding purpose and strength in times of great despair, the international best-seller is still just as relevant today as when it was first published in 1946.

The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation, by Thich Nhat Hanh – In this eloquent and lucid guide, Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh offers gentle anecdotes and practical exercise as a means for learning the skills of mindfulness. 

Modern Manhood: Conversations About the Complicated World of Being a Good Man Today, by Cleo Stiller – Reporter Cleo Stiller sheds light on all the gray areas out there, using conversations that real men and women are having with their friends, their dates, their family, and themselves.

Moving On Doesn’t Mean Letting Go: A Modern Guide to Navigating Loss, by Gina Moffa, LCSW – After nearly two decades of clinical experience and her own journey after losing her mother to cancer, Moffa offers knows all too well how disorienting, painful, and lonely grief can be. In Moving on Doesn’t Mean Letting Go, she offers a heartfelt, practical map through loss—one that can shift the pain of your grief even when things feel unpredictable and overwhelming. 

The Night of the Gun: A reporter investigates the darkest story of his life, by David Carr – From the “undeniably brilliant and dogged journalist” (Entertainment Weekly) and author of the instant New York Times bestseller that the Chicago Sun-Times called “a compelling tale of drug abuse, despair, and, finally, hope.”

No More Mr. Nice Guy: A Proven Plan for Getting What You Want in Love, Sex, and Life, by Dr. Robert Glover – A nice guy, according to certified marriage and family therapist Dr. Robert Glover, is a man who believes he is not okay just as he is. He is convinced that he must become what he thinks others want in order to be liked, loved, and get his needs met. He also believes that he must hide anything about himself that might trigger a negative response in others.

Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life, by Marshall B. Rosenberg, PhD – If “violent” means acting in ways that result in hurt or harm, then much of how we communicate—judging others, bullying, having racial bias, blaming, finger pointing, discriminating, speaking without listening, criticizing others or ourselves, name-calling, reacting when angry, using political rhetoric, being defensive or judging who’s “good/bad” or what’s “right/wrong” with people—could indeed be called “violent communication.”

Of Boys and Men: Why the Modern Male Is Struggling, Why It Matters, and What to Do about It, by Richard V. Reeves – In this widely praised book, Richard Reeves, father of three sons, a journalist, and now the president of the American Institute for Boys and Men, tackles the complex and urgent crisis of boyhood and manhood. He argues that our attitudes, our institutions, and our laws have failed to keep up. 

Party of One: A Memoir in 21 Songs, by Dave Holmes – Holmes tells the hilariously painful and painfully hilarious tales—in the vein of Rob Sheffield, Andy Cohen, and Paul Feig—of an outsider desperate to get in, of a misfit constantly changing shape, of a music geek who finally learns to accept himself. 

Permission to Feel: The Power of Emotional Intelligence to Achieve Well-Being and Success, by Marc Brackett, PhD – Brackett is a professor in Yale University’s Child Study Center and founding director of the Yale Center for Emotional Intelligence. In his 25 years as an emotion scientist, he has developed a remarkably effective plan to improve the lives of children and adults – a blueprint for understanding our emotions and using them wisely so that they help, rather than hinder, our success and well-being. 

Quitter: A Memoir of Drinking, Relapse, and Recovery, by Erica C. Barnett – With remarkably brave and vulnerable writing, Barnett expands on her personal story to confront the dire state of addiction in America, the rise of alcoholism in American women in the last century, and the lack of rehabilitation options available to addicts. 

Raising Cane: Protecting the Emotional Life of Boys, by Dan Kindlon, PhD and Michael Thompson, PhD – Two of the country’s leading child psychologists, share what they have learned in more than thirty-five years of combined experience working with boys and their families. They reveal a nation of boys who are hurting–sad, afraid, angry, and silent. 

Recovery of Your Inner Child: The Highly Acclaimed Method for Liberating Your Inner Self, by Lucia Capacchione, PhD – Usually hidden under our grown-up personas, the Inner Child holds the key to intimacy in relationships, physical and emotional well-being, recovery from addictions, and the creativity and wisdom of our inner selves.

The Sermon on the Mount: The Key to Success in Life, by Emmett Fox – A spiritual self-help masterpiece that will forever change the way you view yourself, and your faith. Emmet Fox’s answer to healing, happiness, and true belief in a higher power is simple and attainable. 

Scattered Minds, by Gabor Mate – A spiritual self-help masterpiece that will forever change the way you view yourself, and your faith. Emmet Fox’s answer to healing, happiness, and true belief in a higher power is simple and attainable. In this breakthrough guide to understanding, treating, and healing Attention Deficit Disorder, Dr. Gabor Maté, bestselling author of The Myth of Normal, and himself diagnosed with ADD, demonstrates that the condition is not a genetic “illness” but a response to environmental stress, and explains that in ADD, circuits in the brain whose job is emotional self-regulation and attention control fail to develop in infancy – and why.

The Spiritual Teaching of Ramana Maharshi, forward by C.G. Jung – The renowned Indian sage is widely beloved—by Buddhists, Hindus, Christians, Taoists, and more—for the inspirational power of his teachings, which transcend all religious differences.

This Particular Happiness: A Childless Love Story, by Jackie Shannon Hollis – When Hollis marries a man who does not want children, she joyfully commits to a childless life. This Particular Happiness delves into the messy and beautiful territory of what we keep and what we abandon to make the space for love.

The Power of Your Other Hand: Unlock Creativity and Inner Wisdom Through the Right Side of Your Brain, by Lucia Capacchione, PhD –Brain researchers have in recent years have discovered the vast, untapped potential of the brain’s little-used, right hemisphere. Art therapist Lucia Capacchione discovered that our nondominant hand is a direct channel to that potential. 

The Velvet Rage: Overcoming the Pain of Growing Up Gay in a Straight Man’s World, by Alan Downs, PhD – Through brave individual stories and compassionate analysis, The Velvet Rage explores how shame is insidious, and can be traced back to childhood feelings of “otherness.” Drawing on contemporary psychological research, Downs offers a path to emotional well-being and an end to self-defeating behavior.

Visioning: Ten Steps to Designing the Life of Your Dreams, by Lucia Capacchione, PhD – Using the same principles and steps designers use to bring their dreams into physical reality, Capacchione shows how you can design your very own dream life, home, work, and marriage.

The Year of Magical Thinking, by Joan Didion – From one of America’s iconic writers, a stunning book of electric honesty and passion that explores an intensely personal yet universal experience: a portrait of a marriage—and a life, in good times and bad—that will speak to anyone who has ever loved a husband or wife or child.

Walking a Sacred Path: Rediscovering the Labyrinth as a Spiritual Practice, by Lauren Artress – Walking the labyrinth has reemerged today as a metaphor for the spiritual journey and a powerful tool for transformation. Walking a Sacred Path explores the historical origins of this divine imprint and shares the discoveries of modern day seekers. 

The Way of the Superior Man: A Spiritual Guide to Mastering the Challenges of Women, Work, and Sexual Desire, by David Deida – Deida explores the most important issues in men’s lives―from career and family to women and intimacy to love and spirituality―to offer a practical guidebook for living a masculine life of integrity, authenticity, and freedom. 

The War of Art: Break Through the Blocks and Win Your Inner Creative Battles, by Steven Pressfield – Bestselling novelist Steven Pressfield identifies the enemy that every one of us must face, outlines a battle plan to conquer this internal foe, then pinpoints just how to achieve the greatest success.

The Will to Change: Men, Masculinity, and Love, by bell hooks – A compassionate guide for men of all ages and identities to understand how to be in touch with their feelings, and how to express versus repress the emotions that are a fundamental part of who we are.

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