Helen Plum Library

The follow-up to Pinker's groundbreaking The Better Angels of Our Nature presents the big picture of human progress: people are living longer, healthier, freer, and happier lives, and while our problems are formidable, the solutions lie in the Enlightenment ideal of using reason and science. Far from being a naïve hope, the Enlightenment, we now know, has worked. But more than ever, it needs a vigorous defense. The Enlightenment project swims against...

"So nobody knows more about happiness--what the Danes call lykke--than Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute in Copenhagen and author of the bestselling sensation The Little Book of Hygge. But he believes that, while we can certainly learn a lot from the Danes about finding fulfillment, the keys to happiness are actually buried all around the globe. In this captivating book, he takes us on a treasure hunt to unlock the doors to the...

"Chained to the Desk both counsels and consoles. It provides a step-by-step guide to help readers spot work addiction, understand the damage it causes, and how to recover from it"--

Forget the old concept of retirement and the rest of the deferred-life plan--there is no need to wait and every reason not to, especially in unpredictable economic times. Whether your dream is escaping the rat race, experiencing high-end world travel, earning a monthly five-figure income with zero management, or just living more and working less, here is the blueprint. This step-by-step guide to luxury lifestyle design teaches: how Tim went from $40,000...

"A palliative care doctor on the front lines of hospital care illuminates one of the most important and controversial ethical issues of our time on his quest to transform care through the end of life. It is harder to die in this country than ever before. Statistics show that the vast majority of Americans would prefer to die at home, yet many of us spend our last days fearful and in pain in a healthcare system ruled by high-tech procedures and a philosophy...

"The leading real-estate guru in the U.S. gives Boomers the inside scoop on the best places to retire -- and offers the retirement rules they can't afford to miss."--Provided by the publisher

"A simple question, isn't it? So why does it feel so hard to answer? What's happening behind our smiles, our busyness, our to-do lists? It's time to sit with all the questions we've been avoiding, ignoring, or just not hearing, to find a path to something real. Crack open this spine and get ready. We're about to get really honest. Because this book? It's not about my truth, it's about yours"--back cover

The Danes are famously the happiest people in the world, and hygge is a cornerstone of their way of life. Hygge (pronounce Hoo-ga) loosely translates as a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being. You know hygge when you feel it. It is when you are cuddled up on the sofa with a loved one, or sharing comfort food with your closest friends. It is those crisp blue mornings when the light through your window is just right. It is about gratitude...

Today, "simple living" is a rallying cry for anti-consumerists, environmentalists, and anyone concerned with humanity's effect on the planet. But what is so revolutionary about a simple life? And why are we so fascinated with simplicity today? A Philosophy of Simple Living charts the ideas, motivations, and practices of simplicity from antiquity to the present day. Bringing together an array of people, practices, and movements, from Henry David Thoreau...

Ikigai is a Japanese phenomenon commonly understood as "your reason to get up in the morning." Ikigai can be small moments: the morning air, a cup of coffee, a compliment. It can also be deep convictions: a fulfilling job, lasting friendships, balanced health. Whether big or small, your ikigai is the path to success and happiness in your own life