Contemplation is an important part of any spiritual journey. Reading and listening to lectures from master teachers remain our best resources for reflection, self-study, and investigation into the nature of life. Homeschool yourself with these book lists (almost all are audiobooks, too). If you get stuck, email me. I have read every book recommended below. Enjoy the insights of those who have walked before us with love in their hearts and the desire to share their wisdom with us.
Reflection & Rewiring
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Chögyam Trungpa
Buddhism Without Beliefs, Stephen Batchelor
Brain Rules, John Medina
Buddha’s Brain, Rick Hanson PhD
The End of Your World, Adyashanti
Food Rules, Michael Pollan
The Craving Mind, Dr. Judson Brewer
Work Sex Money, Chögyam Trungpa
Your Best Brain: The Science of Brain Improvement, John Medina
Habits of a Happy Brain, Loretta Graziano Breuning
How Emotions are Made, Lisa Feldman Barrett
Hardwiring Happiness, Rick Hanson PhD
This is Your Brain on Music, Daniel J. Levitin
The River of Consciousness, Dr. Oliver Sacks
The Science of Positivity, Loretta Graziano Breuning
The Mind of God, Dr. Jay Lombard
Why Buddhism is True, Robert Wright
No Self, No Problem, Chris Niebauer
How to Change Your Mind, Michael Pollan
7 1/2 Lessons on the Brain, Lisa Feldman Barrett
Plant-Based Food for Thought
Food Rules, Michael Pollan
Gut, Giulia Enders
The Plant Paradox, Dr. Steven R. Gundry
The End of Overeating, David A. Kessler, MD
How to Cook Your Life, Kosho Uchiyama Roshi
Salt Fat Acid Heat, Samin Nosrat
Eating Animals, Jonathan Safran Foer
The Third Plate, Dan Barber
Food Politics, Marion Nestle
Flavor, Bob Holmes
The Art of Flavor, Daniel Patterson & Mandy Aftel
The Longevity Plan, John D Day MD
Starting a Daily Meditation Practice
10% Happier, Dan Harris
The Secrets of Meditation, davidji
The Mind Illuminated, Culadasa (John Yates)
Meditation in Action, Chögyam Trungpa
Neuro Dharma, Rick Hanson PhD
Mindfulness in Action, Chögyam Trungpa
The Path to Insight Meditation, Joseph Goldstein
The Path is the Goal, Chögyam Trungpa
The Gradual Path, Miles Neale
Starting a Yoga Practice
Moving Toward Balance: 8 Weeks of Yoga, Nina Zolotov & Rodney Yee
Be Here Now, Ram Dass
Inner Engineering, Sadguru
Wheels of Life, Anodea Judith
Perfectly Imperfect, Baron Baptiste
The Four Desires, Rod Stryker
Light on Life, BKS Iyengar
One Simple Thing, Eddie Stern
Connecting with Spirit
The Four Agreements, don Miguel Ruiz
You Are Here, Thich Nhat Hahn
Inward, Yung Pueblo
The Alchemist, Pablo Coehlo
The Wisdom of the Shamans, don Jose Ruiz
The Surrender Experiment, Michael A. Singer
The Teachings of Don Juan, Carlos Castaneda
The Teachings of Don Carlos, Victor Sanchez (commentary to The Teaching of Don Juan)
Shamanic Journeying: Beginner’s Guide, Sandra Ingerman
The Prophet, Kahlil Gibran
The Creative Act, Rick Rubin
The Medicine Bag, don Jose Ruiz
Spirituality for Nonconformists
Work Sex Money, Chögyam Trungpa
Against the Stream, Noah Levine
The Book on the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are, Alan Watts
The Believing Brain, Michael Shermer
Hardcore Zen, Brad Warner
Don’t Be a Jerk, Brad Warner
The Half Known Life: In Search of Paradise, Pico Iyer
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Chögyam Trungpa
Letter to a Christian Nation, Sam Harris
Dharma Punx, Noah Levine
Be Angry, His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Spiritual Graffiti, MC Yogi
Sit Down, Shut Up, Brad Warner
For Empaths and the Highly Sensitive
The Empath’s Survival Guide, Dr. Judith Orloff (read this one first!)
Boundaries and Protection, Pixie Lighthorse
Sensitive is the New Strong, Anita Moorjani
Living Beautifully, Pema Chödrön
Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down, Haemin Sunim
The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k, Mark Manson
Be Here Now, Ram Dass
The Science of Positivity, Loretta Graziano Breuning
The Art of Solitude, Stephen Batchelor
Love for Imperfect Things, Haemin Sunim
The Art of Stillness, Pico Iyer
A Field Guide to Getting Lost, Rebecca Solnit
Unwinding Anxiety, Dr. Judson Brewer
For Those on Plateaus
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry, Jack Kornfield
Cutting Through Spiritual Materialism, Chögyam Trungpa
The End of Your World, Adyashanti
Clarity & Connection, Yung Pueblo
Dream Yoga, Andrew Holechek
The Untethered Soul, Michael A. Singer
The Wisdom of Insecurity, Alan Watts
Training the Mind, Chögyam Trungpa
Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl
The Future of God, Deepak Chopra
The Science of Enlightenment, Shinzen Young (book is good, but lecture is much better!)
Progressive Stages of Meditation on Emptiness, Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche
Grow a New Body, Dr. Alberto Villoldo
The Pilgrimage, Paulo Coelho
The Master and Margarita, Mikhail Bulgakov
Loving Oneself & Others
Real Love, Sharon Salzberg
The Book of Delights, Ross Gay
Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better, Pema Chödrön
Radical Acceptance, Tara Brach
A Heart Full of Peace, Joseph Goldstein
The Art of Happiness, His Holiness The Dalai Lama
Smile at Fear, Chögyam Trungpa
Living Beautifully, Pema Chödrön
Anger, Thich Nhat Hahn
Work Sex Money, Chögyam Trungpa
Awakening from the Daydream, David Nichtern
Training in Compassion, Norman Fischer
Simple Living, Simple Pleasures
The Art of Simple Living, Shunmyo Masuno
The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, Marie Kondo
Things You Can See Only When You Slow Down, Haemin Sunim
The Book of Ichigo Ichie, Héctor García & Fransesc Miralles
The Little Book of Hygge, Meik Wiking
Ikigai, Héctor García & Fransesc Miralles
The Little Book of Lykke, Meik Wiking
You Are Here, Thich Nhat Hahn
Lagom, Niki Brantmark
The Art of Making Memories, Meik Wiking
Goodbye, Things: The New Japanese Minimalism, Fumio Sasaki
Hello, Habits, Fumio Sasaki
Joy at Work, Marie Kondo & Scott Sonenshein
Wilderness, Survival, & Rewilding
Deep Survival, Laurence Gonzales
Forest Bathing, Dr. Qing Li
The Spell of the Sensuous, David Abram
Surviving the Wild, Joshua Enyart (Gray Bearded Green Beret)
The Nature Fix, Florence Williams
Being a Beast, Charles Foster
The Natural Navigator, Tristan Gooley
The Lost Art of Reading Nature’s Signs, Tristan Gooley
Your Guide to Forest Bathing, M. Amos Clifford
The Secret World of Weather, Tristan Gooley
Nature’s Best Hope, Douglas W. Tallamy
I Contain Multitudes, Ed Yung
53 Essential Bug Out Bag Supplies, Damian Brindle
57 Scientifically Backed Foods to Stockpile, Damian Brindle
The Thing with Feathers, Noah Strycker
Breath, James Nestor
Down with the Dharma/Tao
The Way of Zen, Alan Watts
Reflections on Silver River, Ken McLeod
What is This?, Martine & Stephen Batchelor
The Tao of Pooh, Benjamin Hoff
What is Zen?, Norman Fischer, Susan Moon
Zen Mind, Beginner’s Mind, Shunryu Suzuki
The Shambhala Path, Chögyam Trungpa
The Myth of Freedom, Chögyam Trungpa
What Makes You Not a Buddhist, Khyentse Norbu
The Tao of Leadership, John Heider
Buddhism Without Beliefs, Stephen Batchelor
After Buddhism, Stephen Batchelor
Riding the Ox Home, John Daido Loori Roshi
Verses from the Center, Stephen Batchelor