Sometimes we need to just stop, sit down and read or listen to a book or fifty.
Last year I challenged myself to read or listen to 50 books. But, before I knew it I had read over 90! Certainly, not all of them were earth shattering, but there were some that left a lasting impact on me. I wanted to share these books with you, today, in no particular order.
My Grandfather’s Blessings by Rachel Naomi Remen, MD - At first the title caught my attention as I had an amazing relationship with my own Grandfather. He challenged me and showed me love in the way that he knew how. This book is about Dr. Rachel’s stories from both her own Grandfather and the patients that she has come in contact with. It is a book of hope, but also of strength as well as remembrance that we are all interconnected.
The Female Brain by Louann Brizendine - With my practice’s focus being women’s health, this book was a no brainer. I understood how much hormones can affect us, but this book gave me more insight into how even in the womb the female brain is being influenced. It also gave examples of how when women go through menopause their brain changes; sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worse. Hormones are vital to keep us stable. The book discusses the female brain from conception to death. A must read, in my opinion.
God’s Hotel: A Doctor, a Hospital, and a Pilgrimage to the Heart of Medicine by Victoria Sweet - This book follows Dr. Sweet as she works at San Francisco’s Laguna Honda Hospital. You see her transition as a doctor as she is learning about the history of medicine. You also see how the changing times of medicine are leaving their lasting mark on the last almshouse in the country. This book got me excited to learn more about Hildegard of Bingen and how she practiced medicine back in 1150 AD.
How Not to Hate Your Husband After Kids by Jancee Dunn - As a newer parent there have been challenges like how to raise our son and everything that goes along with bringing him up in this world. But there have also been challenges with figuring out the new dynamic with my husband. We, formerly, as a family of two have now permanently changed. This book goes into all of the different ways Jancee and her husband worked at changing their relationship while now having a six year old daughter. From therapy to an FBI negotiator to a week of daily sex, she has tried just about everything to give you information and knowledge on just how you can also not hate your husband after kids.
Clear your Clutter with Feng Shui by Karen Kingston - In our materialistic world it is easy to become overwhelmed by all the junk that comes into our lives. This stuff has its own energy and/or baggage. Running my house call practice from my home, my family has less space for this clutter to take up. And everytime we had to move the clutter to free up space I was reminded that I needed clean out or remove that clutter. This book caught my attention because it was not only great for helping to understand the importance of cleaning out clutter from a Feng Shui perspective, but it encourages you to clean out the emotional clutter as well.
There were many more books that I feel have changed me from the past year so my goal in 2019 is to read at least 75 books. Good thing I’ve got time driving to patients houses to listen to many of them so thank you all for that time.
Image Credit: The Reader by Jean-Honore Fragonard (Public Domain)