As an editor at a yoga [0]-inspired lifestyle magazine, a lot of spiritual books crossed my desk. Some were compelling, a lot were rehashed, a few sold scads, but most didn’t. Below I’ve compiled an unofficial, semi-complete list of significant “Balance”-related books of 2005 (with help from Beliefnet and Amazon): the ones that made the biggest splashes (merited or not), the ones that seem important in furthering how we talk about consciousness and the soul, and the ones people (or I) liked.
Books that Went Boom (the High Profilers)
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking [1] by Malcolm Gladwell
The New Yorker writer’s latest interdisciplinary effort is about the importance of trusting your instincts and “first thoughts.” It’s been on the New York Times bestseller list for 44 weeks and counting.
Healthy Aging: A Lifelong Guide to Your Physical and Spiritual Well-Being [2] by Andrew Weil
The fluffy-bearded alt-health guru’s latest tome on mind-body wellness. The doctor claims to transmit an aging-is-good message, yet his anti-aging cosmetics line [3] with Origins, says otherwise.
Mother-Daughter Wisdom: Creating a Legacy of Physical and Emotional Health [4] by Christiane Northrup
Northrup’s classic, Women’s Health, Women’s Wisdom changed my entire collegiate life.Her latest looks at “women’s health and how the mother-daughter relationship affects it in this opinionated handbook-cum-memoir,” according to Publisher’s Weekly.
Why Do I Love These People? [5] by Po Bronson
The author of the best-selling What Should I Do With My Life? has interviewed dozens of people about their families––telling their tales of fracturing and coming together. “Every story shows the strength and resilience of everyday people creating emotionally satisfying lives,” says Beliefnet.
Just Under the Radar (the Sleepers)
A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose [6] by Eckhart Tolle
He jolted us with searing insights in The Power of Now: a Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. Now he takes on humanity. The hell-in-a-hand-basket trope is untangled and a prescription for restoring sanity is included.
Field Notes on the Compassionate Life [7] by Marc Ian Barasch
Voted one of Beliefnet’s [8] top spiritual books of 2005. Barasch takes a Buddhist approach to compassion, looking at how it affects everything from health to the turmoil of the Middle East, encouraging selflessness and kindness. A much needed perspective right now.
The Translucent Revolution [9] by Arjuna Ardagh
“Translucents,” according to Ardagh, are a new demographic: People who spiritually awaken and continue to function normally (“before enlightenment chop wood, carry water; after enlightenment chop wood carry water,” goes the Zen adage). He explains how to open yourself to translucence.
Plan B: Further Thoughts on Faith [10] by Anne Lamott
I was sad that this book didn’t get more of a sales/media boost, since Lamott's laugh-cry prose is as clear, biting, funny, and revelatory as ever in these essays about being a Christ-loving, neurotic, creative parent and human.
Photo by Johannes Gilger via Flickr [11]