Ever wonder why Valentine's Day falls during the coldest, grayest time of the year? Ancient Romans picked the day to celebrate their pagan fertility queen Juno by running naked through the streets. Later, medieval Europeans started sending Valentine's to their loved ones on the date, declaring it the first day of the year when birds began to mate. In short, this has always been the season to strip down and get it on. Whatever the weather, Valentine's is a great occasion to slip under the covers, pore over one of these enlightening books, and turn up the heat.

A new buzz book — WorldChanging: A User's Guide to the 21st Century — hits the shelves next week. I just ordered it because I want to change the world, as long as it's easy.

As an editor at a yoga-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.