Bloodorange
I'm a GoodReads user testing new waters after the serious website changes. I mostly read fiction, usually Anglophone classics/ modern classics; I like nonfiction (mostly social and cultural history), good fantasy and graphic novels. For guilty pleasure, I read advice and how-to books.
I made at least two reading resolutions recently; 1. read less, live more; 2. read books which give me more pleasure. I have poor filters, and books I find stylistically pleasing tend to be depressing, so I need to do something about that; if you think you know a book that is very well written, but won't make me weep, please drop me a line.
Sane New World: Taming The Mind
If you don't have even a slight sense of gallows humour about your depression, this is not a book for you.I’ll go into detail later but I want to mention one fact right away; the gold at the end of the rainbow is that YOU CAN CHANGE YOUR MIND AND HOW YOU THINK. This is called neuroplasticity. Your genes, hormones, regions in the brain and early learning do not necessarily determine your fate.
If you expect an introduction to mindfulness, you will also be disappointed; this is a why-to, not a how-to book. It simply recommends, in one sentence, taking an eight-week course in mindfulness (you can also find a few good free, no-registration courses online), and gives you some exercises.
What is does is to explain the brain processes behind feeling shitty about oneself with precision and clarity; if rational arguments work for you, this book can really be a lifeline. Also, it finally convinced me to start studying mindfulness, as opposed to numerous books and articles I've read over the last three years, so this *is* something.
