Based on what you, our dear readers, have selected from the bookstore, comes a list of January’s top-notch non-fiction bestsellers. More than the run-of-the-mill how-to’s that aggressively ‘show you the money’, these books are tender and illuminating guides about the essential work we also must do to radically improve the quality of our lives.
The Comfort Book by Matt Haig
A collection of stories that serve as an oasis of succour in an unendingly stressful world, Haig’s “The Comfort Book” offers invaluable moments of pause, calm and reflective peace to its readers. Equal parts memoir and philosophy, this book of consolations is tantamount to receiving what you’d need when looking for advice from a loved one, or even just a comforting conversation. Citing the wisdom of those like Emily Dickinson and James Baldwin, to the stoicism of Aurelius, Haig’s is a surprising and much-needed addition to the genre of ‘self-help’.
The Courage to be Disliked by Fumitake Koga and Ichiro Kishimi
Unlike most self-help books which instruct charm, likeability and creating a positive brand out of yourself, Koga and Kishimi’s “The Courage to be Disliked” hopes to empower you for your own sake. Taking a liberating stance on life, the book stresses that learning to be comfortable with being disliked is perhaps the most important thing that you can do for your happiness. Talking of the oft-too-heavy costs of other people’s judgements, it emphasizes on the courage it takes to unburden oneself and, in doing so, truly help oneself.
Ikigai by Francesc Miralles and Hector Garcia
Now a global sensation, “Ikigai”, or “The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life”, truly captures the crux of what any one of us can aspire to achieve. Released in the unfortunate COVID era, this book has single-handedly motivated millions to ruthlessly identify their priorities and dare to re-evaluate the lives they lead. To understand what truly serves you, the type of occupation that will holistically sustain you, and having the courage and fortitude to spend one’s time solely for one’s well-being, is a difficult task made manageable by authors Kogo and Kishimi. ‘Ikigai’ combines the words ‘iki’, meaning ‘life’, and ‘gai’, meaning ‘worth’– simplistically defining the only object all should truly be working towards– creating a life worth living.
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
While school teaches decorum, history, language and math, our education leaves much to be desired when it comes to financial knowledge. Even as we routinely spend, use and earn money, there is much to sigh about in regards to our financial illiteracy. So if you aspire to know more and exist as a more capable and independent individual, then fear not! Housel’s “The Psychology of Money” has us covered. And the first thing he teaches us is that being good with money isn’t only about knowing money, as much as it is about behaving well when it comes to it. Finance is a field where one must perform, make the right moves, and like in chess, play the game by its rules. But perhaps more like when at a dinner table, explains Housel, our financial behaviour largely comes down on our distinct personalities and identities. By offering 19 short stories that narrate 19 different lives and their idiosyncratic financial performances, Housel offers a wide range of examples that truly showcase the role of psychology in money matters, giving us ample references to help model our own behaviours.
Feel Good Productivity by Dr. Ali Abdaal
Going against the grain in the most comforting way, the first thing Abdaal has to say is that productivity isn’t simply a matter of discipline, but depends greatly on the measure of our own joy. Put simply, all work and no play will make Jack a useless shell of a human. But if Jack does more of what matters to him then he, according to Abdaal, he would successfully lead a full life. “Feel Good Productivity” follows the simple funda of doing what you want to do, what you think is worth doing, and thus being productive in a way that is of value to you.
A Therapeutic Journey by Alain de Botton
If you are new to Botton, then let me assure you– you are in for quite a treat! Author of “A School of Life”, which is also a wonderful website, YouTube channel and IG page, Botton’s is a gentle philosophy of self-care. Chronicling the arduous but wonderful arc of crisis and collapse to recovery and recuperation, the book is a collection of kind and perceptive essays for anyone struggling to cope with, understand, or even explain their mental health. More than anything, this book, like all of Botton’s work, is a sympathetic voice that tells you that it is, indeed, okay, and explains how we can understand things better in order to be well and content.
Pick up a non-fiction bestseller that is more than the typical self-help book from any Kunzum store or WhatsApp +91.8800200280 to order. Buy the book(s) and the coffee’s on us.