Library Recommendations

This is probably the book that I've gifted to the most people. The reality is that your sexuality and your spiritual path toward self-realization is very tightly connected. In the same way that you must use language (a human construct) to 'get on' in the world you must also use--and more importantly, understand--sexuality and where you fit into it. 

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I offer this anecdote fairly often: I found this book at about the worst time in my life, relationally. Sarah and I had been separated for nearly a year, and we simply had no 'framework' for what healthy masculinity or femininity should look like in a relationship. After picking this book up I read it IN AN AFTERNOON. The whole book in a day. The book catalyzed a PARADIGM SHIFT in my approach not only to Sarah but to my entire life, and our relationship has never been the same. 

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Highly recommend this book if you're ready for it.  

Ram Dass is one of my most beloved spiritual mentors, almost to the point that I would consider him my guru. He's the most beaming, positive, lovely, encouraging, transparent, insightful sounds that I spend time with (he has passed away, but I have photos of him on my meditation table and I'm constantly reading/listening to him.) 

This book was my first introduction to Ram Dass, and although he has several books that are more popular than this (like Be Here Now), I still connect the most with this one. If you've never read Dass, start here...he's so easy to read, and you'll consider him a close friend within a few pages.

This is a deep cut that I don't hear a lot about but it provides a really easy to understand understanding of esoterism and the idea that faith / manifestation is not only the driving force behind reality but also exactly what Jesus was teaching.  

If you're just getting into reading and want something that's easy to read, enjoyable, and story-like (this is a novel), this is it. I've read this to my kids, I've read it personally multiple times--get into it. 

I spent most of high school and my college years studying Christian theology and living 'inside of' Christianity. By the time I was 25 I had grown fairly disappointed with the not only the Christian community but also most of 'modern Christian theology'. It just didn't feel complete...it felt like it was missing major, fundamental piece of the puzzle. From there I began to be exposed to Easter Orthodoxy and then various aspects of Buddhism (a la Alan Watts), as well as some esoteric spirituality, which tends to feel like Hinduism.

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Around 2020 I read this book and it completely changed my outlook on Christianity. It helped me to understand how the concept of Christ fits in with other traditions like Krishna/Hinduism and the Dao, as well as what I've experienced psychedelically. If you come from a Christian tradition and you're ready to begin 'integrating' the truth in Christianity with the truth you've discovered elsewhere, I recommend you start with this book. 

Weird title for this book because I didn't get the impression that 'being liked' or 'being disliked' was the central idea. Really this is a book about Adler-ian psychology as a substitute for the prevailing Freudian psychology that dominates our modern framework (Adler was a contemporary of Freud but Freud's psychology 'won out'). Adler challenges some of the mainstream notions around trauma and behavioral psychology, and it really resonates better with my understanding of the spiritual journey.

If you're looking for a practical book that will support your current efforts around trauma, relationships, parenting, or even the workplace, this is could be transformative. It really bridges the gap between psychology and the spiritual path.     

I tend to talk more about spiritual topics, but the reality is that we live in a cultural context and can't just escape life to work on our souls--we have to 'get on in the world'. We work jobs, negotiate apartment leases, and try to maintain the peace with our families and friends. At the heart of all of this is the power dynamic (the animal kingdom is no different!) You can choose to ignore these dynamics or you can embrace them, either way, YOU'RE LIVING IN IT! If you are in a phase where you're working on your career or trying to 'get a grip' on your situation, I highly recommend this book. I've read it multiple times and refer to my notes on this book ALL THE TIME. It's a long book, but it's very easy to read since most of it is told through stories. This might also make for a good audio book. 

Rob Bell was a part of my spiritual formation from high school. He's a very engaging writer, very personable, as if you were spending time with him at a coffee shop. This book is a great entry point to the concept of 'non-dualism': the belief that there is no distinction between the spiritual and the physical--it's all one! This book will inspire you, motivate you, connect with you, and give you new ways to think about every-day things. If you're looking for an easy read to just 'get back into it', highly recommend. 

A few things about this book...first of all, even though it's a really popular book, some sections were more 'dense' than I was expecting. For that reason, if you want to read Tolle as a more easy read I would recommend A New Earth which covers many of the same topics but in a more practical way. 

That being said, The Power of Now introduced me to a lot of concepts that were really groundbreaking for me. The idea of the "Pain Body" has been a particularly relevant idea that Sarah and I talk about regularly, providing context to the way pain has a tendency to be 'contagious'. 

This is a foundational book that I think everyone should read at some point in their journey. Although the book is not aligned with any one religious tradition Tolle does draw from several, providing examples of the shared spirituality that all of the traditions draw from. 

Karma is probably the most recognized but least understood Hindu concepts in the Western world. The term has been reduced to the point where to most people 'karma' simply means 'consequences'. The truth is that karma is an incredibly rich concept, and its pervasiveness within the Indian spiritual landscape is one of the reasons it has become so popularized as an English idiom.

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Ok, that was a mouthful. In truth this is a very accessible book to read, very entertaining and easy to follow. If you're interested in Sadhguru or Indian spirituality in general, I recommend you start here:) 

The idea behind a Liberal Arts degree is to frame your worldview--establishing a fundamental framework that will support a productive life, active community participation, and other academic pursuits. While attaining an actual degree may not be for everyone, it's helpful to actively and intentionally build a framework to support your life. 

Taleb's "Antifragile" is one of the books that I would mark as 'required material' in your self-taught liberal arts degree. It will change the way you view risk, reward, decision-making, buying decisions, time, and more. Must read at least once in your life. 

This is another piece of 'required reading' in any self-taught liberal arts degree (see above.) We live in a pessimistic world, partly due to our own evolutionary biology. We're hardwired to be drawn toward pessimistic worldviews, and somehow they seem to give some people 'power'. Ridley offers a logical/rational argument for why optimism is the more reasonable outlook. He offers arguments, proofs, data, and historical analysis to show that our world's outlook is remarkably positive. I read this during the first Trump administration at the beginning of the pandemic, when the world was particularly negative--it was truly a reversal of perspective.