Robin Black Recommended Books

In The Four Agreements , bestselling author don Miguel Ruiz reveals the source of self-limiting beliefs that rob us of joy and create needless suffering. Based on ancient Toltec wisdom, The Four Agreements offer a powerful code of conduct that can rapidly transform our lives to a new experience of freedom, true happiness, and love.• A New York Times bestseller for over a decade• An international bestseller published in 52 languages worldwide“This book by don Miguel Ruiz, simple yet so powerful, has made a tremendous difference in how I think and act in every encounter.” — Oprah Winfrey“Don Miguel Ruiz’s book is a roadmap to enlightenment and freedom.” — Deepak Chopra, Author, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success“An inspiring book with many great lessons.” — Wayne Dyer, Author, Real Magic“In the tradition of Castaneda, Ruiz distills essential Toltec wisdom, expressing with clarity and impeccability what it means for men and women to live as peaceful warriors in the modern world.” — Dan Millman, Author, Way of the Peaceful Warrior

A graphic novel version of this classic collection of martial arts parables, written by Issai Chozanshi, an 18-century samurai, brings these tales alive in a captivating and immediately accessible way. The stories, which feature demons, insects, birds, cats, and numerous other creatures, may seem whimsical, but they contain essential teachings that offer insight into the fundamental principles of the martial arts.Infused with Chozanshi’s deep understanding of Taoism, Buddhism, Confucianism, and Shinto, the tales elucidate the nature of conflict, the importance of following one’s own nature, yin and yang, the cultivation and transformation of ch’i (life energy), and the attainment of mushin (no-mind). Ultimately, the reader learns in a visually exciting way that the path of the sword is a path of self-knowledge and leads to an understanding of life itself.

Man's Search for Meaning has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Between 1942 and 1945 psychiatrist Viktor Frankl labored in four different camps, including Auschwitz, while his parents, brother, and pregnant wife perished. Based on his own experience and the stories of his many patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. Frankl's theory—known as logotherapy, from the Greek word logos ("meaning")—holds that our primary drive in life is not pleasure, as Freud maintained, but the discovery and pursuit of what we personally find meaningful. In the decades since its first publication in 1959, Man's Search for Meaning has become a classic, with more than twelve million copies in print around the world. A 1991 Library of Congress survey that asked readers to name a "book that made a difference in your life" found Man's Search for Meaning among the ten most influential books in America. At once a memoir, a meditation, a treatise, and a history, it continues to inspire us all to find significance in the very act of living.(back cover)

The #1 New York Times–bestselling sequel to The 48 Laws of PowerMastery synthesizes the years of research Robert Greene conducted while writing the international bestsellers The 48 Laws of Power, The 33 Strategies of War, and The Art of Seduction and demonstrates that the ultimate form of power is mastery itself. By analyzing the lives of such past masters as Charles Darwin, Benjamin Franklin, Albert Einstein, and Leonard da Vinci, as well as by interviewing nine contemporary masters, including tech guru Paul Graham and animal rights advocate Temple Grandin, Greene debunks our culture’s many myths about genius and distills the wisdom of the ages to reveal the secret to greatness. With this seminal text as a guide, readers will learn how to unlock the passion within and become masters.

In this instant New York Times bestseller, Angela Duckworth shows anyone striving to succeed that the secret to outstanding achievement is not talent, but a special blend of passion and persistence she calls “grit.” “Inspiration for non-geniuses everywhere” ( People ).The daughter of a scientist who frequently noted her lack of “genius,” Angela Duckworth is now a celebrated researcher and professor. It was her early eye-opening stints in teaching, business consulting, and neuroscience that led to her hypothesis about what really drives not genius, but a unique combination of passion and long-term perseverance.In Grit , she takes us into the field to visit cadets struggling through their first days at West Point, teachers working in some of the toughest schools, and young finalists in the National Spelling Bee. She also mines fascinating insights from history and shows what can be gleaned from modern experiments in peak performance. Finally, she shares what she’s learned from interviewing dozens of high achievers—from JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon to New Yorker cartoon editor Bob Mankoff to Seattle Seahawks Coach Pete Carroll.“Duckworth’s ideas about the cultivation of tenacity have clearly changed some lives for the better” ( The New York Times Book Review ). Among Grit ’s most valuable any effort you make ultimately counts twice toward your goal; grit can be learned , regardless of IQ or circumstances; when it comes to child-rearing, neither a warm embrace nor high standards will work by themselves; how to trigger lifelong interest; the magic of the Hard Thing Rule; and so much more. Winningly personal, insightful, and even life-changing, Grit is a book about what goes through your head when you fall down, and how that —not talent or luck—makes all the difference. This is “a fascinating tour of the psychological research on success” ( The Wall Street Journal) .

"Vide ton esprit ; sois sans forme, comme l'eau." Les enseignements spirituels de Bruce Lee, par sa fille Shannon Lee, productrice de la série WarriorLa fille de Bruce Lee met en lumière la philosophie de vie et les enseignements de son père, et montre que les arts martiaux sont une parfaite métaphore du développement personnel."Vide ton esprit ; sois sans forme, comme l'eau. "Bruce Lee est célèbre dans le monde entier pour ses films d'arts martiaux. Mais c'était aussi un penseur d'une grande profondeur, qui a compris très jeune que les arts martiaux, loin d'être uniquement une discipline physique, enseignent l'art de vivre une vie pleinement réalisée.Dans Be water, my friend , sa fille Shannon Lee présente l es concepts au cœur de la philosophie de son père et montre en quoi ils sont les outils privilégiés du développement personnel et de l'accomplissement de soi. Les enseignements de Bruce Lee sont ainsi égrenés au fil des chapitres, filant la métaphore de l'eau et de la fluidité. " Être comme l'eau ", c'est s e rapprocher de sa nature essentielle, incarner la souplesse et le naturel, se réapproprier son autonomie, son expressivité et sa liberté . Shannon Lee livre ces idées de manière simple, directe et poétique, à travers des anecdotes de la vie de son père et de son propre parcours. Avec les paroles de Bruce Lee pour guide, elle encourage les lecteurs à se lancer en quête de leur moi essentiel et à appliquer ses idées pour apprendre, surmonter les obstacles ou enfin trouver leur voie.Be water, my friend nous invite à nous considérer d'un œil neuf. Il témoigne aussi de la manière dont l'investigation et la détermination transcendent le temps et l'espace pour raviver l'imagination et inspirer la transformation d'une vie.