Posted on March 31, 2016
Originally posted in February 2016 by Library Journal
It can be hard to maintain a positive outlook and self image in a world that places so much emphasis on material wealth and physical beauty rather than how we feel and think. We underestimate the importance of learning to love ourselves as we are rather than the way society tells us we should be. The right self-help books can and do provide a wealth of information to help you on your journey to understanding and improving yourself on your own terms. Gale Virtual Reference Library (GVRL) provides a collection of insightful guides to help you meet your goals and reach your full potential.
Be Brilliant Every Day. Wiley. 2014. If you’re looking for a dose of positive reinforcement to help bolster you on the road to self improvement, look no further. Andy Cope and Andy Wittaker, authors of the best-selling The Art of Being Brilliant, are back with more tales of their adventures in teaching people how to be happy. With a healthy dose of wacky British humor, Cope and Wittaker explain to their readers that this book isn’t about changing who you are, it’s about learning to be more like yourself at your best. These “happiness researchers” have some simple but profound truths to share that focus on finding fulfillment in all aspects of your life. This is the perfect tool for anyone who likes a little laugh to go with their personal growth.
The Art of Conversation: Change Your Life with Confident Communication. Wiley. 2014.
In the age of instant messaging, texts, and tweets it’s easy to consider in-person conversation a lost art. Author Judy Apps would like to change that. Here she blends the fascinating history of conversation as an art form and an instrument for social and political change with simple tricks and tips for making you a better conversationalist in any setting. She explores how conversation not only tells us about the people we’re talking to but also gives us a window into ourselves and how we approach the world. If you’ve ever found yourself caught in an embarrassing silence with someone you don’t know well or you’d like to know what to say if you find yourself at a cocktail party with the president, Apps has your back.
Plus, the GVRL platform offers:
- Integrated Google tools—Once logged in, users can easily share and download articles — including their highlights and notes — using Google Apps for Education tools, like Google Drive.
- Cover-to-cover DRM-free PDF format, delivering a colorful, visual experience.
- Indexing at the title, chapter, and article level, so users can zoom directly to the information they need and search multiple eBooks at once.
- ReadSpeaker text-to-speech technology
To view the original article published by Library Journal with additional titles and reviews, click here.