Joe Jonas on THE ALCHEMIST

According to Joe Jonas of the Jonas Brothers (in Time Out New York), “The Alchemist” is a good book anytime…

The Alchemist is a story about the endless search of finding out who you truly are. On the road for most of our lives, sometimes it’s difficult to find something to grasp on to, to define who you are and where you belong—and reading The Alchemist truly made me appreciate my family and band and those close to and around me. It brought some stability into our wild ride of a life. —Joe Jonas

Gwyneth Paltrow gets CLEAN

Remember our post on the book CLEAN (Clean. It Does a Body Good)?  Well it ends up we’re not the only ones shouting about the benefits of CLEAN.  In the latest issue of GOOP Gwyneth Paltrow states:

I feel pure and happy and much lighter (I dropped the extra pounds that I had gained during a majorly fun and delicious “relax and enjoy life phase” about a month ago). I also really enjoyed learning about the incredible health benefits of resting your digestive system, etc. This thing is amazing.

And of course it goes without saying that anything that makes you feel this good is a good book in bad times.

• Browse Inside CLEAN
• Watch the CLEAN video

Chasing the Divine in Bad Times

When we are down, inspiration can be a powerful force for change. What better way to feel motivated and charged then to read the awe-inspiring tales of the internationally recognized author of The World’s Religions?

Ninety years young, Huston Smith shares a wealth of stories and wisdom in his autobiography, Tales of Wonder.  He attended the first meeting of the United Nations, did hallucinogens with Timothy Leary, met the Dalai Lama long before he was “discovered” by Hollywood and West, and has been a true student and teacher of all faiths and traditions.

Live vicariously and be inspired by his historic experiences. Not everyone can say they’ve met: Mother Teresa, Eleanor Roosevelt, J. Robert Oppenheimer, Thomas Merton, Reinhold Niebuhr, Krishnamurti, Aldous Huxley, John Kenneth Galbraith, Noam Chomsky, Robert Graves, Saul Bellow, Pete Seger, and Bill Moyers, just to name a few…

Smith is still chasing the divine, and with his new memoir, he can invite you to come along for the ride too.

Click here to watch the video about Huston Smith and Tales of Wonder.

The True and Gritty Side of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fame

Celebrities are just like us. They have bad times, a lot of them, actually. In addition to their creative contributions, famous artists can also give hope to their sometimes equally struggling fans.

In Hit Hard, Joey Kramer reveals his turbulent battle with severe depression and addiction to drugs and alcohol. As the drummer of the mega-popular band, Aerosmith, he seemingly led a glamorous and blessed life. Now, in his memoir, Kramer shares his full story of hitting rock bottom.

This is the tale of an average kid from an average American suburb who went through physical and emotional trauma. He suffered through years of depression and a nervous breakdown at the height of the band’s comeback success. Ultimately, Hit Hard is about how Kramer recognized his confusion between love and abuse and awakened to the kind of self-acceptance and compassion that make relationships possible in the “real world” – all the while as a member of one of the biggest bands in American history.

Sandra Boynton makes it better…

I remember when GE sold the NBC radio station in San Francisco where I was morning news anchor, and we all lost our jobs.  I had been completely tied to my business card, believing that’s who I was…and that’s ALL I was.

Then I found a book at the store.

It was in the children’s section, which seemed to be the natural area to gravitate to, since I was feeling small and unsure of my place in the world.

It was a picture book by Sandra Boynton, titled:  YAY, YOU!  Moving Out, Moving Up, Moving On.

As friends and family face upheavals in their jobs, relationships, or homes, this is what I recommend that they read…or better yet, what a loved one should read to them.  It’s a simple reminder that they are a special gift to this world, just as they are, and that the world is full of possibilities for them to share their gift.

It is definitely a Good Book in Bad Times.

–Sent by Vickie Jenkins | Performance Power Media Coaching

Reconnect with your Basic Instincts

Evolutionary psychologists have discovered stunning new lessons about the power of instincts and their capacity to transform lives from merely surviving to actually thriving in every area of life. Unfortunately, in these modern times, most of us are disconnected from our basic instincts and all too often cautiously rely on our rational mind to cope with life’s challenges.

In The Genius of Instinct: Reclaim Mother Nature’s Tools for Enhancing Your Health, Happiness, Family, and Work leading psychologist and bestselling author Dr. Hendrie Weisinger shows you how to get in touch with your human instincts to live a happier, healthier, more fulfilled life.  This is especially needed in these tough economic times, with unemployment at an all-time high, and the stress and worry that accompanies uncertainty ever present.

“In this economic downturn, instincts are life enhancing tools that are free of charge and it’s a shame not to use them,” says Weisinger.

–Sent by Laura Czaja | FT Press & Wharton School Publishing

A Bad Blog in Bad Times

Good Books in Bad Times apologizes.  We’ve been a bad blog in bad times for the past month.  We guess all this talk about bad times simply got us down.  We retreated, as so many of us are prone to do when the going gets tough.  We left you hanging. We pledge to *try* not to do that again.

Send us your submissions (we’re now accepting them at goodbooksinbadtimes@harpercollins.com). We’ll start posting again too.

The bad times aren’t over.  We don’t celebrate this fact but we hope to continue to shed light on books that light the way.

And we’ll take this moment to highlight an excellent book for bad times.

You can thrive in this economic environment. In fact, it is precisely when our finances are most in turmoil that we have the greatest opportunity to grow our portfolios, change our habits, and discover true financial freedom… [But] the most important thing to do during this turbulent time is to keep things in perspective and understand that a healthy relationship to money is about so much more than how much or how little you have.

–Brent Kessel, It’s Not About The Money

Clean. It Does a Body Good.

Our modern, hectic lives can certainly be toxic for our health. Whether we realize it or not our bodies are screaming for help. Suffer from allergies? Seems like you are constantly reaching for a bottle of cold medicine? Have indigestion? Are your skinny jeans cutting off your circulation? These symptoms may very well be your body signaling to you that it needs to rid itself of harmful toxins.

Clean is Alejandro Junger, M.D.’s program that provides all the tools necessary to support and reactivate our detoxification system to its fullest capabilities, and can be easily incorporated into a busy schedule. The effect is transformative: nagging health problems will suddenly disappear, extra weight will drop away, and for the first time in our lives we will experience what it truly means to feel healthy.

Detox and restore your health, vitality, and peace of mind.