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Meeting #16 November 26 ︱Rage Becomes Her

- September 24, 2023

Rage Becomes Her: The Power of Women's Anger Written by : Soraya Chemaly Meeting date : Sunday November 26, 2023 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : A transformative book urging twenty-first century-women to embrace their anger and harness it as a tool for lasting personal and societal change. Women are angry, and it isn’t hard to figure out why. We are underpaid and overworked. Too sensitive, or not sensitive enough. Too dowdy or too made-up. Too big or too thin. Sluts or prudes. We are harassed, told we are asking for it, and asked if it would kill us to smile. Yes, yes it would. Contrary to the rhetoric of popular “self-help” and an entire lifetime of being told otherwise, our rage is one of the most important resources we have, our sharpest tool against both personal and political oppression. We’ve been told for so long to bottle up our anger, letting it corrode our bodies and minds in ways we don’t even realize. Yet our anger is a vital instrument, our radar for injusti...

Meeting # 15 September 17︱In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

- July 20, 2023

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters With Addiction Written by : Dr. Gabor Mat é Meeting date : Sunday September 17, 2023 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : From street-dwelling drug addicts to high-functioning workaholics, the continuum of addiction cuts a wide and painful swath through our culture. Blending first-person accounts, riveting case studies, cutting-edge research and passionate argument, In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction (available for order in Canadian and U.S. editions. UK Edition: Out October 2018) takes a panoramic yet highly intimate look at this widespread and perplexing human ailment. Countering prevailing notions of addiction as either a genetic disease or an individual moral failure, Dr. Gabor Maté presents an eloquent case that addiction – all addiction – is in fact a case of human development gone askew. Dr. Maté, who for twelve years practiced medicine in Vancouver’s notorious Downtown Eastside – North A...

Meeting # 14 April 2︱Unmasking Autism

- January 31, 2023

Unmasking Autism: Discovering the New Faces of Neurodiversity Written by : Dr. Devon Price Meeting date : Sunday April 2, 2023 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : For every visibly Autistic person you meet, there are countless “masked” Autistic people who pass as neurotypical. Masking is a common coping mechanism in which Autistic people hide their identifiably Autistic traits in order to fit in with societal norms, adopting a superficial personality at the expense of their mental health. This can include suppressing harmless stims, papering over communication challenges by presenting as unassuming and mild-mannered, and forcing themselves into situations that cause severe anxiety, all so they aren’t seen as needy or “odd.” In Unmasking Autism, Dr. Devon Price shares his personal experience with masking and blends history, social science research, prescriptions, and personal profiles to tell a story of neurodivergence that has thus far been dominated by those on the outside lookin...

Meeting #13 January 15︱It's OK That You're Not OK

- November 27, 2022

It's Ok That You're Not OK: Meeting Grief and Loss in a Culture That Doesn't Understand Written by : Megan Devine Meeting date : Sunday January 15, 2023 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : When a painful loss or life-shattering event upends your world, here is the first thing to know: there is nothing wrong with grief. "Grief is simply love in its most wild and painful form," says Megan Devine. "It is a natural and sane response to loss." So, why does our culture treat grief like a disease to be cured as quickly as possible? In It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine offers a profound new approach to both the experience of grief and the way we try to help others who have endured tragedy. Having experienced grief from both sides (as both a therapist and as a woman who witnessed the accidental drowning of her beloved partner) Megan writes with deep insight about the unspoken truths of loss, love, and healing. She debunks the culturally prescribed g...

Meeting #12 September 25︱The Imposter Cure

- July 18, 2022

The Imposter Cure: Escape the Mind-Trap of Imposter Syndrome Written by : Dr. Jessamy Hibberd Meeting date : Sunday September 25, 2022 from 2:00-4:00 pm EDT Book description : Imposter syndrome is a phenomenon in which people believe they are not worthy of success. They convince themselves that they have done well due to luck and are terrified their shortcomings will eventually be exposed, making it impossible to enjoy their accomplishments. You've Got This explores the psychological impact of imposter syndrome and exposes the secrets fears and insecurities felt by millions of men and women. Dr. Jessamy Hibberd provides sound expert advice to help the reader better understand the problem and overcome it, so they think differently, gain self belief and learn to see themselves as others do. Filled with case studies to bring the concepts alive and packed with strategies to increase confidence, this book is a must-read for anyone who has struggled with their achievements. Find it : O...

Meeting #11 July 10︱Atomic Habits

- May 16, 2022

Atomic Habits: An Easy and Proven Way to Build Good Habits and Break Bad Ones Written by : James Clear Meeting date : Sunday July 10, 2022 from 2:00-4:00 pm EDT Book description : No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving - every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results. If you're having trouble changing your habits, the problem isn't you. The problem is your system. Bad habits repeat themselves again and again not because you don't want to change, but because you have the wrong system for change. You do not rise to the level of your goals. You fall to the level of your systems. Here, you'll get a proven system that can take you to new heights. Clear is known for his ability to distill complex topics into simple behaviors that can be easily app...

Meeting #10 May 15︱Atlas of the Heart

- March 06, 2022

Atlas of the Heart: Mapping Meaningful Connection and the Language of Human Experience Written by : Brene Brown Meeting date : Sunday May 15, 2022 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : In Atlas of the Heart, Brown takes us on a journey through eighty-seven of the emotions and experiences that define what it means to be human. As she maps the necessary skills and an actionable framework for meaningful connection, she gives us the language and tools to access a universe of new choices and second chances—a universe where we can share and steward the stories of our bravest and most heartbreaking moments with one another in a way that builds connection. Over the past two decades, Brown’s extensive research into the experiences that make us who we are has shaped the cultural conversation and helped define what it means to be courageous with our lives. Atlas of the Heart draws on this research, as well as on Brown’s singular skills as a storyteller, to show us how accurately naming an expe...

Meeting #9 March 6︱Drug Use for Grown-Ups

- January 17, 2022

Drug Use for Grown-Ups: Chasing Liberty in the Land of Fear Written by : Dr. Carl Hart Meeting date : Sunday March 6, 2022 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : Dr. Carl L. Hart, Ziff Professor at Columbia University and former chair of the Department of Psychology, is one of the world's preeminent experts on the effects of so-called recreational drugs on the human mind and body. Dr. Hart is open about the fact that he uses drugs himself, in a happy balance with the rest of his full and productive life as a researcher and professor, husband, father, and friend. In Drug Use for Grown-Ups, he draws on decades of research and his own personal experience to argue definitively that the criminalization and demonization of drug use--not drugs themselves--have been a tremendous scourge on America, not least in reinforcing this country's enduring structural racism. Dr. Hart did not always have this view. He came of age in one of Miami's most troubled neighborhoods at a time when ...

Meeting #8 January 16︱Fierce Self-Compassion

- November 08, 2021

Fierce Self-Compassion Written by : Dr. Kristin Neff Meeting date : Sunday January 16, 2022 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : Kristin Neff changed how we talk about self-care with her enormously popular first book, Self-Compassion. Now, ten years and many studies later, she expands her body of work to explore a brand-new take on self-compassion. Although kindness and self-acceptance allow us to be with ourselves as we are, in all our glorious imperfection, the desire to alleviate suffering at the heart of this mindset isn't always gentle, sometimes it's fierce. We must also act courageously in order to protect ourselves from harm and injustice, say no to others so we can meet our own needs, and motivate necessary change in ourselves and society. Gender roles demand that women be soft and nurturing, not angry or powerful. But like yin and yang, the energies of fierce and tender self-compassion must be balanced for wholeness and wellbeing. Drawing on a wealth of research, ...

Meeting #7 November 7︱Becoming Attached

- September 13, 2021

Becoming Attached: First Relationships and How They Shape Our Capacity to Love Written by : Dr. Robert Karen Meeting date : Sunday November 7, 2021 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : The struggle to understand the parent-child bond ranks as one of the great quests of modern psychology, one that touches us deeply because it holds so many clues to how we become who we are. How are our personalities formed? How do our early struggles with our parents reappear in the way we relate to others as adults? In Becoming Attached, Robert Karen offers fresh insight into some of the most fundamental issues of emotional life. He explores such questions as: What do children need to feel that the world is a positive place and that they have value? What are the risks of day care for children under one year of age, and what can parents do to manage those risks? What experiences in infancy will enable a person to develop healthy relationships as an adult? Becoming Attached is not just a voyage of di...

Meeting #6 September 12︱Seven Fallen Feathers

- July 12, 2021

Seven Fallen Feathers: Racism, Death, and Hard Truths in a Northern City Written by : Tanya Talaga Meeting date : Sunday September 12, 2021 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Accompanying podcast : Thunder Bay Book description : In 1966, twelve-year-old Chanie Wenjack froze to death on the railway tracks after running away from residential school. An inquest was called and four recommendations were made to prevent another tragedy. None of those recommendations were applied. More than a quarter of a century later, from 2000 to 2011, seven Indigenous high school students died in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The seven were hundreds of miles away from their families, forced to leave home and live in a foreign and unwelcoming city. Five were found dead in the rivers surrounding Lake Superior, below a sacred Indigenous site. Jordan Wabasse, a gentle boy and star hockey player, disappeared into the minus twenty degrees Celsius night. The body of celebrated artist Norval Morrisseau’s grandson, Kyle, was pull...

Meeting #5 July 11︱Come as You Are

- May 31, 2021

Come as You Are (Revised and Updated): The Surprising New Science That Will Transform Your Sex Life Written by : Dr. Emily Nagoski, PhD Meeting date : Sunday July 11, 2021 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : Researchers have spent the last decade trying to develop a “pink pill” for women to function like Viagra does for men. So where is it? Well, for reasons this book makes crystal clear, that pill will never be the answer—but as a result of the research that’s gone into it, scientists in the last few years have learned more about how women’s sexuality works than we ever thought possible, and Come as You Are explains it all. The first lesson in this essential, transformative book by Dr. Emily Nagoski is that every woman has her own unique sexuality, like a fingerprint, and that women vary more than men in our anatomy, our sexual response mechanisms, and the way our bodies respond to the sexual world. So we never need to judge ourselves based on others’ experiences. Because women v...

Meeting #4 May 30︱Building a Life Worth Living

- April 26, 2021

Building a Life Worth Living: A Memoir Written by : Marsha M. Linehan Meeting date : Sunday May 30, 2021 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : "Are you one of us?" a patient once asked Marsha Linehan, the world-renowned psychologist who developed Dialectical Behavior Therapy. "Because if you were, it would give all of us so much hope." Over the years, DBT had saved the lives of countless people fighting depression and suicidal thoughts, but Linehan had never revealed that her pioneering work was inspired by her own desperate struggles as a young woman. Only when she received this question did she finally decide to tell her story. In this remarkable and inspiring memoir, Linehan describes how, when she was eighteen years old, she began an abrupt downward spiral from popular teenager to suicidal young woman. After several miserable years in a psychiatric institute, Linehan made a vow that if she could get out of emotional hell, she would try to find a way to help o...

Meeting #3 April 25︱The Body is Not an Apology

- March 15, 2021

The Body is Not an Apology: The Power of Radical Self-Love Written by : Sonya Renee Taylor Meeting date : Sunday April 25, 2021 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies. The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity...

Meeting #2 March 14︱My Grandmother's Hands

- February 08, 2021

My Grandmother's Hands: Racialized Trauma and the Pathway to Mending Our Hearts and Bodies Written by : Resmaa Manakem, MSW Meeting date : Sunday March 14, 2021 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : The body is where our instincts reside and where we fight, flee, or freeze, and it endures the trauma inflicted by the ills that plague society. In this groundbreaking work, therapist Resmaa Menakem examines the damage caused by racism in America from the perspective of body-centered psychology. He argues this destruction will continue until Americans learn to heal the generational anguish of white supremacy, which is deeply embedded in all our bodies. Our collective agony doesn't just affect African Americans. White Americans suffer their own secondary trauma as well. So do blue Americans—our police. My Grandmother's Hands is a call to action for all of us to recognize that racism is not about the head, but about the body, and introduces an alternative view of what we can do...

Meeting #1 February 7︱Burnout

- December 29, 2020

Burnout: The Secret to Unlocking the Stress Cycle Written by : Drs. Emily and Amelia Nagoski Meeting date : Sunday February 7, 2021 from 2:00-4:00 pm EST Book description : Burnout. Many women in America have experienced it. What’s expected of women and what it’s really like to be a woman in today’s world are two very different things—and women exhaust themselves trying to close the gap between them. How can you “love your body” when every magazine cover has ten diet tips for becoming “your best self”? How do you “lean in” at work when you’re already operating at 110 percent and aren’t recognized for it? How can you live happily and healthily in a sexist world that is constantly telling you you’re too fat, too needy, too noisy, and too selfish? Sisters Emily Nagoski, PhD, and Amelia Nagoski, DMA, are here to help end the cycle of feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. Instead of asking us to ignore the very real obstacles and societal pressures that stand between women and well-being, they...

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