140. 10 Books for a Happier 2025
My annual roundup of words to ponder.
Early this year, sometime around when I blew out my knee and all my plans evaporated in an instant, I adopted the mantra “Survive ‘Till 2025.”
At the time, I assumed my recovery would be straightforward and that nine months post-surgery — right around 2025 — I’d be well on my way to full function and able to get back to all those Very Important Plans.
Instead, there was a complication which, as of the last day of 2024, does not currently have a solution. Meanwhile, my personal life managed to get put through the metaphorical wood chipper. Once steady friends were spit out into splinters and left to be swept away. A new and wildly important soul arrived in my life, one who injected me with a deep sense of purpose and connection while also forcing me to face decades-old gunk I was perfectly happy ignoring. I learned the power and reward of mentorship, through which, I realized that the next act of my life needs to be about serving others rather than checking off tasks on my own bucket list.
All of this occurred while I was sitting alone on my couch, with my leg elevated. To manage the drama that came up despite rarely leaving the house, I did what I always do and turned to books for guidance. I take comfort in the fact that no matter the problem, someone has already been through it and written a book about it.
And thank god for that. I need all the help I can get. We all do.
Here are 10 books that helped me Survive ‘Till 2025.
The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines by Mark Horowitz and David Taylor
Though my own withdrawal is long over, countless others are in it or about to get in it, making the Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines one of my most valuable and referenced books of 2024. Withdrawal and tapering are never one size fits all, but the guidelines and theory behind Maudsley are an invaluable starting point for parents, patients, and providers.
Consolations by David Whyte
I don’t say this lightly: Consolations is the most beautiful and poignant book I’ve ever read and has become my goto housewarming and thankyou gift. The description, from Amazon:
“Beginning with 'Alone' and closing with 'Withdrawal', each piece in this life-affirming book is a meditation on meaning and context, an invitation to shift and broaden our perspectives on life: pain and joy, honesty and anger, confession and vulnerability, the experience of feeling overwhelmed and the desire to run away from it all. Through this lens, procrastination may be a necessary ripening; hiding an act of freedom; and shyness something that accompanies the first stage of revelation.”
The Source Field Investigations by David Wilcock
The Source Field Investigations is a book I sat on for years, one that needed me to be ready before I read it. A monster of a book boasting a bibliography that takes up 20% of its pages, The Source Field Investigations explores hidden science regarding DNA transformation, wormholes, ancient conspiracies, time travel, sacred geometry, and a host of other phenomena with no clear explanation. It’s a book I viewed with skepticism and while I’m still not a full convert, it opened my mind to new possibilities which leads me to…
The Divine Matrix by Gregg Braden
After reading The Source Field Investigations—and being left thoroughly confused and curious—I turned to another book gathering dust on my shelf, The Divine Matrix, which explores quantum physics and its connection to consciousness. Though the title invokes woo-woo vibes, the book is grounded in the bizarre but very real science of quantum mechanics and completely changed the way I see the world.
Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert
If you or anyone else in your life is struggling to start a big project or get unstuck, run to this book. It is filled with practical nuggets that encourage action, all delivered in Elizabeth Gilbert’s signature no-bullshit yet you-can-do-it aura. Bottom line? Nothing worth creating is all that serious, so go out and live your wild, magic life.
Good Energy by Casey Means
In 2024, Good Energy exploded in the world of health, nutrition, and health policy, and given the incoming administration, expect to hear more from sibling duo Casey and Calley Means. Good Energy is arguably the most comprehensive work on why the American food system is so detrimental to our health and provides actionable solutions, recipes, and grocery guidance for average American families.
Attached by Amir Levine and Rachel S.F. Heller
No one wants to read Attached because it’s the sort of book you only read when there’s an issue. But, if you’re struggling in the world of romantic relationships, the book explains a whole hell of a lot. Just be prepared to accept that yes, sometimes the problem is you.
Supercommunicators by Charles Duhigg
One of the trickier side effects I experienced because of being medicated as a kid is a reduced ability (by my definition, at least) to connect and communicate with other people. For a long time, I thought this was my wiring or general disinterest, but after talking with others who were medicated at a young age, they expressed similar feelings and said there was a distinct change after being medicated.
Regardless of the origins of this disconnection, I’ve found that consciously practicing connection through communication strategies makes a huge difference. Supercommunicators breaks down the components of conversation itself, helping readers understand why so many conversations go awry and how to get them back on track.
Bad Therapy by Abigail Shrier
Bad Therapy is the story of what happened to me. A mental health “expert” suggested I be medicated, so I was medicated, and that choice changed the course of my life.
“Among [Abigail Shriers’s] unsettling findings:
Talk therapy can induce rumination, trapping children in cycles of anxiety and depression
Social Emotional Learning handicaps our most vulnerable children, in both public schools and private
“Gentle parenting” can encourage emotional turbulence – even violence – in children as they lash out, desperate for an adult in charge
Mental health care can be lifesaving when properly applied to children with severe needs, but for the typical child, the cure can be worse than the disease. Bad Therapy is a must-read for anyone questioning why our efforts to bolster America’s kids have backfired—and what it will take for parents to lead a turnaround.”
Devotions by Mary Oliver
The older I get, the more the simplicity of poetry speaks to me, and Mary Oliver does it with such straightforward grace, it’s like a hug in a time of need. Devotions is an assortment of her entire body of work, ensuring exactly the right poem exists for all stages of life.
I like to read a few before bed, ensuring that I go to sleep with thoughts of calm, peace, and the very nature of being human.
Happy 2025, everyone!