Book Reviews

  • The Shock Doctrine

    The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism – Naomi Klein 1. Full Citation Klein, N. (2007) The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism. New York: Metropolitan Books. 2. Introduction The Shock Doctrine investigates how governments and corporations exploit crises—natural disasters, wars, and economic upheavals—to implement radical free-market policies.…

  • Basic Economics

    Basic Economics – Thomas Sowell 1. Full Citation Sowell, T. (2000, revised 2014) Basic Economics: A Common Sense Guide to the Economy. New York: Basic Books. 2. Introduction Basic Economics is a comprehensive, accessible introduction to economic principles and their real-world applications. Thomas Sowell distills complex economic concepts into clear,…

  • Human Action

    Human Action: A Treatise on Economics – Ludwig von Mises 1. Full Citation Mises, L. von (1949) Human Action: A Treatise on Economics. New Haven, CT: Yale University Press. 2. Introduction Human Action is the magnum opus of Ludwig von Mises, laying the foundation for the Austrian School of economics.…

  • Freakonomics

    Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything – Steven D. Levitt & Stephen J. Dubner 1. Full Citation Levitt, S.D. and Dubner, S.J. (2005) Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything. New York: William Morrow. 2. Introduction Freakonomics is a popular economics book that…

  • The Big Short

    The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine – Michael Lewis 1. Full Citation Lewis, M. (2010) The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 2. Introduction The Big Short offers a detailed, narrative-driven examination of the 2007–2008 financial crisis through the eyes of a few…

  • Naked Economics

    Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science – Charles Wheelan 1. Full Citation Wheelan, C. (2002, revised 2010) Naked Economics: Undressing the Dismal Science. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 2. Introduction Naked Economics provides a clear, engaging introduction to economics without technical jargon or equations. Charles Wheelan explains fundamental economic…

  • Good Economics for Hard Times

    Good Economics for Hard Times – Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo 1. Full Citation Banerjee, A.V. and Duflo, E. (2019) Good Economics for Hard Times. New York: PublicAffairs. 2. Introduction Good Economics for Hard Times addresses pressing global economic challenges such as inequality, immigration, climate change, and economic insecurity.…

  • The Undercover Economist

    The Undercover Economist – Tim Harford 1. Full Citation Harford, T. (2006) The Undercover Economist: Exposing Why the Rich Are Rich, the Poor Are Poor—and Why You Can Never Buy a Decent Used Car!. Oxford: Oxford University Press. 2. Introduction The Undercover Economist offers an accessible and engaging introduction to…

  • Thinking, Fast and Slow

    Thinking, Fast and Slow – Daniel Kahneman 1. Full Citation Kahneman, D. (2011) Thinking, Fast and Slow. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2. Introduction Thinking, Fast and Slow by Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman explores the dual-process theory of the human mind, distinguishing between fast, intuitive thinking (System 1) and…

  • The Price of Inequality

    The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future – Joseph E. Stiglitz 1. Full Citation Stiglitz, J.E. (2012) The Price of Inequality: How Today’s Divided Society Endangers Our Future. New York: W.W. Norton & Company. 2. Introduction The Price of Inequality critically examines the causes and consequences…

  • The Mystery of Capital

    The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else – Hernando de Soto 1. Full Citation De Soto, H. (2000) The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else. New York: Basic Books. 2. Introduction The Mystery of Capital explores…

  • Poor Economics

    Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty – Abhijit V. Banerjee & Esther Duflo 1. Full Citation Banerjee, A.V. and Duflo, E. (2011) Poor Economics: A Radical Rethinking of the Way to Fight Global Poverty. New York: PublicAffairs. 2. Introduction Poor Economics presents an evidence-based…

  • The Great Escape

    The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality – Angus Deaton 1. Full Citation Deaton, A. (2013) The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press. 2. Introduction The Great Escape examines the dramatic improvements in health and wealth achieved globally over…

  • The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

    The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People – Stephen R. Covey 1. Full Citation Covey, S.R. (1989) The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People: Powerful Lessons in Personal Change. New York: Free Press. 2. Introduction Stephen R. Covey’s The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People stands as a landmark in…

  • Atomic Habits – James Clear

    Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones – James Clear 1. Full Citation Clear, J. (2018) Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. New York: Avery. 2. Introduction James Clear’s Atomic Habits (2018) is…

  • The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment

    The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment – Eckhart Tolle 1. Full Citation Tolle, E. (1997) The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment. Vancouver: Namaste Publishing; later editions published by New World Library (1999). 2. Introduction Eckhart Tolle’s The Power of Now is a spiritual self-help…

  • How to Win Friends and Influence People

    How to Win Friends and Influence People – Dale Carnegie 1. Full Citation Carnegie, D. (1936) How to Win Friends and Influence People. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2. Introduction Dale Carnegie’s How to Win Friends and Influence People is one of the most enduring self-help books in history. First…

  • The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life

    The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life* – Mark Manson 1. Full Citation Manson, M. (2016) The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life*. New York: HarperOne. 2. Introduction Mark Manson’s The Subtle…

  • A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom

    The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom – Don Miguel Ruiz 1. Full Citation Ruiz, D.M. (1997) The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom. San Rafael, CA: Amber-Allen Publishing. 2. Introduction The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz is a compact and widely influential work in…

  • Man’s Search for Meaning

    Man’s Search for Meaning – Viktor E. Frankl 1. Full Citation Frankl, V.E. (1946) Man’s Search for Meaning. Boston: Beacon Press. [English edition: 1959] 2. Introduction Viktor E. Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning is one of the most profound and influential psychological texts of the 20th century. Written shortly after…

  • The Magic of Thinking Big

    The Magic of Thinking Big – David J. Schwartz 1. Full Citation Schwartz, D.J. (1959) The Magic of Thinking Big. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2. Introduction David J. Schwartz’s The Magic of Thinking Big is a motivational classic that has empowered millions since its first publication in 1959. Drawing…

  • Daring Greatly

    Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead – Brené Brown 1. Full Citation Brown, B. (2012) Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead. New York: Gotham Books. 2. Introduction Brené…

  • The Alchemist

    The Alchemist – Paulo Coelho 1. Full Citation Coelho, P. (1988) The Alchemist. Translated from Portuguese by Alan R. Clarke. San Francisco: HarperOne, 1993. 2. Introduction Paulo Coelho’s The Alchemist is a philosophical fable that has become a global phenomenon since its original publication in Portuguese in 1988. Marketed as…

  • Rich Dad, Poor Dad

    Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money—That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not! – Robert T. Kiyosaki 1. Full Citation Kiyosaki, R.T. (1997) Rich Dad, Poor Dad: What the Rich Teach Their Kids About Money—That the Poor and Middle Class Do Not!. New York:…

  • 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos

    12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos – Jordan B. Peterson 1. Full Citation Peterson, J.B. (2018) 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos. Toronto: Random House Canada. 2. Introduction 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson offers a philosophical, psychological, and cultural…

  • The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living

    The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living – Ryan Holiday (with Stephen Hanselman) 1. Full Citation Holiday, R. and Hanselman, S. (2016) The Daily Stoic: 366 Meditations on Wisdom, Perseverance, and the Art of Living. New York: Portfolio. 2. Introduction The Daily Stoic offers…

  • The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life, and Achieve Real Happiness

    The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life, and Achieve Real Happiness – Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga 1. Full Citation Kishimi, I. and Koga, F. (2013) The Courage to Be Disliked: How to Free Yourself, Change Your Life, and Achieve Real Happiness. Translated from Japanese…

  • You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life

    You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life – Jen Sincero 1. Full Citation Sincero, J. (2013) You Are a Badass: How to Stop Doubting Your Greatness and Start Living an Awesome Life. Philadelphia: Running Press. 2. Introduction Jen Sincero’s You Are…

  • Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear

    Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear – Elizabeth Gilbert 1. Full Citation Gilbert, E. (2015) Big Magic: Creative Living Beyond Fear. New York: Riverhead Books. 2. Introduction Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert is a vibrant, motivational exploration of the creative process. Published in 2015, the book encourages readers to embrace…

  • Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking

    Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking – Susan Cain 1. Full Citation Cain, S. (2012) Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking. New York: Crown Publishing Group. 2. Introduction Susan Cain’s Quiet challenges dominant social narratives that elevate extroversion…

  • How to Stop Worrying and Start Living

    How to Stop Worrying and Start Living – Dale Carnegie 1. Full Citation Carnegie, D. (1948) How to Stop Worrying and Start Living. New York: Simon & Schuster. 2. Introduction Dale Carnegie’s How to Stop Worrying and Start Living is a landmark in the self-help genre, addressing emotional well-being decades…

  • The 48 Laws of Power

    The 48 Laws of Power – Robert Greene 1. Full Citation Greene, R. (1998) The 48 Laws of Power. New York: Viking Press. 2. Introduction Robert Greene’s The 48 Laws of Power is a controversial yet widely influential guide to understanding power dynamics, strategy, and manipulation in human interactions. Drawing…

  • Think and Grow Rich

    Think and Grow Rich – Napoleon Hill 1. Full Citation Hill, N. (1937) Think and Grow Rich. Meriden, CT: The Ralston Society. 2. Introduction Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill is widely regarded as one of the foundational texts of the modern self-help and personal finance genre. Written during…

  • The Happiest Baby on the Block

    The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer – Harvey Karp 1. Full Citation Karp, H. (2002) The Happiest Baby on the Block: The New Way to Calm Crying and Help Your Baby Sleep Longer. New York: Bantam Books. 2.…

  • The Whole-Brain Child

    The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind – Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson 1. Full Citation Siegel, D.J. & Bryson, T.P. (2011) The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind. New York: Delacorte Press. 2. Introduction The Whole-Brain Child…

  • How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk

    How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk – Adele Faber & Elaine Mazlish 1. Full Citation Faber, A. & Mazlish, E. (1980) How to Talk So Kids Will Listen & Listen So Kids Will Talk. New York: Avon Books. 2. Introduction Widely regarded as…

  • Raising Boys

    Raising Boys: Why Boys Are Different – and How to Help Them Become Happy and Well-Balanced Men – Steve Biddulph 1. Full Citation Biddulph, S. (1997) Raising Boys: Why Boys Are Different – and How to Help Them Become Happy and Well-Balanced Men. Sydney: Finch Publishing. 2. Introduction In Raising…

  • The Foster Parenting Toolbox

    The Foster Parenting Toolbox – Kim Phagan-Hansel (Editor) 1. Full Citation Phagan-Hansel, K. (Ed.) (2012) The Foster Parenting Toolbox. Coon Rapids, MN: EMK Press. 2. Introduction The Foster Parenting Toolbox is a comprehensive anthology that equips current and prospective foster carers with practical insights, real-life experiences, and trauma-informed strategies. Compiled…

  • The Simple Guide to Child Trauma

    The Simple Guide to Child Trauma: What It Is and How to Help – Betsy de Thierry 1. Full Citation de Thierry, B. (2016) The Simple Guide to Child Trauma: What It Is and How to Help. London: Jessica Kingsley Publishers. 2. Introduction The Simple Guide to Child Trauma is…

  • Parenting from the Inside Out

    Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive – Daniel J. Siegel & Mary Hartzell 1. Full Citation Siegel, D.J. & Hartzell, M. (2003) Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive. New York:…

  • The Science of Parenting

    The Science of Parenting: How Today’s Brain Research Can Help You Raise Happy, Emotionally Balanced Children – Margot Sunderland 1. Full Citation Sunderland, M. (2006) The Science of Parenting: How Today’s Brain Research Can Help You Raise Happy, Emotionally Balanced Children. London: Dorling Kindersley. 2. Introduction The Science of Parenting…

  • No-Drama Discipline

    No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind – Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson 1. Full Citation Siegel, D.J. & Bryson, T.P. (2014) No-Drama Discipline: The Whole-Brain Way to Calm the Chaos and Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind. New York: Bantam…

  • The Baby Book

    The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two – William Sears & Martha Sears 1. Full Citation Sears, W. & Sears, M. (2003) The Baby Book: Everything You Need to Know About Your Baby from Birth to Age Two. Revised edn. New…

  • The Montessori Toddler

    The Montessori Toddler: A Parent’s Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being – Simone Davies 1. Full Citation Davies, S. (2019) The Montessori Toddler: A Parent’s Guide to Raising a Curious and Responsible Human Being. Seattle: Workman Publishing. 2. Introduction The Montessori Toddler introduces parents to a modern,…

  • The Danish Way of Parenting

    The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising Confident, Capable Kids – Jessica Joelle Alexander & Iben Dissing Sandahl 1. Full Citation Alexander, J.J. & Sandahl, I.D. (2016) The Danish Way of Parenting: What the Happiest People in the World Know About Raising…

  • Elevating Child Care

    Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting – Janet Lansbury 1. Full Citation Lansbury, J. (2014) Elevating Child Care: A Guide to Respectful Parenting. Los Angeles: JLML Press. 2. Introduction Elevating Child Care presents a calm, grounded approach to parenting infants and toddlers based on the respectful parenting principles…

  • The Conscious Parent

    The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children – Dr Shefali Tsabary 1. Full Citation Tsabary, S. (2010) The Conscious Parent: Transforming Ourselves, Empowering Our Children. Vancouver: Namaste Publishing. 2. Introduction The Conscious Parent challenges traditional models of parenting by shifting the focus from controlling the child to transforming the…

  • The Gentle Parenting Book

    The Gentle Parenting Book: How to Raise Calmer, Happier Children from Birth to Seven – Sarah Ockwell-Smith 1. Full Citation Ockwell-Smith, S. (2016) The Gentle Parenting Book: How to Raise Calmer, Happier Children from Birth to Seven. London: Piatkus. 2. Introduction The Gentle Parenting Book lays out a respectful, evidence-based…

  • Simplicity Parenting

    Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids – Kim John Payne & Lisa M. Ross 1. Full Citation Payne, K.J. & Ross, L.M. (2009) Simplicity Parenting: Using the Extraordinary Power of Less to Raise Calmer, Happier, and More Secure Kids. New…

  • The 5 Love Languages of Children

    The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively – Gary Chapman & Ross Campbell 1. Full Citation Chapman, G. & Campbell, R. (1997) The 5 Love Languages of Children: The Secret to Loving Children Effectively. Chicago: Northfield Publishing. 2. Introduction The 5 Love Languages of Children…

  • The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read

    The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did) – Philippa Perry 1. Full Citation Perry, P. (2019) The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read (and Your Children Will Be Glad That You Did). London: Penguin Life. 2. Introduction In The…

  • Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids

    Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting – Dr Laura Markham 1. Full Citation Markham, L. (2012) Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids: How to Stop Yelling and Start Connecting. New York: TarcherPerigee. 2. Introduction In Peaceful Parent, Happy Kids, Dr Laura Markham offers a compassionate, neuroscience-informed approach…

  • Brain Rules for Baby

    Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five – John Medina 1. Full Citation Medina, J. (2010) Brain Rules for Baby: How to Raise a Smart and Happy Child from Zero to Five. Seattle: Pear Press. 2. Introduction In Brain Rules for…