Cary Neeper's Blog: Reviewing World-changing Nonfiction - Posts Tagged "must-read"

: by James R. Doty MD, New York, Random House, 2016.

In her cover blurb for this book, Arianna Huffington, author of Thrive, provides us readers with a crystal clear summary: "Part memoir, part scientific exploration [this book shows] that we all have within us...a place of calm and beauty we can return to whenever we need it."

Jim Doty's early life was horrendous, as was his later success, then loss, then his self-chastisement and recovery from failure. His formula for survival and lasting peace—is presented to us in "Ruths' Tricks. The tricks require repeated 20-minute moments of calming relaxation and meditation, emptying the mind, then focusing on unconditional love given and received. Finally, "envisioning accomplishment" of goals clarifies intent in one's life.

To guide that intent, Doty recommends practicing the "Alphabet For the Heart: CDEFGHIJKL—Compassion, Dignity, Equanimity, Forgiveness, Gratitude, Humility, Integrity, Justice, Kindness, and Love. All these are to be "given freely" to achieve a goal like Huffington's "calm and beauty." The humaneness prescribed in this soul-sharing memoir is powerful medicine for these troubled times.