My 2017 Book List

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." - Marcus Tullius Cicero

Here's a list of books that I'll be reading this year. This is one of my main goals to accomplish in 2017. I'm definitely up for this! I'm totally ready to attract betterment!

January

Towelhead by Alicia Erian

It is August 1990. Saddam Husein has just invaded Kuwait, and Jasira’s mother has bought her daughter a one-way ticket to Texas to live with her strict Lebanese father. Living in a neat model home in Charming Gates, just outside of Houston, Jasira struggles with her father’s rigid lifestyle and the racism of her classmates, who call her “towelhead.” For the first time, the painful truth hits her: she’s an Arab. Her aching loneliness and growing frustration with her parents’ conflicting rules drive her to rebel in very dangerous ways. Most disturbingly, she becomes sexually obsessed with the bigoted army reservist next door, who alternately cares for, excites, and exploits her.

Alicia Eran’s work has appeared in Playboy, Zoetrope, Nerve, The Iowa Review, The New York Times Magazine, Penthouse, and other publications. She is the author of The Brutal Language of Love, a short story collection. This is her first novel.

February

Who Speaks for Islam? What A Billion Muslims Really Think by John L. Esposito & Dalia Mogahed

Are we on the verge of an all-out war between the West and 1.3 billion Muslims? When the media searches for an answer to that question, they usually overlook the actual views of the world’s Muslims.

Who Speaks for Islam? is about this silenced majority. This book is the product of the Gallup World Poll’s massive, multiyear research study. As part of this groundbreaking project, Gallup conducted tens of thousands of interviews with residents of more than 35 nations that are predominantly Muslim or have significant Muslim populations.

Gallup posed questions that are on the minds of millions: Is Islam to blame for terrorism? Why is there so much anti-Americanism in the Muslim world? Who are the extremists? Where are the moderates? What do Muslim women really want?

Grounded in Gallup World Poll data, not in contentions rhetoric, Who Speaks for Islam? brings data-driven evidence - the voices of a billion Muslims, not those of individual “experts” or “extremists” - to one of the most heated and consequential debates of our time.

March

Diversity and Pluralism in Islam: Historical and Contemporary Discourses amongst Muslims by Zulfikar Hirji

For more than fourteen hundred years Muslims have held multiple and diverging views about many aspects of their religious tradition including religious authority, ritual practice, political power, law and governance, civic life, and the form and content of individual and communal expressions. Muslims have regularly debated amongst themselves about these issues. Despite the diversity amongst Muslims and the plurality of understandings about Islam, Muslims are frequently portrayed as internally homogenous and monolithic. This book challenges such propositions by examining the ways in which Muslims debate amongst themselves about matters of common concern, the processes by which they discursively construct notions of self, other and community, and the socio-cultural tools they employ in so doing.

The contributions of J. W. Allan, John Bowen, Patrice Brodeur, Zulfikar Hirji, R. Kevin Jaques, Dominique-Sila khan, Roman Loimeier and Roy P. Mottahedeh examine the implicit and explicit discourses on difference amongst Muslims in Indonesia, Iran, India, the historical Middle East, Coastal East Africa, Senegal, France, the United Kingdom, and the United States of America. The studies in this volume approach the issues of Muslim plurality and pluralism from a wide range of disciplines including anthropology, history, literature, political theory, comparative religions and Islamic studies. This book will appeal to scholars and readers interested in exploring Muslim diversity, pluralism, and how human societies contend with plurality.

April

Procrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About It by Jane B. Burka, PhD & Lenora M. Yuen, PhD

Based on their workshops and counseling experience, psychologists Jane B. Burka and Lenora M. Yuen offer a probing, sensitive, and at times humorous look at a problem that affects everyone: students and scientists, secretaries and executives, homemakers and salespeople. Procrastination identifies the reasons we put off tasks—fears of failure, success, control, separation, and attachment—and their roots in our childhood and adult experiences. The authors offer a practical, tested program to overcome procrastination by achieving set goals, managing time, enlisting support, and handling stress. Burka and Yuen even provide tips on living and working with the procrastinators you may know.

Wise, effective, and easy to use, this new edition shows why for 25 years Procrastination has been an immediate must-have for anyone who puts things off until tomorrow.

May

Rewire Your Brain: Think Your Way to a Better Life by John B. Arden, PhD

How to rewire your brain to improve virtually every aspect of your life-based on the latest research in neuroscience and psychology on neuroplasticity and evidence-based practices.

Not long ago, it was thought that the brain you were born with was the brain you would die with, and that the brain cells you had at birth were the most you would ever possess. Your brain was thought to be “hardwired” to function in predetermined ways. It turns out that's not true. Your brain is not hardwired, it's "softwired" by experience. This book shows you how you can rewire parts of the brain to feel more positive about your life, remain calm during stressful times, and improve your social relationships. Written by a leader in the field of Brain-Based Therapy, it teaches you how to activate the parts of your brain that have been underactivated and calm down those areas that have been hyperactivated so that you feel positive about your life and remain calm during stressful times. You will also learn to improve your memory, boost your mood, have better relationships, and get a good night sleep.

1. Reveals how cutting-edge developments in neuroscience, and evidence-based practices can be used to improve your everyday life

2. Other titles by Dr. Arden include: Brain-Based Therapy-Adult, Brain-Based Therapy-Child,Improving Your Memory For Dummies and Heal Your Anxiety Workbook

3. Dr. Arden is a leader in integrating the new developments in neuroscience with psychotherapy and Director of Training in Mental Health for Kaiser Permanente for the Northern California Region

Explaining exciting new developments in neuroscience and their applications to daily living, Rewire Your Brain will guide you through the process of changing your brain so you can change your life and be free of self-imposed limitations.

June

The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business by Charles Duhigg

In The Power of Habit, Pulitzer Prize–winning business reporter Charles Duhigg takes us to the thrilling edge of scientific discoveries that explain why habits exist and how they can be changed. Distilling vast amounts of information into engrossing narratives that take us from the boardrooms of Procter & Gamble to sidelines of the NFL to the front lines of the civil rights movement, Duhigg presents a whole new understanding of human nature and its potential. At its core, The Power of Habit contains an exhilarating argument: The key to exercising regularly, losing weight, being more productive, and achieving success is understanding how habits work. As Duhigg shows, by harnessing this new science, we can transform our businesses, our communities, and our lives.

July

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

The tenth-anniversary edition of the book that changed lives in profound ways, now with a new foreword and afterword.

In 2006, a groundbreaking feature-length film revealed the great mystery of the universe—The Secret—and, later that year, Rhonda Byrne followed with a book that became a worldwide bestseller.

Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it.

In this book, you’ll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life—money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You’ll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that’s within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life.

The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers—men and women who have used it to achieve health, wealth, and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.

August

The 15 Invaluable Laws of Growth: Live Them and Reach Your Potential by John C. Maxwell

Are there tried and true principles that are always certain to help a person grow? John Maxwell says the answer is yes. He has been passionate about personal development for over fifty years, and for the first time, he teaches everything he has gleaned about what it takes to reach our potential. In the way that only he can communicate, John teaches . . .

1. The Law of the Mirror: You Must See Value in Yourself to Add Value to Yourself

2. The Law of Awareness: You Must Know Yourself to Grow Yourself

3. The Law of Modeling: It's Hard to Improve When You Have No One But Yourself to Follow

4. The Law of the Rubber Band: Growth Stops When You Lose the Tension Between Where You are and Where You Could Be

5. The Law of Contribution: Developing Yourself Enables You to Develop Others

This third book in John Maxwell's Laws series (following the 2-million seller The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership and The 17 Indisputable Laws of Teamwork) will help you become a lifelong learner whose potential keeps increasing and never gets "used up."

September

Developing Leader Within You by John C. Maxwell

Developing the Leader Within You is Dr. Maxwell’s first and most enduring leadership book, having sold more than one million copies. In this Christian Leaders Series edition of this Maxwell classic, you will discover the biblical foundation for leadership that John Maxwell has used as a pastor and business leader for more than forty years. These same principles and practices are available for everyday leaders in every walk of life. It is a lofty calling to lead a group―a family, a church, a nonprofit, a business―and the timeless principles in this book will bring positive change in your life and in the lives of those around you.

You will learn:

1. The True Definition of Leader. “Leadership is influence. That’s it. Nothing more; nothing less.”

2. The Traits of Leadership. “Leadership is not an exclusive club for those who were ‘born with it.’ The traits that are the raw materials of leadership can be acquired. Link them up with desire, and nothing can keep you from becoming a leader.”

3. The Difference Between Management and Leadership. “Making sure the work is done by others is the accomplishment of a manager. Inspiring others to do better work is the accomplishment of a leader.”

God has called every believer to influence others, to be salt and light. Developing the Leader Within You will equip you to improve your leadership and inspire others.

October

How to Win Friends & Influence People: The Only Book You Need to Learn You to Success by Dale Carnegie

For more than sixty years the rock-solid, time-tested advice in this book has carried thousands of now famous people up the ladder of success in their business and personal lives.

Now this previously revised and updated bestseller is available in trade paperback for the first time to help you achieve your maximum potential throughout the next century! Learn:

1. Three fundamental techniques in handling people

2. The six ways to make people like you

3. The twelve ways to win people to you way of thinking

4. The nine ways to change people without arousing resentment

November

How to Talk Anyone, Anytime, Anywhere: The Secrets of Good Communication by Larry King

America's best-known master of conversation unveils his secrets for getting the talk flowing smoothly in any situation. "Communication is a necessary skill: Larry King is a master of communication, and now he's shared what he knows. If only he'd written the book sooner, I might have had a more interesting career."--Dan Rather.

December

Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus: The Classic Guide to Understanding the Opposite Sex by John Gray

The most well-know, long-lived, and tried-and-tested relationships guide ever, the phenomenal #1 New York Times bestseller Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus is now available for the first time ever in trade paperback. In this classic guide to understanding the opposite sex, Dr. John Gray provides a practical and proven way for men and women to improve their communication by acknowledging the differences between their needs, desires, and behaviors. No other relationship guide on the market will give you the same level of evidence-based insight sure to help you strengthen and nurture your relationships for years to come.