Mind Rain

Set in a future where cosmetic surgery is a requirement at age 16 and attractiveness is mandated, Scott Westerfeld’s popular Uglies series has received critical acclaim from the press and public alike. Chock-full of action, adventure and teenage rebellion, there’s no question why Uglies has attracted thousands of fans. In Mind-Rain, popular authors examine the series and delve into the underlying themes. What sort of critiques are Uglies, Pretties, Specials and Extras making about the real world? Is there more behind Tally, David and Shay? Mind-Rain is a collection of smart, analytical and completely unauthorized eessays on Scott Westerfeld’s wildly popular Uglies series. Westerfeld’s written introduction gives readers insight from the person who knows the series best!

Experience the riveting, dystopian Uglies series seen as never before—through the eyes of Shay, Tally Youngblood’s closest and bravest friend, who refuses to take anything about society at face value. “From the moment we are born, we are considered threats in need of ‘special’ management. We are watched and shaped and exploited by a force most of us never see. . . . All to keep us safe. . . . Do you feel safe?! Or do you feel like you’re in a cage?”—Shay In Pretties, Tally Youngblood and her daring best friend, Shay, both underwent the operation that turned them from ordinary Uglies into stunning beauties. Now this thrilling new graphic novel reveals Shay’s perspective on living in New Pretty Town . . . and the way she sees it, there’s more to this so-called paradise than meets the eye. With the endless parties and custom-made clothes, life as a Pretty should be perfect. Yet Shay doesn’t feel quite right. She has little to no memory of her past; it’s as if something in her brain has inexplicably changed. When she reunites with Tally and the Crims—her rebellious group of friends from Uglyville—she begins to recall their last departure to the wild, and the headstrong leader she used to be. And as she remembers the truth about what doomed their escape, Shay decides to fight back—against the status quo, against the mysterious Special Circumstances, even against her own best friend.

Do you long to drive a Ferrari at top speed on the open road, but find yourself always stuck on the freeway during rush hour? Do you wonder how you can feel like "not enough" and "too much" at the same time? Like the rain forest, are you sometimes intense, multilayered, colorful, creative, overwhelming, highly sensitive, complex, and/or idealistic? And, like the rain forest, have you met too many chainsaws?Enter Paula Prober, M.S., M.Ed., who understands the diversity and complexity of minds like yours. In "Your Rainforest Mind: A Guide to the Well-Being of Gifted Youths and Adults," Paula explores the challenges faced by gifted adults of all ages. Through case studies and extensive research, Paula will help you tap into your inner creativity, find peace, and discover the limitless potential that comes with your Rainforest Mind.

One of the most beloved and trusted mindfulness teachers in America offers a lifeline for difficult times: the RAIN meditation, which awakens our courage and heart Tara Brach is an in-the-trenches teacher whose work counters today's ever-increasing onslaught of news, conflict, demands, and anxieties--stresses that leave us rushing around on auto-pilot and cut off from the presence and creativity that give our lives meaning. In this heartfelt and deeply practical book, she offers an antidote: an easy-to-learn four-step meditation that quickly loosens the grip of difficult emotions and limiting beliefs. Each step in the meditation practice (Recognize, Allow, Investigate, Nurture) is brought to life by memorable stories shared by Tara and her students as they deal with feelings of overwhelm, loss, and self-aversion, with painful relationships, and past trauma--and as they discover step-by-step the sources of love, forgiveness, compassion, and deep wisdom alive within all of us.

Longlisted for the PEN America/E.O. Wilson Prize for Literary Science Writing "Well worth the read. . . . [A] prescient handoff to the next generation of scholars." —The Washington Post From "one of the world’s foremost thinkers" (Bill Moyers), a profound, hopeful, and timely call for an emerging new collective consciousness to combat climate change Over his long career as witness to an extreme twentieth century, National Book Award-winning psychiatrist, historian, and public intellectual Robert Jay Lifton has grappled with the profound effects of nuclear war, terrorism, and genocide. Now he shifts to climate change, which, Lifton writes, "presents us with what may be the most demanding and unique psychological task ever required of humankind," what he describes as the task of mobilizing our imaginative resources toward climate sanity. Thanks to the power of corporate-funded climate denialists and the fact that "with its slower, incremental sequence, [climate change] lends itself less to the apocalyptic drama," a large swathe of humanity has numbed themselves to the reality of climate change. Yet Lifton draws a message of hope from the Paris climate meeting of 2015 where representatives of virtually all nations joined in the recognition that we are a single species in deep trouble. Here, Lifton suggests in this lucid and moving book that recalls Rachel Carson and Jonathan Schell, was evidence of how we might call upon the human mind—"our greatest evolutionary asset"—to translate a growing species awareness—or "climate swerve"—into action to sustain our habitat and civilization.

Getting lost and feeling found... "I only went out for a walk and finally concluded to stay out till sundown, for going out, I found, was really going in." John Muir, John of the Mountains Walking is medicine for the mind. It helps us slow down and think things through. It also helps us perk up and generate new ideas. There are few activities as readily available and revitalising as a brisk walk, or as soothing and stimulating as a long walk. Discover the wonderful things that can happen when you set out on two feet. Studies show a strong link between the mental state while walking and innovative ideas or strokes of insight. From Aristotle's strolls with his students to Steve Jobs's famous walking meetings, walking not only inspires creativity but also attention, presence and perspective. Taking your mind for a walk nourishes connection with yourself, it allows exploration of the self and the world around us and invigorates all of our senses. Walk to welcome the day "An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day." - Henry David Thoreau Walk to get some perspective "I'd walk and think about my entire life. I'd find my strength again, far from everything that had made my life ridiculous." - Cheryl Strayed Walk to become more present "Suddenly I came out of my thoughts to notice everything around me again-the catkins on the willows, the lapping of the water, the leafy patterns of the shadows across the path." - Rebecca Solnit

In the aftermath of a hurricane from which she barely escapes while on a small island off the coast of South Carolina, travel writer Lea Sutter impulsively adopts a pair of orphaned twin boys against the wishes of her family before encountering the twins' sinister natures.

Pluviophile: a lover of rain; someone who finds joy and peace of mind during rainy days. Do you love rainy days? Do rainy days fill you with a sense of happiness and contentement? if so, then this adorable notebook was made for you. With the cutest and happiest rain cloud on the cover; this notebook measures 6x9 inches and has 100 crisp, white, lined sheets of paper. The soft cover has a glossy finish. This notebook would be perfect for a journal, daily affirmations, notes, reminders, poetry, creative writing or whatever else you need a lined notebook for. It would also make an incredible gift for the pluviophile in your life.