Great books remind me of Good Will Hunting, specifically the scene where Robin Williams asks “what are the right f-ing books?” Like Matt Damon, I look for books that “blow your hair back.” These five books blew my hair back in 2017.

Disclaimer: If you click on a link and purchase a book from Amazon, a few pennies will be sent my way. Thank you!

The Dorito Effect

By Mark Schatzker

Have you ever stood in front of the chip aisle wondering, how the hell did we end up with an English Roast Beef & Yorkshire Pudding chip?! This book has your answer. Full of humor and wit, The Dorito Effect guides readers through the history of modern food and how we ended up with a world full of flavor concoctions.

 

Eating on the Wild Side

By Jo Robinson

Did you know that if you cook potatoes and chill them for 24 hours, it lowers their glycemic load and makes them healthier? This book is chock-full of tips on what produce to buy, how to prepare it, how to store it, and, for gardeners, how to grow it. You don’t need to read the entire book — the layout makes it easy to find the info you need about your favorite foods.

 

Man’s Search for Meaning

By Viktor E. Frankl

This book inspires us to find meaning in life, no matter how horrible the situation. The author found meaning in one of the darkest places on Earth: Nazi death camps. As Frankl describes, “One could make a victory of those experiences, turning life into an inner triumph, or one could ignore the challenges and simply vegetate, as did a majority of prisoners.”

 

How Yoga Works

By Geshe Michael Roach

My friend Anitra gave me this book back in 2012 before I left to teach yoga in Indonesia. It opened my heart as I read it in Indonesia and again as I read it last year. This touching story unveils the secrets of yoga through the relationship between a teacher and a student. You don’t need to practice yoga to enjoy this book — this book could just as well be titled “How Life Works.” If you’re interested in learning more about yoga or life, this story will inspire you.

 

Positive Intelligence

By Shirzad Chamine

We have between 12,000-70,000 thoughts every day. For some of us, the majority of those thoughts are negative, like “I should have done X.” Positive Intelligence teaches you how to identify and change your thought patterns. Some people assume that I’m a naturally positive person, but to build that positivity, I put my mind through the daily workouts described in this book. I keep recommending this book because it does for your mind what exercise does for your body.

Pick one of Right to Shine’s “Right F-ing Books” and see where 2018 takes you.