Giving people the courage to speak and the wisdom to write is the lifelong passion of bestselling author Christina Baldwin. In her award-winning book Storycatcher: Making Sense of Our Lives through the Power and Practice of Story, she reminds us of the important role story has played in the human experience throughout history. She believes revitalizing the practice of story in our families, workplaces, and communities is especially important in modern times because it has the power to shape culture and forecast what will become of our world. We hope you’ll enjoy this excerpt from the book. 

Philosopher, author, and lecturer Alan Watts (1915–1973) popularized Zen Buddhism and other Eastern philosophies for the counterculture of the 1960s. Today, new generations are finding his writings and lectures online, while faithful followers worldwide continue to be enlightened by his teachings. Now available in paperback, The Collected Letters of Alan Watts reveals the remarkable arc of Watts’s colorful and controversial life. 

His engaging letters cover a vast range of subject matter, with recipients ranging from High Church clergy to high priests of psychedelics, government officials, publishers, critics, family, and fans. Watts’s letters were curated by two of his daughters, Joan Watts and Anne Watts, who have added rich, behind-the-scenes biographical commentary that is included throughout the book. We hope you’ll enjoy this interview with Joan and Anne, as they discuss the creation of this important collection of letters.

A successful entrepreneur living in Southern California, Scott Rieckens had built a “dream life”: a happy marriage, a two-year-old daughter, a membership to a boat club, and a BMW in the driveway. But underneath the surface, Scott was creatively stifled, depressed, and overworked trying to help pay for his family’s beach-town lifestyle. Then one day, Scott listened to a podcast interview that changed everything. Five months later, he had quit his job, convinced his family to leave their home, and cut their expenses in half. In his new book, Playing with FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early): How Far Would You Go for Financial Freedom?, Scott brings readers along as he and his family devote everything to FIRE, a subculture obsessed with maximizing wealth and happiness. Filled with inspiring case studies and powerful advice, Playing with FIRE is one family’s journey to acquire the one thing that money can’t buy: a simpler — and happier — life. We hope you’ll be inspired by this excerpt from the book. 

So, you put your resolve to divorce in a box (yet again) and slogged through another difficult holiday season, the voice in your head saying, “Where do I even start?” It’s a new year. How about a fresh start all the way around? 

Let’s unbox your resolve and pair it with some direction from The Divorce Hacker’s Guide to Untying the Knot: What Every Woman Needs to Know about Finances, Child Custody, Lawyers, and Planning Ahead. Here family law attorney Ann Grant presents the practical information every woman needs to protect herself as she navigates through a divorce. Readers learn how to take back their power and rights concerning finances, home, children, and work life. With compassion, insight, and tough-minded realism, Grant breaks down the divorce process and provides step-by-step assessments and checklists, as well as inspiring stories of successful lives post-divorce. 

Eckhart Tolle’s profound yet simple teachings have helped countless people throughout the world find inner peace and greater fulfillment in their lives. 

At the core of the teachings lies the transformation of consciousness, a spiritual awakening that he sees as the next step in human evolution. 

We hope you’ll enjoy this excerpt from his New York Times bestseller The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment.