Even though the holidays were great…there is nothing like spending a little concentrated time with family plus an analysis of the year past to send a normally sane person running and screaming for a little help.  Believe me, we at East Side Books understand, and that is why we have a plentiful Self-Help section that will assist in sorting out any type of problem or issue that may pop up in your otherwise normal life.

If the holidays caused a little stress and strain on your relationship, check out some of the titles in our Relationship section to help get you and your partner back on track.  Harville Hendrix was a marriage counselor who ended up getting a divorce.  He used this experience to explore what makes a marriage work and ended up penning the classic relationship self-help book Getting the Love You Want. John Gray followed after Hendrix with his bestselling Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus.  Gray’s book outlines the common conflicts in relationships, and how men and women differ in expression of their needs.  To go a step further, pick up sociolinguist Deborah Tannen’s book You Just Don’t Understand that focuses on how differently men and women communicate and common misunderstandings because of those differences.  If you are looking for a more spiritual slant, read Soul Mates by therapist Thomas Moore.  He is also author of the well-loved book Care of the Soul.

You can find lots of helpful titles in our General Self-Help section.  A good way to start the new year is to got on a joy diet with Martha Beck, popular life coach.  Her book The Joy Diet outlines ten steps for a happier life.  Byron Katie has gained a lot of popularity in the last couple years with her book Loving What Is.  Her book is based on a four question exercise that challenges your fundamental, and often false, beliefs about yourself.  Life Strategies by Phillip McGraw revolves around his ten “life laws”.  McGraw’s no-nonsense, in-your-face approach is amazingly popular, and he is best at identifying self-defeating behaviors.  If you want a self-help book you can sink your teeth into and slowly incorporate into your life over several months, pick up one of Stephen Covey’s 7 Habits of Highly Effective People.  Popular in the business world, Covey emphasizes the importance of balance of personal and professional effectiveness.  Iyanla VanZant writes that  hardship can teach us to grow, heal, and learn to love better in her self-help memoir entitled Yesterday I Cried. Her plain spoken wisdom will appeal to many readers.  If you are more interested in a New Age slant check out books by Dan Millman and Deepak Chopra.  Millman is the author of the popular Way of the Peaceful Warrior.  This creative nonfictional account is the story of Millman’s journey of self-discovery.  He is also penned Everyday Enlightenment, No Ordinary Moments, and The Life You Were Born to Live among other titles. Deepak Chopra writes prolifically about quantum physics and how the mind, body, and spiritual connection can create infinite possibilities.  Some of his most popular books are Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Quantum Healing, Perfect Health, and The Seven Laws of Spiritual Success.

If you are feeling a little low after the holidays or know someone that is, look to our section with titles dealing with depression.  Potatoes Not Prozac by Kathleen Desmaison is a popular do-it-yourself, seven-step dietary plan that can help you get back on track without the use of drugs.  Brooke Shields wrote an honest and controversial memoir about her experience with postpartum depression called Down Came the Rain. Shields was lauded for bringing awareness to this very real issue that effects a number of new mothers.

Our Death/Grief section has several books by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, the most-respected authority on the subject of death and dying.  Her book On Death and Dying famously outlines the five stages of grief as denial and isolation, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.  John West wrote a very controversial book called The Last Goodnights that tells his experience assisting his parents’ suicides.  We also have sections on Abuse and Recovery/Addiction.

Everyone needs a helping hand now and then.  Come on down to East Side Books and find the help you need in our Self-Help section.  If you need assistance finding a title, be sure to ask one of our staff.