Need a Dose of Positivity? Look No Further Than These Books from the Library. by Franco Vitella It might be hard to stay positive with, you know…everything. But hope and optimism are what drives the human spirit. It’s what will get us out of this pandemic (along with wearing your mask and vaccinations) and when things look bleak, turn to a book to pick you up. Factfulness: Ten Reasons We’re Wrong About the World - And Why Things Are Better Than You Think by Hans Rosling Things aren’t as bad as they seem! That’s not just a bit of optimism, but an objective truth when you look at the facts. In this book, Professor of International Health Hans Rosling examines how so often we tend to get things wrong when the facts state otherwise. After reading Factfulness, you’ll begin to realize that for the most part, you don’t really know anything, and that much of what you assume is based biases…and realizing that is a positive thing. Nothing is Wrong and Here is Why: Essays by Alexandra Petri Washington Post satirist Alexandra Petri delivers this collection of essays that tries to explain American politics. If you feel like you’ve been living in a play right out of Theatre of the Absurd or are confounded by the surreal nature of everything we’ve experienced this past year (and are OK laughing about it), this is the book for you. Because hey, despite all our troubles, underneath is a silver lining of truth, humor, and good vibes. Everyday Ubuntu: Living Better Together, the African Way by Mungi Ngomane The Danes have hygge. Norway has koeslig. Sweden has lagom. Japan has wa. Those concepts of coziness, balance, and order all have their place, but for something more all-encompassing, look no further than Ubuntu, a Xhosa word with origins in South African philosophy that ties all of us together. Ubuntu is the idea that we are all connected through our collective humanity, and we don’t need to live with division and discord. Can’t Even: How Millennials Became the Burnout Generation by Anne Helen Petersen While it’s not a positive thing to dig into generational trenches, Petersen makes a strong argument Page 7 how the one thing millennials have in common is burnout. Millenials are a generation saddled by debt, driven to maintain a social media presence, and confronted by endless tasks and to-do lists. Among the negativity though, is hope for a better way of living. The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are by Alan Watts Watts, who was best known for introducing scores of Westerners to Eastern philosophies, presents a distillation of different ideas that arrives at a simple conclusion: we view ourselves as isolated, when we are instead part of everything. As much as a manual for how to be a person if anything else, The Book is offers a way to rethink your outlook on life and reframe it in a positive light. WE’RE OPEN – IN-PERSON, GRAB & GO, ONLINE All Library locations are open for computer and WiFi access as well as browsing. If you’ve been enjoying Grab & Go Pick Up, Book Bundles, Zoom reference appointments and other new services, don’t worry - they are all still available!
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