Books about Sadness from Amazon.com

Kathleen Norris’s masterpiece: a personal and moving memoir that resurrects the ancient term acedia, or soul-weariness, and brilliantly explores its relevancy to the modern individual and culture.

Kathleen Norris had written several much loved books, yet she couldn’t drag herself out of bed in the morning, couldn’t summon the energy for daily tasks. Even as she struggled, Norris recognized her familiar battle with acedia. She had discovered the word in an early Church text when she was in her thirties. Having endured times of deep soul-weariness since she was a teenager, she immediately recognized that this passage described her affliction: sinking into a state of being unable to care. Fascinated by this “noonday demon,” so familiar to those in the early and medieval Church, Norris read intensively and knew she must restore this forgotten but utterly relevant and important concept to the modern world’s vernacular.

Like Norris’s bestselling The Cloister Walk, Acedia & me is part memoir and part meditation. As in her bestselling Amazing Grace, here Norris explicates and demystifies a spiritual concept, exploring acedia through the geography of her life as a writer; her marriage and the challenges of commitment in the midst of grave illness; and her keen interest in the monastic tradition. Unlike her earlier books, this one features a poignant narrative throughout of Norris’s and her husband’s bouts with acedia and its clinical cousin, depression. Moreover, her analysis of acedia reveals its burden not just on individuals but on whole societies— and that the “restless boredom, frantic escapism, commitment phobia, and enervating despair that we struggle with today are the ancient demon of acedia in modern dress.”

An examination of acedia in the light of theology, psychology, monastic spirituality, the healing powers of religious practice, and Norris’s own experience, Acedia & me is both intimate and historically sweeping, brimming with exasperation and reverence, sometimes funny, often provocative, and always important..
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The Blue Day Book is a wonderful collection of amusing, poignant animal photos and inspirational text designed to lift the spirits of anyone who's got the blues. No one who has lips will be able to read it without smiling; it's guaranteed.The fact is, we all have our bad days-they are an intrinsic part of being human. As prescribed by The Blue Day Book in its delightful photo and text messages, the solution is to see each incident in perspective, recognize that our feelings of failure and loss are not unique, acknowledge the absurdities of our existence, and glory in the potential we all have. In less than 100 sentences, The Blue Day Book conveys this message with great compassion and humor. Its vehicle is charming black-and-white photographs of animals that are strangely human and completely free of judgment or pretension. The humble marriage of easy text and beautiful images takes the reader through the entire evolution of a blue day, examines what it feels like, what causes it, and how to get over it..
Price: $1.78 [Notify me when price goes down.]

They're back! Rediscover the zaniest characters you've ever met in this best-selling series which has sold millions worldwide. Just in time for Fall 1997's hot new animated TV show, Mr. Men and Little Miss are being relaunched in the U. S. Bright and charming, with easily recognizable characters and a small take-along format, Mr. Men and Little Miss books are easy enough for young readers, witty enough for humor-prone adults, and highly collectible for one and all. .
Price: $1.12 [Notify me when price goes down.]

An easy program for freeing yourself from your mental and emotional traps-and leading the life you want and deserve

"This empowering book will teach, inspire, and coach you to break the habits of insecurity that prevent you from realizing your spontaneous inner potential for genuine happiness."
-John Gray, Ph.D., author of Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus

"There is nothing more empowering than accepting responsibility. Taking responsibility is not about assuming fault; it is about re-taking the helm and control of your journey in life. This book will help you navigate through the difficulties of personality and behavioral change to more emotional peace."
-Dr. Laura Schlessinger, author of The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands

Nobody is born insecure, angry, bored, or depressed. The fact is, happiness is our natural state and, as psychologist Dr. Joseph J. Luciani explains in this warm, witty, and empowering guide, chronic unhappiness is just a bad habit-a habit that can be broken.

It's much easier than you think! Based on Dr. Luciani's twenty-five years of experience helping patients unlearn reflexive, destructive thinking, The Power of Self-Coaching arms you with all the tools you need to free yourself from your mental and emotional traps. As you work through the many self-quizzes, training and coaching exercises, and Power Drills, you'll see yourself anew and feel yourself growing lighter, more spontaneous, and ready to take charge of your life.

A proven five-step program for reconnecting with the innate capacity for happiness, The Power of Self-Coaching gives you what you need to:
* Identify learned patterns of thought and feelings that are making you unhappy
* Use Dr. Luciani's celebrated Self-Talk techniques to develop new, healthy ways of thinking and feeling
* Eliminate boredom, hopelessness, chronic fatigue, and emotional numbness from your life
* Tap your full creative, intellectual, and emotional potential and live the rich, rewarding life you want and deserve.
Price: $8.64 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Ramona's third evil ex-boyfriend, Todd Ingram, is currently dating the former love of Scott Pilgrim's life! Envy Adams broke Scott's heart a year and a half ago. Now she and her evil art-rock band are back, and they're getting Scott's band to open a show two days from now! That's just enough time for Scott to fight Todd, keep Ramona happy, fend off demented ex-girlfriends, and practice that new setlist Right?? Don't miss the latest chapter in the graphic novel saga The Globe and Mail calls "Canada's answer to Tank Girl!".
Price: $6.10 [Notify me when price goes down.]

We are all touched at some point by the dark emotions of grief, fear, or despair In an age of global threat, these emotions have become widespread and overwhelming While conventional wisdom warns us of the harmful effects of "negative" emotions, this revolutionary book offers a more hopeful view: there is a redemptive power in our worst feelings. Seasoned psychotherapist Miriam Greenspan argues that it's the avoidance and denial of the dark emotions that results in the escalating psychological disorders of our time: depression, anxiety, addiction, psychic numbing, and irrational violence. And she shows us how to trust the wisdom of the dark emotions to guide, heal, and transform our lives and our world. Drawing on inspiring stories from her psychotherapy practice and personal life, and including a complete set of emotional exercises, Greenspan teaches the art of emotional alchemy by which grief turns to gratitude, fear opens the door to joy, and despair becomes the ground of a more resilient faith in life..
Price: $9.46 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Children will take comfort from Cornelia Maude Spelman's latest addition to her The Way I Feel series. Readers will recognize similar experiences in their own lives as this little guinea pig describes feeling sad when someone is cross or when something bad happens. Eventually our heroine realizes that feeing sad doesn't last forever..
Price: $3.17 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Enchanted by the wildly successful Blue Day Book's poignant, often funny, photos of animals and clever, poetic insights, many parents and teachers from all over the world wrote the author asking, "When will you do a version of this book for children?"

That day has finally arrived. The Blue Day Book for Kids features the same style of delightful black-and-white animal photos found in its New York Times best-selling predecessor. But this special edition for children is accompanied by compassionate words of wisdom written especially for children 12 and under. As BTG says, "Hey, even little people have big blue days."

The deceptively simple, imaginative story line reflects a child's sensibility about the symptoms, causes, and cures for those times when children feel tired, grumpy, left out, or think that nothing ever goes as they planned. Even on days when brussels sprouts are served at dinner . . . a cherished toy must be shared . . . a homework avalanche looms . . . or a silly mistake is made in front of friends or family, The Blue Day Book for Kids provides children with a literary umbrella to laugh off the unexpected rain life can bring.

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Price: $4.24 [Notify me when price goes down.]