Column

IT MIGHT BE one of those chance occurrences, but I keep seeing people writing things about summer reading. Seriously, at least three stray headlines about this caught my attention. I know summer isn't over, but I figured I'd share the better picks of my summer reading regimen. I've been fortunate enough to have read some really fantastic books.

First, there was "How to Make a Good Brain Great" by Dr. Daniel Amen. Amen is a neuroscientist and psychiatrist, and, as you'd expect, his book is full of credible, practical information. He goes through a very detailed, thorough account of the things the brain needs (and doesn't need) in an accessible, yet scientifically informative, style. I gobbled this up furiously--every page had some pressing fact I needed to put to use that very moment.

Did you know, for instance, that listening to Mozart has been shown to improve several brain functions? Or that blueberries are the brain's dream food? Or that exercises in coordination are necessary to keep the brain running smoothly?

There is an extensive work-up of nutritional, exercise and other needs that I found indispensable. If you're the type of person who is dedicated to health and self-improvement, Amen's book is an engrossing, useful read.

Next was a book destined to be among my all-time favorites. This was "The Joy of Living" by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche. Mingyur Rinpoche is a Tibetan Buddhist who came to the West. His book is a graceful primer on Buddhism, meditation and compassion, along with how those things connect with quantum mechanics and contemporary neuroscience. I was floored.

Not only does Mingyur Rinpoche offer a practical, engrossing and persuasive account of Buddhism, he finds similarities in modern science that are striking. Halfway into this book, I could feel an irreversible change in my way of looking at the world. Not least of all, this came through meditation. His guide to meditating is full of great tips that I've put into practice successfully. I highly recommend this book.

My last choice is the book I just finished--some fiction, for a change. It is "The Glass Bead Game" by Hermann Hesse. I resolved to read more Hesse after completing "Siddhartha" and reading that he attempted to synthesize elements of Eastern philosophy with Nietzsche's thought--which is right up my alley.