Fake news, genetic engineering, designer babies, Big Pharma, incipient totalitarian rule, the destruction of books, transhumanism, the desire to play God, and the serial misuse of the word “science”—it may sound a lot like America in the 2020s, but these politically charged modern concerns have been probed deeply in classic fiction by a host of prescient authors over the past two centuries. The Art of Being Human draws some much-needed attention to the impact great literature can and does have, especially in the realm of the cautionary tale, in considering how we might learn from the past in order to inform our present decisions and plan for the future, all the while maintaining our humanity amid a dehumanizing world.

Deborah Ravetz explores the territory of our inner landscape by showing us that it is only through embracing and working with all aspects of our selves, including our vulnerability and pain, that we give meaning and experience joy. Through telling her own story and those of others who have faced their demons and worked through their struggles, she helps us to embark on the journey that all of us need to make in order to become fully ourselves. Packed with applicable strategies for spiritual development and practice, this book serves to empower and cultivate holistic wellbeing.

Man has been domesticated for many centuries. He no longer understands what he is or how he is supposed to think. Universal laws always promote the common good of man when used properly. Learn how we work as humans and begin to understand this game we call life. Learn the rules to the game and play like your life depends upon it. In reality it does. You can choose to live a life of blessings or a life of misery. Learn the guides you choose to live an extraordinary life or choose not to, and others will teach you to suffer for playing the fool. Only you can choose. I can influence but you must do the work. Learn to live an extraordinary life and truly enjoy the journey.

This poetry book was written by Alexa Leigh Corbett, an 18 year old college student at Northern Arizona University. Originally blogging either daily or weekly; it became a cathartic habit over the past year. When tragedy struck Alexa’s life in June 2009, not even one month after graduating high school, she turned to the one thing that had helped her through all the hardships in her life. Ironically, Alexa will joke that when she took a creative writing class back in her junior year of high school she really did not like poetry in the least, but I guess some thing just grow on you. This emotional read is filled with laughs, cries, jokes, sayings that will leave you wondering why we’re here, and help people appreciate the smaller things in life and learn that every day is truly a gift.

The imperative question presented in this book is: Can our mind obey us when we do not like the thoughts which cross our mind? If we try to stop disturbing thoughts, often the mind will do the opposite, dwelling on those thoughts, and defying our wishes. Artists get rid of all unnecessary materials to form an art object. Likewise, we need to get rid of all the unnecessary conflicts which keep swimming in our mind, and hold onto the essential part of life. In other words, we polish our inner psyche, by cultivating the garden of our mind and removing all the weeds. We as humans have the capacity to clean the landscape of our mind and bring a different set of emotions to the scene. That is how we progressed from animalistic sensations to being creative individuals.

This book provides an opportunity to teach the exquisiteness of being human to our children. Teaching Values of Being Human is a curriculum filled with conversations, lessons and activities that link education, the mind and the heart. It is packed with ideas to empower student agency and voice. Paving the way for practitioners to develop an emotionally responsive environment where young human beings can grow, this practical book encourages children to look inside themselves, discover their identity, find happiness and equip them with skills they can use effectively in the future. The book covers topics such as: Emotional capacities, self-awareness and self-identity. Relationships and healthy communication. Emotional intelligence, resilience and perseverance. The importance of human connection and its benefits. Ideal for teachers in all education settings, along with support staff, psychologists, counsellors and allied health professionals, who wish to aid the emotional development and well-being of children under their care.

Any attempt to identify the thread that runs through the late Erich Fromm's writings will soon uncover an unequivocally humanistic world view. From the 1930s on, this was Fromm's guiding principle. It signified Fromm's break with the Frankfurt School: Marcuse, Adorno and Horkheimer. This posthumous volume includes writings from one of Fromm's most fertile periods--the 1960s. These writings concentrate on humanistic science, socialism, religion, and psychoanalysis. They are from lectures, works written for specific occasions, and manuscripts intended as books. Of particular interest is an extended essay on two very different thinkers: Meister Eckhart and Karl Marx.