Joseph Emet explores the intersection between Positive Psychology--the study of what makes people happy--and the ancient wisdom of Buddhism. Positive Psychology—with its focus not on mental "disease," but rather on what actually makes people happy—has revolutionized the way that we look at mental health. What many people don't realize, however, is that Positive Psychology is not as young a field of inquiry as we think. In fact, according to Joseph Emet, the original positive thinker was the Buddha himself. In this wise and inspiring book, Emet traces the fascinating intersection between the age-old wisdom of Buddhism and the latest scientific research into what makes people happy. In this book readers will discover: * How to replace negative thinking with positive thinking * How to move from frenzied thinking to quiet contemplation * The duty we have to others to live a happy life As Joseph explains in this work, the blue sky of happiness is found just beyond the grey clouds of sadness, everyday concerns, stress, or anxiety. Readers will find that the advice in this book can act as the gentle wind that clears those clouds away.

A boy’s nomadic life in Mongolia is under threat in a novel that “captures the mountains, valleys and steppes in all their surpassing beauty and brutality” (Minneapolis Star-Tribune). In the high Altai Mountains of northern Mongolia, a young shepherd boy comes of age, tending his family’s flocks on the mountain steppes and knowing little of the world beyond the surrounding peaks. But his nomadic way of life is increasingly disrupted by modernity. This confrontation comes in stages. First, his older siblings leave the family yurt to attend a distant boarding school. Then the boy’s grandmother dies, and with her his connection to the old ways. But perhaps the greatest tragedy strikes when his dog, Arsylang—“all that was left to me”—ingests poison set out by the boy’s father to protect his herd from wolves. “Why is it so?” Dshurukawaa cries out in despair to the Heavenly Blue Sky, to be answered only by the wind. Rooted in the oral traditions of the Tuvan people, The Blue Sky weaves the timeless story of a boy poised on the cusp of manhood with the story of a people on the threshold. “Thrilling. . . . Tschinag makes it easy for his readers to fall into the beautiful rhythms of the Tuvans’ daily life.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review “In this pristine and concentrated tale of miraculous survival and anguished loss, Tschinag evokes the nurturing warmth of a family within the circular embrace of a yurt as an ancient way of life lived in harmony with nature becomes endangered.” —Booklist

River means everything to Sky. They have lived alone together on Island for as long as they can remember. The two of them hunt for food, wash in Falls and curl up together in Shelter. Their life is simple and safe. Until River sees a boat . . . Across Ocean is California, a place where nothing makes sense to Sky. She is separated from River and taken to live with a grandmother she doesn't know. Lost and heartbroken, Sky searches for him so they can return to Island, only to find out that their paradise wasn't as perfect as she thought, and everything she's ever known and loved may have been a lie. A gripping and beautifully told story of love and survival in a hostile world – ours.

Sleep deprivation is a growing problem worldwide. We go to our doctors for advice, but they seem to have nothing but pills to counteract this predicament, and these quick fixes fail to get to the root of the problem.Buddha's Book of Sleep is the first book to treat sleep disorders from the perspective of mindfulness meditation. Yet this is a natural choice - mindfulness meditation has proven effective for other psychological problems such as stress, depression and anxiety and these very issues are what become sleep problems when our heads hit the pillow. Divided into two sections, this book attacks sleep disorders with a combination of wisdom and practical meditation exercises. The first section describes the reasons why mindfulness meditation's basis in self-awareness is appropriate for dealing with this problem, detailing the practices of this popular form of meditation. The second section contains seven specific exercises to practice at bedtime or in the wee hours of the morning, depending on when sleeping problems occur. Supplying readers with a new perspective on why they cannot fall asleep (even when they feel exhausted), and arming them with easy-to-use tools from the practices of mindfulness meditation, Buddha's Book of Sleep will help the reader calm their hurried thoughts and rest easy.

The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Friends and Before We Were Yours presents an uplifting novel set in a small Texas neighborhood where unexpected challenges and new relationships give deeper meanings to “home.” When eighteen-year-old Tam Lambert learns that her family’s upscale home is in foreclosure, the life she's known is forever changed. Tam and her family must move into a tiny house in a changing Dallas neighborhood called Blue Sky Hill. New resident Shasta Reid-Williams knows nothing of real estate schemes when she and her husband purchase a home in Blue Sky Hill. To her it’s the perfect place to raise her children. Better yet is getting to know Tam, who lives right across the street. When neighbors realize that a corrupt deal could force them from their homes, friendships and loyalties are tested. Over the span of one summer, two young women discover the strength and maturity to do the impossible. They find that even in Blue Sky Hill, life-altering relationships and amazing possibilities can begin to blossom...

It's 1942: Tomi Itano, 12, is a second-generation Japanese American who lives in California with her family on their strawberry farm. Although her parents came from Japan and her grandparents still live there, Tomi considers herself an American. She doesn't speak Japanese and has never been to Japan. But after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, things change. No Japs Allowed signs hang in store windows and Tomi's family is ostracized. Things get much worse. Suspected as a spy, Tomi's father is taken away. The rest of the Itano family is sent to an internment camp in Colorado. Many other Japanese American families face a similar fate. Tomi becomes bitter, wondering how her country could treat her and her family like the enemy. What does she need to do to prove she is an honorable American? Sandra Dallas shines a light on a dark period of American history in this story of a young Japanese American girl caught up in the prejudices and World War II.

"Connections uses vibrant photos and minimal text in specially selected books to create conversation among caregivers and those in the moderate to severe stages of Alzheimer's/dementia. This experience can help create special moments and memories for the caregiver as well as calming and reducing stress for the individual in care." --

Blue Sky goes out to hunt for meat for his family and comes home with something quite unexpected.

The All-Seeing Boy has always yearned to take away other people's sadness, and one day a hobo in a ruby-red coat teaches him how to find and use the magic that he has always believed existed.

Bright Star Ranch led him to her--but will he stay?Josh Lake is forced to head home for the holidays after he's suspended from his job in the city, but running into Paisley Sheridan could be exactly what he needed. Not only does she board him at her ranch in exchange for his advertising expertise, but spending the Christmas season with her in Big Sky, Montana, brings more joy than he's felt in a long while. Is he willing to give up the lavish lifestyle he's worked for in exchange for the gift of love?The last thing Paisley wants for Christmas is to spend time with Josh Lake--the guy who broke her heart in high school--but until her bank loan goes through, she has to take all the free help she can get. Unfortunately, Josh seems to want back in her life again, and the town's quirky coffee shop owners don't help by hanging mistletoe at every opportunity. Will Paisley succeed in driving him away, or will she find the healing needed to have hope for a future together?