Philosopher John Lachs observes that humans today live lives of comfort but also sees that these comfortable lives come at a cost: our increasing unhappiness. In The Cost of Comfort, Lachs contemplates what humans need in order to live fulfilled lives in today's world. While comfort has not always reached everyone evenly, Lachs acknowledges that most of us who live in the US today reap the benefits of modern life. We live longer, we eat better food, we have access to good medical care, and we can stay in touch with loved ones who are far away. Lachs argues that this dizzyingly complex world often inspires isolation, but he believes that deeper engagement with it is required in order to dispel our growing psychic distance. Lachs advocates for mediation and champions education, advertising, openness, and transparency to help individuals understand the role they play in society and to nullify claims to blamelessness. Lachs suggests new rules for responsibility and argues that examining and understanding the consequences of one's actions is imperative to overcoming the ills and problems of the modern world.

Why do we feel empty when our lives seem so full? A philosopher’s “clear, engaging reflection” on the psychic risks of today’s world (John T. Lysaker, author of After Emerson). While comfort has not always reached everyone evenly, most of us who live in the United States today reap the benefits of modern life. We live longer, we eat better food, we have access to good medical care, and we can stay in touch with loved ones who are far away. Yet, as philosopher John Lachs observes, these comfortable lives come at a cost: our increasing unhappiness. Irresponsible behavior, including by those in positions of power in governments and corporations, only increases and multiplies feelings of bitterness and disaffection. In this book, Lachs argues that this dizzyingly complex world often inspires isolation, and that deeper engagement with it is required in order to dispel our growing psychic distance. Lachs advocates for mediation and champions education, advertising, openness, and transparency to help individuals understand the roles they play in society and to nullify claims to blamelessness. Lachs suggests new rules for responsibility and argues that examining and understanding the consequences of one’s actions is imperative to overcoming the ills and problems of the modern world—and to find the fulfillment we seek. “A very clear, engaging reflection on a genuine contemporary issue: deep feelings of disengagement and bewilderment about how to live responsibly in an almost overwhelmingly complex world.” —John T. Lysaker, author of After Emerson

In The Church's Book of Comfort , Willem van't Spijker and his team of scholars present an introductory investigation into the history, theology, and impact of the Heidelberg Catechism. The authors give careful attention to the background of the Reformation in Germany, the production of the Catechism, and the lives of those involved in making the Catechism. Interesting details are given about the practice of using catechisms before 1563, and the reception of the Heidelberg Catechism among the Reformed churches. Emphasis is also placed on the practice of Catechism preaching and the efforts to increase theological education among congregations. Readers will see the rich theological dimensions of the Catechism and its call for experiential religion. The Heidelberg Catechism has long been known for its warm display of orthodox doctrines, and this helpful book further displays the importance of this classic confessional statement. Table of Contents: 1. The Reformation in Germany - Christa Boerke 2. The Completion of the Heidelberg Catechism - Wim Verboom 3. The People Behind the Heidelberg Catechism - Christa Boerke 4. The Theology of the Heidelberg Catechism - Willem van't Spijker 5. The Heidelberg Catechism in the Netherlands A. Catechism Teaching from the Late Middle Ages - Wim Verboom B. Ecclesiastical Recognition of the Catechism - Teunis M. Hofman 6. The Heidelberg Catechism in Preaching and Teaching A. The Catechism in Preaching - Willem Jan op't Hof B. The Catechism in Church Education - Marinus Golverdingen 7. The Continued Relevance of the Heidelberg Catechism - Willem van't Spijker

THE INSTANT NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER 'Profound, witty and uplifting' Observer 'Full of eloquent, cogent and positive reminders of the beauty of life' Independent The Comfort Book is a collection of consolations learned in hard times and suggestions for making the bad days better. Drawing on maxims, memoir and the inspirational lives of others, these meditations offer new ways of seeing ourselves and the world. This is the book to pick up when you need the wisdom of a friend, the comfort of a hug or a reminder that hope comes from unexpected places.

This “ambitious [and] delightful” (The New York Times) work of literary nonfiction interweaves the science and history of the powerful refrigerant (and dangerous greenhouse gas) Freon with a haunting meditation on how to live meaningfully and morally in a rapidly heating world. In After Cooling, Eric Dean Wilson braids together air-conditioning history, climate science, road trips, and philosophy to tell the story of the birth, life, and afterlife of Freon, the refrigerant that ripped a hole larger than the continental United States in the ozone layer. As he traces the refrigerant’s life span from its invention in the 1920s—when it was hailed as a miracle of scientific progress—to efforts in the 1980s to ban the chemical (and the resulting political backlash), Wilson finds himself on a journey through the American heartland, trailing a man who buys up old tanks of Freon stockpiled in attics and basements to destroy what remains of the chemical before it can do further harm. Wilson is at heart an essayist, looking far and wide to tease out what particular forces in American culture—in capitalism, in systemic racism, in our values—combined to lead us into the Freon crisis and then out. “Meticulously researched and engagingly written” (Amitav Ghosh), this “knockout debut” (New York Journal of Books) offers a rare glimpse of environmental hope, suggesting that maybe the vast and terrifying problem of global warming is not beyond our grasp to face.

I am most excited and impressed with the scope and focus of this work. As I began to read it, I had trouble putting it down. It is highly readable, engaging, all-inclusive, and most informative. Jean Watson, RN, PhD, HNC, FAAN I am honored and delighted to recommend this text for all nurses who cared for and care about patients. from the Foreword by May Wykle, RN, PhD, FAAN This book places comfort at the forefront of nursing care, by presenting a carefully researched theory of comfort that nurses can use as a framework for practice. Engagingly written, the book combines a first-person account of the development of the theory with supporting research, and practical information for its application. Kolcaba analyzes the concept of comfort; describes its physical, psychospiritual, environmental and sociocultural components; evaluates its meaning in the many different contexts in which health care occurs; and describes how it can be measured. The appendix includes comfort care questionnaires that can be used with patients in many settings, and a comfort scale that can be used with patients for a quick assessment of comfort. Clinicians, researchers, educators, and students will find this holistic approach helpful in setting priorities and parameters for patient care.

For readers of Kathleen Norris and Gretchen Rubin, a thought-provoking examination of the meaning of comfort. Comfort is a universal human need. It's that craving to feel at one with the world we live in, warm (but not hot), protected (but not smothered), and secure (but not marooned) in what the future holds. Yet in our increasingly complex and overstressed world, we tend to overlook this important aspect in our lives. In Comfort: An Atlas for the Body and Soul, Brett C. Hoover, a scholar and Catholic priest, explores what comfort means-and it means different things to different people. He delves into the psychological, emotional, and spiritual facets of comfort and offers ways to rediscover it. With insight and humor, Hoover writes about the advantages and the pitfalls of seeking-and finding-comfort as he guides us towards the goal we should strive for: to find comfort in our own lives as we offer comfort to others. By turns lyrical and thought-provoking, funny and poignant, Comfort is full of engaging and unexpected insights in our very human search for personal fulfillment.

“If you’ve been looking for something different to level up your health, fitness, and personal growth, this is it.”—Melissa Urban, Whole30 CEO and New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Boundaries “Michael Easter’s genius is that he puts data around the edges of what we intuitively believe. His work has inspired many to change their lives for the better.”—Dr. Peter Attia, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Outlive Discover the evolutionary mind and body benefits of living at the edges of your comfort zone and reconnecting with the wild—from the author of Scarcity Brain, coming in September! In many ways, we’re more comfortable than ever before. But could our sheltered, temperature-controlled, overfed, underchallenged lives actually be the leading cause of many our most urgent physical and mental health issues? In this gripping investigation, award-winning journalist Michael Easter seeks out off-the-grid visionaries, disruptive genius researchers, and mind-body conditioning trailblazers who are unlocking the life-enhancing secrets of a counterintuitive solution: discomfort. Easter’s journey to understand our evolutionary need to be challenged takes him to meet the NBA’s top exercise scientist, who uses an ancient Japanese practice to build championship athletes; to the mystical country of Bhutan, where an Oxford economist and Buddhist leader are showing the world what death can teach us about happiness; to the outdoor lab of a young neuroscientist who’s found that nature tests our physical and mental endurance in ways that expand creativity while taming burnout and anxiety; to the remote Alaskan backcountry on a demanding thirty-three-day hunting expedition to experience the rewilding secrets of one of the last rugged places on Earth; and more. Along the way, Easter uncovers a blueprint for leveraging the power of discomfort that will dramatically improve our health and happiness, and perhaps even help us understand what it means to be human. The Comfort Crisis is a bold call to break out of your comfort zone and explore the wild within yourself.

What do we know about ordinary people in our towns and cities, about what really matters to them and how they organize their lives today? This book visits an ordinary street and looks into thirty households. It reveals the aspirations and frustrations, the tragedies and accomplishments that are played out behind the doors. It focuses on the things that matter to these people, which quite often turn out to be material things – their house, the dog, their music, the Christmas decorations. These are the means by which they express who they have become, and relationships to objects turn out to be central to their relationships with other people – children, lovers, brothers and friends. If this is a typical street in a modern city like London, then what kind of society is this? It’s not a community, nor a neighbourhood, nor is it a collection of isolated individuals. It isn’t dominated by the family. We assume that social life is corrupted by materialism, made superficial and individualistic by a surfeit of consumer goods, but this is misleading. If the street isn’t any of these things, then what is it? This brilliant and revealing portrayal of a street in modern London, written by one the most prominent anthropologists, shows how much is to be gained when we stop lamenting what we think we used to be and focus instead on what we are now becoming. It reveals the forms by which ordinary people make sense of their lives, and the ways in which objects become our companions in the daily struggle to make life meaningful.