Self-Improvement

Silence isn’t just the absence of noise. It’s a presence that brings us energy, clarity, and deeper connection. Justin Zorn and Leigh Marz take us on an unlikely journey—from the West Wing of the White House to San Quentin’s death row; from Ivy League brain research laboratories to underground psychedelic circles; from the temperate rainforests of Olympic National Park to the main stage at a heavy metal festival—to explore the meaning of silence and the art of finding it in any situation. Golden reveals how to go beyond the ordinary rules and tools of mindfulness. It’s a field guide for navigating the noise of the modern world—not just the noise in our ears but also on our screens and in our heads. Drawing on lessons from neuroscience, business, spirituality, politics, and the arts, Marz and Zorn explore why auditory, informational, and internal silence is essential for physical health, mental clarity, ecological sustainability, and vibrant community. With vital lessons for individuals, families, workplaces, and whole societies, Golden is an engaging and unexpected rethinking of the meaning of quiet. Marz and Zorn make the bold and convincing argument that we can repair our world by reclaiming the presence of silence in our lives.

Bowhunter and ultramarathoner Cameron Hanes narrates his audiobook with guest appearances from Joe Rogan and David Goggins. Listen in to push beyond your physical limits and improve yourself by following Hanes's lifelong philosophies and disciplines. “It’s all mental.” I say this all the time, and it’s true. If you believe you can do it, you can. We all have virtually limitless potential. Our bodies are capable of so much more than what we ask of them. Take off the mental handcuffs, get out there, and start on your way today. What is your passion? You can become better at it. Committing yourself to fitness only fuels your beliefs. You gotta believe to achieve. Cameron Hanes discovered his true passion for bowhunting when he was twenty. Inspired by the physical challenges of stalking elk in the Oregon wilderness—traversing mountainous terrain, braving erratic weather, and evading his quarry’s even more dangerous predators—he began an ever-evolving journey of self-improvement. To become the best bowhunter of wild elk, to the caliber he believed he could be, Cam realized he would need more than archery skills. He would need the stamina and strength that could only come from an athletic training regimen of long-distance running and heavy-weight lifting. And every day for more than thirty years, Cam has put in the work, building miles and muscles, pushing through pain with a single-minded focus on the only goal worth having—besting himself time and again. Part memoir, part motivational manifesto, Endure reveals how Cam—a self-professed average guy—put himself through the paces to live the life of an expert bowhunter, respected writer, and family man. With discipline, sacrifice, resilience, a hard work ethic, and a belief in his own capabilities, Cam not only accomplished his dreams but continues to surpass them. There is no secret to his success except relentless determination and loyal dedication to his own self-worth. If Cam can do it, we all can. Everyone has what it takes to endure adversity so we can rise above average, be the best we can be, and enjoy living life to the fullest. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press.

Amid the frenzy of flashing cameras and shouting paparazzi at the 2006 Grammy Awards, a dark-haired six-foot-seven teenager emerged from a taxi and strode confidently along the red carpet in a sharp tuxedo. After glad-handing celebrities, mingling easily with music business notables, and duping an unsuspecting usher, young Jeremy Fall slipped casually into his seat next to a major industry power couple. But this brazen gate-crashing stunt was just the first in a succession of increasingly daring “fake it until you make it” self-promotion ploys that would take the success-driven Los Angeles high school student and nightclub doorman from his hardworking single mother’s modest apartment near Skid Row to the height of lifestyle TV fame as a popular celebrity chef-restaurateur. And yet, from his early days managing the velvet rope at hot Hollywood nightclubs like Les Deux while fielding text messages from young celebs like Lindsay Lohan and Ashton Kutcher to later overseeing his wildly popular breakfast-for-dinner joint Nighthawk, Fall was struggling 24-7 with Bob, the nagging inner voice bringing him down. Even as he effortlessly prepared his signature drunken challah French toast on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives after a frantic one-day crash cooking class with his staff, Bob’s endlessly looping “Fraud!” drumbeat pounded in his head. Well-known among the “in” crowd of Hollywood and music industry elites, no matter how much outward success he achieved with a million Instagram followers, Fall was drowning in self-doubt, anxiety, and depression as he battled imposter syndrome, a psychological condition that affects so many others worldwide. At its debilitating zenith, Fall announced on social media that he struggled with mental illness and then deleted his Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram accounts. When he reappeared online after two months of deep soul searching, he was a changed person, fumbling his way determinedly toward authenticity and truth. In this heartfelt and heartbreaking coming-of-age story, Fall digs deep to share how he evolved from a teenager who was dogged by fear and confusion, into a successful marketing-and-branding campaign entrepreneur and beloved philanthropist in the burgeoning worldwide NFT and Web3 community of digital artists and collectors.

From the author of the Wall Street Journal bestseller Barking Up the Wrong Tree comes a cure-all for our increasing emotional distance and loneliness—a smart, surprising, and thoroughly entertaining guide to help build better friendships, reignite love, and get closer to others, whether you’re an extrovert or introvert, socially adept or socially anxious. Can you judge a book by its cover?  Is a friend in need truly a friend indeed?  Does love conquer all?  Is no man an island?  In Plays Well With Others, Eric Barker dives into these questions, drawing on science to reveal the truth beyond the conventional wisdom about human relationships. Combining his compelling storytelling and humor, Barker explains what hostage negotiation techniques and marital arguments have in common, how an expert con-man lied his way into a twenty-year professional soccer career, and why those holding views diametrically opposed to our own actually have the potential to become our closest, most trusted friends. Leveraging the best evidence available—free of platitudes or magical thinking—Barker analyzes multiple sides of an issue before rendering his verdict. What he’s uncovered is surprising, counterintuitive, and timely—and will change the way you interact in the world and with those around you just when you need it most. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

This program is read by the author. The bestselling author of Dear Universe, podcast host, and “Manifestation Guru” (Cosmopolitan), shares seven simple and powerful lessons full of practical guidance, soulful exercises, and nuggets of wisdom in Be The Love—your invitation to use the power of your emotions to achieve happiness. Emotional empowerment expert Sarah Prout shares how to Be the Love you believe you deserve, and how to do it by embracing lessons such as overcoming comparison traps, finding freedom in forgiveness, and accepting that making choices is how life happens, but living with your choices is how growth happens. These lessons are illustrated by Prout’s own raw, personal stories that range from humorous to harrowing. By following the seven pieces of advice and trying them out in your own life, you will create radical and magical inner transformation, and inner transformation will lead to outer results—whether that’s within your career, relationships, or something as simple as your own self-confidence as you walk down the street. If you live your life with self-love and self-compassion as your North Star, then you will thrive. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press Essentials.

From friendships to Facebook to far-off countries, what do we do when our lives seem mired in conflict? How do we find connection when our differences are constantly on display and even exacerbated by algorithms and echo chambers? How do we build a kinder society? If you are tired of the anxiety, frustration, and fear that pervade your connections with other people, both online and in real life, Sarah Stewart Holland and Beth Silvers want you to know one thing--you are not alone. In this book they will help you understand the powerful connections you have with other people on a personal, community-based, national, and even international level. Then they show you how to - engage your family with a spirit of curiosity - listen closely to the anxieties and fears of your friends - explore shared values within your community - understand your work as a citizen in a diverse country - hold lightly those things that are beyond your control around the world The status quo isn't working. If you long to be a peacemaker and a positive influence in your spheres, Now What? is your door to a future that is characterized by hope, love, and connection despite our differences.

An inspiring and laugh-out-loud guide to building the kind of confidence it really takes to live the life of your dreams, from Impact Theory cofounder and growth mindset guru Lisa Bilyeu. Author Lisa Bilyeu grew up in London, where she was always told her dreams of Hollywood were a little too big for a girl. After all, in her traditional Greek culture, who cared about prestigious awards when you could be a housewife? Lisa, that’s who. Lisa cared. Except after graduating from college, meeting the man of her dreams, and moving to Los Angeles, a housewife was exactly what Lisa became—for eight frikin’ years! How the heck did that happen? Radical Confidence is the story of how Lisa unpaused her life to cofound a company that went from zero to a billion dollars in just five years and become a leader in the world of personal development. Transforming herself with a growth mindset, Lisa learned to face her insecurities and inadequacies, embrace new challenges, solve her own problems, tell her negative voice to shut the eff up, and become the hero of her own life by life-hacking her way to feeling confident. Radical Confidence is a deeply personal memoir filled with insight and practical tools for honest self-assessment, mastering emotions, and staying motivated. With humor, honesty, and Lisa’s beloved hilarious voice, this book teaches you how to be driven by your insecurities to create the life of your dreams.

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From Tunde Oyeneyin, the massively popular Peloton instructor, fitness star, and founder of SPEAK, comes an empowering, inspiring book that shows how she transformed grief, setbacks, and flaws into growth, self-confidence, and triumph—for fans of Brene Brown and Glennon Doyle. On any given day, thousands of devoted people clip into their bikes and have their lives changed by Tunde Oyeneyin. From her platform in a Peloton studio, she encourages riders with her trademark blend of positivity, empathy, and motivational “Tunde-isms,” to push themselves to their limits both on and off the bike. Now, fans and readers everywhere can learn about her personal journey, and discover how they too can “live a life of purpose, on purpose” with Speak, a memoir-manifesto-guide to life inspired by her immensely popular Instagram Live series of the same name. Taking us through each step of the SPEAK acronym—Surrender, Power, Empathy, Authenticity, and Knowledge—Oyeneyin shares the lessons she has learned about loss, love, body image, and how she has successfully created an intentional, joyful life for herself, offering an accessible blueprint for anyone looking to make a positive change in their lives.

There comes a time for every leader when they need to step up and navigate challenging situations. But what many people don’t realize is that these challenging times are precisely when your skills will grow. Of course, that doesn’t necessarily make it easier — we need to learn to leverage the power of difficult situations to help us become more courageous, successful leaders. In Courage and Crucibles: Leadership in Challenging Times, an audio course from Scribd Coach, leadership coach, speaker, and author Pierre Quinn explains how to do just that. In the course, Quinn explains how to leverage the power of the “crucible,” or challenging period; what opportunities and insights our crucibles reveal to us; and practical steps you can take to become a more courageous leader. He also shares exercises along the way to help you put what you’ve learned into practice. It takes courage to lead others through challenging times. Quinn’s insights will help you find that courage.

We all have goals, and they’re important to us. Why, then, is it often so difficult to actually accomplish the things we set out to do? One possible explanation: The way we go about setting goals and accomplishing them simply isn’t sustainable, and it’s too hard to stick to the path to achievement we’ve laid out for ourselves. A new framework is needed. That’s exactly what Patricia Grabarek, Ph.D., and Katina Sawyer, Ph.D., offer in The Four Keys to Sustainable Success, an audio course from Scribd Coach. Using the concept of psychological capital to support their ideas, Grabarek and Katina explain the four resources we can use to improve our performance and accomplish our goals: hope, self-efficacy, optimism, and resilience. Using this framework, Grabarek and Sawyer outline practical techniques you can use to begin setting sustainable goals right away. If you’ve ever faced burnout, or if you just want to boost your chances of success, you’re sure to find valuable insights in The Four Keys to Sustainable Success.

If there’s one thing many of us are likely missing in our daily lives, it’s balance. With so many obligations and goals and responsibilities, it’s easy to feel like we need to regain control of our lives. But how can we find this balance and maintain it? In The unBalanced Life, leadership coach, speaker, and author Pierre Quinn explains how you can find that balance. Beginning with the understanding that balance looks like different things at different stages of our lives, Pierre explores ten principles for a balanced life, including how to set internal guideposts for your goals; identifying your beliefs, values, and attitudes; making the right choices; empowering yourself; and more. He also shares exercises along the way so you can begin putting what you’ve learned into practice. It may not feel like it, but a more balanced life is in your reach. Pierre Quinn will explain just how to grasp it.

Read by the author with an audio-exclusive interview of Shauna about her family's move to New York. When everything we've been clinging to falls apart, how do we know what to keep and what to let go of? I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet, now a New York Times bestseller, is a clear-eyed look at where we go from here--and how we can transform our lives along the way. Just after her fortieth birthday, author Shauna Niequist found herself in a season of chaos, change, and loss unlike anything she'd ever faced. She discovered that many of the beliefs and practices that she usually turned to were no longer serving her. After trying--and failing--to pull herself back up using the same old strategies and systems, she realized she required new ones: courage, curiosity, and compassion. She discovered the way through was more about questions than answers, more about forgiveness than force, more about tenderness than trying hard. In I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet, Niequist chronicles her journey--from her life-changing move from the Midwest to Manhattan to the power of unlearning what is no longer helpful and accepting the unknowns that come with midlife, heartbreak, and chronic pain. With her characteristic candor and grace, Niequist writes about her experience learning how to: Discover new ways of living when the old ways stop working Embrace the challenges and delights of releasing our expectations for how we thought our lives would look Trust God's goodness in a deeper, more profound way Follow Niequist as she endeavors to understand grief, to reshape her faith, and to practice courage when it feels impossible. Praise for I Guess I Haven't Learned That Yet: "Gentle. Loving. This tender book asks us to listen to our pain, lean into our discomfort, and trust that we can be lifted back on our feet by God and each other." --Kate C. Bowler, New York Times bestselling author of No Cure for Being Human "This book is a masterpiece. It is a journey and an invitation and a joy and a heartbreak and all the things you need to read to be reminded that hope can still be found." --Annie F. Downs, New York Times bestselling author of That Sounds Fun

Prepare yourself for whatever life throws your way with these essential safety and security hacks you need to know to keep you and your family safe, from TikTok’s Mom Friend, Cathy Pedrayes. Have you ever wished that you kept a first-aid kit in the car or berated yourself for not keeping a pair of flip-flops in your purse at all times? Ever wondered when it’s okay to geo-tag a social media post or when it’s best to lie to strangers? Just need some tips on how to feel safer and more prepared in today’s digital world? Well, Cathy Pedrayes has you covered. Known as the Mom Friend of TikTok, Cathy posts practical, everyday safety and security tips that everyone should know and incorporate into their routine. The Mom Friend Guide to Everyday Safety and Security offers a shortcut to a lifetime of tips and hacks Cathy has learned from experience as well as her consultations with personal security experts. You will find quick guides on: -Securing your home -Building a first-aid kit -Items to take with you on the go -Things to always pack when going on vacation -How to read the red flags in everyday situations -How to protect yourself online -And more! Practical and personable, The Mom Friend Guide to Everyday Safety and Security is a quick guide to all the safety tips you wish someone had told you sooner so you can be better prepared for whatever life throws your way.

As she admits in the first salvo of her enlightening new guide to battling gender discrimination, award-winning author and radio journalist Celeste Headlee is herself … a sexist. But aren’t we all? Indeed we are, no matter the strength of our convictions otherwise, and herein lies the crux of Headlee’s examination of inherent—and often unconscious—cultural biases: Whether we can admit it or not, we all bring instinctive and learned prejudices to our interactions and conversations, to the detriment of everyone. Fortunately, Headlee presents a thoughtful, practical, and cogent manual on becoming aware of, and reversing, the sometimes subtle sexism with which we all struggle, actively or not. With the same empathetic and circumspect approach seen in her 2017 book We Need to Talk: How to Have Conversations That Matter, Headlee lays out the fundamentals of creating allies, rather than alienating those who may simply be playing prescribed cultural roles. But deprogramming people without making them defensive (and dismissive) is easier said than done. The culprit? “Benevolent sexism.” As Headlee writes, this pervasive daily frustration for at least half the population is “hard to address because people often fail to recognize so-called friendly sexism as harmful.” To combat this, the author walks us through an often surprising and always illuminating three-step process, drawing on human psychology and refreshing common sense. In the end, we’re rewarded with a compelling take on one of our most insidious problems—and, happily, a way to bring people together in these divided times.

The books will always be a part of you. Now, revisit old Hogwarts haunts. Reconnect with favorite characters. And learn far more than the correct pronunciation of “Wingardium Leviosa.” With Life Lessons Harry Potter Taught Me, you’ll discover how the universal themes and lessons of the series apply to your Muggle life, including: Drawing strength from friends Learning from mentors and heroes Challenging conventional ideas Overcoming obstacles and setbacks Trusting yourself when others don’t The author uses a combination of literary criticism and personal essays to explore issues that everyone faces, from courage and fear to the importance of girl power and the complexity of relationships.

We all experience intense emotions at one point in our lives or another — it’s only human. But when it comes to managing and regulating our emotions, there’s no handbook for how to handle difficult emotions when they sneak up on you. We might try a short-term solution in the moment, but this doesn’t equip us to deal with these emotions in the future. How can we better regulate our emotions, for the long haul? In How to Notice and Name Emotions, an audio course from Scribd Coach, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist Emma McAdam explains how you can notice and name your emotions, process the difficult ones, and prevent them from building up in a harmful way. Drawing from her background as a therapist, she explains all different areas of emotion processing: what it is and how you can create positive goals for yourself; the importance of naming emotions without judgment; how to appreciate the function of our emotions; vital skills for processing emotions; and more. She also shares exercises along the way to help you put what you’ve learned into practice. There is no handbook for managing emotions — but How to Notice and Name Emotions will put you on a solid path.

“As David Robson makes plain in this compelling book, the way we think about the world can profoundly shape how we navigate it. Based in science and packed with smart advice, The Expectation Effect will expand your mind—and maybe even extend your life.” —Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human A journey through the cutting-edge science of how our mindset shapes every facet of our lives, revealing how your brain holds the keys to unlocking a better you What you believe can make it so. You’ve heard of the placebo effect and how sugar pills can accelerate healing. But did you know that sham heart surgeries often work just as well as placing real stents? Or that people who think they’re particularly prone to cardiovascular disease are four times as likely to die from cardiac arrest? Such is the power and deadly importance of the expectation effect—how what we think will happen changes what does happen. Melding neuroscience with narrative, science journalist David Robson takes readers on a deep dive into the many life zones the expectation effect permeates. We see how people who believe stress is beneficial become more creative when placed under strain. We see how associating aging with wisdom can add seven plus years to your life. People say seeing is believing but, over and over, Robson proves that the converse is truer: believing is seeing. The Expectation Effect is not woo-woo. You cannot think your way into a pile of money or out of a cancer diagnosis. But just because magical thinking is nonsense doesn’t mean rational magic doesn’t exist. Pointing to accepted psychology and objective physiology, Robson gives us the practical takeaways we need to improve our fitness, productivity, intelligence, and happiness. Any reader who wants to take their fate into their own hands need only pick up this book. A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt and Company.

People often talk about networking in a negative light — they feel that it’s not genuine, or that it’s just using people to get ahead. Nothing could be further from the truth: Networking is only effective if you set out to make genuine connections; its power comes from the fact that you’ll reach people who can transform your work. In short, it’s all about people. In One Degree of Connection, an audio course from Scribd Coach, CEO, lecturer, and storyteller Laura Mignott explains her approach to networking, and how you can form meaningful connections and relationships by honing skills you already possess. In the course, she explains how to “network your network” to get the most from networking, how to ask for what you want, how to discover and honor your value, how to identify your “X-factor,” and much more. She also shares exercises along the way to help you apply what you’ve learned right away. You don’t have to shudder at the thought of networking — you’ve already got what it takes to do it well. One Degree of Connection can help you hone and apply those dormant skills.

In this age, media is all around us, and many of us spend much of our time throughout the day getting exposure to some sort of media. All of us are “consumers of information,” meaning information has become a commodity. As a result, only people with access to resources are able to get quality information; the rest of us are left to fend for ourselves. In a world where good information is hard to come by and misinformation supported by certain agendas is nearly impossible to escape, how can we be sure that we’re learning good information and effectively resisting the bad? In Master of Information: Skills for Lifelong Learning and Resisting Misinformation, an audio course from Scribd Coach, library and information scientist/media literacy advocate Meredith Butts explains how you can wield critical thinking skills, proper research, and existing resources to avoid falling prey to misinformation and improve your media diet. In the course, Butts offers an overview of the current media landscape and the importance of media literacy, explains how to conduct research like a pro, and shares how to evaluate any source for hidden bias and misinformation. She also shares exercises along the way so you can begin putting what you’ve learned into practice. Whether you’re a long-time media enthusiast or this is your first introduction to media literacy, there are new, essential insights in Master of Information for all listeners that will help improve your relationship with media. Dive in and become a master of resisting misinformation!

An inspiring speaker and artist asked 20,000 people around the world to share the regrets they wanted him to burn in a mock Viking ship.  This is the story of what he learned about letting go of the pain of the past and embracing the future with hope. Turning 30, artist and speaker Kyle Scheele wanted to do something unusual to mark this milestone. Instead of a birthday bash, he decided to hold a funeral to memorialize the decade of his life that was ending. Building a 16-foot Viking ship out of cardboard, he invited friends to help him set it on fire—a symbolic farewell to his 20s and all the grief, regret, and mistakes that accompanied those years.  When video of his Viking funeral went viral, it encouraged many others to let go of past hurts as well. Moved by the response he received, Kyle planned a second funeral (this time with a 30-foot cardboard Viking ship) and asked people to share the things they carried—the bad choices, disappointments, heartaches, and negative thinking that they wanted to lay to rest. He received more than 20,000 responses from around the world—stories both heartbreaking and hilarious, painful and inspiring.  In this entertaining and wise book, Kyle reflects on what he discovered about freeing ourselves from the pain of the past, interweaving anecdotes from those who participated with the story of his own journey of renewal. “This story involves multiple Viking funerals, thousands of square feet of cardboard, and enough hot glue to supply your mother-in-law's craft night for the rest of time,” he writes. “But it also involves regret, self-doubt, insecurity, and ultimately, redemption. So buckle up. It's about to get bumpy.” How to Host a Viking Funeral is the story of letting go of the people we used to be, but no longer want to be. It’s about renewal; where there was once regret there is now blank space—an opportunity for a fresh start.

Laughing not to cry isn’t just a survival mechanism for Chris Gethard; it’s his default mode. As one of the untold millions who suffer from terrifyingly unpredictable brain chemistry—and the need to rein it in by pharmacological means—the celebrated comedian knows what it’s like to struggle with mental illness. He also knows mental health disorders can be inherited, a fact that, unfortunately, didn’t help things much when he became a father. A poignant and hilarious meditation on the wild ride that is a life medicated, Dad on Pills chronicles the perpetual wrestling match of parenthood and partnership while refusing to shy away from the terrible loneliness at the bottom of “having a brain that doesn’t always work so good.” From the comic absurdity and unexpected dread of a birthing class to the sometimes fraught—for this father, at least—utterances of his toddler son, this tragicomic memoir explores Gethard’s own upbringing, as well as his mental illness and its repercussions. “I spend so much time as a parent quietly praying,” writes Gethard. “Praying that my son, my child, this beautiful boy with his big goofy grin, doesn’t feel this thing I have felt so often in my life. The depression, the manic moments, the dangerous instincts.” But something magical happens along the way: Gethard devises a plan for always being a good and loving father no matter what vicissitudes of biochemistry his kid experiences. Resonating with honesty and vulnerability, shining much-needed light on the very real affliction of mental illness, Dad on Pills is striking in how it challenges us to be ever more humane and understanding while also constantly sucker-punching us with much hard-earned humor.

Flow is defined as a psychological and physiological state of peak performance. It’s the point where you feel and perform at your best; you can think of it as being “in the zone” or “hyperfocused.” You may remember a time when you’ve been so immersed in something that nothing else seemed to be on your mind, where you become one with the project. High-level athletes, artists, and creatives experience this valuable feeling often. But studies indicate that about 95% of the time, most people are operating at a lower level of performance. How can we change that and tap into the power of flow? In his Scribd Coach audio course, Enter the Zone, personal growth expert Jari Roomer explains how you can access the flow state when you need it. In the course, he explains the science behind flow, what happens to your brain in a flow state, and his three-step “3C Method” for accessing flow. He also shares exercises so you can begin applying what you’ve learned right away. What if you could get into “the zone” whenever you wanted? It’s more possible than you think — dive into Enter the Zone and learn how.

From the creator of The Good Place and the cocreator of Parks and Recreation, a hilarious, thought-provoking guide to living an ethical life, drawing on 2,500 years of deep thinking from around the world. Read by the author, this one-of-a-kind audio production features guest appearances by members of the cast of The Good Place. Most people think of themselves as “good", but it’s not always easy to determine what’s “good” or “bad”—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more, so we can sound cool at parties and become better people. Schur starts off with easy ethical questions like “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?” (No.) and works his way up to the most complex moral issues we all face. Such as: Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people? How much money should I give to charity? Why bother being good at all when there are no consequences for being bad? And much more. By the time the book is done, we’ll know exactly how to act in every conceivable situation, so as to produce a verifiably maximal amount of moral good. We will be perfect, and all our friends will be jealous. Okay, not quite. Instead, we’ll gain fresh, funny, inspiring wisdom on the toughest issues we face every day. How to Be Perfect is narrated by Michael Schur, Kristen Bell, D’Arcy Carden, Ted Danson, William Jackson Harper, Manny Jacinto, Marc Evan Jackson, Jameela Jamil, and Todd May!

Identify, understand, and reframe your life story with this essential guide for self-acceptance from Lisa Olivera, a therapist, writer, and creator of a wildly popular Instagram account. When Lisa Olivera was just a few hours old, her birth mother abandoned her behind a rock near Muir Woods in Northern California. She was found and later adopted. Growing up, Lisa knew she was adopted. She later learned she was abandoned. Like with many adopted children, this led Lisa to wonder: why did her mother leave her behind? Without answers, Lisa came up with her own: something must be wrong with her. Lisa came to believe she was not enough. This story wasn’t true, but it made sense of a confusing experience. It allowed her to move forward. It felt like the only way. Until, with the help of a therapist, Lisa began to tell herself a better story. If you have ever felt like you didn’t belong, or like you weren’t worthy, or like you weren’t enough, just as you are...it might be time for you to rewrite your story, too. Now a therapist herself, Lisa shows you how. In Already Enough, Lisa explores how our stories affect us—often much more than we realize. She guides us through reframing our stories so we can remember that we are already enough, just as we are. And she invites us to join her on a transformative journey to healing. Tender, hopeful, and inspiring, Already Enough is a powerful reminder that we are the authors of our own stories. The sooner we decide to write a better story, the sooner we can live a more whole, more meaningful, more nourishing life.

From the breakout star of Netflix’s Cheer, a motivational and inspiring guide to becoming a champion in all areas of life. In Full Out, “the Bill Belichick of cheerleading” (The Cut) Coach Monica Aldama shares how she built one of the most successful and beloved cheerleading programs in the country. Her uncompromising brand of discipline and consistency goes far beyond the mat—showing how the principles of building a winning team apply to personal goals, the corporate world, parenting, and all aspects of life. There’s a lot of talk these days about shortcuts and life hacks, but what really counts is commitment and integrity, helping your friends, and improving with your teammates. Coach Monica shares deeply personal stories of triumph and tragedy—from divorce and remarriage to her husband, her challenges as a young mother working more than full time, and her strenuous weeks on Dancing with the Stars. She shares surprising behind-the-scenes moments from the Cheer docuseries, and insights gleaned from more than two decades of pushing students to succeed. A true force and inspiration who has captured hearts around the world, Coach Monica will show you how to take command of your talent, make the most of your potential, and find your drive to win.

Our brain is a muscle. Like our bodies, it needs exercise. In the last few hundred years, we have stopped training our memories and we have lost the ability to memorize large amounts of information—something our ancestors could do with ease. After discovering that the true purpose of monuments like Easter Island and Stonehenge were to act as memory palaces, Kelly takes this knowledge and introduces us to the best memory techniques humans have ever devised, from ancient times and the Middle Ages to methods used by today’s memory athletes. A memory champion herself, Kelly tests all these methods and demonstrate the extraordinary capacity of our brains at any age. For anyone who needs to memorize a speech or a script, learn anatomy or a foreign language, or prepare for an exam, Memory Craft offers proven techniques and simple strategies for anyone who has trouble remembering names or dates, or for older people who want to keep their minds agile. In addition to getting in touch with our own human and anthropological foundations, Memory Craft shows how all things mnemonic can be playful, creative, and fun.

Most of us spend the majority of our waking hours at work. As a result, work often has an outsized effect on our mental health. Combined with the pressures we feel in our home lives, it’s easy to succumb to chronic stress and burnout. Studies indicate that about half of Americans cite work as their number one stressor. Brandy Payne, a former Associate Minister of Health for the Government of Alberta and Certified Psychological Health & Safety Advisor, understands the risks of burnout like few others. In Stress and Stressors, an audio course from Scribd Coach, she shares the wealth of knowledge she’s acquired during her career. In the course, Payne explains the distinction between stress and stressors, how to deal with stressors when they inevitably occur, how to manage your stress response, how to maintain adequate self-support, and more. She also shares exercises along the way to help you apply what you’ve learned right away. Stress and Stressors is an essential listen for those looking for a fresh, evidence-based, expert perspective on stress and burnout.

Negative body image affects people from every walk of life. We all receive messages throughout our lives about “ideal” bodies, and often internalize difficult feelings about ourselves that we can struggle to talk about. We can’t process these feelings on our own. In Reshape Your Body Image, an audio course from Scribd Coach, body image, self-love, and confidence coach Stacie Garland applies her background in psychology to open up a dialogue about the cognitive underpinnings behind body image and how we can re-route our thinking to have a more positive view of our body and ourselves. With the radical reframing of seeing ourselves and our bodies in a more loving, respectful way at the center of the course, Garland discusses how our body image is formed, how our conditioning contributes to our habit formation, and specific actions we can take to change our habits and move up the ladder of self-love. She also shares exercises to help you apply what you’ve learned right away. Whether you want to improve your own body image or get a better understanding of the science behind how we see ourselves, you’ll find valuable knowledge in Reshape Your Body Image.

Bestselling self-help author and award-winning personal development blogger Shelley Wilson takes the fear out of self-help and makes it fun, helping you to make easy, positive changes to improve your life right now. Includes her 31-day self-help toolkit. Have you ever felt helpless? Are you struggling to understand why you feel disconnected from your friends or family? Are you mystified by the words self-help, self-care, and personal development? Are you looking for answers but really have no idea where to begin? In this beginner’s guide to personal developmental and understanding self-care, Shelley Wilson will show you how looking after your own needs can be a powerful tool for your mental, physical, and emotional health so you can begin making important changes today. Discover what self-help means, how to become more self-aware, understand core values, and have fun mapping out what your best life looks like. Shelley includes tips, tools, and techniques and shares her 31-day self-help toolkit. Be the person you deserve to be and join bestselling self-help author and award-winning personal development blogger Shelley Wilson on a journey of self-discovery and recovery.

The idea of a “growth mindset” is exploding in popularity in the worlds of education, psychology, sports, and business. It’s the intrinsic belief in your capacity to learn and grow, which enables you to then do those things. There’s a clear competitive advantage to adopting a growth mindset — but how? In Mindset Shifts, an audio course from Scribd Coach, keynote speaker and personal development coach Tara Omorogbe explains how. In the course, she aims to provide listeners with a new self-awareness about their approach to overcoming challenges and renew their sense of motivation by adopting a growth mindset. Omorogbe covers the characteristics of a growth mindset versus a fixed mindset, how to identify your mindset through self-awareness practice, evidence-based techniques to help shift your mindset, and much more. She also shares exercises along the way to help you apply what you’ve learned immediately. If you’re ready to find out what all the growth mindset hype is all about, look no further — Mindset Shifts can help you tap into that power.