Personality and Human Relationships

These books are recommended by PRH Educators for further reading in the area of adult human development. The books are recommended because they provide more evidence of the positive core in each person.

(This list is from Mary Kolb of Medina, WA.)


Coelho, Paulo: The Alchemist (1993, HarperSanFrancisco; San Francisco, CA) - This enchanting parable encourages us to pursue our dreams, illustrating how the universe conspires to help us reach them.

Gendlin, Eugene T: Focusing (1978, Bantam Books; New York, NY) - This practical handbook gives easy-to-follow instructions for finding the meaning in your sensation or “felt sense”, a process that complements that of PRH Self-Analysis..

Gladwell, Malcolm: The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference (Little, Brown & Co.; New York, NY) - This argument for the contagion of ideas provides ideas and inspiration for anyone who wants to create change in the world.

Loeb, Paul Rogat, editor: The Impossible Will Take a Little While: A Citizen’s Guide to Hope in a Time of Fear. (2004, Basic Books; New York, NY) - This thick collection of essays with a sprinkling of poetry heartens, comforts, and inspires through the articulate and thoughtfully edited witness of authors ranging from Nelson Mandella and Vaclav Havel to Sherman Alexi and Alice Walker.

Nh’at Hahn, Thích: Living Buddha, Living Christ (1995, Penguin Group; New York, NY) – This look at the common ground between Christianity and Buddhism through the gentle eyes of a great teacher underscores the wisdom, compassion, and holiness of both.

Palmer, Parker: Let Your Life Speak: Listening for the Voice of Vocation (2000, Jossey -Bass; San Francisco, CA) - This invitation into both contemplation and action persuasively argues that, to make a difference, we must first know ourselves.

Pennebaker, James W: Opening Up: The Healing Power of Expressing Emotions (1990, Guilford Press; New York, NY) - This important research offers a window into why exploring, naming, and sharing our emotional experience makes us healthier and happier.

Tolle, Eckhart: A New Earth: Awakening to Your Life’s Purpose (2005, Penguin Group; New York, NY) - With delightful simplicity and clarity, Tolle guides the reader in the art of grounding in the present moment – where joy and meaning are found.

P Twist, Lynne: The Soul of Money: Transforming your Relationship with Money and Life (2003, W.W. Norton & Co; New York, NY) - This radical call to consciousness enlightens and empowers as it highlights the human and social impact of connecting one’s values with one’s finances.