Area authors tackle life, relationships, social issues
New Year’s resolutions needn’t be forgotten by the end of January. In these new releases by six Bay Area authors, readers will find fresh — and perhaps lasting — ways of looking at love, life, work, relationships and social issues. “A FIERCE HEART: FINDING STRENGTH, COURAGE, AND WISDOM IN ANY MOMENT” » by Spring Washam (Parallax Press, $16.95, 208 pages). According to Oakland author Spring Washam, the path to strength, courage and wisdom is available to everyone. Washam, a meditation teacher and founding member of the East Bay Meditation Center, delivers a helpful guide to the Buddhist tenets that she explores in classes, workshops and retreats. “It’s easy to forget your light and your innate goodness,” she notes, “especially if you’re a person of color, LGBTQ or someone in a marginalized group.” With “A Fierce Heart,” she offers insight into the practices that can help us change, appreciate and realize our own potential.
“WIN BIGLY: PERSUASION IN A WORLD
WHERE FACTS DON’T MATTER” » by Scott Adams (Portfolio, $27, 304 pages). Scott Adams, creator of the popular “Dilbert” comic strip, may have been one of the few Bay Area residents who wasn’t shocked when Donald Trump won the presidency. In fact, when others set the candidate’s odds at 2 percent, Adams predicted that Trump had a 98 percent chance of winning. In his new book, the Pleasanton cartoonist and author says it was Trump’s “extraordinary” persuasion skills that enabled him to capture the White House. Adams, who supported Trump all the way, explains how readers can employ those same tactics — branding, linguistic “kill shots” and visual images such as Trump’s “big, beautiful wall” — and use them to prevail in their own business and social situations.
“CHEATING: ETHICS IN EVERYDAY
LIFE” » by Deborah L. Rhode (Oxford University Press, $27.95, 208 pages). Does everyone cheat? It often seems that way. “Everyone does it” is a common rationalization for bad behavior — one that author Deborah L. Rhode believes comes close to the truth. Rhode, a law professor at Stanford University, believes that cheating is a serious problem, one that costs us close to a trillion dollars annually. In this engaging new book, she takes a rigorous look at the problem, examining cheating in sports, business, marriage and academia — and considers the most effective ways to address the issue. “TELL ME MORE: AND 11 OTHER IMPORTANT THINGS I’M LEARNING TO SAY” » by Kelly Corrigan (Random House, $26, 256 pages). Twelve sentences can change your life, says Oakland author Kelly Corrigan. In chapters titled “I Don’t Know,” “I Was Wrong” and “No,” she explains how deploying these simple phrases can lead to radical shifts in friendships, family dynamics and work situations. Corrigan, whose previous books include “The Middle Place” and “Glitter and Glue,” writes with humor and insight about our never-ending quests for love, acceptance and understanding. Meet the author Feb. 1 at Rakestraw Books in Danville, and Feb. 5 at Kepler’s in Menlo Park. Corrigan also will join Daniel Handler in conversation on Feb. 6 at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco.
“INVOCATION TO DAUGHTERS” » by Barbara Jane Reyes (City Lights, $14.95, 86 pages). In its Spotlight series, City Lights publishes poetry by established artists and emerging voices. This new volume, by Oakland poet Barbara Jane Reyes, is a slim but powerful collection that speaks directly to the #MeToo movement. Writing in an English inflected with Tagalog and Spanish, Reyes delves deeply into the many challenges faced by girls and young women in these difficult times.
“THE AMOROUS HEART: AN UNCONVENTIONAL HISTORY OF LOVE” » by Marilyn Yalom (Basic Books, $27; 288 pages). Valentine’s Day is a month away, but it’s never too soon to consider the human heart. Palo Alto’s Marilyn Yalom, a senior scholar at Stanford’s Clayman Institute for Gender Research, calls the heart the most recognizable symbol in the world, one that has inspired everything from candy hearts to precious jewelry, paintings and great works of literature. From Christian theology to erotic poetry, Shakespearean drama to contemporary heart symbolism, “The Amorous Heart” is a fascinating history of the heart as symbol, icon and inspiration. Get your valentines ready. Yalom will read from the book Feb. 10 at Mrs. Dalloway’s in Berkeley, and Feb. 15 at the Stanford Humanities Center.