For instance, when it comes to perspective, you can broaden yours by taking a tip from Mary Wollstonecraft, who saw past the mores of her society and refused to limit herself to conventional women’s roles. Instead of being wary of change, you can learn to be flexible, embracing the new and living in the now as Alan Watts advised.
McCarty is spirited and funny, and she gives you help in implementing all you’re learning by providing thoughtful discussion questions, and even a little homework under amusing topic headlines like Listen and Hum, Recite and Write, Read and Talk, Watch and Reflect, and Get Up and Do. Want to find serenity in your life? Get out and garden. Need a new appreciation of joy? Go to a place “that makes your heart sing’’ or listen to Vivaldi’s “The Four Seasons’’ to reflect on how each season is musically exhilarating.
McCarty’s devotion to philosophy is obvious, and her tone is so conversational that it’s nearly impossible not to get enthusiastic too. “Entertaining new ideas can transform lifestyles,’’ she says, and this book - push-ups for your mind - most definitely makes you see and understand your world and yourself differently.
While philosophy really has no rules, humans often impose their own structures, particularly when it comes to health. “Live A Little!:Breaking the Rules Won’t Break Your Health’’ by surgeon Susan M. Love and psychologist Alice D. Domar aims to “take the hell out of being healthy’’ by examining the scientific evidence and loosening up some of the rules and restrictions. Part of the BeWell organization, a community of medical experts dedicated to improving women’s health, the authors insist that perfect health is a myth and being pretty healthy is good enough.
