Carleton's Corner: Books Worth a Read

Family life can be difficult; the interconnectedness of family can spark conflict that is hard to avoid. Family difficulties take many forms therefore there is no easy solution or magical fix for dysfunctional families. Family members can influence each other but can only control how they, as an individual, respond to the conflict. In his self-help book Overcoming Your Difficult Family: 8 Skills for Thriving in Any Family Situation, Eric Maisel presents eight skills anyone can acquire and utilize to help themselves through difficult familial circumstances, and in turn hopefully influence the whole family unit in a positive way.

Elaine N. Aron speaks to people who need daily alone time to function, who have trouble acting naturally in a loud, crowded, bar, or who experience the world vividly. After reading Aron’s advice and tips in The Highly Sensitive Person, I was eager to dive into this workbook. Aron warns readers in the introduction this book delves into uncomfortable and unwanted emotions HSP’s may experience.

The Dark Side of Personality uses the dark triad of personality traits as a building block to discuss a wide array of socially maladaptive traits. Divided into five main sections, the ‘Big Five’ personality dimensions, the authors discuss antagonism, disinhibition, rigidity, and negative affectivity. Under each section, several subcategories are addressed in individual chapters and are broken down further.

Kelso claims that the brain is self-organizing therefore spontaneous patterns form and change via nonlinear or dynamic interactions to coordinate brain activity and respond to the environment. He suggests by studying these patterns we can determine the laws that govern dynamic behavioral patterns, which can help us unpack more complex phenomena like perceiving, anticipating, and laughing.