Csikszentmihalyi’s research is the seminal work in understanding how we can all get into a clear state of mind – flow, as defined by the University of Chicago.  Essential reading.

Internationally renowned psychiatrist Frank endured years of unspeakable horror in Nazi death camps.   During and partly because of his suffering, he developed a revolutionary approach to psychotherapy known as logotherapy.   At the core of this theory is the belief that man’s primary motivational force is his search for meaning.  Cited in Dr. Frankl’s New York Times obituary in 1997 as “an enduring work of survival literature”, this book is more than his story: it is a remarkable blend of science and humanism and “an introduction to the most significant psychological movement of our day” (Gordon W. Allport)

Maybe “normal” people are right when they think that “not too bad” is OK!   A short but very heavy read – the first half of the book recounts Frankl’s time in Nazi concentration camps – and how the experience honed the mind and spirit of those that endured such physical and psychological pain.  The second half of the book goes into some detail on Frankl’s psychological theories which he developed after the War.   Worth reading for the first half.

The Inner Game of Tennis is that which takes place in your mind, played against such elusive opponents as nervousness, self-doubt and lapses of concentration.  It is a game played by our mind against its own bad habits.  Replacing one pattern of behaviour with a new, more positive one is the purpose of the Inner Game.   Peak performance at any sport only comes when our mind is so focused that it is still and at one with what our body is doing.  The key to the Inner Game is achieving this state of relaxed concentration so that we are playing out of our mind and not worrying about how, when or where to hit the ball.
Also by this author – “The Inner Game of Golf”

Psychology for sport – and life.   Many golfers and tennis players swear by Galway’s advice.

Why are some people enormously successful in their professions and in their personal lives?  Is it pure luck?  Effective Thinking for Uncommon Success shows you that success has nothing to do with luck, or even talent – it’s all in how and what you choose to think.  Based on research conducted by the author, Gerald Kushel with nearly 1,200 high achievers, this book reveals a simple but powerful thinking technique that all of us can learn.   Kushel’s finely honed method is based on the fact that you have completely free will as to how you think.  You decide, from moment to moment, how you act, think and react.   Effective Thinking for Uncommon Success shows you how to change the way you think, leading to three-dimensional success, consisting of high job performance, high job satisfaction and high personal life satisfaction. How successful can you be? Effective Thinking for Uncommon Success shows that there is nothing limiting you except the way you think!

My mentor, Jerry Kushel, wrote this in the 80s.  Simple English – no need to complicate the simple manner in which we “all choose our own thoughts”.  I’m not sure how easy this book is to get – but it would be worth searching for.

Brian Greene has made the mysteries of space and time accessible to millions with his acclaimed writings and award-winning TV series.   Now, he takes us on an irresistible and revelatory journey through the biggest of the big questions: What is reality?  Could we exist without space and time?   Can we travel to the past?   What are the limits of the universe?  He reveals a world more beautiful and bizarre than we could have imagined:  where ‘dark matter’ reigns, space warps and wiggles through eleven dimensions, minute particles dance, fizz and teleport across vast distances, everything is made of vibrating strings and, like an ant on a lily-pad, we may be floating on a sliver of space-time.   Revealing new layers of reality that lie just beneath the surface of our everyday lives, this grand tour of the universe will make you look at the world in a completely new way.

Wow.  How cutting edge science is unfolding the workings of universal energy.  At times highly complex – but that’s just because the subject is ten times more complex!   If you’re interested in gaining an insight into how quantum mechanics explains energy, look no further.

Why are we attracted to some people yet repelled by others?  What makes a tumour shrink after a laying on of hands?  How can sexual energy be used for spiritual growth?  How are our moods, sleep and behaviour affected by phases of the moon?   We are all moved by unseen and seemingly undetectable forces – what today’s cutting-edge scientists call ‘subtle energy’.   A noted teacher and researcher in the field, Collinge explains how we and our world are made up of energy and asks us to reconsider sensations and perceptions we often dismiss.  Making inspiring connections between ancient wisdom and modern science, he shows us how to attune ourselves to these forces and harness their powers.   You will learn how to sensitize yourself to the subtle energy around you, bring awareness of it into your relationships, protect yourself from unwanted influences and understand how your food, breathing and exercise affect your energy every day.   This eye-opening adventure into the world of subtle energies will help you fully to awaken to your energetic nature – and the vitality, harmony and pleasure that are your birthright.

A mix of mysticism and science – a little strange in parts – the book’s key ingredient is its ability to explain our own essential energy in practical terms.

The Making of Memory is about just that, in both its senses: the biological processes by which we humans – and other animals – learn and remember and how researchers can explore these mechanisms.  The original edition of this book won the Rhône-Poulenc Science Prize in 1993.  Ten years later, research itself has moved forward and the book has been fully revised.   Where, ten years ago, Rose argued the case for research on memory because it is the most extraordinary of human attributes, his own research has now opened the doors to a potential new treatment of Alzheimer’s disease and, in an entirely new chapter, he describes how this potential new breakthrough has occurred.

This is a scientific text by one of the Open University’s leading lights.   Interesting and educational rather than insightful.

James Redfield discusses the historical and scientific background to the bestsellers, The Celestine Prophecy and The Tenth Insight.  In this remarkable book, he focuses on our individual perceptions of synchronicity and cites examples from his own experience as he clarifies how mysterious coincidences lead us toward our special destiny.  Here, too, he examines one hundred years of discovery in physics and psychology to show an inevitable synthesis of Eastern and Western ideas.  The unmistakable message in this convergence is that human history is purposeful, that both miracles and scientific discoveries are part fo the same unbroken chain of evolution toward a better world.

Some of the science behind Redfield’s parable, “The Celestine Prophecy” – this is not so much a scientific text as a practical explanation of the everyday phenomena that are the essential ingredients of his parables and, if we’d only wake up and notice, our own daily lives.  Very readable.

Quantum theory confronts us with bizarre paradoxes which upset the logical edifices of classical physics.  At the sub-atomic level, one particle seems to know what others are doing (so-called ‘non-locality’), and according to Heisenberg’s ‘uncertainty principle’, there is a limit on how accurately nature can be observed.  And yet the theory is amazingly accurate and widely applied, explaining all of chemistry and most of physics.  Introducing Quantum Theory takes us on a step-by-step tour with the key figures, including Planck, Einstein, Bohr, Heisenberg and Schrödinger.  Each contributed at least one crucial concept to the theory.   The puzzle of wave-particle duality is here, along with descriptions of the two questions raised against Bohr’s ‘Copenhagen Interpretation’ – the famous ‘dead and alive cat’ and the EPR paradox.  Both remain unresolved at the beginning of the 21st century.

Quantum mechanics in something approaching comic-book format.   Highly accessible – will add to the understanding of those wishing to explore the sometimes inaccessible world of modern quantum theory – but, if you’re not into this area, don’t bother!

Unconditional Life brings together disciplines ranging from modern physics and neuroscience to the ancient traditions of Indian wisdom to show how our perceptions create our reality for good or ill – and how the outside world can be shaped by altering the world within.  In a book filled with hope and inspiration, Dr. Chopra offers compelling proof of the power of consciousness and a daring new vision of our own unlimited potential.

Chopra – as in “Perfect Health” – merges modern science and Eastern mysticism – this time with a more in-depth look at the scientific aspects of how we can get more out of life and living.