No Plot? No Problem!

The Compound Effect

The Compound Effect: Multiplying Your Success, one Simple Step at a Time
By Darren Hardy
Foreword from Anthony Robbins
Published by Success Books

Throughout the book, Hardy links to free resources listed here at his website.

This book is filled with really simple and penetrating advice for achieving success in life, no matter what your goals. I have already started implementing his advice, and found it interesting and impactful.

Sacred Pregnancy: A Loving Guide and Journal for Expectant Moms

Sacred Pregnancy: A Loving Guide and Journal for Expectant Moms

By Anni Daulter, MSW

Forewords by Ina May Gaskin and Anna Getty

Photography by Elena Rego and Alexandra DeFurio

In this day and age of electronic books and online reading, sometimes it is nice to just hold and smell a truly beautiful book in your hands. It is an experience in itself – even before you get to the reading –to touch and feel a volume that houses within it a hint of significance.

For my money, Sacred Pregnancy definitely fits that bill. With gorgeous, inspiring photography and thick, brightly colored pages, there is just something about this book that makes you want to pick it up, find a quiet spot, and dig in. Once you do, you are certain to be inspired by the beautifully written prose inside.

The book takes on the role of journal through the months of pregnancy, offering mothers-to-be not just the standard advice and “what to expect,” but deep insight into the spiritual and emotional side of this amazing time. Each week of pregnancy is celebrated with a new and interesting topic. Sections include Partner Energy, Nurture Yourself, Sexy Mama, Trust, and Nesting, among many other deeply personal and non-traditional areas to explore.

As an added benefit, you will find recipes from Daulter, a professional foodie, alongside book, film, and music selections to expand on topics that spoke to you as a reader. With a down-to-earth, easy writing style and plenty of room to journal your own thoughts, this book encourages creativity and reflection in a way few other resources available today can.

Sacred Pregnancy also helps mothers explore which birth options are right for her, and helps her to work through any fear or anxiety that may be hanging on as baby’s arrival approaches. It also offers a place to record her own birth story, making this lovely book a keepsake for years to come.

This is truly a beautiful gift for any expectant woman, and a wonderful tool for doulas seeking to help their clients explore the inner process of pregnancy.

Birth: A Surprising History of How We Are Born

Birth: A Surprising History of How We Are Born
By Tina Cassidy

At times like a car accident you just can't make yourself look away from, former Boston Globe reporter and editor Tina Cassidy has compiled a thorough history of birth in easy to read language. What I love most about this book is that Cassidy approached the topic as a journalist. Rather than approaching it with an agenda or a preconceived notion, she looked at this wide world she wanted to know more about, and then shared what she learned. It really worked!

As a total geek for both history and birth, this book was right up my alley. I was so intrigued by the image of Cassidy digging through archives, visiting museums, and interviewing anthropologists and birth professionals. What she culled is informative for anyone curious about the topic. Any birth worker has ever been asked, "Did they really used to...?" could learn a lot here!

Potentially important note -- this isn't a great book to read while expecting. Rather, it is a great history lesson on birth, and how it has evolved through time.

Follow her on Twitter ... @Historyofbirth