"Taking Care of Business: A roadmap for those who will someday care of you" by Phyllis McLaurin
This book is designed as a practical guide for individuals to document, organize and communicate key life-information ahead of when someone needs to take care of you.

"When Breath Becomes AIR"  by Paul Kalanithi This memoir tracks a transition from doctor (treating death) to patient (facing his own mortality.) 

"The Daniel Plan:  40 days to a healthier life"  by Rick Warren This is a holistic approach to address more than just diet and exercise, founded on the Christian faith.

"Younger Next Year:  Live strong, fit sexy and smart"  by Chris Crowley and Henry Lodge, M.D. This book argues that the typical aging process is NOT inevitable if you take strong, consistent action.

"How NOT to Die"  by Michael Greger, M.D. This book examines the top causes of premature death in the U.S. and argues that many are preventable or even reversible through dietary and lifestyle changes.

"Breading Sweetgrass: indigenous wisdom, scientific knowledge and the teaching of plants".  by Robin Wall Kimmerer Kimmerer, a botanist, blends scientific training with Indigenous wisdom to explore how humans relate to the natural world.

"It's not you: Identifying and healing from narcissistic people" by Ramani Durvasula, Ph.D. This book serves as a guide for people who are in – or have been in- relationships with narcissistic people.  She explains how narcissists behave and how their behavior affects those around them.

"How to be your own best friend"  by Mildred Newman and Bernard Berkowitz This classic self-help work encourages readers to develop a healthy and supportive relationship with themselves – effectively becoming their own best friend.

"Frequency: The Power of Personal Vibration" by Penny Peirce This work explores the idea that everything – body, mind, emotions, thoughts, even your environment – is made up of energy and vibration. 

"Molecules of Emotion:  The Science Behind Mind-Body Medicine"  by Candace B. Pert, Ph.D. A neuroscientist, Pert plays a key role in the discovery of the opiate receptor, explores how emotions are rooted in physical, molecular processes of the body. 

"The Hidden Messages in Water" by Masaru Emoto This book presents the idea that human consciousness – expressed through thoughts, words and emotions can influence the molecular structure of water.

"The Biology of Belief" by Bruce Lipton, Ph.D. Dr. Lipton challenges the conventional view that our genes solely determine our health and behavior 

"The Power of Now"  by Eckhart Tolle This is a spiritual guide that teaches readers to transcend the ego and live fully in the present moment. 

"Hope for Caregivers: a 42-Day Devotional"  by Henri J. M. Nouwen This book is designed to support and uplift those who serve as caregivers.  It offers daily reflections that intertwine Scripture and insights.           

"The ANXIOUS Generation:  How the great rewiring of childhood is causing an epidemic of mental illness" by Jonathan Haidt This examines the sharp rise in mental health issues among adolescents, particularly since the early 2010’s.  He attributes this surge to the “great rewiring” of childhood, marked by a decline of independent play and the rise of smartphone use and social media.

“Fight Right: How Successful Couples Turn Conflict into Connection” by Dr. John & Dr. Julie Schwartz Gottman describes how each partner brings a “conflict culture” shaped by upbringing and personality. The book categorizes these into types like Avoiders, Validators, and Volatiles, offering tailored strategies for each pairing to enhance understanding and cooperation. The authors emphasize that most marital conflicts are perpetual, stemming from personality differences rather than solvable problems. Thus, the goal is not to eliminate conflict but to navigate it with empathy, clarity, and mutual care.

“Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love” by Dr. Sue Johnson reframes relationship conflicts as cries for connection, not battles for control. Drawing on attachment theory, she shows that adults, like children, seek emotional safety in their partners. When that safety is threatened, couples often fall into destructive “Demon Dialogues”—cycles of blame, withdrawal, or defensiveness—that lead to disconnection. The antidote, she argues, is recognizing those patterns and intentionally reaching for one another with empathy and openness.

“The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work” by Dr. John Gottman & Nan Silver teaches couples to build lasting love by deeply knowing each other’s inner worlds, nurturing admiration, turning toward each other in everyday moments, sharing influence and respect, resolving solvable conflicts gently, understanding deeper dreams behind perpetual issues, and creating shared meaning and rituals that give their relationship purpose and connection.

“Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life” by Marshall B. Rosenberg teaches that by replacing judgment, blame, and coercion with empathetic awareness of our own and others’ feelings and needs—expressed through the four components of observation, feeling, need, and request—we can transform conflict into compassionate understanding, engage in authentic dialogue that fosters mutual respect, and reconnect with the innate human impulse toward kindness and cooperation, enabling relationships rooted in empathy rather than domination.

“Getting the Love You Want” by Harville Hendrix & Helen LaKelly Hunt explains that people unconsciously choose partners who mirror the traits of their early caregivers in an attempt to heal unresolved childhood wounds, and through the structured practice of Imago Dialogue—which cultivates mirroring, validation, and empathy—couples can transform conflict into conscious understanding, repair emotional injuries, and build a mutually healing, deeply connected relationship grounded in awareness and compassion.

“Love More, Fight Less: Communication Skills Every Couple Needs” by Gina Senarighi teaches couples to transform conflict into connection by becoming more self-aware, separating thoughts from feelings, listening with empathy, speaking with intention, and using mindful communication tools to replace judgment and reactivity with curiosity, compassion, and clarity—ultimately helping partners build trust, intimacy, and lasting emotional safety in their relationship.

“The Argument Hangover: Empowering Couples to Fight Smarter and Overcome Communication Pitfalls” by Aaron & Jocelyn Freeman describes how misunderstandings fueled by ego, emotional triggers, and avoidance create lingering resentment after conflict, and offers couples practical, neuroscience-informed tools to calm emotional reactions, express needs clearly, listen empathetically, and restore connection so that arguments become opportunities for teamwork and growth rather than distance and regret.

”The Five Love Languages: The Secret to Love That Lasts” by Gary Chapman teaches that lasting love depends on learning to express affection in the way your partner best understands—through words of affirmation, quality time, receiving gifts, acts of service, or physical touch—because recognizing and speaking each other’s primary “love language” keeps emotional “love tanks” full, reduces misunderstanding, and transforms relationships through intentional, mutual care.

“The Power of a Praying Wife” by Stormie Omartian Christian devotional guide that encourages wives to strengthen their marriages through intentional, faith-filled prayer. Drawing from her personal experiences, Omartian explains how prayer can transform both a husband’s life and the spiritual growth of the wife herself. The book is organized around 30 key areas of a husband’s life—such as his work, emotions, integrity, sexuality, and faith—offering scripture-based prayers for each. Omartian emphasizes approaching prayer with love, humility, and forgiveness, focusing on personal spiritual growth before seeking change in one’s spouse. Ultimately, the book teaches that trusting God and embracing consistent, heartfelt prayer can bring healing, unity, and renewed purpose to a marriage.

”Feeling Understood: The New Conversation Therapy” by Reid Doster argues that no problem can truly be solved until all parties feel emotionally understood. The book challenges the impulse to jump into fixing, showing—through neuroscience, reflection, and real-world stories—that empathy must precede problem-solving to avoid disconnection and defensiveness. Each chapter unpacks a key element of this process: redefining what understanding means, demonstrating empathy’s biological and relational power, and offering tools for reflective listening, emotional validation, and attuned presence. Readers are guided to slow down, listen beyond words, and make emotional safety the norm at home, work, and in communities. Ultimately, it proposes a cultural shift—from a reflex to fix toward a “habit of we”—where empathy, belonging, and genuine understanding become the foundation of every healthy relationship. This e-book is free upon request to all CoupleTalks.com listeners. Contact reiddoster@yahoo.com.