Best Mindfulness Books

9 March 2015

Posted in Mindfulness tags meditation, religion, science, spirituality

I have developed an interest in mindfulness and meditation, from a scientific perspective. For this reason, I did a bit of research on GoodReads to discover which are the best mindfulness books. Unsurprisingly, I found a lot religious works among these books. Those were not what I was looking for. In my not-so-humble opinion, religion is spiritualy for the ignorant mind, while enlightenment is spirituality for the curious mind.

And thus, for my own reading list, I only pick the books with a strong scientific foundation, usually written by atheists. I recently read 10% Happier, by Dan Harris, and I’m now reading Waking Up, by Sam Harris. For the religious-averse, such as me, I can recommend both books. They are all about mindfulness, but without the Buddha-hugging. Of course, feel free to pick any book you like. 🙂

This list is created from the books on GoodReads tagged with “mindfulness“, sorted using an algorithm that favors number of reviews, average rating, and recent availability.

Nr	Title – Author	Year	Amazon
1	True Refuge: Finding Peace and Freedom in Your Own Awakened Heart – Tara Brach	2013
2	Planting Seeds: Practicing Mindfulness with Children – Thích Nhất Hạnh	2011
3	You Are Here: Discovering the Magic of the Present Moment – Thích Nhất Hạnh	2009
4	Mindfulness: An Eight-Week Plan for Finding Peace in a Frantic World – Mark Williams, Danny Penman	2011
5	Taking the Leap: Freeing Ourselves from Old Habits and Fears – Pema Chödrön	2009
6	Comfortable with Uncertainty: 108 Teachings on Cultivating Fearlessness and Compassion – Pema Chödrön	2002
7	Real Happiness: The Power of Meditation – Sharon Salzberg	2010
8	Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha – Tara Brach	2003
9	Start Where You Are: A Guide to Compassionate Living – Pema Chödrön	2001
10	Search Inside Yourself: The Unexpected Path to Achieving Success, Happiness (And World Peace) – Chade-Meng Tan	2012
11	The Wisdom of No Escape: How to Love Yourself and Your World – Pema Chödrön	1999
12	Self-Compassion: Stop Beating Yourself Up and Leave Insecurity Behind – Kristin Neff	2011
13	The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness – Yongey Mingyur	2007
14	The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times – Pema Chödrön	2002
15	True Love: A Practice for Awakening the Heart – Thích Nhất Hạnh	2004
16	Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion – Sam Harris	2014
17	The Mindful Path to Self-Compassion: Freeing Yourself from Destructive Thoughts and Emotions – Christopher K. Germer, Sharon Salzberg	2009
18	10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge… – Dan Harris	2014
19	Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation – Daniel J. Siegel	2010
20	The Miracle of Mindfulness: An Introduction to the Practice of Meditation – Thích Nhất Hạnh	1996