Rolf Danner

There are three books in my library that I treasure. All three are short and very readable. When I compared them with longer, much more intimidating books, I came to the conclusion that they offer about the same, if not more advice than the thicker ones. They just do it more quickly.

Who Moved My Cheese?
by Spencer Johnson

Easy to read in under one hour. I read it the first time in the bookstore before buying it. A great little tale about finding “new and maybe even better cheese” in the maze of life. Perhaps you too can join Haw in putting on your metaphorical running shoes, laugh, and announce to yourself: “It’s… Maze… time!” rather than hanging around with Hem waiting for “the old cheese” to reappear.

How to Survive the Loss of a Love
by Melba Colgrove, Harold Bloomfield & Peter McWilliams

An excellent literary first aid kit for dealing with loss that almost always accompanies or precedes change. Whether you deal with obvious losses such as death or a break-up, not-so-obvious losses such a move, the loss of a cherished goal, or limbo losses such as waiting for a test result, or lovers after a fight, it is a great book to have on your book shelve. For now, keep in mind the advice from the first aid page: “You will get better. No doubt about it. The healing process has a beginning, a middle and an end. Keep in mind, at the beginning, that there is an end. It’s not far off. You will heal.”

When Things Fall Apart – Heart Advice for Difficult Times
by Pema Chödrön.

Whether your spiritual tradition includes elements of Buddhism or not, here are 22 brief, heartfelt, endlessly applicable meditations on life. I think the author herself gives the best introduction to her highly enjoyable writing style on existential issues: “Although it was before I had heard any Buddhist teachings, it was what some would call a genuine spiritual experience. It happened when my husband told me he was having an affair. I remember the sky and how huge it was. I remember the sound of the river and the steam rising up from my tea. There was no time, no thought, there was nothing – just the light and the profound, limitless stillness. Then I regrouped and picked up a stone and threw it at him.”

Also Recommended

	Lavender Road to Success The Career Guide for the Gay Community. by Kirk Snyder http://www.kirksnyder.com
	Is it too late to run away and join the circus? A guide for your second life. by Marti Smye
	What Color is your parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles
	The Radical Leap A Personal Lesson in Extreme Leadership. by Steve Farber
	Career Renewal Tools for scientists and technical Professionals by Stephen Rosen & Celia Paul http://www.careerchangeability.com
	Love’s Executioner & Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom http://www.yalom.com
	The Gift of Therapy An Open Letter to a New Generation of Therapists and Their Patients by Irvin D. Yalom http://www.yalom.com