Why am I passionate about this?

As a long-time meditator, wellness expert, and founder of a women’s adventure travel business, I am always grateful to discover books that offer insights about enhancing well-being. In my own book, Get Lost: Seven Principles for Trekking Life with Grace and Other Life Lessons from Kick-Ass Women’s Adventure Travel, I share personal stories of transformation that I and my fellow travelers have experienced on trips that include rituals to help us bond and express our authentic selves. Scientific evidence shows that connecting with others and practicing mindfulness are essential for a full, healthy life, and I loved recently sharing this message with students in the Spirituality Mind Body Institute at Columbia University.  


I wrote

Get Lost: Seven Principles for Trekking Life with Grace and Other Life Lessons from Kick-Ass Women's Adventure Travel

By Erin Leider-Pariser,

Book cover of Get Lost: Seven Principles for Trekking Life with Grace and Other Life Lessons from Kick-Ass Women's Adventure Travel

What is my book about?

Wellness expert and founder of Sports Travel Adventure Therapy (STAT), Erin Leider-Pariser has led over fifty STAT trips on all…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Creative Act: A Way of Being

Erin Leider-Pariser Why did I love this book?

Rick Ruben is a genius at his work, but this book speaks to the genius in all of us.

We are all artists, and we are all creating our lives. He reminds us every day to embrace what we already have by not wanting more. The pages flew out at me as I had to earmark most of them. His poetic words inspired me to live my life more authentically and with greater pleasure to spread the word to all.

Just this quote alone: “Art is choosing to do something skillfully, caring about the details, bringing all of yourself to make the finest work you can. It is beyond ego, vanity, self-glorification, and need for approval.”

This is the message for all mindfulness practices, and it totally resonates with me. Rick certainly treks life with grace as I explore in my book. 

By Rick Rubin,

Why should I read it?

14 authors picked The Creative Act as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The #1 New York Times bestseller.

From the legendary music producer, a master at helping people connect with the wellsprings of their creativity, comes a beautifully crafted book many years in the making that offers that same deep wisdom to all of us.

"A gorgeous and inspiring work of art on creation, creativity, the work of the artist. It will gladden the hearts of writers and artists everywhere, and get them working again with a new sense of meaning and direction. A stunning accomplishment.” —Anne Lamott

“I set out to write a book about what to do to make a…


Book cover of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters

Erin Leider-Pariser Why did I love this book?

This book is an exercise in how to lead a more meaningful life in the way you gather. It has totally changed the way I host people in my home and how I contribute to a get together anywhere.

Just asking guests to perform a task is an attempt to get them in the mood to socialize on a deeper level. It reinforces my ceremonial talking stick ceremony that I perform when I travel with a group by asking them to bring something from home that represents what they are manifesting in life. It’s a powerful tool.

Priya outlines all the ways you can empower your social/business gatherings with simple ideas. I’ve already used her sharing techniques and it has shifted everything for the better. Gathering well isn’t a chill activity. You must make an effort to ask for Grace. Try it. 

By Priya Parker,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Art of Gathering as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

"Hosts of all kinds, this is a must-read!" --Chris Anderson, owner and curator of TED
 
From the host of the New York Times podcast Together Apart, an exciting new approach to how we gather that will transform the ways we spend our time together—at home, at work, in our communities, and beyond.

In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that the gatherings in our lives are lackluster and unproductive--which they don't have to be. We rely too much on routine and the conventions of gatherings when we should focus on distinctiveness and the people involved. At a time when…


Book cover of A Philosophy of Walking

Erin Leider-Pariser Why did I love this book?

I was gifted this book recently and it is the gift that keeps on giving.

I am an avid walker and the way the author interspersed poignant life stories with his own on walking was lovingly poetic. This quote “the walker is king, and the earth is his domain” is the one that defines the entire message of the book. I’ve been on many pilgrimages in life and witnessed many a transformation but none like the ones these philosophers uncover.

It was a joy to read the profound messages in staying present while walking as exercise. Grab a friend and enjoy walking together as you put one foot in front of the other and have meaningful conversation. 

By Frederic Gros, Clifford Harper (illustrator), John Howe (translator)

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked A Philosophy of Walking as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

It is only ideas gained from walking that have any worth.
- Nietzsche

By walking, you escape from the very idea of identity, the temptation to be someone, to have a name and a history ... The freedom in walking lies in not being anyone; for the walking body has no history, it is just an eddy in the stream of immemorial life.

In A Philosophy of Walking, a bestseller in France, leading thinker Frederic Gros charts the many different ways we get from A to B-the pilgrimage, the promenade, the protest march, the nature ramble-and reveals what they say…


Book cover of Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Erin Leider-Pariser Why did I love this book?

The is a bestseller for a reason. It's a story of friendship, but more importantly it’s a love story as the characters weave their lives together through lots of hardship. The message appeals to me in a big way because I’m all about connections and how we connect in a meaningful way.

In this book, connections are made through a disability and their shared artistic ability. It’s the genuine authentic way in which they navigate through life together that you will appreciate, and that will move you toward a more compassionate and implement it into your own life.

We all have fears (a disability), big and small, and it’s the way we interact with them that makes us stronger humans. Again, a mindfulness practice in reading between the lines here in this beautifully written book. 

By Gabrielle Zevin,

Why should I read it?

39 authors picked Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

* AMAZON'S #1 BOOK OF 2022 *

Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow takes us on a dazzling imaginative quest, examining identity, creativity and our need to connect.

This is not a romance, but it is about love.

'I just love this book and I hope you love it too' JOHN GREEN, TikTok

Sam and Sadie meet in a hospital in 1987. Sadie is visiting her sister, Sam is recovering from a car crash. The days and months are long there, but playing together brings joy, escape, fierce competition -- and a special friendship. Then all too soon that time is…


Book cover of Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead

Erin Leider-Pariser Why did I love this book?

Brené is a master at being vulnerable, and she teaches us to connect with our vulnerability in order to live an authentic life.

There’s nothing like sharing your most vulnerable moments with others to uncover that everyone has them. Peeling away layers helps us get to the core of who we are. She is living proof that practicing what you preach reaps far-reaching benefits. Early on in my career, I was searching for purpose, and I found it in being vulnerable and sharing my vulnerability with others, only to discover that it sets you free.

Brene will convince you that daring greatly is not about winning or losing but about courage. I love taking people out of their comfort zones on travelling to exotic and out-of-this-world places that make you feel your insignificance. It takes courage to take this creative path without psychedelics, but that’s a whole other conversation. 

By Brené Brown,

Why should I read it?

12 authors picked Daring Greatly as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

**Now on Netflix as The Call to Courage**

'She's so good, Brene Brown, at finding the language to articulate collective feeling' Dolly Alderton

Every time we are faced with change, no matter how great or small, we also face risk. We feel uncertain and exposed. We feel vulnerable. Most of us try to fight those feelings - or feel guilt for feeling them in the first place.

In a powerful new vision Dr Brene Brown challenges everything we think we know about vulnerability, and dispels the widely accepted myth that it's a weakness. She argues that, in truth, vulnerability is…


Explore my book 😀

Get Lost: Seven Principles for Trekking Life with Grace and Other Life Lessons from Kick-Ass Women's Adventure Travel

By Erin Leider-Pariser,

Book cover of Get Lost: Seven Principles for Trekking Life with Grace and Other Life Lessons from Kick-Ass Women's Adventure Travel

What is my book about?

Wellness expert and founder of Sports Travel Adventure Therapy (STAT), Erin Leider-Pariser has led over fifty STAT trips on all seven continents, facilitating life-changing experiences for more than five hundred women. This inspiring volume includes her Seven Principles for Trekking Life with Grace, a set of golden rules for navigating toward your best self.

Complete with advice for forming your own group travel adventures on any budget, this energizing and at times hilarious book invites women to ignite their adventurous spirit, whether through travels near or far or taking bold new steps toward their dreams. Through stories and anecdotes, the reader will witness how women’s travel is soulful, flipped-out, hysterical fun—an absolute necessity for travel and everyday life. 

Book cover of The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Book cover of The Art of Gathering: How We Meet and Why It Matters
Book cover of A Philosophy of Walking

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Falcon's Call

By Mike Waller,

Book cover of Falcon's Call

Mike Waller Author Of Falcon's Call

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

As a child, I lived in a small valley sheltered from the night city lights. I could see the stars, and from that time, that is where my imagination dwelled. As a teenager, I read several of the books I have listed here, and from that point, I was inspired to read more and also to write myself. I sincerely believe that despite our current problems, humanity will outlive its troubled childhood and reach for the stars. We are destined for the stars, and only in the works of science fiction writers is that future explored. The books below helped me to become a successful author in my own right.

Mike's book list on scifi humanity’s future in space and time

What is my book about?

An alien starship appears in the Solar System! Humanity faces a glorious future, or total extinction, and only Joe Falcon can make the choice. Never would Joe have imagined it would fall to him to make the decision that would alter the destiny of two worlds, launching humanity towards a glorious future, or to extinction.

Falcon's Call is an action packed dive into the unknown, written in the style of the great, classic, science-fiction stories. If you like surprising plot twists, compelling characters and a hero who actually cares, you must read this new novel by Mike Waller.

Falcon's Call

By Mike Waller,

What is this book about?

Reader's Favorite Gold Medal winner 2019
B.R.A.G. Medallion Honoree 2019
Chill With A Book Premier Award 2019

In a heart-pounding battle for humanity's survival, one man holds the key to a glorious future or utter extinction.

In a race against time, Earth and Mars race to claim a derelict alien ship as it enters the Solar System, both aware that whichever planet succeeds might in so doing achieve technological advantage over the other. But who should they send? Joe Falcon, an unlikely candidate, never saw himself as the "right" person. Accompanied by a crew of misfits, each fleeing their own…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in risk, creativity, and self-actualization?

Risk 12 books
Creativity 144 books
Self-Actualization 230 books