Reading List

Hi, my name is Dr. Kristen Acesta and I like to read. I will continue to add to this list as time goes on. For that reason, I have created a pile of health related books deemed "the short list" for quick reference. Otherwise books are listed by topic, not in any particular order. Also, if you can, please think about supporting small bookstores, independent publishers, and even the authors directly by purchasing books through them. YouTube tidbits are at the bottom.

The Short List

Where Ever You Go, There You Are, Jon Kabbat Zinn
No Man is an Island, Thomas Merton
Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall-Kimmermer
The Body Keeps the Score, Besel Van der Kolk
Move Your DNA, Katy Bowman
The Yoga Sutras of Patangali
The Little Prince, Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu
Women Who Run with the Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola-Estes

Medical Theology (traditional systems and conventional medicine)

Between Heaven and Earth: A Guide to Chinese Medicine, by Efrem Korngold and Harriet Beinfield

The Web That Has No Weaver, by Ted Kaptchuk

Dragon Rises, Red Bird Flies: Psychology, Energy & Chinese Medicine, by Hammer, Leon & Ted Kaptchuk
The Law and Ethics of the Pharmaceutical Industry, M.N.G. Dukes
Vitalism: The History of Herbalism, Homeopathy, and Flower Essences by Matthew Wood
Women's Bodies, Women's Wisdom, by Christine Northrup
Taking Charge of Your Fertility, by Toni Weschler
Astanga Hrdayam, by Dr. Sanjay Pisharodi
Eastern Body, Western Mind, by Anodea Judith

Nutrition/Food

How Not To Die, Dr. Michael Gregor
How Not To Diet (cookbook), Dr. Michael Gregor
The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook, Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN
Norma's Guide to Fermentation
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Norat
Cooked (documentary series) Michael Pollan
Food Rules, Michael Pollan
In Defense of Food, Michael Pollan
The Omnivore's Dilemma, Michael Pollan
Animal, Vegetable, Miracle, Barbara Kingslover

Botany/Herbalism

Braiding Sweetgrass, Robin Wall-Kimmermer
The Botany of Desire, Michael Pollan
Second Nature, Michael Pollan
Forage, Harvest, Feast
Acorns & Cattails, Rob Connoley
Herbal Medicine from the Heart of the Earth, by Dr. Sharon Tilgner
Wildcrafted Fermentation, by Pascal Baudar

Movement/Exercise

The Supple Leopard, Glen Cordoza and Kelly Starrett
Move Your DNA, Katy Bowman
A Guide to Better Movement, Todd Hargrove
Running with the Mind of Meditation, Sakyong Mipham
The Practice of Natural Movement, Erwan le Corre

Psychology

Where Ever You Go, There You Are, Jon Kabbat Zinn
Full Catastrophe Living, Jon Kabbat Zinn
(Anything by Jon Kabbat Zinn)
A Path With Heart, Jack Kornfield
The Wise Heart, Jack Kornfield
After the Ecstasy, the Laundry, Jack Kornfield
(Anything by Jack Kornfield)
When Things Fall Apart, Pema Chodron
The Places That Scare You, Pema Chodron
Fail, Fail Again, Fail Better, Pema Chodron
(Anything by Pema Chodron)
In The Realm of Hungry Ghosts, Gabor Mate, MD
Behave, Robert Sapolski
Why Zebra's Don't Get Ulcers, Robert Sapolski
The Power of Now, Eckhart Tolle

Spirituality/Religion (theology and history)

A Course in Miracles, Foundation for Inner Peace
The Yoga Sutras of Patanjali
Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu
Oneness, Center for Action and Contemplation
The Tibetan Book of Living and Dying, by Sogyal Rinpoche

A Guide to the Bodhisattva's Way of Life, by Shantideva

Christ the Eternal Tao, by Hieromonk Damascene

Falling Upwards, Richard Rohr
No Man is an Island, Thomas Merton
The Contemplative Heart, James Finley
The Meaning of Mary Magdalene: Discovering the Woman at the Heart of Christianity by Cynthia Bourgeault

Social/Cultural

Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
The Origin of Others, Toni Morrison
Black Is the Body, Emily Bernard
Biased, Jennifer L. Eberhardt, PhD

Archetypes/Astrology

Wild Mercy: Living the Fierce and Tender Wisdom of the Women Mystics by Mirabai Starr
Women Who Run With Wolves, Clarissa Pinkola Estes
Chiron: Rainbow Bridge Between the Inner & Outer Planets by Clow, Barbara
The Inner Planets by Liz Greene
Astrology, Psychology and the Four Elements by Stephen Arroyo [CRCS Publications]
Earth and Air and Fire and Water by Darby Costello [Raven Dreams Press]
The Inner Sky by Steven Forrest [Seven Paws Press;]
The Luminaries by Liz Greene [Red Wheel]
Planetary Symbolism in the Horoscope by Karen Hamaker-Zondag [Weiser Books]
The Gods of Change by Howard Sasportas [The Wessex Astrologer]
Cosmos and Psyche by Richard Tarnas [Plume]
A Handbook for Humanistic Astrologers by Michael Meyer [iUniverse]
Psychological Astrology: A Synthesis of Jungian Psychology and Astrology by Karen Hamaker-Zondag [Red Wheel / Weiser]
Christian Astrology by William Lilly [Astrology Classics]
Person Centered Astrology by Dane Rudhyar [Aurora Press]
Aspects by Sue Tompkins [Destiny Books]
The House Connection by Karen Hamaker-Zondag [Weiser Books]
The Changing Sky by Steven Forrest [Seven Paws Press]
The Astrological Moon by Darby Costello [Raven Dreams Productions]
Progressions by Kelly Surtees (forthcoming) [unknown]

Thought Provoking Novels

The Lighthouse Keeper, Hazel Gaynor
The Third Wave; Toffler, Alvin

YouTube Videos

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