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
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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