The Reading Shelf

Both Be True, Be Happy and The Steps of Essence draw on the thoughts of some of the world’s greatest thinkers and implement many proven techniques from psychology. Here's a list of some of these influences -- you may use these to supplement and deepen your understanding.

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Foremost, the books have a deep philosophical basis. But as Wittgenstein once said, philosophy is not much use if it only allows us to argue about some deep Questions with some degree of certainty; instead it must truly help us with the important questions of life. The books therefore incorporate many techniques from psychology and other sources as well:

Authenticity: Being True to you
One of the great themes in The Steps of Essence is the idea of living authentically, and “being true to you.” This really has become some kind of slogan today, which many sling around without much care. But what really is the basis of this? What exactly is it that you can be true to here? Here are a couple of books that delve into this question:

On Being Authentic
by Charles Guignon
This is by far the best review on this topic. Dr. Guignon traces the concept of authenticity from antiquity to modernity, and shows how it changed, and what really the basis behind “being true to you” can be. Highly recommended, and not too hard reading.
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The Ethics of Authenticity
by Charles Taylor
Dr. Taylor gives a good introduction to the history of authenticity and what it is to mean to you, while being critical of some of the ethical problems of the modern world. Somewhat philosophical reading.
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Mythology
(Mythology is not in "Be True, Be Happy.") The Steps are all about finding yourself, which is a kind of personal Quest--and the hero’s Quest is the theme in countless mythologies from around the world, many of which, as Joseph Campbell found out, follow a similar pattern. These myths are really the story of each of us, our trials and journey through life, until we find our boon: that which matters. Dr. Campbell’s work has been highly influential, and you may even know some that came off it: for example, Star Wars (the original first movie) was patterned after Campbell’s findings; and so are the Steps of Essence, which take the basic pattern Campbell uncovered and apply it directly to your own journey of self-discovery.

The Hero with a thousand faces
by Joseph Campbell
This classic book inspired generations, including many movie makers such as George Lucas. When I worked at Disney’s Feature Animation studio, Campbell’s writing was a welcome cornerstone of our research library. In this book, Campbell outlines various stages of the Hero’s Quest, i.e. every person’s quest through life, as it is told in many a myth throughout the world. A true classic!
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The Power of Myth, DVD
by Joseph Campbell, with Bill Moyers
A six part video series, which first aired on PBS in 1988. Here, Jim Moyer interviews Campbell, who tells about the myths of the word, how they were born out of the inner lives of our ancestors, and how they can give us guidance in our current lives; a highly compelling and thought provoking dialogue.
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The Power of Myth, Book Version
by Joseph Campbell, with Bill Moyers
A book of excerpts from the above described video series, embellished with beautiful and timeless artwork from throughout the world.
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Western Philosophy
At the very heart of it, the Steps are really an exploration into Being: your Being—who are you, and what are you all about? In philosophy, the Quest-i-on about Being is called “ontology,” and the Steps are most closely aligned with those who pondered this question.

One of the most influential thinkers is Martin Heidegger, arguably one of the greatest philosophers of the twentieth century, who influenced many that followed, like Sartre and Derrida. Heidegger’s work is all about the question “What is Being?” and “why is there anything at all.” Yet, as brilliant as he was, his writing is very dense, and for some people at times incomprehensible. But if you take the time and effort to really dig into it, you will find some of the richest insights imaginable. If you read Heidegger directly, do yourself a favor and pick up one of the reading guides along side of it.

Heidegger for Beginners
This book is one of the best introductions to Heidegger’s dense thinking, and it’s fun, too! In fact, it is so good, that philosophy professors had to invent special questions to make sure their students did not get their answers from this little cliff-book. Before you tackle the real Heidegger, I suggest reading this one.
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Being and Time
by Martin Heidegger
This is Heidegger’s tome, a text that influenced many. If I could name one text that laid the foundation for the Steps, it is this one… Written in very dense language, Heidegger explores the question of Being from many angles. This is not an easy read, and I suggest picking up some of the companion books listed next.
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Being-in-the-World: A commentary on Heidegger’s Being and Time, Division I
by Hubert L. Dreyfus
Dreifus takes the reader through the deep thoughts of Heidegger and gives his language clarity. The only shortcoming is that the book only concentrates on the first division of Being and Time, and only touches upon the second.
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A commentary on Heidegger’s Being and Time
by Michael Galvin
A section-by-section running commentary to Being and Time, which brings clarity to what Heidegger is saying.
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The Cambridge Companion to Heidegger
edited by Charles Guignon
A helpful collection on insightful essays on Heidegger’s work.
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Introduction to Metaphysics
by Martin Heidegger
This is my second favorite book by Heidegger, after Being and Time, in which he asks “why are there things at all?” He introduces us to the ancient Greek’s view of how the truth unfolds itself, coming to stand in the physical, and works his magical prose from there. Again, not the easiest text to understand, but well worth the effort.
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Another influence on the Steps of Essence was the French philosopher Jacques Derrida, another great thinkers of the late twentieth century. Derrida was much concerned about how meaning concentrates around certain “centers;” and what happens if we can subvert these centers, to the point where all meaning becomes suspended. In the Steps of Essence, I compare this to pulling out a key-thread from a textile, and watching it unravel. To achieve this, Derrida plays with language itself, which makes his writing at times incomprehensible, yet also enjoyable for the motivated reader. I suggest you first read the introduction:

Derrida for Beginners
This is a brilliant introduction to Derrida, and a fun read as well!
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Writing and Difference
by Jacques Derrida
A collection of essays that contains one of Derrida’s most famous: Difference.
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Another great influence on the Steps were the American philosophers Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Henry Thoreau (to a lesser degree). To me, both express the early American spirit, being self-reliant, yet still working within society. Emerson’s paper “Self-Reliance” is a classic in that regard, and well worth the read.

The Essential Writings of Ralph Waldo Emerson
by Ralph Waldo Emerson
Emerson was arguably America’s first great philosopher, and a well known writer and lecturer in his day. Here you find many of his talks and papers, including the “Self-Reliance,” which greatly influenced the Steps.
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Walden
by Henry David Thoreau
An American Classic: Thoreau moves out of town, into a small cabin in the woods. Today, you can still visit the site at Walden Pond, in Concord, Massachusetts (near Boston), where a wooden sign reads:

"I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that I had not lived."

This sums up the Steps of Essence as well—only you don’t have to move away to go on your quest, but the Steps guide you through your inner journey.
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Others influences on the Steps of Essence are Immanuel Kant, Hegel, Hume, Sartre, Kierkegaard, and many, many others. Use this as an introduction to their ideas:

Philosophy for Beginners
A brilliant romp through 2000 years of philosophy; you will find all the great thinkers here in easy to understand language.
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Psychology
Often, the line between philosophy and psychology tends to blur, and this first set is less clinical:

To have or to be?
by Erich Fromm
Fromm outlines two basic modes of living: In the having-mode we constantly thrive to own things, and in the being-mode we are certain qualities. The having mode is characteristic of our normal way of living, yet it sets us up for disappointments, and happiness often will elude us. We must become better at being “ourselves.”
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Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Much of this is about happiness, but not in the sense we usually think about. Instead, it examines how humans are “happy” when we become totally involved in a task, and are in perfect “flow and harmony” with the activity. Here, we purely “are being.” In the Steps of Essence, we look for our “flow moments” to find instances of activities that made us happy, so that we can learn to extend this into other areas of our lives.
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Toward a Psychology of Being
by Abraham H. Maslow
Maslow was much concerned about self-actualization, which is the topic of the Steps of Essence. In this text, he explains human “peak experiences,” which are not unlike the Flow moments we just talked about above, and lays out better ways in which we can simply “be.”
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The following texts are more clinical oriented, and deal directly with overcoming issues.

Most readers may know how Freud analyzed patient’s dreams, but such “analytical psychology” is only one of many schools of psychology practiced today. The Steps of Essence do not use such “analysis,” but do draw on some of the models developed by Freud and Jung:

The Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious
by C.G. Jung
This text complements Joseph Campbell, who found that many myths of the word share the same structure. Jung found that our psyche is predisposed to have certain “themes,” the archetype, which are like “fuzzy negatives” around which meaning tends to organize, such as “the trickster,” “the shadow side,” and “the Self.” While at times a bit dry, Jung’s broad knowledge is always insightful to read!
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While analytical Psychology can certainly help a person, it often takes many sessions. Newer techniques deal more directly with the issues at hand and achieve results much faster. Arguably one of the most successful techniques is “Cognitive Behavioral Therapy,” which combines cognitive techniques to adjust our thinking with behavioral modification. I use these techniques in the Steps.

Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel by Changing the Way You Think
by Dennis Greenberger, Christine Padesky
A great workbook for the lay person, which describes all the techniques with various exercises to make them applicable in your life.
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The Feeling Good Handbook
by David D. Burns
A very readable account for the lay person, with many exercises.
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A Guide to Rational Living
by Albert Ellis
Another classic, written by one of the “fathers” of this school of psychology by Albert Ellis.
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Self-Esteem: A Proven Program of Cognitive Techniques for Assessing, Improving, and Maintaining Your Self-Esteem
by Matthew McKay
While geared mostly toward self-esteem, this book is stock full of cognitive examples that can be applied to other areas as well.
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Cognitive Therapy: Basics and Beyond
by Judith Beck
Written by the daughter of Aaron Beck, the earliest proponents of cognitive therapy, this book outlines many of the techniques in readable fashion. It was written for therapists, but lay people will enjoy this as well.
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While cognitive techniques are very effective, they do not work for everybody. The Steps of Essence therefore lay out another way that expands on the ACT formula: Accept yourself, Choose a meaningful way, and Take Action to bring this alive, which is the backbone of “Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.”

Rapid Relief from Emotional Distress: A New, Clinically Proven Method for Getting Over Depression & Other Emotional Problems Without Prolonged or Expensive Therapy
by Gary Emery, James Campbell
One of the earliest works on using acceptance directly in therapy. It introduced the ACT acronym. The text is a bit sporadic, but it laid the groundwork for what was to come…
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Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: An Experiential Approach to Behavior Change
by Steven C. Hayes, Kirk D. Strosahl, and PhD Kelly G. Wilson Phd
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (or ACT) has formalized the acceptance approach, and is rapidly becoming widely used. This book nicely explains both the background and the applications.
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Get Out of Your Mind and Into Your Life: The New Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
by Steven C. Hayes
Written by one of the earliest proponents of ACT, this book lays out a program for the lay person.
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The Mindfulness and Acceptance Workbook for Anxiety: A Guide to Breaking Free from Anxiety, Phobias, and Worry Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (Paperback)
by John P. Forsyth
Another workbook using these techniques. Some of this also deals with mindfulness, and therefore touches upon various eastern meditation techniques (see next section).
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Eastern philosophy
The Steps of Essence were written to be religion neutral, so that anybody, from any background can be comfortable with them. For that reason, I include many system of thoughts, including Western and Eastern philosophy. Some of the Eastern texts do cross over into the spiritual realm—which is unavoidable as any eastern way of living is spiritual in nature and connects with nature itself: you cannot separate the two. Here is a sampling of the more readable eastern texts which underlie the Steps:

Tao Te Ching
by Lao Tzu, translated Stephen Mitchell
The Great Taoist work, presented in a very short and readable way.
Tao Te Ching: An Illustrated Journey
The Watercourse Way
by Alan Watts
In remarkable flowing language, Alan Watts presents Taoism.
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The Book
by Alan Watts
Watts translated the concepts of Hinduism, Taoism, and Buddhism into Western language that you can understand, to help find “your self.”
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Zen and the Art of Archery
by Eugen Herrigel
One of the earliest Western texts on the practice of Buddhism here presented through the mindful practice of archery. Very readable.
Zen in the Art of Archery
Bhagavad Gita
translated by Stephen Mitchell
I refer to the Gita in the Steps when I talk about “The Battlefield of Destiny.” The Gita itself is one of the most widely read Hindu texts of the world; Ghandi, for example, read it daily.
Bhagavad Gita: A New Translation

Creativity
The fifth Step of Essence is all about designing your life, and finding creative ways to bring your being into existence. To do so, you must free your creativity, and these two books will help you do so:

A Whack on the Side of the Head: How You Can Be More Creative
by Roger von Oech
Very well done, and a fun read, too!
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A Kick in the Seat of the Pants
by Roger Von Oech
More advise from this master of creativity.
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Acting Techniques
The Steps are all about being authentic and being true to you. But what do you in situations where you struggle? You must learn to recreate an emotional state that lets you play “the role of yourself.” And there is a whole profession who has mastered this: actors. Actors constantly have to display specific emotions on cue, in environments (stage, film set) that is completely adverse to this. You, too, can learn from them, and apply their techniques to your life.

An Actor Prepares
by Constantin Stanislavski
Before Stanislvski, acting was all hit and miss. He then put together the first “system” by pulling together various techniques that worked for other actors, which became the foundation of all modern acting systems.
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Strasberg's Method As Taught by Lorrie Hull: A Practical Guide for Actors, Teachers, Directors
by S. Loraine Hull
Lee Strasberg was one of the great American acting teachers, and here is how he did it. Method acting is most closely associated with Strasberg, but many other great teachers (see below) all had their slight variations of this.
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The Technique of Acting
by Stella Adler
Another great acting teachers shares her technique. She was the only American who actually had studied with Stanislavki.
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Sanford Meisner on Acting
by Sanford Meisner, Dennis Longwell, and Sydney Pollack
Meisner was another great acting teacher, who taught a more “loose” acting system that allows for more improvisation.
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Science
The Steps of Essence often show how much of us interweaves with our context. Science also shows how ordered structures arise out of chaos, and vice versa. Here are some of the science books that influenced the Steps:

The Web of Life: A New Scientific Understanding of Living Systems
by Fritjof Capra
Shows how so much is interconnected.
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Wholeness and the Implicate Order
by David Bohm
There are various models of Quantum Physics, and Bohm’s is one of them. His model differs from most others in that it provides a philosophical basis for the findings. In the Steps, I use his example of how an ink-drop gets enfolded in glycerin, only to be made to reappear. Bohm used this to demonstrate what he believed happens at the atomic level.
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Godel, Escher, Bach: An Eternal Golden Braid
by Douglas R. Hofstadter
This book won the Pulitzer price in the eighties, and is all about the question “what is the self.” Hofstadter, an artificial intelligence researcher, uses mathematical models (Godel), fuges (Bach) and paintings (Escher) to show how all is interwoven and self-referential. The book is lengthy, and for some a tough read, but well worth it!
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Reference & Etymology
The Steps of Essence draw very heavily on the word-history ("etymology") of key words to give a basis to the arguments in the book. Here are the reference books that were used to look up these words.

The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
A huge book. I like it because it has a special appendix that explores the Indo European roots.
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Dictionary of Word Origins: Histories of More Than 8,000 English-Language Words
by John Ayto
I really like this one: Very readable and reliable account of word histories. Not as "dry" as some of the others. My only issue would be that there are "only" 8,000 main entries, and some of the other words are bundled with these main ones, so it sometimes is hard to find the entry.
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Chambers Dictionary of Etymology
Pretty much a standard.
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Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary, 11th Edition thumb-notched with Win/Mac CD-ROM and Online Subscription
One of the better standard dictionaries. Each word also has a short entry that shows the etymology.
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