Amanda Ellison, a leading neuroscientist and physiologist at Durham University in the UK, explains head pain in her book Splitting: The Inside Story of Headaches.

What is the point of pain, especially the kind we suffer from headaches? Ellison addresses this age-old question and, combining humor with wide-ranging research, she also defines all kinds of headaches—from a “brain freeze” to much more serious cluster headaches—and their possible remedies.  

Those with a science background will not be disappointed. Ellison serves up loads of research and technical terms (enough to give the less scientific a headache) to explain how different parts of the brain talk to each other. Best of all, her book is packed with practical advice and information any headache sufferer can use. Learn what causes migraines, how sinus pain happens, and whether to reach for the painkillers or try some other remedy.

QUOTES FROM ELLISON

• “Even from [an early age, we seem to attribute our headaches to emotional causes, and the biggest of these is stress.”
• "The most common fix for minor nagging headache comes out of your tap."
• “Posture, bad diet, dehydration, alcohol consumption, lack of sleep, and the wrong kind of exercise all put the body and particularly the head, brain, and neck region under stress, leading to tension headache.”
• “Cluster headache is four times more common in men than women.”
• “Prodrome symptoms [are] quite obvious, including pronounced yawning, drowsiness, food craving, adversity to light, increased thirst or blurred vision.”

RECOMMENDATIONS

Avoid headaches by lightening up and getting (back) in touch with your fun side!

• Listen to Nonfiction4Life Episode #76 with Dave Crenshaw discussing The Power of Having Fun: How Meaningful Breaks Help You Get More Done and buy his book.
• Read Catherine Price’s latest book, The Power of Fun: How to Feel Alive Again.

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In her latest book, Thrivers, child psychologist Dr. Michele Borba identifies seven teachable strengths that can safeguard kids for now and the future. To find these traits, Dr. Borba combed scientific studies on resilience, spoke to dozens of researchers and experts in the field, and interviewed more than 100 young people from all walks of life.

Each strength is like a superpower that helps protect kids against the depression and anxiety that threatens to derail them. Better yet, when the superpowers are combined, they become even more potent, creating a Multiplier Effect that prepares children to succeed in our fast-paced, ever-changing world. And the best news of all: these strengths aren’t inborn. They can be taught – and Dr. Borba shows parents and educators how to do it so kids cope today and thrive tomorrow. Unlike raising strivers set on top test scores and other resume-packing accolades, parents can learn how to raise thrivers—young people who flourish in a rapidly changing, anxiety-driven, uncertain world.

Thrivers is a mix of keen cultural analysis of modern stresses and practical “how-to” strategies and everyday activities that build up kids’ mental strength, resilience, happiness, and success.

BUY Thrivers: The Surprising Reasons Why Some Kids Struggle and Others Shine by Dr. Michele Borba

RECOMMENDATIONS

Listen to other parenting podcasts on Nonfiction4Life:

• #81: “The Gift of Failure” by Jessica Lahey
• #90: “Teach Your Children Well” by Dr. Madeline Levine
• #96: “How to Raise an Adult” by Julie Lythcott-Haims

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As a Forbes Next 1000 entrepreneur and founder of the mentorship program Etre, Illana Raia connects girls directly to the leaders they want to meet and encourages them to ask the questions that are really on their minds. The result is The Epic Mentor Guide, a treasure trove of never-before-seen work/life advice from 180 boss women, each successful in her own sphere of influence.

Raia’s book includes advice from female astronauts, news anchors, CEOs, surgeons, engineers, Olympians, Wall Street wizards, world-renowned chefs, fashion designers, award-winning film directors, and more.

QUOTES FROM RAIA

• "Sometimes it's better to know what's coming even before you start."
• " We define a mentor as someone who takes an active interest in your future, someone who invests her time and energy to bolster your confidence, challenge your assumptions, and inspire next steps."
• "Oh, these women. Role models, champions, and rock stars one and all."
• "Answering girls' questions about diversity and inclusion, raising hands, speaking up and standing out, The Epic Mentor Guide is [the] inside track to the workforce before you get there.”

BUY The Epic Mentor Guide: Insider Advice for Girls Eyeing the Workforce from 180 Boss Women Who Know by Illana Raia

RECOMMENDATION

For a great companion book for women, read Pay Up: The Future of Women and Work (and Why It’s Different Than You Think) by Reshma Saujani.

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Urban economist Dr. Matthew Kahn in his latest book, “GOING REMOTE: How the Flexible Work Economy Can Improve Our Lives and our Cities,” shows us how the urban landscape is shifting in our favor. Whether we’re working from home, in person, or in a hybrid fashion, Kahn explains how the pandemic has created opportunities for everyone to have more freedom.

In fact, according to Kahn, the rise of remote work presents especially valuable chances for flexibility and equity in the lives of women, minorities, and young people. Working from home can significantly improve the standard of living for millions of people by changing the arc of how we live, work, and play.

For more, see the Nonfiction4Life website.

BUY Going Remote: How the Flexible Work Economy Can Improve Our Lives and our Cities by Matthew E. Kahn.

RECOMMENDATION

Compare Robert Putnam’s revised and updated book, Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community.

On a dare from his son, author A.J. Jacobs set out to thank everyone who contributed to bringing him a cup of coffee. The result is his book, “Thanks A Thousand,” and a TEDTalk viewed by more than a million people. 

Jacobs’s “Gratitude Journey,” a timely exploration of our interconnectedness, illustrates our need to eschew tribalism and recognize the staggering number of people who make our everyday lives wonderful.

Read more on our website.

BUY Thanks A Thousand: A Gratitude Journey (TED Books)

Watch A.J. Jacobs deliver his now-famous TEDTalk with over 1 million views!

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SUMMARY

In "WE GATHER TOGETHER: A Nation Divided, A President in Turmoil, and a Historic Campaign to Embrace Gratitude and Grace," beloved bestselling author Denise Kiernan turns her passion for history and unparalleled research to a topic that couldn’t be timelier: gratitude.

Spanning centuries, "WE GATHER TOGETHER" is anchored amid the strife of the Civil War and driven by the fascinating story of Sarah Josepha Hale, a widowed mother with no formal schooling who became one of the 19th century’s most influential tastemakers. Despite personal tragedy and ongoing political conflict, she campaigned for decades to make real an annual day of thanks.

For more, see the Show Notes on the Nonfiction4Life website.

BUY We Gather Together: A Nation Divided, a President in Turmoil, and a Historic Campaign to Embrace Gratitude and Grace

How have some businesses managed to thrive during the Covid-19 pandemic? New York Times #1 bestselling author Joseph Michelli scours 140-plus businesses worldwide to collect lessons in his latest book, Stronger Through Adversity: World-Class Leaders Share Pandemic-Tested Lessons on Thriving During the Toughest Challenges. With his own life as “proof that you can become stronger through adversity,” Michelli identifies 20 ways organizations have managed to turn breakdowns into breakthroughs during these trying times.

Listening with empathy, using a sense of humor, and admitting errors are just a few ways leaders today are moving ahead with success, creating a new normal at work. “There is a link between growth and resistance...Leaders must push through habits and emotional resistance to grow themselves and their teams,” says Michelli.

BUY Stronger Through Adversity: World-Class Leaders Share Pandemic-Tested Lessons on Thriving During the Toughest Challenges

RECOMMENDATIONS

• Watch a funny clip about customer service from Meet the Parents.
• Check out this scene from Love Actually making fun of customer service overperformance.