“The Big Cheese,” by Jori John & Pete Oswald
This is a delightful children’s book that is one in a series of seven books, each teaching important lessons in humorous and compelling ways. The Big Cheese is the best…
Books
by therapist Martha Jackson Oppeneer, D.Min., LMFT.
In this section of our website, Martha selects insightful books covering important topics such as parenting, relationships, health, and well-being.
We are excited to introduce the latest selection below.
“The Big Cheese”
by Jori John & Pete Oswald
Summary:
This is a delightful children’s book that is one in a series of seven books, each teaching important lessons in humorous and compelling ways.
The Big Cheese is the best at everything, and brags about it, too. When the annual Cheese-cathlon comes around, the Big Cheese is prepared to win, as always. But what happens when the quiet new kid, Wedge Wedgeman, comes out on top? Is a slice of humility all the Big Cheese needs to discover that some things are better than being the best?
Previous Book Reviews
Children's Books
“Ruby Finds a Worry” by Tom Percival
This is a book for children – a powerful, beautifully-illustrated exploration of feelings. The main character, Ruby, “finds” a worry, notices how it grows from day to day, and learns…
“Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls” by Elena Favilli and Francesca Cavallo
This was recommended by a client with two young girls, who is raising them to be strong and confident in a society that too often lacks healthy female role models…
“What Does It Mean to Be Present” by Rana DiOrio, illustrated by Eliza Wheeler
This is a delightful, well-illustrated children’s book that introduces kids to the concept of approaching activities mindfully: noticing when someone needs help, waiting patiently, learning to focus on what is…
“Breathe like a Bear: 30 Mindful Moments for Kids to Feel Calm and Focused Anytime, Anywhere” by Kira Willey
This is an ideal resource for parents/caregivers and kids to do together. Drawing from the Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction discipline, this book offers mindful exercises and beautiful illustrations that will…
Parenting Books
“Self-Reg: How to Help Your Child (and you) Break the Stress Cycle and Successfully Engage with Life” by Dr. Stuart Shanker.
Summary: There are no bad kids, there are only stressed-out kids. Dr. Shanker brings decades of neuroscience research together to help us better understand how to help our children (and…
“The Whole-Brain Child Workbook: practical exercises, worksheets and activities to nurture developing minds,” by Daniel Siegel, M.D., and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.
Summary: Based on their book of the same title, this is a practical workbook that helps parents understand their child’s developing mind and gain the tools they need to help…
“No Drama Discipline” by Dan Siegel, M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.
This title is available in a book as well as an accompanying workbook. If you only have time for the workbook, that will provide much of the information you need. …
“How Children Succeed” by Paul Tough
Drawing upon decades of neuroscience research, the author demonstrates that the qualities that help children succeed have less to do with IQ than with character. He uses fascinating stories –…
“Living with Intensity: understanding the sensitivity, excitability and the emotional development of gifted children, adolescents, and adults” by Susan Daniels, Ph.D. and Michael M. Piechowski, Ph.D.
Gifted children and adults can too often be misunderstood, as others view their energy, intensity, persistence and imagination as problematic and annoying. This book offers practical strategies for understanding and…
“Raising an Emotionally Intelligent Child” by John Gottman, Ph.D.
From the brilliant psychologist and renowned couples’ researcher, John Gottman, comes this gem for curious parents. In addition to 40+ years of researching couples’ relationships, Gottman has spent the past…
“Raising Critical Thinkers: a parent’s guide to growing wise kids in the digital age” by Julie Bogart and Barbara Oakley
Summary: We are all assaulted by so much information, it becomes difficult to distill what has merit and what may not only be false, but potentially hazardous. Imagine how daunting…
“The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age” by Catherine Steiner-Adair, EdD
Summary: As the author notes, the digital world is here to stay. Technology has many benefits, but what have we lost in the process? Parents feel disconnected from their kids,…
“Parenting from the Inside Out: How a Deeper Self-Understanding Can Help You Raise Children Who Thrive” by Daniel Siegel, M.D. and Mary Hartzell, M.Ed.
Summary: Who we are, how we are, and what we have experienced profoundly shapes how we parent, whether we are fully aware of it or not. Siegel and Hartzell use…
“Bottom Line for Baby: From Sleep Training to Screens, Thumb Sucking to Tummy Time – What the Science Says” by Tina Payne Bryson, Ph.D.
Summary: Dr. Bryson is a Clinical Psychologist who specializes in the art and science of child raising. In this book, she addresses each issue using a three-step approach: an objective…
Relationship Books
“Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love” by Susan Johnson, Ph.D.
Summary: Susan Johnson is a renowned couples’ therapist who has created an approach that enjoys a remarkably high rate of success. In “Hold Me Tight,” Dr. Johnson teaches readers that…
“Will I Ever Be Free of You? How to Navigate a High-Conflict Divorce from a Narcissist and Heal Your Family” by Karyl McBride, Ph.D.
Summary: While this book should probably come with a cautionary note to avoid diagnosing another person – especially a spouse or ex-spouse – with narcissism, the author provides critically important…
“Eight Dates: Essential Conversations for a Lifetime of Love” by John Gottman, Ph.D., Julie Schwartz Gottman, Ph.D., Doug Abrams & Rachel Carlton Abrams, M.D.
Summary: Researcher and clinician, John Gottman, is widely regarded as a world expert on the topic of what makes relationships work. Teaming up with three other researchers, they have written…
“Mating in Captivity: Unlocking Erotic Intelligence” by Esther Perel, Ph.D.
Summary: Renowned psychologist and Certified Sex Therapist, Esther Perel, does a brilliant job of highlighting the tension between our desire for domesticity in marriage and our longing for excitement and…
Healing and Personal Growth books
“The Compassionate Mind,” by Paul Gilbert
Summary: Our minds have developed in a way that makes them highly sensitive to perceived threats. This fast-acting system can trigger anxiety, depression and aggression. This is an incredibly difficult…
“Braving the Wilderness” by Brene Brown, Ph.D.
Summary: If you would like to live your life in a more reflective way, there is no better author than Brene Brown. In this book, she addresses the pain of…
“Prisoners of Our Thoughts” by Alex Pattakos, Ph.D. and Elaine Dundon
Summary: Drawing on the work of Viktor Frankl, renowned psychiatrist and holocaust survivor, psychologists Pattakos and Dundon outline 7 core principles for living an authentic and meaning-filled life, even in…
“How To Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen” by David Brooks
Summary: I do not make New Year’s Resolutions. They too often rely on impulsive wishes, and result in feeling inadequate when our goals are not perfectly met. Instead, I focus…
“Truth and Repair” by Judith Lewis Herman, M.D.
Summary: Psychiatrist Judith Herman is one of the most respected voices in the area of trauma – especially sexual violence. While our opinions are often shaped by anger and the…
“The Book of Joy: Lasting Happiness in a Changing World” by His Holiness the Dalai Lama, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams
Summary: If you only read one book this year, this is the book I would recommend. It is one of those rare resources that I will read over and over…
“The Book of Forgiving: The Fourfold Path for Healing Ourselves and Our World,” by Desmond Tutu and Mpho Tutu
Summary: A frequent topic in my therapy sessions is forgiveness: Should we forgive another? How do we do that in a meaningful way? What happens if we don’t/can’t/aren’t ready? The…
“Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World,” by Vivek H Murthy, M.D. (Surgeon General of the United States)
Summary: Even when surrounded by people, and bombarded by endless stimulation, humans can often still feel lonely. The hidden impact of loneliness is the negative effect it has upon our…
“The Mayo Clinic Handbook for Happiness: a 4-step plan for resilient living” by Amit Sood, M.D.
Summary: Dr. Sood is a specialist in stress and resiliency who has spent decades studying the factors that help people develop a greater sense of wellbeing. Based on neuroscience and…
“Healing and the Mind” by Bill Moyers
Summary: In this companion volume to the PBS series, television journalist Bill Moyers explores the fascinating, complex, powerful connection between mind and body in human health. Ancient medical science told…
Health & Miscellaneous
“Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism,” by Barry M. Prizant, Ph.D
Summary: For anyone whose life has been touched by autism – whether through a family member, friend or coworker – this book offers a profound and compassionate glimpse into the…
“Why We Sleep: unlocking the power of sleep and dreams,” by Matthew Walker, Ph.D.
Summary: When I discovered this book, I was intimidated by the length (nearly 400 pages, or 14 hours of listening time on Audible), figuring it would be a snooze (sorry,…
“The Telomere Effect: A Revolutionary Approach to Living Younger, Healthier, Longer,” by Elizabeth Blackburn, PhD, and Elissa Epel, PhD.
Summary: This is a groundbreaking book coauthored by the Nobel Prize winner who discovered telomerase and telomeres’ role in the aging process, and a health psychologist who has done original…
“Secrets From The Eating Lab” by Traci Mann, Ph.D.
Summary: When it comes to nutrition and health, everyone is an expert. Unfortunately for us, most of the information shared is either misleading or wrong. Psychologist Traci Mann of the…
“Ultra-Processed People: The Science Behind Food That Isn’t Food,” by Chris van Tulleken, M.D., Ph.D.
Summary: I offer this book with the disclaimer that I am not a nutritionist, and have no training in nutrition science. But I vetted it carefully, and recommend it based upon…
Games and Activities
Talking Point: 200 conversation cards (available for kids, teens and families), created by Ben Jones
What is happening to our relationships? This is a frequently-asked question as we all become increasingly buried in various forms of technology. Our wellbeing is profoundly connected to our ability…
“Bright Spots Thoughts and Feelings: A Sentence Completion Card Game,” by Elizabeth Wornham
The creator of this game (suitable for ages 5 and up) is a Marriage & Family Therapist with expertise in play therapy. “Bright Spots” helps parents, teachers and mental health professionals…
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