10% Happier, Dan Harris, 2014

A fine addition to my meditation library!  Harris, the son of a long time acquaintance who was the Chief of Radiation Oncology at BWH, writes a very funny, insightful, and useful story of his rise in ABC News, his fall with drugs, anxiety, and panic attacks, and his resurrection with the help of meditation to become anchor of Nightline and the weekend GMA.  Writing with great wit and irony, Harris demythologizes (is that a word?) meditation and mindfulness separating the useful parts from the ‘airy-fairy’ Tolle and Branch approach and focusing on the practical tips from Branch (RAIN!), Joseph Goldstein ( a 10 day silent retreat!!!), and a psychiatrist in NYC Martin Epstein.  This is a fine introductory book for the potential meditator or anyone who would like to gain better control over that reptilian, fight or flight, hyper-reactive mind that we all seem to have.