The Introvert Advantage: How to Thrive in an Extrovert World," by Marti Olsen Laney, Psy.D. Copyright 2000.

   Researchers report that 75% of the world's people are extroverts, 25% introverts.  Popular wisdom says opposites attract.  Although personality types are tendencies along as continuum, and therefore difficult to pin down, trying to understand ourselves and those around us is a healthy endeavor.  In this case, especially so for introverts, who are at a distinct disadvantage in our high speed, go-go society, often feeling misunderstood, unappreciated, and out-of-sync with peers, spouses, and the world in general.    

"Delights and Shadows," by Ted Kooser, copyright 2004. Ted Kooser was Poet Laureate of the United States from 2004 to 2006. In 2005 "Delights and Shadows" was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for poetry. Noted for his clarity and accessible style, Kooser writes mainly about the Midwest, where he's spent his life. Is your soul weary from dwelling on inconvenient truths, economic hit-men and the shabby democracy our dollars are buying us? Give yourself a gift with this slim (84 pages) volume. It's relaxing, peaceful and frequently touching; guaranteed to transport you elsewhere.

"The Dream of Scipio," by Ian Pears. Copyright 2002. Fiction for our times. A compelling, complex feat of storytelling that asks, "What is the obligation of the individual in a society under siege? Is virture to be found in engagement, or in neutrality?" In the final days of the Roman Empire, in the years of the Black Death, and in the darkest days of World War II three Frenchmen, from the same village, but separated in time by hundreds of years, wrestle with the challenge. Each is involved with a strong-willed Jewish woman, each must shape his destiny in chaotic circumstances. Entirely different than Pears's art-history centered detective books.