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Things to try with us...Read
Here is a list of books about health that we have found particularly useful. Think of it as like a book club with Kefir rather than Prosecco…we’ll gradually add more books with a description from a member of the team as we go along. We’d love to hear your recommendations too...
The 4-Pillar Plan
by Rangan Chatterjee
Health
Quite simply the book that has changed the way that I practice and think about health more than any other. If I were to recommend healthcare professionals read any ‘text book’ it would be this one. Written by a GP he explains current concepts of how our lifestyle choices influence our health and argues that how we sleep, what we eat, how we relax and how we move have the biggest impact on our health. I bought it for both my parents
Dr Peter Churn
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Being Mortal
by Atul Gawande
Older people, Palliative care
If you are helping care for an older person or someone at the end of their life, I couldn’t recommend this book more. Written by an American surgeon it is an intensely personal exploration of how we provide social care and what really matters in the end…I loved it.
Dr Peter Churn
Reasons to Stay Alive by Matt Haig
Depression
A gut-wrenching but ultimately hopeful account of one young man’s experience of depression. I found it profoundly moving and helpful in understanding what it feels like to be depressed – and what might help most.
Dr Peter Churn
Where Memories Go
by Sally Magnusson
Dementia
A beautifully written and intimate account of one family’s experiences of caring for a loved one with dementia. It is full of comfort and wisdom about an experience that so many of us share.
Dr Peter Churn
Lost Connections
by Johann Hari
Depression
A book that challenged what I was taught about depression and antidepressants. Johann Hari is a journalist who suffered depression and went on a journey to talk to the world’s experts and try and uncover the true causes of depression in our modern lives.
Dr Peter Churn
The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read by Philippa Perry
Parenting
I haven’t read many books about parenting…but maybe I should have! This is written by a psychologist but is practical and readable. I wish I had read it earlier and my children would probably agree.
Dr Peter Churn
Notes on Grief
by Chimamanda Ngozi Adiche
Grief
One woman’s experience of loss….who happens to be one of the world’s finest writers. A small but beautiful book that might bring a small amount of comfort.
Dr Peter Churn
The Outrun
by Amy Liptrot
Alcohol
A beautifully written memoir of a washed up young alcoholic woman…washing up on Orkney. How she survived and what we can all learn from her struggles.
Dr Peter Churn
Chasing the Scream
by Johann Hari
Addiction
The story of addiction and why the ‘War on Drugs’ is failing. I learnt so much about the experience of addiction and how best to try and help as a doctor, relative or friend
Dr Peter Churn
Dopamine Nation
by Anna Lembke
Addiction, Health, Pain
Fantastic book written by a psychiatrist Anna Lembke. We live in a dopamine saturated world, and it is making us all sick. I loved her concept of a balance between pleasure and pain and how our body's naturally seek to balance this.
Dr Peter Churn
Finding Ultra
by Rich Roll
Addiction, Running
My hero – an American, vegan ultra-runner, swimmer, and podcaster – but don’t let that put you off. Tells the tale of his descent into alcoholism as an unfulfilled entertainment lawyer to redemption as one of the world’s fittest men. One of my fantasy dinner party guests – but you’d have to serve vegetables.
Dr Peter Churn
Tiny Habits
by BJ Fogg
Health, Behaviour Change
BJ Fogg is a Stanford professor who ran a course in behaviour change attended by the founders of Instagram. If you are struggling to break bad habits or stick to new ones, I think he has understood why that might be better than anyone else….so start ridiculously small, and make it feel good!
Dr Peter Churn
Bravery
by Alexi Pappas
Running, Depression
I love Alexi Pappas – poet, film-maker and Olympic athlete. Bravey tells the story of how she coped with her mother’s mental illness before experiencing depression herself – courageous, inspiring and wise beyond her years.
Dr Peter Churn
Midnight Library
By Matt Haig
Depression, Life
What if you had the chance to make different choices in your life?....a novel about regret, our choices and what makes a good life. Poignant and comforting.
Dr Peter Churn
Stolen Focus
by Johann Hari
Attention, Life
A call to arms about the attention calamity we are all facing – how it is affecting us and what we can do about it. I didn’t particularly like the bit about ADHD but much of the remainder resonated for a 47-year-old struggling to stay off his phone and stay present in his life!
Dr Peter Churn
Can't Hurt Me
by David Goggins
Running, Behaviour Change
If you feel you are stuck and cannot change your life, perhaps you need Goggins? His story from an impoverished, abusive childhood to a decorated US Navy SEAL and record-setting ultra-runner will both challenge and inspire you. Take an unflinching look in the mirror, accept no excuses and unlock the remaining 60% of your potential. Stay Hard!
Dr Peter Churn
The Power of Regret
by Daniel H. Pink
Decisions, Life
No regrets?....let's hope not. A highly readable book about what we tend to regret most, how to learn from this and make better decisions in the future. I regret not reading it earlier
Dr Peter Churn
Before & Laughter
by Jimmy Carr
Stress, Depression
What if a stand-up comedian wrote a self-help book?....he has! A book full of wit, wisdom and current psychological best practice! More Ho-Ho than Woo-Woo. I bought it for my brother.
Dr Peter Churn
Happy Mind, Happy Life
Rangan Chatterjee
Life
I have enjoyed all of Rangan's books but his latest might even be my favourite - a wise guidebook to a contented life in the modern age. Maybe more 'content' than 'happy' - but I think that is really what we should all be aiming for?
Dr Peter Churn
Think Like a Monk
Jay Shetty
Life
Lessons for life in the modern world from a young man who lived as a monk in an ashram for 3 years....so that we don't have to!? It's full of humble advice to help us live contented lives with purpose and meaning. A lovely book.
Dr Peter Churn
Greenlights
Matthew McConaughey
Life
Alright, alright, alright....Want to spend a few hours around a campfire with a few beers and one of the world's most charming, handsome and...it turns out...wisest men? You can! I'm afraid you might fall in love - I have.
Dr Peter Churn
Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before?
Julie Smith
Psychology, Life
I find books advising you to think differently about things hard to read and even harder to put into practice - but this is probably as good as they get. It's a bit dense with advice and might be best dipped into rather than read cover to cover....or perhaps I'm just a bit dense?
Dr Peter Churn
Four Thousand Weeks
Oliver Burkeman
Life, Decisions, Inspiration
Just 4000 weeks is all most of us will get in this life!! It seems frighteningly short (and we'll do our best to help you get more!) but this uplifting book describes the joy and relief we can find by embracing this finitude and letting go of our expectations. I loved it.
Dr Peter Churn
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running
Murakami
Life, Running
A book about why the best running shoes to lace up are the ones you already own....a love story to running and to living - wherever they both might take you.
Dr Peter Churn
The Gangster's Guide to Sobriety
Richie Stephens
Alcohol, Addiction
If you think you're situation couldn't get any worse?! I loved this brutally honest and darkly humorous account of what it took for Richie to turn his life around - if he can do it then there is hope for anyone! In his own words "My marriage was in shit and so was my relationship with my girlfriend. I had also failed at all my most recent attempts in criminality. Like any good addict, though, I soldiered on, doing tons of cocaine and drinking copiously.".
Dr Peter Churn
The Obstacle is the Way
Ryan Holiday
Life, Depression, Addiction, Everything?
Ryan Holiday applies the philosophy of stoicism to famous stories of the past and how you might use them to live better now. It's written in short, easily readable chapters and will avoid you having to read the original translation of Marcus Auerilius' journal Meditations. I gave it to my son...who keeps quoting it back to me.
Dr Peter Churn
The Power of Now
by Eckhart Tolle
Life, Pain
This was a book I had been meaning to read for a long time and I will be forever grateful to Stephen for giving me a nudge…
It reads as a radical manifesto about how to live and see your life differently - rooted in the fundamental truth that we only ever have the present moment we are in, but how our chuntering minds and egos get in the way and do so much harm. Some of it felt a bit woo-woo to me but I now know that is just my judgey egoic mind! If you are really struggling with physical or emotional pain, it might just be the book that changes your life. It will blow your mind (which is no bad thing….)
Dr Peter Churn & Stephen McPhail
A Heart That Works
by Rob Delaney
Parenting
Who really needs to read a book about the death of a child? Well, maybe any parent....daring to contemplate the experience of losing a child certainly inspired me to continue to try and be the type of parent I aspire to be. A beautiful, funny but unbearably painful read...I read it so slowly as I didn't want it to end. I think my kids will be grateful I did...
Dr Peter Churn
Recovery - Dr Gavin Francis
Rehabilitation
A hopeful, small book about what it takes and means to convalesce written by a local GP and acclaimed author. There is no single route to take but many ways to help ensure you travel in the right direction. Full of wisdom and experience - I am grateful to Helen for the recommendation...
Helen Forster & Dr Peter Churn
The Creative Act: A Way of Being by Rick Rubin
Life, Creativity
What can you learn from an iconic music producer?....well, perhaps just about everything. A beautiful, poetic book about the process of creativity and how important it is in our lives. We are all artists. It will stay with me forever...I may need to grow a big beard.
Dr Peter Churn
The Emotional Lives of Teenagers - Dr Lisa Damour
Parenting, Mental Health
Teenagers!…I’ve got a few of them at home and they challenge me more than anything else in my life. I often feel a better doctor than parent (be kind!). I found this book intensely comforting and helpful - repeatedly nodding to myself and wanting to share the wisdom with EVERYONE I know….’Oh THAT makes sense!!’. The writing is accessible and wise with the goal to help teenagers have ‘the right feelings, at the right time and be able to manage those feelings effectively’. I loved it…
Dr Peter Churn
Food for Life - Tim Spector
Nutrition
Simply the best book about nutrition that I have ever come across – it’s pretty big but then it’s a big topic and has a huge impact on our health. You can dip into chapters about different foods and discover that there is more fibre in a cup of coffee than a glass of orange juice. Breakfast will never be the same again…or even exist at all? Full of useful information that will transform your diet and health….
Dr Peter Churn
The Good Life - Robert Waldinger & Marc Schulz
Life, Depression
This incredible book summarises the results of the largest (…and still ongoing) study of what actually makes for a long and happy life. HINT – it’s not money, fame, beauty or status despite what Facebook or Instagram tells you. It reads as an urgent manifesto for the critical importance of looking after our relationships with friends, family and work colleagues – however difficult these can be.
Dr Peter Churn
Just One Thing - Dr Michael Mosley
Health, Behaviour Change
With so much health information these days it can be hard to know where to start...perhaps this book could be it? A collection of small, sustainable changes that could have a big impact on your health. I am eating more oily fish....and beetroot. I really enjoyed it (the book....not the beetroot)
Dr Peter Churn
Build the Life You Want - Arthur C. Brooks & Oprah Winfrey
Life
A book distilling the wisdom of a Harvard Professor and American icon about what it means to be 'happy'. Heavily based on research evidence about what actually makes us happy with practical tips tailored to your unique circumstances and personality type. Mainly written by Arthur with just a bit of Oprah stardust - there is no longer any excuse if you didn't get into Harvard...
Dr Peter Churn
Man's Search for Meaning - Viktor Frankl
Life, Depression
It's taken me a while to read this classic book. It's not as grim as you might imagine. There can be no greater integrity than lessons learnt from a psychiatrist who survived confinement at Auschwitz concentration camp. It's a book that will stay with you and may provide some hope in the direst of circumstances.
Dr Peter Churn
Strong Female Character - Fern Brady
Neurodiversity
A book about neurodiversity written by a Scottish comedian with autism. A raw, honest and hilarious memoir that helps understand the experience of living with autism in an allistic world. You may recognise yourself...and will certainly never visit a strip-club again.
Dr Peter Churn
The Menopause Brain
Women's Health
This is a deep dive into the latest evidence on the menopause written by a neuroscientist. It is a comprehensive review of what is going on and the role that lifestyle, psychological and pharmacological (including HRT) interventions can play...but more than that, it paints a refreshingly positive picture of a time of life experienced by half our population.
Dr Peter Churn
Spring - Karl Ove Knausgaard
Life, Depression
This might be an account of just a few days in the life of a 40-year-old Norwegian man...or a parable of what it actually means to live and love fully. Contemplative, honest, infuriating and somehow deeply comforting and moving.
You'll want to return to his world again & again - and hopefully your own.
Dr Peter Churn
HARBOURS MEDICAL PRACTICE
Health Centre
Avenue Road
Cockenzie, East Lothian
EH32 0JU
Tel: 0300 790 6244
Out-Of-Hours: 111
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