Things We Love

As the GenWell Project has been on it’s journey since 2016, we have had a lot of time to meet, discuss and read a ton of information about the growing issues of social isolation, disconnection and loneliness and how human connection can be the fundamental solution to the issues we face. We are proud to feature the books and apps that we have come across or that have been introduced to us along our journey. If you have a book, app or solution that you believe we should be featuring on this page, please submit it to info@GenWellProject.org and we will consider it along with the other items that we have already added to this list.

The GenWell Project is a one stop hub for people to learn more about human connection, the impact of being or feeling socially isolated of disconnected, and the steps that we can all take to improve our social health. If knowledge isn’t enough, please follow us on our social media pages each day so you can get tips, tools and inspiration on how you can start building healthier connection habits each day. Finally, if you need further support to help build healthier connection habits in your life, we encourage you to check out our community partners page where you will find organizations that are working to solve this issue within specific segments of the Canadian population.

Books

Bowling Along: Revised and Updated: The Collapse and Revival of the American Community

Bowling Alone empirically demonstrates a drop in social capital in contemporary America, identifies the cause and consequences of this drop, and suggests ways to improve social capital in the future. Though social capital varies across many dimensions, according to Putnam.

Tribe

Tribe combines history, phycology, and anthropology to explore what we can learn from tribal communities; loyalty, belonging, and the eternal human question for belonging. Tribe explains why we are stronger when we come together, and how that can be achieved even in today’s divided world

The Artist’s Way: A Spiritual Path to Higher Creativity

The Artist’s Way is vital in today’s cultural climate. It is an invaluable guide to being creative in the artist’s life. The Artist’s Way carves a path to allow the reader to cultivate their creative selves.

The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean my Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun

The Happiness Project is an inspiration and an ode to finding happiness before the days are done. Exploring different resolutions that have promised immense happiness, Rubin inspires readers to start their own happiness project to amplify and appreciate he happiness that already exists in your life.

The War for Kindness: Building Empathy in a Fractured World

The War for Kindness offers a bold new understanding of empathy and shows how we can expand our circle of care. It is a call to action to overcome toxic cultural divisions and fight for kindness in the most difficult of circumstances. Empathy is a skill we can all strengthen through effort, and the future may depend on whether we accept the challenge.

My Spiritual Journey

My Spiritual Journey provides a vivid and moving lens into the Dalai Lama’s spiritual and life journey. My Spiritual Journey explores his three phases or commitments of his spiritual life – as a human being, as a Buddhist monk, and as the Dalai Lama. This book explores the remarkable life of one of our world’s greatest living legends.

Practical Friendship

Practical Friendship brings insight from a multitude of sources to identify what good friendship means and how we can live it. Based on research, Practical Friendship compiles recommendations on how to maintain friendships in good repair, and how to foster friendship in old age.

Talking to Strangers: What We Should Know About the People We Don’t Know

Talking to Strangers explores the notion that because we don’t know how to talk to strangers, we are inviting conflict and misunderstanding in ways that have a profound effect in our lives and our world.

Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression – and the Unexpected Results

Lost Connections follow’s the authors journey of discovering through social scientists, that depression and anxiety are in fast caused by some crucial and growing problems with the way we live today. Hari uncovered nine real causes, which lead him to scientists who are discovering solutions that work.

Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World

In Together, Dr. Murthy makes a case for loneliness as a public health concern. This not only affects our health, but how our children experience school, how we perform in the workplace, and the sense of division and polarization in our society. Together offers inspiring and encouraging stories of individuals and communities who are making great strides in helping us to understand that we are not alone.

The Power of Kindness: The Unexpected Benefits of Leading a Compassionate Life

The Power of Kindness is a popular guide to the benefits of living with kindness. It challenges readers with one audacious promise: Your acts of generosity and decency are the secret to a fuller, more satisfying life. Kindness is not some squishy virtue but the key to your own happiness.

Palaces for the People: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life

Palaces for the People urges us to acknowledge the crucial role social infrastructure plays in civic life. Our social infrastructure could be the key to bridging our seemingly unbridgeable divides – and safeguarding democracy.

Apps

Building Better Communities

Welcome to The Village App. Easily and efficiently ask for help from your personal support network and connect to a hyperlocal community

https://www.thevillageapp.co