The WorldPost's 10 Must-Read Interviews Of 2015

From the brutal rampage in the Middle East of the self-described Islamic State to Europe's fumbled handling of the refugee crisis, international news sparked conversations around dinner tables and across auditoriums around the world last year. 

To help make sense of it all, each week the WorldPost asked an expert to shed light on a hot topic making headlines around the world. 

As 2016 begins, refresh your memory on the crucial events of last year with our favorite interviews from 2015. 

Have We Got ISIS All Wrong?

No group dominated the headlines last year quite like the self-described Islamic State. Dr. Hussein Ibish discussed the fierce debates over the group's relationship to Islam, the role religion plays in its success and the best way of analyzing it to guarantee it's defeated. He argued: "If we just stop fretting about the relationship of ISIS to the religious base of its ideology and accept that it's a bunch of extremists who come out of a tradition that they manipulate to justify their crimes and their ambitions, it’s not so complicated."

Other Countries Change Their Gun Laws After Mass Shootings. Why Not America?

Despite several mass shootings, including the tragedies in Charleston and San Bernardino, the United States did not see any meaningful change in 2015 when it comes to gun control. The lackluster response sets America apart from other wealthy nations, according to Harvard University professor David Hemenway. "In most countries, when there have been big changes in gun laws, it was because of mass shootings," he said. Not so in the U.S. 

This European Nation Used To Jail People For Listening To The Beatles

Author and Human Rights Watch special advisor Fred Abrahams reflected on Albania's tragic recent history, its fascinating transition and its struggle for change. "I think North Koreans would feel at home there," he said about communist Albania. 

Leading Mexican Journalist Explains Why Everything You're Hearing About The Drug War Is Wrong

As one of Mexico's leading investigative journalists, Anabel Hernández has dedicated the past decade to investigating her country's drug war -- one of the most dangerous projects a reporter could embark on. Hernández spoke about the misconceptions surrounding Mexico's drug war, the role the U.S. plays in its neighbor's violence and why we shouldn't assume that drug cartels are behind the disappearance of the missing 43 students.

An Oceanographer Explains How Plane Debris Could Solve The Mystery Of MH370

The discovery of plane debris in the Indian Ocean in August raised hopes of finally solving the mystery of the Malaysia Airlines plane that vanished in March 2014. David Gallo, director of special projects at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, explained the science behind reconstructing what happened to the fateful flight. "The ocean is a great record keeper," Gallo said. 

Why The Debate Over Europe's Migration Crisis Is Full Of Myths

Europe struggled to cope with the influx of more than one million migrants and refugees last year. While the number of people seeking a better life on the continent shows no signs of decline, European nations have been fiercely divided over how to address the humanitarian crisis. Hein de Haas, a professor of sociology at the University of Amsterdam, believes that the debate over migration policy is surrounded by myths and lacks facts. "As a matter of framing, the real crisis is not about migration or refugees. The real crisis in Europe is the incompetence of Europe to come to a common response," he said.  

Putin's Press: How Russia's President Controls The News

Days after Russian President Vladimir Putin committed his air force to a bombing campaign in Syria, a weather forecaster on Russia's state-owned Rossiya24 TV channel used her screen time to outline the perfect weather conditions for Russia's bombers. Nataliya Rostova, a visiting scholar at the University of Berkeley's Graduate School of Journalism, explained how the broadcast was just the latest example of how the Russian government uses the mass media to sell domestic and international political decisions to the public. 

How Boko Haram Uses Female Suicide Bombers To Terrorize Nigeria

The Nigerian extremist group Boko Haram stepped up its suicide attacks in 2015, particularly those bombings involving girls and women. Gender and radicalization researcher Elizabeth Pearson said the group's use of female suicide bombers suggests it will go out on a limb when it wants.

Why Myanmar's 2015 Election Is So Historic

On Nov. 9, Myanmar held its first national election since the country embarked on a transition to democracy. The vote marked a landmark victory for pro-democracy icon Aung San Suu Kyi and her National League For Democracy. "There's a change in atmosphere now," said Aung Zaw, the founder and editor of Burmese news organization The Irawaddy. "People want to exercise their rights. They are enjoying their freedom." 

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Novel about Jewish-Palestinian love affair is barred from Israeli curriculum

Government accused of censorship after reportedly saying the award-winning Borderlife by Dorit Rabinyan risked damaging the ‘identity of the nation’

A novel about a love affair between a Jewish woman and a Palestinian man has been barred from Israel’s high school curriculum, reportedly over concerns that it could encourage intermarriage between Jews and non-Jews.

The rejection of Dorit Rabinyan’s novel Borderlife, which was published in 2014, created an uproar in Israel, with critics accusing the government of censorship.

Related: Israeli military warns violence could go on for months and risks getting worse

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After 70 Years, Germany Is Printing 'Mein Kampf.' Should It?

Mein Kampf, or My Struggle, Adolf Hitler's hate-filled screed that paved the way for the Holocaust, is set to be printed for the first time in Germany since the end of World War II next month.

Is that a good idea? Or a very bad one?

It's certainly controversial. After the Allied nations' victory over the German Nazi party in 1945, Mein Kampf copyright fell to the state of Bavaria, which promptly banned its publication in Germany. But as of Jan. 1, 70 years will have passed since the year of its author's death. Under Bavarian law, that means the 800-page polemic will enter into the public domain, its ban lifted. Seeing the copyright's expiration on the horizon, Germans have been debating the merits of allowing the book to be published within its borders for years.

In 2012, the state approved funding to support a Mein Kampf edition with academic annotation for publication in 2016 to place the work in a clearer historical and moral context. Following complaints, that decision was reversed the next year. In 2014, the state reversed its decision once again, announcing its support for an academic edition, without financial backing. At the time, Bavarian Minister of Culture Ludwig Spaenle stated that the project -- which had also secured support from The Central Council of Jews in Germany -- promoted "freedom of science." 

Technically, as of Jan. 1, anyone can publish Mein Kampf in Germany. But the annotated edition, published by Germany's Institute of Contemporary History of Munich (IFZ), is aimed at countering any far-right neo-Nazi prints that may crop up. At a whopping 2,000 pages, the IFZ edition contains thousands of annotations broken up into two volumes. It'll be sold for about $65. 

If you ask IFZ director Andreas Wirsching, the annotated diatribe isn't just helpful research material -- it's a public necessity. In an interview with Deutsche Welle, Wirsching said that allowing the work to slip into publication without commentary would be "irresponsible." By publishing Mein Kampf, his organization aims "to cut off Hitler's demagogic discourse, fully exposing his half-truths, his provocative remarks and his downright lies."

"Any Hitler sympathizers who might be interested in the book are better off looking elsewhere," Wirsching said. Hitler's partly autobiographical work, written in a Bavarian jail in 1923, was released in 1925 and earned the Führer millions despite poor critical reception. (It's been described as "repetitive" and "pedantic.")

For Germans, however, the book still remains a symbol of a destructive past, and its publication divisive. In the 21st century, is Mein Kampf a cautionary tale against extremism? Or a dangerous source of racist ideology?

As recently as this fall, a YouGov poll showed that opinion was almost perfectly split: 51 percent of Germans did not think it should be printed in their country. Some librarians consider it too dangerous for public consumption.

Jewish community leaders also differ in opinion. Josef Schuster, President of The Central Council of Jews in Germany, voiced support for the annotated edition in a statement after former president Charlotte Knobloch spoke to Agence France-Presse against it.

"It is a Pandora's box. One does not know what's going on within the reader's mind," Knobloch said, adding, "Of course it is in the interest of right wing militants and Islamists to spread these ideas."

Josef Kraus, president of the German Teachers' Association, acknowledged Knobloch's remarks in an interview with Deutsche Welle, but they did not alter his belief that Mein Kampf should not only be printed but taught in schools -- albeit with caution.

"What's much more dangerous is remaining silent or completely banning the book," Kraus said. He hopes including select passages from Hitler's work in history classes might help "immunize" young people against extremism.

Of course, the manifesto has long been easy to get ahold of, even in Germany. A quick Google search yields a number of sites hosting it. Hitler's rambling work is allowed to be printed and sold in all but a few countries, such as Austria and the Netherlands -- where, consequently, copyright expiration in Germany will not automatically dissolve bans.

Where it is available, it consistently sells itself. A 2003 estimate by Cabinet magazine put the number of English-language copies sold annually at around 20,000. Suggesting a pervasive curiosity in the book, cheap paperback editions have shot to the top of bestseller lists in Turkey and India in the past decade, and sales of ebook editions (which defy judgment from nosy neighbors) reached record highs in 2014.

Yet the question of who or what should profit off the hateful title has long been a sticky one. In the U.S., where Houghton Mifflin has printed the book since 1979, public criticism arose after news of the publisher's six-figure earnings came to light in 2000. Houghton Mifflin announced it would donate all accrued profits to an unnamed charity. In the U.K., Random House also donated royalties from Mein Kampf from the mid-70s until 2001, when the charity it partnered with was publicly revealed. The charity soon returned the donations. As the sun sets on Bavaria's copyright Dec. 31, that's an issue that publishers in Germany wishing to print the book will have to consider as well.

Through 2016 and beyond, how Germans choose to regard Mein Kampf -- educational resource or poisonous execration -- will help shape national identity in a country still wiggling out from the shadow of its former dictator.

 

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My Favorite Books of 2015

"A room without books is like a body without a soul." ~ Marcus Tullius Cicero

I am a book lover. I love being surrounded by stacks and stacks of books, both read, and unread. I adore walking into someone's home and scanning their bookshelves and get giddy when I see familiar titles. I carry at least one - if not two (just in case, you know) - books with me everywhere I go. I typically read at least two titles at once - a novel, an inspirational morning book, and some sort of writing guide. I collect books like some people collect records (wait - does anyone DO that anymore?) and update my Goodreads profile like a pro. My Amazon wish list is full of...books. That's about it. And I LOVE to gift books - in fact, this year my mom's present was a HUGE bag of books that made her as excited to receive as it felt to give. She reads more than I do!

In 2015, I set my reading challenge too high and missed it by about 13 titles. I did manage to complete at least 27 full-length novels, which I consider pretty satisfactory considering I have over 100 English students in class this year (think - 100 papers per assignment, at least, 5-10 minutes to read/grade each, totaling 500 minutes which is OVER 8 HOURS minimum!). This year I'm sharing my favorite books, only because I want to share just the very best. I've added links to make it easy to read more about these titles on Amazon; I'd love to know if you agree with me - and if you've read something you think I should add to my list, be sure to comment. I'm always on the look out for great stories.

Here are my 2015 favorite books, in no particular order...

The Mapmaker's Children by Sarah McCoy



I read more historical fiction than any other genre, and this was one of my favorites. The main character, Sarah Brown, is the daughter of abolitionist John Brown and embraces the cause of the Underground Railroad all on her own. The author weaves a parallel story set in current time about a woman struggling with infertility who finds a mysterious porcelain doll head in her root cellar. I loved the mingling of past with present, and the ideas that women throughout history have challenged themselves to create the life they really desire. I tried to write my own bit of family history after reading this book - you can get the story of my great, great grandfather in my blog post, "Sheep Shearer's Children In Lake Tahoe".

All The Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr



Pulitzer Prize winner. Besides that, this story is a glorious, delicate and beautiful tale about a blind French girl and a German boy who are trying to survive World War 2 in France. It's a long read (530 pages), but I guarantee you will be captivated by the author's ability to weave together two characters who should never have met, all the while sharing the idea that despite our circumstances, people really do try to be good to each other.

The House Girl by Tara Conklin



Another historical fiction story set in parallel structure, The House Girl tells the stories of Josephine Bell, a seventeen-year-old slave living in Virginia, 1852, and Lina Sparrow, a young lawyer living in New York City, 2004, who is tasked with research into a class-action lawsuit surrounding a mysterious Civil War era artist. I loved the interplay of art and history and secrets and the idea about what does justice really look like.

If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie



This book was deliciously creepy, telling the story of a young boy named Will who had never been allowed to go outside. So what does he do? He defies his mother, sneaks out (wearing a protective helmet, just in case) and finds a kid who shows him the joy of skateboarding. There's a mystery that happens, too - but this story showed me the extremes that parents will go to to protect their children, and the dark side of not allowing kids to experience life on their own. You can read my blog post, "Living In Between Love and Fear", inspired by this book.

All Together In One Place by Jane Kirkpatrick


After reading this first book in a series, I am now completely hooked on Jane Kirkpatrick. All Together In One Place shares the story of life during the westward movement in the U.S., a time when women were forced to pick up, move, and follow their husband to someplace they had never seen. What made this one of my favorite books was the multitude of strong female characters - women so strong they outlasted most of the men and managed to create their own destiny along the way.

My Name Is Mary Sutter by Robin Oliveira



I loved discovering this writer - another woman tackling the issues of feminism as told through the story of Mary Sutter, a Civil War era midwife who battles prejudice and discrimination against women. This was one of my favorite books because while the depictions of medical treatments of the time could be a bit hard to stomach, the courage and fortitude of Mary captivated me. I couldn't put this one down.

Girl Who Fell From The Sky by Heidi W. Durrow


To my surprise, I wound up meeting this author during a conference at BlogHer this summer in NYC, and she was as lovely and delightful as her novel. While this wasn't historical fiction ( the story is set in current day Chicago), her themes and story line most definitely have been repeated throughout our country's history. Her story of Rachel, a biracial girl who survives a family tragedy, made me really stop and think about racism in our country, and how we all contribute to the ideas of social justice, and the power beauty and race hold in our world.

I Am Here: The Untold Stories of Everyday People


OK- true confession - I'm sharing this title as one of my favorite books of 2015 because this collection of short stories is where I first became a published author in print. My story, "The Ride of a Lifetime", was selected to be published by Story Shelter in their first ever print edition. To say I was over the moon is an understatement; after decades of seeing other author's names on the title page, I did do a happy dance to see my very own there in black and white. I Am Here is an interesting collection of real life stories of regular people who have had extraordinary experiences - and my tale of our first trip to Nicaragua fit right into their theme.

Do you see anything you'd like to read in 2016? Do you share my love for any of these titles or authors? I'd love to hear your thoughts - please comment and let's create another amazing year full of books!


P.S. - Too late for making my list, but I'm about to finish A Window Opens by Elisabeth Egan. This title came to me via a friend's blog A Design So Vast - Lindsey's post about "Best Books of the Half-Year" is full of interesting titles. It's fun to stray away from my usual genre to dump myself inside the life of another modern woman determined to balance motherhood, career, and marriage.

If you're interested in my past year-end book posts, you can find my 2013 recommendations here, and my 2014 favorites here. I've also written a "Books I Love" post here. For more writing by Jennifer Wolfe, visit her blog, mamawolfe.

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Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye obituary

Kenyan writer whose novels and poetry focused on the country’s postcolonial transformation and social development

The British-born Kenyan writer Marjorie Oludhe Macgoye, who has died aged 87, told the story of her adopted country through novels about its downtrodden and dispossessed. Despite the challenges facing a postcolonial nation, she believed that the transformations it had to go through could be faced boldly, and equilibrium restored.

Murder in Majengo (1972), ostensibly a detective mystery cum political thriller, exposes the plight of poor young girls in the urban centres of newly independent Kenya, with its deepening inequality and injustice. It was republished with its sequel, Victoria, in 1993. Coming to Birth (1986) merges the development of a raw peasant girl into a mature, self-reliant woman with the evolution of the Kenyan nation through the painful experiences of the state of emergency, the heady days of independence and the subsequent power struggle and political violence. It won the Sinclair prize, an award funded in the 1980s by the British inventor Sir Clive Sinclair.

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Five British Poets to Watch in 2016

For Americans, there is a certain mystique to British poetry, and vice versa. Thanks to this, and to social media connecting us to each other in the instantaneous "third space" of the internet, interest and awareness of poets on each side of the Atlantic has been steadily growing.

Mainstream efforts, like the far-reaching eye of Poetry magazine's editor, Don Share, helps greatly with this. Yet there is much to be gained by highlighting not only those poets who leap the pond in a moment of breakout success, but also the sheer breadth and power of emerging talent here in the Old World.

Important efforts from groups like The Complete Works have helped broaden the poetic spotlight beyond its historical pinpoint focus on Oxbridge-educated white men, and initiatives like the Barbican Young Poets give necessary encouragement to a younger generation.

For four years running, I have picked five poets whose commitment, intensity, and raw talent captivated me, and compelled me to share their words with American readers. Since that time, many have gone on to publish stunning books, and a few have won major awards. It is both gratifying and encouraging to know that raw poetic talent, like the weather, continues to saturate this land.

Without further ado, I give you this year's mix of UK-based poets whose work gave me pause and, sometimes, made me gasp.

Dominic Bury sometimes finds himself signing autographs for Japanese tourists in London, owing to his uncanny resemblance to Ron Weasley (Rupert Grint). However, his poetry has long since outgrown the bumbling teenage wizard phase, and offers up some moments of real magic. He shows a strong commitment to craft in poems that are darkly serious, cerebral, and spare.

Edward Doegar is General Manager of The Poetry Society, and a tireless promoter of all good things poetic here in the UK. He is also an excellent poet in his own right. Imperative, and gently confrontational, he pokes at language, provoking it into something more.

Emily Harrison is a wildcard performance poet with plenty to say. Astute and at times painfully humorous, her poems of wry observation betray a particular and peculiar turn of mind, as in the poem entitled, "Quinoa is Only Spelt Like That to Out the Working Class". She performs in London.

Amaal Said is a poet and photographer with a remarkable eye for both. She probes deeply into the human experience, extracting the tiny moments and telling details that make for memorable and compelling poetry. "Have you forgiven the ocean for drowning the thirsty?" she asks. Consistently after reading her work, I have to remember to shut my jaw.

Hilda Sheehan is deft and quirky in equal measure. She runs the Swindon Festival of Poetry, inhabits a range of alter egos, and generally makes poetry fun. That she has fun in her work is also evident, and infectious, tilting the spirit level on readers at every possible turn. The mundane is never ordinary beneath her pen.

So, there you have it -- five stellar poets. Once again, this is just a sprinkling of the talent now suffusing British poetry. My hope is that you will seek each out, online and in print, to keep your year ahead anything but dry.

Grab a book. Unfurl an umbrella. Enjoy.

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'Price' Book Among 'Best of the Best'

Foreward Reviews, a quarterly magazine focused on books published by independent publishing houses, selected The Price They Paid: Enduring Wounds of War by Michael Putzel (Trysail Publishing 2015) as one of only four works of nonfiction favored by its reviewers as the best books of 2015.

The year-end announcement identified "The best of the best: the books our reviewers loved most in 2015."

Regarding The Price They Paid, Foreward said, "This vivid account of Vietnam War helicopter battles reveals bravery of allied forces who encountered insurmountable odds during a time when American political and public support for the war all but ended."Reviewer Karl Helicher called the book "a haunting portrayal of how PTSD affected men then and now, decades after the war."

The Price They Paid: Enduring Wounds of War is the dramatic, true story of one air cavalry troop in Vietnam that flew into the most intensive helicopter battle ever fought and how that searing experience dogged those troops for more than 40 years. The author, Michael Putzel, was a war correspondent who flew with C Troop, 2/17 Cavalry, 101st Airborne Division, during and after the battle and tracked down the men years later to learn what had become of them. He found practically all of the warriors deeply affected by their combat experience, some still suffering physically as well as struggling with the less visible wounds of war.

Foreward's list also included:
The General and the Genius: Groves and Oppenheimer, the Unlikely Partnership That Built the Atom Bomb by James Kunetka published by Regnery History

Life's Engines: How Microbes Made Earth Habitable by Paul G. Falkowski published by Princeton University Press

Rockin' the Boat: 50 Iconic Revolutionaries by Jeff Fleischer published by Zest Books

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Tidying Up Your Life for the New Year

Quick: what is America's #1 New Year's resolution? That's a no-brainer: it's "lose weight," of course. But what do you think ranks #2 on the list? This one's not so obvious. It's "get organized."

When I first learned that so many people crave organization, I was surprised. But when I thought about it, I realized it makes perfect sense. What people actually seek is control: over their lives, their opportunities, their environment, and the people around them. So many of us--especially those who are going through monumental (perhaps unwanted or unpleasant) changes in our lives like separation and divorce--feel helpless, stuck in situations not of our own choice. This leads to a victimized, "poor me" mindset that prevents us from accepting change and moving forward. And that's not where we want to be in the New Year!

Instead, resolve to start the year off on the right foot, by engaging in what professional organizer and best-selling author Marie Kondo calls the "life-changing magic of tidying up."

I'm not sure where I first heard about Kondo's book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: the Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing, but I packed it as reading material when I left for a 2-week trip that was part of a month-long trial separation from my husband. Perhaps, like those pledging to become more organized in the New Year, I subconsciously wanted to gain control over a situation that was causing me nearly unbearable anguish. While Ms. Kondo's book is ostensibly about getting rid of the actual physical clutter in your home, she fervently believes that an unwieldy junk heap of clothes, books, coffee mugs, and unsorted papers is really a visual manifestation of a chaotic, unsettled mind. That's why she confidently promises that if we follow her time-tested KonMari organization method, our lives will literally be changed forever and for better.

In the introduction to The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up Kondo writes: "My clients always sound so happy, and the results show that tidying has changed their way of thinking and their approach to life. In fact, it has changed their future...Basically when you put your house in order, you put your affairs and your past in order, too. As a result, you can see quite clearly what you need in life and what you don't, and what you should and shouldn't do."

If you're someone who is trying to triumph over the stress, pain, and uncertainty of divorce, the ability to distinguish between what you need and what you don't, to determine which path to take, and to "put your house in order" in every meaning of the phrase, sounds like a heaven-sent gift, doesn't it? Maybe there's more to this tidying thing than we originally thought. Perhaps it has applications that transcend the obvious.

So, what is Kondo's "magic" secret? It's deceptively simple: surround yourself only by the things you love.

Here are 5 things I learned from Kondo's book that will help you create a more satisfying and optimistic post-divorce life. (Along with the benefits of a clutter-free home).

1. Own your own mess. Kondo writes: "Let's imagine a cluttered room. It does not get messy all by itself. You, the person who lives in it, make the mess." Similarly, you have had an active role in the creation of your own life. Yes, I know: things have happened that you didn't want to happen. People have done you wrong. Things haven't turned out the way you'd planned. But it's your life. Once you begin taking responsibility for yourself, making decisions based on your personal values and desires--including what to keep and what to discard--you will gain the confidence that comes with being in charge. In Kondo's words: "It is by putting one's own house in order that one's mind-set is changed."
   
   
2. Let go of the past; embrace the future. Here's another Kondoism: "When we really delve into the reasons for why we can't let something go, there are only two: an attachment to the past or a fear for the future." While Kondo is referring to household objects, for those going through a divorce, a psychological attachment to the past and a paralyzing fear of the future are one's everyday companions. We're scarred by the bad things that have happened and we're terrified of having to survive on our own. But here's the deal: like a trapeze artist who has to let go of the first swing in order to grab hold of the next, we have to let go of past hurts and setbacks if we are to take advantage of new opportunities. In decluttering terms, the past is like those paisley pants that seemed like a good idea at the time, but look ridiculous on you now. They're not bringing you joy. So toss 'em.
   
   
3. Visualize your destination. What do you want your future to look like? Don't start discarding parts of your life until you figure it out. "To start discarding without thinking ahead at all would be like casting yourself into the negative spiral of clutter," writes Kondo. "Instead, begin by identifying your goal...Before you start getting rid of things, take the time to think this through carefully. This means visualizing the ideal lifestyle you dream of. If you skip this step, not only will it delay the whole process, but it will also put you at higher risk for rebound."
   
   So before you quit your job, ditch your friends, or give up your rent-controlled apartment, stop and think about what you really want. Too many choices can be as much of a problem as too few, so declutter your priorities. Make a list of what matters to you, along with a 5-year plan outlining where you want to go personally and professionally. Figure out the action steps that will get you there. If at some point you decide something's not working, revise the plan. It's OK to change your mind.
   
   
4. Accentuate the positive. Focus on what you want to keep (things that bring you joy), not what you want to discard. Kondo recommends picking up each item, examining it closely, and asking yourself, "Does this spark joy?" If it does, keep it. If not, dispose of it. Let's say you bought a very expensive designer dress 5 years ago, but you never wear it because it doesn't really suit you. It's too tight, or too baggy, or the color makes you look washed out. But you hang on to it because it cost you so much money. Get rid of it. That dress is taking up physical space in your closet and psychic space in your mind that could be put to better use. Likewise, there may be people and obligations in your life that, although they made sense in the past, no longer serve you. Even something worthwhile, like volunteering at a school, may be taking you away from new, equally worthwhile endeavors that are a better fit for you now that your circumstances have changed. You'll be left with activities and people that make you feel worthwhile and fulfilled.
   
   
5. Trust your heart. Sometimes it's hard to part with something (or someone) that is no longer meaningful or useful because we wish we could return to a time when things were different. Kondo writes: "When it comes to selecting what to discard, it is actually our rational judgment that causes trouble. Although intuitively we know that an object has no attraction for us, our reason raises all kinds of arguments for not discarding it, such as 'I might need it later' or 'It's a waste to get rid of it.'" If you instead use Kondo's criterion of keeping only what sparks joy in your life, it becomes easier to overcome the attachment to things (and people) that are dragging you down.
   
   Family photos are a particular challenge, because of the memories they evoke. Kondo urges us to "cherish who you are now," since photographs exist "only to show a specific event or time" (i.e., the past). So, what to do with that yellowing wedding album? Again, trust your heart. If you have children, perhaps pass it along to them as a piece of their history. If it still brings you joy, keep it. If it causes you a lot of pain, get rid of it and don't look back.

Final Thoughts
It boils down to this: "There are three approaches we can take toward our possessions: Face them now, face them sometime, or avoid them until the day we die," writes Kondo. The same can be said of life's challenges. If you truly want to transform your life, now is a good time to start.

I hope this article spurs you to think about new ways to move forward with your life and to embrace new opportunities as we gratefully greet the New Year. (And good luck with the weight loss).

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The 32 Best Art Books Of 2015

So long, farewell, 2015. You had your ups and downs, but one thing is for certain: You provided us hungry art book fanatics with some great and beautiful reads. Behold, the 32 most compelling combinations of text and image published this year. We are forever grateful. 

1. The Art of Typewriting

Who would like this? Anyone who worships at the altar of E. Remington or just loves the power behind a vintage typewriter.

2. Piet Mondrian: The Studios

Who would like this? Lovers of Mondrian's paintings and the interiors of art studios. Or just anyone who can properly pronounce "De Stijl."

3. Agnes Martin

Who would like this? Anyone who cannot wait for Martin's upcoming exhibition at the Guggenheim, or enjoys looking at silence.  

4. Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo in Detroit

Who would like this: Anyone who worships at the mighty altar of Frida Kahlo. 

5. Artists Living With Art

 Who would like this: Everyone with a soft spot for interior design or who loves imagining which museum masterpieces would look best in their bedrooms. 

6. Basquiat: The Unknown Notebooks

Who would like this: Anyone with a soft spot for Basquiat, and who enjoys asking the question, "Is this art, though?"

7. The Passion According to Carol Rama

Who would like it: Any radical feminist who appreciates body parts and potty humor. 

8. Lives of The Great Photographers

Who would like this: Anyone who's as interested in who's behind the camera as what's in front of it. 

9. Cabin Porn

Who would like this: Anyone who likes their mother nature with a heavy helping of luxury. 

10. Lee Miller: A Woman's War

Who would like this: Anyone who knows a muse is always more than just a muse.

11. Djerbahood

Who would like this: Anyone who longs to see the many painted walls around the world.

12. About Women

Who would like this: A creative woman who can't live without her tribe.  

13. Lost: Lost and Found Pet Posters from Around the World

Who would like this: Anyone obsessed with the small instances of art that are often not recognized as such.

14. Not My Blotting Tissues

 Who would like this: Anyone who stares a little too long at their tissue after a good sneeze. 

15. Mumbling Beauty

Who would like this: Anyone with a complex relationship to their anatomy and their mother. 

16. There Is No Right Way To Meditate

 Who would like this: Anyone who is both intrigued and intimidated by the idea of meditation. And who loves doodles. 

17. Cats Galore

 Who would like this: Any art history buff who's more than a little kitty crazy. 

18. Women Artists

 Who would like this: Anyone who likes their history served feminist. 

19. More Than Words

Who would like this: Anyone who spends way too long writing handwritten letters. 

20. Raw Erotica

Who would like this: Everyone who likes their sex like they like their art: a little on the strange side. 

21. We Go to the Gallery

 Who would like this: Any art lover with a little class and lot of sass.

22. The World of Charles and Ray Eames

Who would like this: Anyone with an eye for design and a taste for romance. 

23. Listening to Stone: The Art and Life of Isamu Noguchi

Who would like this: Anyone who sees space as sculpture, and sculpture as space.

24. Covert to Overt

Who would like this: Everyone whose love of skateboards only compares to their love of stickers.  

25. The Rap Yearbook

Who would like this: Anyone with an encyclopedic rap knowledge and a knack for deconstructing Biggie.  

26. Patternity

Who would like this: Anyone who zones out staring at ceilings, floors -- anything with tiles. 

27. Body of Art

Who would like this: Anyone with a body ... Yes, that's you. 

28. 100 Years Of Color

Who would like this: Anyone who dreams of becoming a Pantone color master.  

29. What Else Is in the Teaches of Peaches

Who would like this: Anyone who likes to rock out with their lady parts out. 

30. Alice Neel: Drawings and Watercolors 1927-1978

Who would like this: Anyone intrigued by domestic spaces, intimate relationships, faces, people, mysteries. 

31. Art Nouveau: 50 Works of Art You Should Know

Who would like this: Anyone who believes their true calling in life is being a dancer at the Moulin Rouge.

32. African Textiles

Who would like this: Any textile nerd who wants to travel without leaving the couch.

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