The New York City - Southern New York Chapter of the National MS Society has announced the winners of the 21st Annual Books for a Better Life Awards during a ceremony at The TimesCenter in Manhattan on April 17, 2017.

Since its inception in 1996, the Books for a Better Life Awards has recognized more than 800 self-improvement authors and raised more than $2.5 million for the New York City - Southern New York Chapter’s comprehensive support services and educational programs for people living with MS, their friends and families as well as the Society’s critical research initiatives. The Awards recognize self-improvement authors whose messages are aligned with the chapter’s mission of inspiring people to live their best lives.

To learn more about the Books for a Better Life Awards or the Multiple Sclerosis Society, please click here.
 

2016 Winners

Childcare/Parenting
UNTANGLED by Lisa Damour, PhD (Ballantine Books)

Cookbook
VEGAN VEGETARIAN OMNIVORE by Anna Thomas (W.W. Norton & Company)

First Book
BETWEEN BREATHS by Elizabeth Vargas (Grand Central Publishing)

Green
THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES by Peter Wohlleben (Greystone Books)

Inspirational Memoir
MARROW by Elizabeth Lesser (Harper Wave)

Motivational
GRIT by Angela Duckworth (Scribner)

Psychology
EMOTIONAL AGILITY by Susan David, PhD (Avery)

Relationships
GIRLS & SEX by Peggy Orenstein (Harper)

Spiritual
THE BOOK OF JOY by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams (Avery)

Wellness
THE END OF DIETING by Joel Fuhrman, MD (HarperOne)

2016 Finalists

Childcare/Parenting

• THE AWAKENED FAMILY by Shefali Tsabary, PhD (Viking)
• FREE YOUR CHILD FROM OVEREATING by Michelle P. Maidenberg, PhD, MPH, LCSW-R (The Experiment)
• IT'S OK TO GO UP ON THE SLIDE by Heather Shumaker (Tarcher Penguin)
• RAISING RYLAND by Hillary Whittington with Kristine Gasbarre (William Morrow)
• UNTANGLED by Lisa Damour, PhD (Ballantine Books)

Cookbook

• CLEAN SOUPS by Rebecca Katz with Mat Edelson (Ten Speed Press)
• EAT COMPLETE by Drew Ramsey, MD    (Harper Wave)
• GOOD + SIMPLE by Jasmine Hemsley and Melissa Hemsley (Clarkson Potter/Publishers)
• SKINNYTASTE by Gina Homolka with Heather K. Jones, RD (Clarkson Potter/Publishers)
• VEGAN VEGETARIAN OMNIVORE by Anna Thomas (W.W. Norton & Company)

First Book

• BETWEEN BREATHS by Elizabeth Vargas (Grand Central Publishing)
• CHANCERS by Susan Stellin and Graham MacIndoe (Ballantine Books)
• THE RED BANDANNA by Tom Rinaldi (Penguin Press)
• WAKING THE SPIRIT by Andrew Schulman (Picador)
• WILD AND PRECIOUS LIFE by Deborah Ziegler (Atria Books)

Green

• THE HIDDEN LIFE OF TREES by Peter Wohlleben (Greystone Books)
• THE HUMANE ECONOMY by Wayne Pacelle (William Morrow)
• UNSEEN CITY by Nathanel Johnson (Rodale)
• VITAMIN N by Richard Louv (Algonquin Paperbacks)
• THE WELL-TEMPERED CITY by Jonathan F.P. Rose (Harper Wave)

Inspirational Memoir

• BEFORE I FORGET by B. Smith & Dan Gasby (Harmony Books)
• THE COOK UP by D. Watkins (Grand Central Publishing)
• LOVE WARRIOR by Glennon Doyle Melton (Flatiron Books)
• MARROW by Elizabeth Lesser (Harper Wave)
• WHEN BREATH BECOMES AIR by Paul Kalanithi (Random House)

Motivational

• CALLINGS by Dave Isay with Maya Millett (Penguin Press)
• GRIT by Angela Duckworth (Scribner)
• IN THE COMPANY OF WOMEN by Grace Bonney (Artisan)
• THE SUBTLE ART OF NOT GIVING A  F*UCK by Mark Manson (HarperOne)
• THIS IS WHERE YOU BELONG by Melody Warnick (Viking)

Psychology

• CAPTURE by David A. Kessler, MD (Harper Wave)
• EMOTIONAL AGILITY by Susan David, PhD (Avery)
• IT DIDN'T START WITH YOU by Mark Wolynn (Viking)
• ORDINARILY WELL by Peter D. Kramer (Farrar, Straus and Giroux)
• WHY WE SNAP by R. Douglas Fields, PhD (Dutton)

Relationships

• ACTION by Amy Rose Spiegel (Grand Central Publishing)
• THE BITCH IS BACK by Cathi Hanauer (William Morrow)
• GIRLS & SEX by Peggy Orenstein (Harper)
• LOVE by Leslie Becker-Phelps, PhD with Megan Kaye (DK Publishing)
• STOP BEING LONELY by Kira Asatryan (The New World Library)

Spiritual

• BECOMING WISE by Krista Tippett (Penguin Press)
• THE BOOK OF JOY by His Holiness the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, with Douglas Abrams (Avery)
• THE PATH by Michael Puett and Christine Gross-Loh (Simon & Schuster)
• THE ONE LIFE WE'RE GIVEN by Mark Nepo (Atria Books)
• THE UNIVERSE HAS YOUR BACK by Gabrielle Bernstein (Hay House)

Wellness

• THE AUTOIMMUNE WELLNESS HANDBOOK by Mickey Trescott, NTP and Angie Alt, NTC, CHC (Rodale)
• THE END OF DIETING by Joel Fuhrman, MD (HarperOne)
• GLUTEN EXPOSED by Peter H.R. Green, MD and Rory Jones, MS (William Morrow)
• THE POWER OF WHEN by Michael Breus, PhD (Little, Brown and Company)
• SUPER MIND by Norman E. Rosenthal, MD (Tarcher Penguin)