This morning, I have a unique self-help book in our book review spotlight! I know that many of us feel overly connected (and sometimes overwhelmed) in our always-on world. So much so that many of us begin to lose our senses of wonder and joy as we wade through the mundane. (Or-maybe that's just me!) As it often does, this book popped onto my reading list just when I needed it! Take a few minutes to learn about Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired and read my thoughts on the book!
Category: Adult Non-Fiction (18 +), 218 pages
Genre: self-help
Publisher: Bear Paw Press
Release date: August 2025
Format available for review: softback-paperback (USA only) and ebook (Book Funnel download, NetGalley download) internationally.
Content Rating: G: This book has no cursing, kissing, etc.
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Feeling wired, tired, and stretched too thin? You’re not alone—and you’re not broken.
In Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired, Dr. Pam Stephens Lehenbauer, a respected researcher, epidemiologist, clinician, and thought leader on joy, wonder, and well-being, offers a compassionate and eye-opening look at why so many people feel chronically stressed, fatigued, and disconnected. She also reveals why the traditional wellness model, first conceived decades ago, is no longer serving us.
Part science-backed reflection, part celebration of the world’s awe-inspiring details, this book blends thought-provoking commentary with bite-sized facts and trivia designed to reignite our sense of childlike wonder. From the mysteries of the cosmos to the miracles of the human body and so much in between, each chapter encourages readers to pause, reflect, and reconnect—with nature, with curiosity, and with what truly matters.
This isn’t a how-to guide or conventional self-help manual. Instead, it’s a gentle, joyful invitation to look up, look around, and rediscover the extraordinary in the ordinary. Through powerful insights and warm encouragement, Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired helps readers step off the “happiness = wellness” hamster wheel, take a big step back, and breathe deeply. It creates space to experience the tears, the chills, and the thrills of a world filled with wonder.
Perfect for anyone seeking a mental reset or a moment of inspiration, Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired is both a balm for the soul and a spark for the spirit.
Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired is not the Typical Self-Help Book. Rather than guiding the reader through specific actions and activities like many self-help books, the author instead explains the values of wonder, joy and gratitude--then offers a book filled with facts, myths, and trivia for the user to consider. Whether it is learning a few facts about sunsets or a chupacabra, this book contains little looks at the world around us. It presents them in short bursts to encourage us to explore (learn more) and appreciate the mysteries and wonders around us.
How do readers use this book? I think my favorite aspect of the book is that the author offers a book filled with "wonders"-facts and pieces of information to inspire readers to pause, reflect, learn and appreciate the wonderful world around us. The facts are presented clearly and simply in a way that encourages further exploration. I wanted to learn more about the color green in the sky before a tornado or a rough storm. I wanted to listen to Messiah again. I wanted to read Jane Eyre. I chose to use the book as inspiration, picking out a fact and spending some time to learn more about it or to seek out the plant or animal in nature--or visit an art museum or walk through a city with unique architecture. The book is an excellent way to stop, reflect, slow down, and shift my 'run, run, run' perspective to something more appreciative and intentional.
Would I recommend Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired by Dr. Pam Stephens Lehenbauer? This book is a unique self-help book. You won't find directions and pages of "do this/not that" style advice. You will, however, see pages of inspiration to "finding inspiration and well-being in a wonder-filled world"-just as the book's cover promises. There are facts and trivia sure to interest any reader throughout the book's pages. I recommend this book to those who want to unplug and reconnect to the world around them in a slower, more intentional way.
Dr. Pam Stephens Lehenbauer, Ph.D., MBA, MSN, PMHNP-BC is an epidemiologist, nurse practitioner, researcher, educator, and an adjunct professor at Northern Kentucky University where she teaches in the faculty of graduate studies and investigates well-being. Pam is a popular international speaker and thought leader on wellness and well-being, how wonder, joy, and interacting with nature impact health and wholehearted living, and why we need to shift the paradigm from wellness to well-being. She is also the creator and author of the popular blog, Mother Nature’s Apprentice, and her first book, Wonder and Joy for the Wired and Tired: A Guide to Finding Inspiration and Well-Being in a Wonder-Filled World will be published by Bear Paw Press in September 2025.
Pam has over forty years of combined experience in clinical practice, health administration, and teaching. She has served on the editorial and administrative boards for several provincial, state, and national nursing organizations and is a member of the American Nurses Association, the Kentucky Coalition of Nurse Practitioners and Nurse Midwives, Sigma Theta Tau International, and is a clinician member of the Planetary Health Alliance.
In addition to her extensive professional and academic work, Pam is also an avid gardener, a Certified Home Horticulturalist, and a conservationist who has created award winning gardens and sustainable wildlife habitats.
Pam lives on a small acreage in beautiful Northern Kentucky with her husband, Marty. They are the parents of several adult humans and countless non-humans who walk, fly, flutter, swim, crawl, and burrow. She loves to read, write, play piano, and explore the world’s beauty and wonders with her husband, family, and friends.
connect with the author: website ~ facebook ~ instagram ~ goodreads
2 Comments
Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteThis looks like a fascinating novel. Thanks for sharing.
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