T. Byram Karasu – författare

We all face adversity, both man-made and natural. How do we survive the loss of a loved one, a betrayal, illness, even impending death, and still find meaning in our lives? Even a "normal" life can seem empty, in spite of material possessions, success, power, and pleasure. In our search for fulfillment and meaning, we work through our past and present conflicts, cuddle our inner child, and redesign our outer adult. We attend workshops on life and secular spirituality and explore the comforts of traditional religion. We get married and divorced, experiment with drugs and alcohol, change jobs. And while our restlessness and unease may abate temporarily, the hollow feeling that there is something missing always returns. In his profound and accessible work, The Art of Serenity: The Path to a Joyful Life in the Best and Worst of Times, Dr. T. Byram Karasu offers us the key to an extraordinary state of mind -- authentic, soulful happiness -- in the face of everything our life has to offer and take away. The door to this state of mind is opened by a combination of soul and spirit. It involves the soul through the love of others, love of work, and the love of community. It involves the spirit through belief in the sacred and belief in transformation. It culminates in the love of and belief in God. Brilliantly synthesizing psychology and spirituality, Dr. Karasu will guide you to explore the deepest yearnings of your heart. There is no end to the journey to real happiness; there is no best place to start or best time to begin. So where and when to start? Start here, where you are, and start now.

In the course of our lives, we struggle to establish careers and relationships that we hope will infuse us with a sense of purpose. While important titles, wealth, power, and possessions may represent a life that is successful in the eyes of others, pursuit of these achievements prompts us to seek more of the same again and again. However, it is only through a fundamental understanding of faith in God that we can discover His purpose for each of us in life, and can in turn pursue a meaningful existence and achieve lasting happiness. In his authentic and profound book The Spirit of Happiness, Dr. T. Byram Karasu explores the psychological barriers that prevent so many of us from allowing faith to become an integral part of our lives and from becoming truly serene and fulfilled human beings. We all experience many difficulties and conflicts in our daily lives, meeting challenges at work and in relationships, suffering through illness, losses, and failures, feeling anxious, depressed, or simply empty and purposeless. If we view such ordeals through the wisdom of the Holy Bible, which Dr. Karasu presents to us here as the ultimate self-help book, we can learn to understand and identify with God's Holy Purpose. Psycho-spiritual exercises, including meditations and affirmations based on God's word, are placed at the end of each chapter to help focus the reader's spiritual intention and lead the way to a more joyful and rewarding existence. Beautifully written and deeply moving, The Spirit of Happiness begins where most self-help books end.

The Gravity of Weight: A Clinical Guide to Weight Loss and Maintenance, by Sylvia R. Karasu, M.D., and T. Byram Karasu, M.D., is a scholarly and critical inquiry into the field of overweight and obesity. Reviewing more than 900 publications, from some of the early classical papers to the most recent research, the authors have integrated the complex psychological and physiological aspects of the mind, brain, and body to explain why the control of body weight is so daunting for so many people. Written primarily for clinicians in all health-related fields, including physicians, psychologists, nurses, social workers, and nutritionists, as well as for their intellectually curious patients, The Gravity of Weight explores the controversy regarding obesity as a disease with morbidity and mortality, as well as the complex methodological issues involved in obesity research. The authors delineate the extraordinary metabolic complexities implicated in weight control as well as the importance of circadian rhythms and sleep as they relate to weight and even disorders such as the night eating syndrome. They also investigate the psychological aspects of overweight and obesity, including discrimination against the obese and the fat acceptance movement, and they discuss some of the most common diets as well as the psychotherapeutic, pharmacological, and surgical treatment options currently available for these patients.The Gravity of Weight: A Clinical Guide to Weight Loss and Maintenance is a comprehensive, multidisciplinary text that synthesizes some of the most essential information for successful weight control: The role of the environment, including diet, disordered eating, and portion control, in weight management; The National Weight Control Registry and the study of those successful at weight control; The importance of differentiating weight loss from weight loss maintenance; The qualitative and quantitative measurements of physical activity, including the role of exercise for maintenance of weight loss; The contribution of genetics to ""the obesities"" ; Depression and obesity: cause or consequence?; Psychotherapeutic strategies, including cognitive behavioral therapy ; Medical and surgical treatment approaches and their effectiveness Drs. Karasu have drawn from both professional and personal experience to write The Gravity of Weight: A Clinical Guide To Weight Loss and Maintenance. Both had fathers who suffered from morbid obesity. One died at the age of 56, while the other lived to be 91. The authors' professional curiosity led them to question how differences in environment, genetics, and overall physical and psychological health can affect one person's longevity and another's early passing.In searching for the answers to some of the most perplexing questions regarding weight, the authors have created what is perhaps the most comprehensive exploration of the relationship of the mind, brain, body and our environment to overweight and obesity. The resulting text deserves a prominent place in the library of those who work in this field.