We are pleased to introduce On the Shelf: Duke CGMH’s Summer Reading List 2026, a curated collection of books that explore mental health, well-being, and the many ways we understand the human experience across cultures, disciplines, and lived experiences.
The books featured here span disciplines, cultures, and lived experiences, offering diverse perspectives on mental health, well-being, equity, and social change. Some are foundational texts, while others introduce emerging ideas or challenge conventional ways of thinking. Together, they encourage us to learn across contexts, question our assumptions, and consider how knowledge can inform action. More than a collection of recommended books, this reading list reflects the conversations shaping our work and the values that guide our research, education, practice, partnerships and engagement around the world.
We also recognize that no single reading list can capture the breadth of voices and perspectives that shape this field. Rather than being comprehensive, this collection is intended to be a starting point; a shared resource that reflects the interests of our community and invites continued dialogue, learning, and discovery.
Dig in and happy reading!
Featured Recommendations
How does suffering affect those we love?
Home Front
By Kristin Hannah
Historical Fiction • Contemporary Fiction • Family Drama
Recommended by: Dr. Eve Puffer, Director, Duke Center for Global Mental Health
Why this book is on my shelf:
This novel offers a moving portrayal of the trauma of war and its impact not only on those who serve but also on the families waiting at home. I appreciate how it explores the effects of trauma on the protagonist’s sense of identity while also revealing its influence on her relationships with her partner and children.
War and conflict affect families across cultures and communities around the world. This book is a reminder that global mental health responses will be most effective if we look beyond individual symptoms and consider the effects of trauma on couples, children, and the broader family system.
How can we understand experiences different from our own?
Challenger Deep
By Neal Shusterman
Young Adult Fiction • Psychological Fiction • Coming-of-Age
Recommended by: Dr. Brandon Knettel, Assistant Director, Duke Center for Global Mental Health
Why this book is on my shelf:
A creative, beautifully written, and sometimes troubling first-person account of a young person experiencing psychosis for the first time. The work was inspired by the author’s son, who contributed artwork for the book.
I am drawn to works that center lived experiences in creative and compelling ways. Whenever we find new ways to better understand and empathize with experiences different from our own, we should embrace them.
How do we build meaning and identity?
The Seven Storey Mountain
By Thomas Merton
Memoir • Spiritual Autobiography • Religious Nonfiction
Recommended by: Ryan Parker, Clinical Research coordinator, Duke Center for Global Mental Health
Why this book is on my shelf:
The Seven Storey Mountain is an autobiography by Catholic priest and Trappist monk Thomas Merton, in which he recounts a period of profound restlessness, anxiety, and depression during his early life. Merton traces his journey toward a life devoted to mindfulness, meditation, and contemplation of the transcendent, connecting elements of Catholic theology and philosophy as he reflects on his spiritual journey.
This book is deeply psychologically honest and offers a compelling account of identity formation through faith. Though Merton’s experience highly personal, it resonates more broadly with people of faith who believe that their “hearts are restless until they rest in [God]” (St. Augustine of Hippo), and long for faith-informed practices and approaches to promote their mental well-being.
How do experiences shape the whole person?
The Body keeps the Score
By Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
Psychology • Trauma Science • Health & Medicine • Nonfiction
Recommended by: Dr. Preeti Shakya, Research Analyst, Duke Center for Global Mental Health
Why this book is on my shelf:
The Body Keeps the Score offers a compelling exploration of how trauma affects both the mind and body. Drawing on decades of clinical experience and research, the book explains why traumatic experiences can have lasting effects on emotions, relationships, and physical health while highlighting evidence-based pathways to healing. It has deepened my understanding of trauma and reinforced the importance of approaching mental health with compassion, curiosity, and a whole-person perspective.
Trauma is experienced across cultures, communities, and generations, yet responses to trauma are shaped by social, cultural, and historical contexts. The Body Keeps the Score highlights the importance of understanding trauma as a whole-person experience and encourages mental health approaches that integrate biological, psychological, relational, and community perspectives.
How do culture and personal stories shape the way we understand illness?
The Illness Narratives: Suffering, Healing, and the Human Condition
By Arthur Kleinman
Medical Anthropology • Global Health • Narrative Medicine • Nonfiction
Recommended by: Glaucia Salgado, Research Analyst, CPHIR and Clergy Health Initiative
Why this book is on my shelf:
The Illness Narratives reminds us that every illness is more than a diagnosis—it is a deeply personal experience shaped by culture, relationships, beliefs, and identity. Arthur Kleinman encourages readers to look beyond symptoms and consider the stories people tell about their suffering, healing, and the meaning they make of their experiences. This perspective has been influential in helping clinicians, researchers, and students approach mental health with greater empathy and cultural humility.
Global mental health requires more than applying universal models of care. It asks us to understand how people from different cultures experience, explain, and respond to illness. The Illness Narratives broadens this perspective by emphasizing the importance of listening to individuals’ lived experiences and recognizing that culture, family, community, and belief systems all shape pathways to care and healing. It is a powerful reminder that effective mental health care begins with understanding each person’s story.
Featured Faculty Author
How do we transform compassion into action?
The Science of Good Samaritan
Global Health • Faith & Science • Social Science • Nonfiction
Loving our neighbors is a familiar idea but what does it look like when we put it into practice in a complex and unequal world? In The Science of the Good Samaritan, Dr. Emily Smith combines insights from science, global health, and faith to explore what it means to truly see, understand, and care for others. Through stories of people, communities, and her own journey, Dr. Smith challenges readers to rethink who we consider our “neighbors” and how we can move beyond good intentions toward meaningful action.
Blending research, personal reflection, and real-world experiences, Dr. Smith invites readers to examine the connections between compassion, empathy, and service. The book explores how evidence-based approaches and human-centered care can work together to address global challenges and inspire more thoughtful responses to the needs of others. A compelling read for students, educators, and anyone interested in global health, social impact, and the intersection of faith and science, The Science of the Good Samaritan encourages us to consider not only why we should care, but how we can make compassion a meaningful part of our everyday lives.