Local author shares his wisdom on ‘Doing Better’

John Jay Koriath, the local author of “Doing Better: Activate Your Power and Potential in Daily Life,” will read from his book at 5 p.m. Wednesday, June 25, at Vashon Bookshop.

The newly released, 130-page book synthesizes the last 50 years of Koriath’s multi-faceted work, which he defines as that a “scientist, psychologist and traveler on a shamanic journey.”

Integrating these three disciplines, his career has included building a mind-body relationship practice that integrates ritual and ceremony with contemporary coaching,

The book is the first Koriath has written for a general audience, and at times, includes profoundly personal disclosures about his own life to make his topics more relatable to readers.

”I think a story can carry ideas and examples through our psyche and penetrate our web of understanding in a unique way,” Koriath said, in an email responding to a question about these personal sections of the book.

He recommends reading “Doing Better” in sections, “letting each concept penetrate your current way of thinking and giving yourself permission — and the time — to think about the topics in new ways.”

The book has been hailed by other authors and experts in the field, including Michael D. Yapko, a clinical psychologist and author of “Mindfulness and Hypnosis” and “Breaking the Patterns of Depression.”

“Blending science, psychology, and an appreciation for deeper human experience that can’t be measured or easily explained, John’s journey lifts us up and offers us a path for doing — and being — better,” said Yapko.

“Doing Better” presents much of the innovative curriculum Koriath and his colleagues developed and tested with over a decade of cohorts in a leadership and personal development course at Bainbridge Graduate Institute, a graduate school offering advanced degrees in business and other programs that integrated environmental and social responsibility into its curriculum.

In an email, Koriath shared how his longtime residence on Vashon, his family life (he is married to local writer Kathryn True) and the embracing community he has found on the island contributed to the concepts shared in his book.

“I came to the Pacific Northwest to start a new chapter in my life after two decades in the desert Southwest pointed to change,” Koriath said. “I arrived in my VW bus, looking for a place to park for the night and the opportunity to evolve the mythological emergence I describe in ‘Doing Better.’ I had been touched by the relatively high level of consciousness in the Northwest and found an entrepreneurial environment that let me pursue my calling.”

His arrival on the island could have been told another way, he noted.

“Note that this story could just as easily be told that I drifted into town, all alone, out of work and nearly broke,” he said. “When you realize that you have it rather than it having you, you open a world of possibility. That is what ‘Doing Better’ is all about. It is also the case that you need a community, a network, a village to help you navigate.”

He described Vashon as a place where he has found deep support in the community.

“When I wanted to start a psychotherapy practice, I was able to reach out to the woman who had been my therapist and welcomed an opportunity to practice at Full Circle Wellness,” he said. “When I wanted to start an Aikido dojo on the island, I had a positive response from the Park District and conducted the dojo for two years.”

The book’s cover, he said, reflects both the island’s natural beauty and a community that has worked to protect it.

“After countless walks along Shinglemill Creek and Fern Cove, which is maintained through the care of the Vashon-Maury Land Trust and King County, my daughter caught a wonderful photo for the ‘Doing Better’ book cover,” said Koriath. “In short, Vashon, in so many ways, supports you find and realize your dream kind of culture.”

Find out more about the book and buy it at doingbetterbook.com. Copies will also be available at Koriath’s June 25 book release event and reading at Vashon Bookshop.