NEW YORK - Finding a better job. Staying calm. Reinventing yourself. In these tough times, there's a wealth of books offering the silver lining you may be desperately seeking.

Amy Hertz, editor at large at Dutton, a division of Penguin USA, said she's handling a "dramatic increase" in book proposals on recession-specific topics.

Rick Wolffcq, editor in chief for Business Plus, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing, said he's looking at a "steady rise" in self-help proposals, ranging from how to survive the downturn to avoiding foreclosure.

Some new releases were written in direct response to the financial meltdown, including Stephen Leeb's "Game Over: How You can Prosper in a Shattered Economy." Robert Kiyosaki was short on time, so he's releasing his "Conspiracy of the Rich: The 8 New Rules of Money" for free online - chapter by chapter.

Other books were in the works before the collapse but rushed, such as Spencer Johnson's "Peaks and Valleys: Making Good Times and Bad Times Work for You - At Work and in Life." Hertz is rushing out a book about career reinvention. Others were already scheduled.

Roundup of new titles

A roundup of new titles, what they're about and their advice:

"The Secrets to the Bulletproof Spirit: How to Bounce Back from Life's Hardest Hits" (Ballantine Books Hard-cover, $25) by Azim Khamisa and Jillian Quinn.

Face life's obstacles with optimism and courage. Khamisa, a peace and forgiveness advocate, and Quinn, a life and spiritual coach, offer readers 30 keys to emotional resiliency that they themselves have used to cope with losses. Khamisa's son was murdered; Quinn lost a baby late in pregnancy.

Some advice: Cut up some small slips of paper. On each, write down something you felt or feel entitled to. Read through the slips and consider the energy that you gave or continue to give to those feelings. Safely burn all the slips and watch as the smoke from the fire disappears.

"Emotional Freedom: Liberate Yourself from Negative Emotions and Transform Your Life" (Harmony Books, $24.95) by Judith Orloff.

A road map for people who are stressed out, discouraged or overwhelmed, or for those who simply want to get to a better place. Orloff, a psychiatrist, offers a step-by-step way to change outlooks, alter behavior and cope with life's challenges.

Some advice: If you encounter someone who is negative and draining, set kind but firm limits: "Our relationship is important but I can only listen for 5 minutes until you're able to talk about solutions."

"The Hourglass Solution: A Boomer's Guide to the Rest of Your Life" (Da Capo Lifelong Books, $25) by Jeff Johnson and Paula Forman.

Johnson, a psychologist, and Forman, a former sociology professor, teach boomers how to make the years after age 50 as exciting as the ones before.

Some advice: The idea of "enough money" has always been a moving target. You're never going to reach that ar-bitrary goal. How much money do you need is no longer the relevant question. The real question is, "What can you do with the money you have?"

"Five Minutes on Mondays: Finding Unexpected Purpose, Peace and Fulfillment at Work" (FT Press, $21.99) by Alan Lurie.

Lurie, managing director of the real estate services firm Grubb & Ellis and an ordained rabbi, shares some of the five-minute sermons he gave every Monday morning to inspire and motivate real estate professionals. The book shows readers how to maximize who they are and what they can become.

Some advice: When you make a mistake, recognize and admit it without assigning blame. Then fix the mistake, whether it's with a simple apology or changing your behavior. Be determined to learn from the mistake and not repeat it in the future.

"It's Never Too Late to Be What You Might Have Been" by BJ Gallagher (Viva Editions, due out in May, $15.95)

Taking inspiration from a George Eliot quote, Gallagher gives readers the motivation they need to start a new chapter in their lives. It's never too late to find true love, go back to school, start a new career, become athletic, live your dream?

Some advice: Create a mental picture of what your life would look like if you were living your dream. Use images and sounds for the "mental movie." Play and replay the movie often.

"Get Off Your 'But': How to End Self-Sabotage and Stand Up for Yourself" (Wiley, due out in May, $19.95) by Sean Stephenson.

Stop with the Buts. Based on his personal story, clinical training and work as a therapist, Stephenson teaches readers how to overcome emotional paralysis, build self-confidence and achieve a higher level of success. Stephen-son, who has brittle bone disease, suffered more than 200 bone fractures by age 18. He's 3-feet-tall and confined to a wheelchair.

Some advice: Take full responsibility. Rather than wasting time blaming others when things go wrong, work on coming up with a solution. Doing so takes the focus off negative emotions that cloud your judgment and puts you on a path to solving the problem.

"AdaptAbility: How to Survive Change You Didn't Ask For" (Broadway Books, due out in May, $23.99) by M.J. Ryan.

Ryan, an executive life coach, shows readers how to live with uncertainty, identify new opportunities and align their thinking with their talents, values and purpose.

Some advice: If you find yourself worrying all the time, set aside one 15 minute worry period each day. Then, when your mind starts worrying at other times, push the worry aside until your designated time and do something that occupies your mind.

"The Difference: How Anyone Can Prosper in Even the Toughest Times" (Crown Business, $24.95) by Jean Chatzky.

Chatzky, a financial journalist, offers practical steps people can take to transition from living paycheck to pay-check to living a financially comfortable life. She details eight things that matter most, including happiness, resil-ience, habitual saving and gratitude.

Some advice: People who are rich - and stay rich - aren't just grateful; they give to their communities, organiza-tions they believe in and people they care about. If you view something as mundane, like your job, think about it as a gift and focus on what your life might be like if you didn't have it.