Hate Inc.: Why Today's Media Makes Us Despise One Another


Matt Taibbi - 2019
    reveals that what most people think of as "the news" is, in fact, a twisted wing of the entertainment businessIn this characteristically turbocharged new book, celebrated Rolling Stone journalist Matt Taibbi provides an insider's guide to the variety of ways today's mainstream media tells us lies. Part tirade, part confessional, it reveals that what most people think of as "the news" is, in fact, a twisted wing of the entertainment business.In the Internet age, the press have mastered the art of monetizing anger, paranoia, and distrust. Taibbi, who has spent much of his career covering elections in which this kind of manipulative activity is most egregious, provides a rich taxonomic survey of American political journalism's dirty tricks.Heading into a 2020 election season that promises to be a Great Giza Pyramid Complex of invective and digital ugliness, Hate Inc. will be an invaluable antidote to the hidden poisons dished up by those we rely on to tell us what is happening in the world.

Rationality: What It Is, Why It Seems Scarce, Why It Matters


Steven Pinker - 2021
    Pinker is the high priest of rationalism' Sunday Times'If you've ever considered taking drugs to make yourself smarter, read Rationality instead. It's cheaper, more entertaining, and more effective' Jonathan Haidt, author of The Righteous MindIn the twenty-first century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding - and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that discovered vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, quack cures and conspiracy theorizing?In Rationality, Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are simply an irrational species - cavemen out of time fatally cursed with biases, fallacies and illusions. After all, we discovered the laws of nature, lengthened and enriched our lives and set the benchmarks for rationality itself. Instead, he explains, we think in ways that suit the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning we have built up over millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, causal inference, and decision-making under uncertainty. These tools are not a standard part of our educational curricula, and have never been presented clearly and entertainingly in a single book - until now.Rationality matters. It leads to better choices in our lives and in the public sphere, and is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress. Brimming with insight and humour, Rationality will enlighten, inspire and empower.'A terrific book, much-needed for our time' Peter Singer

The Rocket Years: How Your Twenties Launch the Rest of Your Life


Elizabeth Segran - 2020
    But the truth is that while you’re muddling through those years—exploring new cities, dating the wrong people, hopping between jobs—a small shift in your flight path can mean the difference between landing on Mars or Saturn.As the data shows, the choices we make (or put off) during this critical decade about our career, marriage, health, friends, even downtime have the greatest impact on how our lives play out. For example, did you know that people who marry between the ages of 28 and 32 have the lowest risk of divorce? And that the average 25 year old has 20 close friends, but this will shrink to 8 after age 40? And that most of us don’t acquire new hobbies after we hit our thirties?Rather than prescribing one correct path (who are we kidding, there’s no such thing anyway!), Elizabeth Segran invites readers to think critically and holistically about the life they want to build. With signature warmth and humor, Segran is the guide we all wish we had to show us the way. Blending insightful anecdotes with research from economics, sociology, and political science, The Rocket Years is an empowering exploration of these exciting, confusing, wonderful years.

Jonestown: The Power And The Myth Of Alan Jones


Chris Masters - 2006
    

How to Think Like an Entrepreneur (The School of Life Book 2)


Philip Delves Broughton - 2016
    But what if that spirit and drive were applied outside the world of business startups? An entrepreneur seeks to build something from nothing; to take an inspired idea and make it a reality. How to Think Like an Entrepreneur explores what it takes to be a successful entrepreneur - the ability to disrupt the status quo, use design thinking to generate fresh perspectives, build resilience and leap forward from failure - and ultimately lead us to the heart of great entrepreneurial thinking; an understanding of our deepest human needs. By harnessing the passion, verve and creative thinking of an entrepreneur, you can improve your business and your life and relationships beyond it.

Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World


Bill Clinton - 2007
    Giving is an inspiring look at how each of us can change the world. First, it reveals the extraordinary and innovative efforts now being made by companies and organizations—and by individuals—to solve problems and save lives both “down the street and around the world.” Then it urges us to seek out what each of us, “regardless of income, available time, age, and skills,” can do to help, to give people a chance to live out their dreams.Bill Clinton shares his own experiences and those of other givers, representing a global flood tide of nongovernmental, nonprofit activity. These remarkable stories demonstrate that gifts of time, skills, things, and ideas are as important and effective as contributions of money. From Bill and Melinda Gates to a six-year-old California girl named McKenzie Steiner, who organized and supervised drives to clean up the beach in her community, Clinton introduces us to both well-known and unknown heroes of giving. Among them:Dr. Paul Farmer, who grew up living in the family bus in a trailer park, vowed to devote his life to giving high-quality medical care to the poor and has built innovative public health-care clinics first in Haiti and then in Rwanda;a New York couple, in Africa for a wedding, who visited several schools in Zimbabwe and were appalled by the absence of textbooks and school supplies. They founded their own organization to gather and ship materials to thirty-five schools. After three years, the percentage of seventh-graders who pass reading tests increased from 5 percent to 60 percent;'Oseola McCarty, who after seventy-five years of eking out a living by washing and ironing, gave $150,000 to the University of Southern Mississippi to endow a scholarship fund for African-American students;Andre Agassi, who has created a college preparatory academy in the Las Vegas neighborhood with the city’s highest percentage of at-risk kids. “Tennis was a stepping-stone for me,” says Agassi. “Changing a child’s life is what I always wanted to do”;Heifer International, which gave twelve goats to a Ugandan village. Within a year, Beatrice Biira’s mother had earned enough money selling goat’s milk to pay Beatrice’s school fees and eventually to send all her children to school—and, as required, to pass on a baby goat to another family, thus multiplying the impact of the gift.Clinton writes about men and women who traded in their corporate careers, and the fulfillment they now experience through giving. He writes about energy-efficient practices, about progressive companies going green, about promoting fair wages and decent working conditions around the world. He shows us how one of the most important ways of giving can be an effort to change, improve, or protect a government policy. He outlines what we as individuals can do, the steps we can take, how much we should consider giving, and why our giving is so important.Bill Clinton’s own actions in his post-presidential years have had an enormous impact on the lives of millions. Through his foundation and his work in the aftermath of the Asian tsunami and Hurricane Katrina, he has become an international spokesperson and model for the power of giving.“We all have the capacity to do great things,” President Clinton says. “My hope is that the people and stories in this book will lift spirits, touch hearts, and demonstrate that citizen activism and service can be a powerful agent of change in the world.”

An Incomplete Education: 3,684 Things You Should Have Learned But Probably Didn't


Judy Jones - 1987
    Now this instant classic has been completely updated, outfitted with a whole new arsenal of indispensable knowledge on global affairs, popular culture, economic trends, scientific principles, and modern arts. Here's your chance to brush up on all those subjects you slept through in school, reacquaint yourself with all the facts you once knew (then promptly forgot), catch up on major developments in the world today, and become the Renaissance man or woman you always knew you could be! How do you tell the Balkans from the Caucasus? What's the difference between fission and fusion? Whigs and Tories? Shiites and Sunnis? Deduction and induction? Why aren't all Shakespearean comedies necessarily thigh-slappers? What are transcendental numbers and what are they good for? What really happened in Plato's cave? Is postmodernism dead or just having a bad hair day? And for extra credit, when should you use the adjective continual and when should you use continuous? An Incomplete Education answers these and thousands of other questions with incomparable wit, style, and clarity. American Studies, Art History, Economics, Film, Literature, Music, Philosophy, Political Science, Psychology, Religion, Science, and World History: Here's the bottom line on each of these major disciplines, distilled to its essence and served up with consummate flair.

How Much Is Enough? Money and the Good Life


Robert Skidelsky - 2012
    This book tackles such questions head-on.   The authors begin with the great economist John Maynard Keynes. In 1930 Keynes predicted that, within a century, per capita income would steadily rise, people’s basic needs would be met, and no one would have to work more than fifteen hours a week. Clearly, he was wrong: though income has increased as he envisioned, our wants have seemingly gone unsatisfied, and we continue to work long hours.   The Skidelskys explain why Keynes was mistaken. Then, arguing from the premise that economics is a moral science, they trace the concept of the good life from Aristotle to the present and show how our lives over the last half century have strayed from that ideal. Finally, they issue a call to think anew about what really matters in our lives and how to attain it.   How Much Is Enough? is that rarity, a work of deep intelligence and ethical commitment accessible to all readers. It will be lauded, debated, cited, and criticized. It will not be ignored.

Discover Your Destiny With The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari


Robin S. Sharma - 2004
    From the author of the international bestseller, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. • The Monk is back with a visionary new book on awakening your authentic greatness, full of fresh and exciting new lessons to stimulate your life.• Combining Eastern wisdom with Western success principles in this deeply inspiring, yet highly practical guide, Robin Sharma offers a blueprint for living a beautiful life, rich with joy, prosperity and lasting inner peace.• This fable follows the story of Dar Sanderson, a middle-aged human resources manager with a good job, nice home and steady income. Despite his apparent success, Dar is deeply unhappy, realising that his good life is keeping him from his best life. After encountering the Monk, he embarks on a 6-month odyssey to discover his authentic self and reclaim the life of his dreams. Along the way he learns the 7 stages every person must choose to walk if they wish to seek a life of lasting happiness and personal freedom.• Robin Sharma is renowned for his captivating story-telling, which has earned him fans including the master of spiritual fiction Paulo Coelho.

Almanac of the Uncanny


Reader's Digest Association - 1995
    How did early humans view life after death? Is the concept of mind over matter a real possibility? Have UFOs visited our planet? In the Almanac of the Uncanny more than 500 illustrated stories take you back in time to be entertained and intrigued by mysteries from the earliest recorded time to the present. Thoroughly researched by experts, and including the latest findings, this unique volume gives a compelling account of realms as yet not fully explained.

How an Economy Grows and Why It Doesn't


Irwin A. Schiff - 1985
    

F*ck Your Feelings: Master Your Mind, Accomplish Any Goal, and Become A More Significant Human


Ryan Munsey - 2018
    Not logic. Not rational thought. Feelings. Can you feel the pull of emotions, hunger, guilt, pain, jealously, depression, and everything else weighing on every decision that you make? Business owners, entrepreneurs, regular people looking to get in shape, anyone with a goal that isn't terrified of tough love - you need to read F*ck Your Feelings - as soon as possible! In this book you'll learn how to use personal mind control techniques to control the way your brain is wired, constantly accomplish your goals, and feel MORE pleasure during the day. You cannot control your instincts until you understand how they work - PERIOD. Learn how to apply the fundamentals of emotional control so that you can uplift yourself ON COMMAND, fight through periods of stress and torment, and give yourself long-term satisfaction and peace. Packed with advice you can put to use right away, you'll learn how to SPOT and What pragmatic and actionable tactics will you learn? The one four letter word that practically guarantees you'll fail at whatever you do. The real nature of emotions, and the twenty minute exercise we can take to give ourselves lasting joy throughout the day. Why eating one marshmallow at the wrong time can ruin your relationships and cost you thousands of dollars. Why play, safety, and something called the VAGUS NERVE is critical for your performance in life. The "everything is everything" moment that will separate you from 92% of people - in the entire world. Also the following insights: How to survive and recover when your brain is HOOKED on dopamine, fear, amusement, and other toxic drugs. The actual, CONTROLLABLE physical property that decides whether you're a dreamer, or a doer! How feeling threatened or insecure can actually make you sluggish, lazy, and TRAPPED in failure. How to interact with your phone, tablet and computer without wrecking your back, eyes, and heart. And so much more! Here's what this book ISN'T: this isn't a get rich quick scheme, a business plan, or some touchy-feely nonsense about touching your inner self. This is about building the most consistent element in any business - YOURSELF. How will your business improve? Be more focused throughout the day. Gain the ability to say NO to temptation when it comes. HACK your brain so that you're always energized and pumped up NEVER be outside your comfort zone or afraid of a challenge. Implement these techniques and watch your profits skyrocket.

How to Think Like Churchill


Daniel Smith - 2014
    As one of the few voices warning about Nazi Germany in the 1930s, he returned to government to play his part in defeating Nazism, becoming one of the defining figures of the twentieth century.Studying how and why he accomplished what he did, how he overcame personal and professional adversity and stood strong in the face of overwhelming odds, with quotes and passages by and about the great man, you too can learn to think like Churchill.Other books in the series include: How to Think Like Stephen Hawking, How to Think Like Sherlock and How to Think Like Steve Jobs

Every Time I Find the Meaning of Life, They Change It: Wisdom of the Great Philosophers on How to Live


Daniel Klein - 2015
    . . Daniel Klein’s fans have fallen in love with the warm, humorous, and thoughtful way he shows how philosophy resonates in everyday life. Readers of his popular books Plato and a Platypus Walk into a Bar . . . and Travels with Epicurus come for enlightenment and stay for the entertainment.As a young college student studying philosophy, Klein filled a notebook with short quotes from the world’s greatest thinkers, hoping to find some guidance on how to live the best life he could. Now, from the vantage point of his eighth decade, Klein revisits the wisdom he relished in his youth with this collection of philosophical gems, adding new ones that strike a chord with him at the end of his life. From Epicurus to Emerson and Camus to the theologian Reinhold Niebuhr—whose words provided the title of this book—each pithy extract is annotated with Klein’s inimitable charm and insights. In these pages, our favorite jokester–philosopher tackles life’s biggest questions, leaving us chuckling and enlightened.

The Geography of Genius: A Search for the World's Most Creative Places from Ancient Athens to Silicon Valley


Eric Weiner - 2016
    He explores the history of places, like Vienna of 1900, Renaissance Florence, ancient Athens, Song Dynasty Hangzhou, and Silicon Valley, to show how certain urban settings are conducive to ingenuity. And, with his trademark insightful humor, he walks the same paths as the geniuses who flourished in these settings to see if the spirit of what inspired figures like Socrates, Michelangelo, and Leonardo remains. In these places, Weiner asks, “What was in the air, and can we bottle it?”