Book picks similar to
Mimesis and Theory: Essays on Literature and Criticism, 1953-2005 by René Girard
philosophy
rene-girard
hum-410
literary-criticism
Dating (The Love Series)
The School of Life - 2019
Dating sits on top of some of the largest themes of love: how to know whether or not someone is right for us; how soon to settle and how long to search; how to be at once honest and seductive; how to politely extricate oneself without causing offence. This indispensable guide teaches us about the history of dating, the reason why our dating days can be so anxious, how to optimise our attempts at dating and how to digest and overcome so-called ‘bad’ dates. The book is at once heartfelt and perceptive, and never minimises the agony, joys and confusions of our dating days and nights. It provides us with a roadmap to the varied, sometimes delightful, sometimes daunting realities of dating.
The Elephant and the Twig: The Art of Positive Thinking - 14 Golden Rules to Success and Happiness
Geoff Thompson - 2000
It aims to help you to take the plunge to realize your potential, so that you do not have to remain stuck in a social and lifestyle rut as if there is no alternative.
Passion of Command
B.P. McCoy - 2012
McCoy, USMCIf you read one book in your lifetime on the warrior culture, this is that book. Active-duty Marine Colonel B. P. McCoy expertly relates his innermost thoughts and feelings, drawing on his mastery of personal leadership. Colonel McCoy understands the intangibles that make up our modern-day warriors, those young Americans on whom we place so much responsibility when we send them into harm's way.The author begins with the institutional design that leads some to believe that because of a manifestation of the American culture in which we're taught to kill from a young age through the use of video games, the task of a warrior would somehow be easily executed, based solely on these inequities. To the contrary, Colonel McCoy points out that the battlefield commander is hampered by the societal digression and the simple fact that young Americans can point a video weapon and kill, never feeling the true effects or suffering associated with actual combat. He explains that our culture is not that of predator, but more of prey. Through examples, he concludes that the American society places grave consequence on the taking of a human life, while we still require our young to bear arms against our enemies and to extinguish life. Only through superb training, conducted by passionate leaders, do our young Americans become moral warriors.Colonel McCoy describes the total cost of combat and the price paid by all who choose to become warriors. By pointing to positive training examples and keying on the effects of situational training—battle drills—conducted prior to and during combat, he successfully trained his Marines and developed the proper habits that would be the difference between life and death during combat. He directed his Marines to become "experts in the application of violence," without sacrificing their humanity. In the book, it became clear that he found the combination that allowed his men to achieve tactical superiority in every aspect.The essence of war is violence and the act of killing legitimate human targets without hesitation. To accomplish this, he instituted meaningful training and used his refined principles as a human being to guide him in the leadership and administration on the moral code that rules the field of battle. He is the perfect example of all that we hold dear in our warrior culture. He loved his men, showed them the right way through his personal example, guided his actions with passion and relayed his feelings to his men completely. He is quick to note his own shortcomings and how he overcame them and was the inspiration to the team that triumphed when all Marines survived the day.Emotionally riveting, The Passion of Command provides inside information into the warrior culture and allows one to grasp the complexities when hardening the mind, body, and spirit for the rigors of combat. Most find it difficult to communicate the human effects of combat to people who have never experienced the harsh realities associated with actually engaging an enemy. Colonel McCoy doesn't have that problem. He has opened the door and let the reader in
People Patterns: A Modern Guide to the Four Temperaments
Stephen Montgomery - 2002
Stephen Montgomery presents a fresh new look at the four temperaments, the four ancient "people patterns" that are the key to personality types. In this updated and expanded 2nd edition, Dr. Montgomery cites over 250 characters from well-known movies and TV shows The Wizard of Oz, Sex and the City, Harry Potter, Star Trek, Star Wars, The Fantastic Four, The Incredibles, The Lord of the Rings, Ghost Busters, and many more to help bring the temperaments alive for a modern audience.People Patterns features an easy-to-score personality quiz, and easy-to-read chapters on dating & mating, parents & children, and talent & career (with over 750 job suggestions grouped according to type). The book begins with a brief history of the four temperaments (tracing the idea back to Hippocrates), and it ends with port
Stand Up Straight: 10 Life Lessons from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst
Paul Nanson - 2019
THE INCREDIBLE TOP TEN SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER'Inspirational . . . Sandhurst helped me to discover my potential. Now discover yours.' TIM PEAKE, ESA astronaut___________Winston Churchill never surrendered.Prince Harry has fought for mental health around the world.Tobias Ellwood risked his life to save others during the Westminster terrorist attack.Tim Peake became Britain's first astronaut on the International Space Station.Nicola Wetherill led the first all-female expedition across the Antarctic ice.Ed Withey even organized his wedding with military precision.The one thing all of these individuals have in common? Their world-class Sandhurst training.Stand Up Straight applies 10 simple but transformative lessons that every officer is taught during their time at the world-famous military academy. Modern and counter-intuitive, with lessons ranging from making your bed and ironing your shirt to achieving better discipline, emotional intelligence, resilience and fast decision-making under pressure, the book draws on first-hand battlefield experience as well as the leadership lessons taught at Sandhurst.The result is an inspiring and timeless book of practical advice and military wisdom that will help every reader raise their game and face life's everyday battles with confidence and calm.___________'Brilliant, practical advice. Can help transform your mindset and life.' OLLIE OLLERTON''Military Mindfulness' . . . can help us all reach our potential.' TELEGRAPH'I loved this book.' CHRIS EVANS'Brilliant
military rules that can change your life
. . . Sandhurst's precious life lessons, self-discipline, teamwork, even standing up straight, can make life run smoother, better, nobler, longer.' DAILY MAIL'Follow the General's orders and fold your socks. You'll be a better person for it.' THE TIMES'These military men are on to something. . . . increases your chances of tackling the to-do list with a sense of calm if not ease.' INDEPENDENT'It's a fantastic read on how to sort yourself out.' PIERS MORGAN'It's a fascinating book, full of good old-fashioned common sense . . . it's a game-raiser.' THIS ENGLAND
The Art of War and other Laws of Power
Sun Tzu
In this newest translation of The Art of War readers will benefit from the interpretations from other translators and strategist, as well as the 50 strategic rules, including: -- How to look for strategic turns to meet the competition-- How to attain strategic superiority and crush the competition-- How to plan surprise and stay ahead of the game-- And more timeless wisdom that will allow you to compete and win in the dynamic business environment!Business managers around the world have tapped into this ancient wisdom; it is time to master The Art of War for Manager for the existence and growth of your business!
Stand By Your Manhood: An Essential Guide for Modern Men
Peter Lloyd - 2014
Except for penile dysmorphia, circumcision, paying the bill, becoming a weekend father, critics who've been hating on us for, well, pretty much fifty years - oh, and those pesky early deaths. Fortunately, Peter Lloyd is here to tackle the controversial topics in this fearless - and frequently hilarious - bloke bible, which was a Daily Mail Book of the Week. Part blistering polemic, part politically incorrect road map for the modern man, Stand By Your Manhood answers the burning questions facing the brotherhood today: Should we fund the first date? Are we sexist if we enjoy pornography? Is penis size a political issue? And do feminists secretly hate us? Frank, funny and long overdue, this is the book men everywhere have been waiting for.
Humble Heroes, How The USS Nashville CL43 Fought WWII
Steven Bustin - 2010
It started like a Hollywood thriller, secretly transporting from England $25 million in British gold bullion, delivered to the ship in unguarded bread trucks, a pre-war “Neutrality Patrol” that was really an unofficial hostile search for the far bigger and more powerful German battleship Prinz Eugen, and sneaking through the Panama Canal at night with the ship’s name and hull number covered for secrecy. Now, with the ship bulging with an unusual load of fuel and supplies, in the company of a large fleet quietly passing under San Francisco’s Golden Gate Bridge, the crew was about to learn of their latest (but not last) and most improbable adventure yet as the captain made an announcement that would change the war and their lives forever, “We are going to Tokyo!”. Over three years, scores of battles and hundreds of thousands of ocean miles later, the Nashville and her crew had earned 10 Battle Stars, served from the North Atlantic to the South Pacific, from the Aleutians to the Yangtze River, as McArthur’s flagship and suffered heavy casualties from a devastating kamikaze attack. Tokyo Rose reported her sunk, repeatedly. Earlier, with goodwill trips that included France, England, Scandinavia, Bermuda and Rio de Janeiro, the new, sleek Nashville built a pre-war reputation as a “glamour ship”. But with war came the secret missions, capturing the second and third Japanese POWs of the war, having a torpedo pass just under the stern, being strafed and bombed by Japanese planes, losing a third of the crew in a single devastating Kamikaze attack, swimming in shark infested waters protected by marines with machine guns, enjoying the beauty of Sydney and her people, planning a suicide mission to destroy the Japanese fishing fleet, and bombarding Japanese troops and airfields across the Pacific. The Nashville crew served their ship and country well. They came from Baltimore row-houses, New York walk-ups, San Francisco flats, Kansas wheat farms, Colorado cattle ranches, Louisiana bayous and Maine fishing towns. Many had never traveled more than 25 miles from home and had never seen the ocean until they joined the service. They were part Irish, part Italian, part Polish and All-American. Battered, burnt and bombed, they made the USS Nashville their home and lived and died as eternal shipmates. Historical narrative enriched with the personal stories of the crew, this is the story of a ship and crew of ordinary men who did extraordinary things.
Diamond Mind: Psychology Of Meditation
Rob Nairn - 1999
With clarity and humour he guides us to understand how we ourselves generate the clouds of anxiety, desire and anger that obscure our happiness. We learn to recognise these obscurations, how they came about and how to release and dissolve them. The innate wisdom and brilliance of the mind then naturally manifest. The title contains guidelines and practices for meditators.
Old Age
Helen M. Luke - 1987
By examining the work produced by writers at the end of their lives, it elucidates the difference between growing old and disintegrating.
You've Already Changed Your Life
Jade Chang - 2021
the World and the Amazon Original The List comes a timely and thought-provoking exploration of the small moments that change us in big ways.In You’ve Already Changed Your Life, Jade Chang posits that humans are infinitely adaptable, that the seeds of personal transformation are sown when we least expect it, and that identifying your own small (but profound!) shifts will help you retell the story of your life.As Jade shares the unlikely moments that changed her forever, we join her on a quest to understand what makes people who they are. She takes us from a surprising history of personality tests to a debunking of the popular science theory of the reptile brain, with several unexpected stops along the way, all with her characteristic charm and wit. Part memoir, part investigation into the science of the mind, this Audible Original questions the old stories we’ve told ourselves about our capacity for change and gives you a blueprint to discover all the ways that you have, indeed, already changed your life.
Life with an Autistic Son
B's Dad - 2013
He did not crave my company, cling to and cuddle me endlessly. He showed no need to bond with me, his father, and we did not. He exhausted me, he frustrated me and he scared me. I came to dread coming home from work sometimes, or those moments when it was my turn to wrestle him into bed and begin the long struggle to settle him. I said things that will forever haunt me, like “What is wrong with that child?” and “Is he always going to be this annoying?” What I didn't know then was that he was autistic.When that realisation came, so did the beginning of my mission to understand my son, and to understand autism. This book chronicles that search for understanding and answers. It documents one parent’s attempts to come to terms with, and accept, his child. It is raw and real, sometimes confused and frightened but also, I’d like to think, written with warmth and love and an ability to smile through difficult times.This book is for anyone starting out on a pathway with their child that they did not expect. It’s also for people who, like me, are a little further down that road but still learning, still asking questions and still getting it wrong sometimes. You are not alone.
The Secret to Money Masterclass
Rhonda Byrne - 2020
You are meant to have a rich life, in every respect, and yet many people are unaware of the power they have within them that directly and effortlessly accesses abundance in all things, including money.In this new book, Rhonda Byrne, author of The Secret, explains how the law of attraction applies specifically to wealth and your relationship with money. By applying the knowledge in The Secret, you can stop money from slipping through your fingers, and eliminate forever the perpetual state of “not having enough money.” You will discover the power you have to bring money to you and to live a life of abundance, where you can be, do, or have anything you want.Subjects covered by Rhonda include personal finance, eradicating a poverty mindset and adopting a wealth mindset, job hunting, career advancement, creating a successful business, and giving and sharing wealth.Rhonda also presents many inspirational real-life stories of people who have used The Secret to attract wealth, build a company, pay off debts, acquire a home, and secure a high paying job.They say money doesn’t grow on trees—but with the knowledge of The Secret to Money Masterclass, you will feel that it actually does, as money starts to come into your life from unexpected places. Financial freedom can be yours, and as you will discover, it is just one thought away!
Jean-Paul Sartre:
John Compton - 1990
In this view, no external authority gives life meaning: mankind is radically free and responsible. In every moment we choose ourselves, with no assurance that we have a continuing identity or power. We set up determinisms to ease our minds, but in the face of the finality of death, only through our present consciousness do we establish our own authentic existence. Sartre's existentialism faces the evil in human existence and sees that humans are responsible for it.The Giants of Philosophy is a series of dramatic presentations, in understandable language, of the concerns, questions, interests, and overall world view of history's greatest philosophers. Special emphasis on clear and relevant explanations gives you a new arsenal of insights toward living a better life.
Freakonomics: Rejuvenating the Self-Destructive Global Economy
Dan Nathaniel Brown - 2006