Anyone who watched part three in the Star Wars movie trilogy, Return of the Jedi, saw Matt Roloff. His handicap helped land him a part as one of the diminutive, furry Ewoks. In Matt's biography Against Tall Odds, readers view a world of fast-walking giants, where common obstacles for most are mountains for little people, and stares from strangers are the norm. Through perseverance and faith, Matt shows that success comes not by trying to be what you're not, but by being what God has made you.
"Absolutely splendid . . . essential for understanding why there is so much bad thinking in political life right now." —David Brooks, New York Times How to Think is a contrarian treatise on why we’re not as good at thinking as we assume—but how recovering this lost art can rescue our inner lives from the chaos of modern life. As a celebrated cultural critic and a writer for national publications like The Atlantic and Harper’s, Alan Jacobs has spent his adult life belonging to communities that often clash in America’s culture wars. And in his years of confronting the big issues that divide us—political, social, religious—Jacobs has learned that many of our fiercest disputes occur not because we’re doomed to be divided, but because the people involved simply aren’t thinking. Most of us don’t want to think. Thinking is trouble. Thinking can force us out of familiar, comforting habits, and it can complicate our relationships with like-minded friends. Finally, thinking is slow, and that’s a problem when our habits of consuming information (mostly online) leave us lost in the spin cycle of social media, partisan bickering, and confirmation bias. In this smart, endlessly entertaining book, Jacobs diagnoses the many forces that act on us to prevent thinking—forces that have only worsened in the age of Twitter, “alternative facts,” and information overload—and he also dispels the many myths we hold about what it means to think well. (For example: It’s impossible to “think for yourself.”) Drawing on sources as far-flung as novelist Marilynne Robinson, basketball legend Wilt Chamberlain, British philosopher John Stuart Mill, and Christian theologian C.S. Lewis, Jacobs digs into the nuts and bolts of the cognitive process, offering hope that each of us can reclaim our mental lives from the impediments that plague us all. Because if we can learn to think together, maybe we can learn to live together, too.
From the popular Book of Odds website, this stylish and accessible reference book offers a fascinating peek at the probabilities that govern every aspect of human life Did you know that your odds of dying from drowning are higher than the odds of meeting your mate on a blind date? That the odds a child has seen Internet porn are the same as the odds a person is right-handed? That nearly one in three adults believes in UFOs and nearly one in six has reported seeing one? Drawing from a rigorously researched trove of more than 400,000 statements of probability, based on the most accurate and current data available, The Book of Odds is a graphic reference source for stats on the everyday, the odd, and the outrageous—from sex and marriage, health and disease, beliefs and fears, to wealth, addiction, entertainment, and civic life. What emerges from this colorful and captivating volume is a rich portrait of who we are and how we live today.
Maddie Shirkoff is an 11-year-old girl who has always dreamed of finding the extraordinary. But what does a young girl do when the extraordinary shows up at her front door - in the form of a portal transporting her to a dream world? A world, one could say, that is based off fairy tales. Unlike fairy tales, this world is not nearly as pleasant with endings that aren't always as happy.From goblins to fire breathing dragons, and magic potions to corrupt rulers who will stop at nothing to take what they want, Maddie will be challenged. How will she save her dying dog? How will she summon the spirit the goblins seek? And most importantly, how will she return home?
Want to calculate the probability that an event will happen? Be able to spot fake data? Prove beyond doubt whether one thing causes another? Or learn to be a better gambler? You can do that and much more with 75 practical and fun hacks packed into Statistics Hacks. These cool tips, tricks, and mind-boggling solutions from the world of statistics, measurement, and research methods will not only amaze and entertain you, but will give you an advantage in several real-world situations-including business. This book is ideal for anyone who likes puzzles, brainteasers, games, gambling, magic tricks, and those who want to apply math and science to everyday circumstances. Several hacks in the first chapter alone-such as the "central limit theorem,", which allows you to know everything by knowing just a little-serve as sound approaches for marketing and other business objectives. Using the tools of inferential statistics, you can understand the way probability works, discover relationships, predict events with uncanny accuracy, and even make a little money with a well-placed wager here and there. Statistics Hacks presents useful techniques from statistics, educational and psychological measurement, and experimental research to help you solve a variety of problems in business, games, and life. You'll learn how to: Play smart when you play Texas Hold 'Em, blackjack, roulette, dice games, or even the lottery Design your own winnable bar bets to make money and amaze your friends Predict the outcomes of baseball games, know when to "go for two" in football, and anticipate the winners of other sporting events with surprising accuracy Demystify amazing coincidences and distinguish the truly random from the only seemingly random--even keep your iPod's "random" shuffle honest Spot fraudulent data, detect plagiarism, and break codes How to isolate the effects of observation on the thing observed Whether you're a statistics enthusiast who does calculations in your sleep or a civilian who is entertained by clever solutions to interesting problems, Statistics Hacks has tools to give you an edge over the world's slim odds.
What's the secret to achieving the impossible? This thought-provoking book will take you through the lives of underdog innovators and help you discover the answers along the way. We are often told to "think outside the box" when solving problems. But in the real world, constraints around our innovation are more real than cardboard. From inaccessible resources to low self-esteem, they stack the odds against us. We are told that success lies in overcoming these disadvantages. But what if the key to innovation is harnessing them instead? Vedika Dayal set out to find answers. She sought a diverse group of underdog founders and discovered that obstacles can be your biggest asset for innovation-if you're intentional about it. In Think Outside the Odds, Dayal weaves together psychological insights, entrepreneurship case studies, and thirteen captivating stories of innovators to show how you can harness the same power of intentionality. How do you start a million-dollar movement making bracelets out of shoelaces? How do you go from housing insecurity to pioneering 3D-printed homes for families in need? By delving into the outer edges of entrepreneurship, you will find unorthodox ideas on how to optimize your environment, conversations, and movement through life's opportunities. In the process, you will unearth a world brimming with possibility-to seize it, all you have to do is dare to Think Outside the Odds.
While working for a financial consulting firm that offers insurance against catastrophic events, a young mathematician becomes increasingly obsessed with doomsday scenarios until one of his worst-case scenarios unfolds in Manhattan.
Messages from Heaven about the near Future of our World. By our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ and our Mother of Salvation Holy Virgin Mary. Virgin Mary is God's Final Preacher. God is always trying to lead man away from self-destruction. He sends his preachers. He sends his teachers. But these are snuffed out. Their words are not listened to and their invitations are rejected. So, finally, he has sent me. I am his final teacher, his final prophet. I am his last opportunity to change the course of history. There is no one behind me, no other message, no other signs than the ones that I will give. When I tell the world that it must listen to me, I am not speaking from a selfish and arrogant spirit. I am speaking as one who sees the destruction, the hopelessness of mankind if my words are not heeded. The fourth of five books from 2011 until 2015.
