Today’s CEO must be a global leader who also understands that parts of the business must be managed locally. Someone who sets a strategic vision, though industry and technology disruptions will surely threaten that vision. Someone who must live in the future to go to the future, while continuously creating economic and social value. Not an easy task. Harder Than I Thought is a fictional narrative that puts this increasingly complex job in context—by enabling you to walk alongside Jim Barton, the new CEO of Santa Monica Aerospace, as he steps into the role. Barton’s story, developed in consultation with seasoned, reallife CEOs, contains crucial lessons for all leaders hoping to master the new skills required to move into the Csuite.
A witty round-up of writers' habits that includes all the big names, such as Dickens, Flaubert, Tolstoy, Hemingway At public events readers always ask writers how they write. The process fascinates them. Now they have a very witty book that ranges around the world and throughout history to answer their questions. All the great writers are here — Dickens, dashing off his work; Henry James dictating it; Flaubert shouting each word aloud in the garden; Hemingway at work in cafés with his pencil. But pencil or pen, trusty typewriter or computer, they all have their advocates. Not to mention the writers who can only keep the words flowing by writing naked, or while walking or listening to music — and generally obeying the most bizarre superstitions. On Shakespeare’s works: “Fantastic. And it was all done with a feather!” — Sam Goldwyn “I write nude, seated on a thick towel, and perhaps with a second towel around me.” — Paul West “I’ve never heard of anyone getting plumber’s block, or traffic cop’s block.” — Allan Gurganus “I’m a drinker with a writing problem.” — Brendan Behan
Americans have been divided along political lines for so long that they have nearly forgotten how to talk to one another, much less how to listen. This is not likely to improve as long as differences between them continue to be cast in overly simplistic terms, such as "ignorance” vs. "enlightened awareness” or "morality” vs. "reprobate immorality.” Such dichotomies ignore the fact that many citizens who disagree politically nonetheless share a desire to work for the larger good of society. Phil Neisser, a self-described "left-wing atheist,” first met Jacob Hess, a social conservative, at the 2008 proceedings of the National Coalition for Dialogue and Deliberation. After discovering a shared commitment to cross-party dialogue, they embarked together on a yearlong attempt to practice what they preached. In this book they share the result by exploring the boundaries of core disagreements about morality, power, gender roles, sexuality, race, big government, big business, and big media. Each chapter revolves around an issue explored in depth through back-and-forth, lively question and response. This nuanced, iterative process was transformative for both authors, and could likewise serve as a valuable resource for anyone--liberal or conservative--who feels disillusioned by today’s often shallow, demagogic public discourse.
Our lives are composed of millions of choices, ranging from trivial to life-changing and momentous. Luckily, our brains have evolved a number of mental shortcuts, biases, and tricks that allow us to quickly negotiate this endless array of decisions. We don’t want to rationally deliberate every choice we make, and thanks to these cognitive rules of thumb, we don’t need to. Yet these hard-wired shortcuts, mental wonders though they may be, can also be perilous. They can distort our thinking in ways that are often invisible to us, leading us to make poor decisions, to be easy targets for manipulators…and they can even cost us our lives. The truth is, despite all the buzz about the power of gut-instinct decision-making in recent years, sometimes it’s better to stop and say, “On second thought . . .” The trick, of course, lies in knowing when to trust that instant response, and when to question it. In On Second Thought, acclaimed science writer Wray Herbert provides the first guide to achieving that balance. Drawing on real-world examples and cutting-edge research, he takes us on a fascinating, wide-ranging journey through our innate cognitive traps and tools, exposing the hidden dangers lurking in familiarity and consistency; the obstacles that keep us from accurately evaluating risk and value; the delusions that make it hard for us to accurately predict the future; the perils of the human yearning for order and simplicity; the ways our fears can color our very perceptions . . . and much more. Along the way, Herbert reveals the often-bizarre cross-connections these shortcuts have secretly ingrained in our brains, answering such questions as why jury decisions may be shaped by our ancient need for cleanliness; what the state of your desk has to do with your political preferences; why loneliness can literally make us shiver; how drawing two dots on a piece of paper can desensitize us to violence… and how the very typeface on this page is affecting your decision about whether or not to buy this book. Ultimately, On Second Thought is both a captivating exploration of the workings of the mind and an invaluable resource for anyone who wants to learn how to make smarter, better judgments every day.
Discover the essential thinking tools you’ve been missing with The Great Mental Models series by Shane Parrish, New York Times bestselling author and the mind behind the acclaimed Farnam Street blog and “The Knowledge Project” podcast. This first book in the series is your guide to learning the crucial thinking tools nobody ever taught you. Time and time again, great thinkers such as Charlie Munger and Warren Buffett have credited their success to mental models–representations of how something works that can scale onto other fields. Mastering a small number of mental models enables you to rapidly grasp new information, identify patterns others miss, and avoid the common mistakes that hold people back. The Great Mental Models: Volume 1, General Thinking Concepts shows you how making a few tiny changes in the way you think can deliver big results. Drawing on examples from history, business, art, and science, this book details nine of the most versatile, all-purpose mental models you can use right away to improve your decision making and productivity. This book will teach you how to: Avoid blind spots when looking at problems. Find non-obvious solutions. Anticipate and achieve desired outcomes. Play to your strengths, avoid your weaknesses, … and more. The Great Mental Models series demystifies once elusive concepts and illuminates rich knowledge that traditional education overlooks. This series is the most comprehensive and accessible guide on using mental models to better understand our world, solve problems, and gain an advantage.
A proven-effective CBT approach to help you break the cycle of repetitive negative thinking If you suffer from anxiety or depression, chances are you also experience unwanted, distressing, and repetitive thoughts. These negative thoughts are often grounded in anger, guilt, shame, worry, humiliation, resentment, or regret. And the more you try to gain control over these thoughts, the more they seem to spiral out of your control. So, how can you break free from this self-defeating ‘mind trap,’ and experience lasting peace and relief? The Negative Thoughts Workbook offers a step-by-step program to help you target and effectively cope with negative thinking patterns. Based on effective cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) strategies, this practical guide outlines a transdiagnostic approach to managing the thoughts that drive your emotional distress and threaten your mental health and well-being. You are not condemned to a life of constant, chaotic, or disturbing thoughts. If you’re ready to take shelter from the storm inside your head, the easy-to-follow activities in this evidence-based workbook will help you gain control over your cycles of negative thinking. Discover powerful ways to: Identify your own thinking traps Deal with worry and anxiety Stop rumination before it takes over Confront shame and move beyond regret Find release from resentment
Is great teaching a gift that only a few of us are born with, or is it a skill that can be learned? In Never Work Harder Than Your Students, Robyn Jackson makes a radical assertion: Any teacher can become a master teacher by developing a master teacher mindset. The master teacher mindset can be achieved by rigorously applying seven principles to your teaching until they become your automatic response to students in the classroom. The more you practice these seven principles, the more you begin to think like a master teacher: 1. Start where your students are. 2. Know where your students are going. 3. Expect to get your students to their goal. 4. Support your students along the way. 5. Use feedback to help you and your students get better. 6. Focus on quality rather than quantity. 7. Never work harder than your students. Using these principles, Jackson shows you how to become a master teacher no matter where you are in your practice. Each chapter provides a detailed explanation of one of the mastery principles, the steps you need to take to apply them to your own practice, and suggestions for how you can begin practicing the principle in your classroom right away. Jackson offers stories from her own teaching practice, as well as from other teachers she has helped, to show you how each principle works. Teaching is a hard job, but using Jackson’s principles will help you and your students reap the rich rewards of that hard work.
#1 New York Times Bestseller “Funny and smart as hell” (Bill Gates), Allie Brosh’s Hyperbole and a Half showcases her unique voice, leaping wit, and her ability to capture complex emotions with deceptively simple illustrations. FROM THE PUBLISHER: Every time Allie Brosh posts something new on her hugely popular blog Hyperbole and a Half the internet rejoices. This full-color, beautifully illustrated edition features more than fifty percent new content, with ten never-before-seen essays and one wholly revised and expanded piece as well as classics from the website like, “The God of Cake,” “Dogs Don’t Understand Basic Concepts Like Moving,” and her astonishing, “Adventures in Depression,” and “Depression Part Two,” which have been hailed as some of the most insightful meditations on the disease ever written. Brosh’s debut marks the launch of a major new American humorist who will surely make even the biggest scrooge or snob laugh. We dare you not to. FROM THE AUTHOR: This is a book I wrote. Because I wrote it, I had to figure out what to put on the back cover to explain what it is. I tried to write a long, third-person summary that would imply how great the book is and also sound vaguely authoritative—like maybe someone who isn’t me wrote it—but I soon discovered that I’m not sneaky enough to pull it off convincingly. So I decided to just make a list of things that are in the book: Pictures Words Stories about things that happened to me Stories about things that happened to other people because of me Eight billion dollars* Stories about dogs The secret to eternal happiness* *These are lies. Perhaps I have underestimated my sneakiness!
arper Wright enjoys working off-the-books for the government, and his next assignment is a treat. All he has to do is get close to a socialite so he can get the scoop on her rotten as sin family. But this socialite isn't what he was expecting. Instead of being wrapped up in fashion and trends, she's far more concerned with cancer research and fighting for rights. She's beautiful, funny, kisses like sin, smarter than him, and one last thing? She's using him. Robin Suleiman knows her uncle killed her mother fifteen years ago, and now Robin is going to prove it. There's just one problem. In her family, being female is practically a crime. So in order to get close to her uncle, she needs a man. When the universe provides, Robin is listening. She might be rusty when it comes to the opposite sex, but Harper is diligent about reminding her of all the reasons why men and women are so good together. So good that she begins to wonder if the mystery is worth uncovering? The choice isn't up to her when Robin's uncle catches her snooping around. It's the wake-up call Harper needed to remember that falling for Robin wasn't the job. Now he has to keep her and his secret safe or risk losing it all. Author recommendation: Due to spoilers, this series is enjoyed best when read in order. There are fewer spoilers in this book than others. Aegis Group Task Force: an Aegis Group spin-off First Risk (newsletter exclusive short story) Stolen Risk Forged Risk Technical Risk Necessary Risk Intercepted Risk Targeted Risk Hard Risk Burned Risk (TBA) Final Risk (TBA) Aegis Group Dangerous Attraction Dangerous in Training Dangerous Games Dangerous Assignment Dangerous Protector Dangerous Secrets Dangerous Betrayal Dangerous Heat Dangerous Connections Dangerous Legacy Dangerous Beginnings (coming soon) More soon! Aegis Group Dangerous Ladies: an Aegis Group spin-off Just Business Just Friends Just Casual Just Enemies Just Dangerous Body of Danger Heart of Danger Mind of Danger Soul of Danger Face of Danger (2021) Aegis Group Alpha Team: an Aegis Group spin-off Dangerous in Love Dangerous in Action Dangerous in Transit Dangerous in Motion Dangerous in Charge Aegis Group Lepta Team: an Aegis Group spin-off Dangerously Taken Dangerously Involved Dangerously Deceived Dangerously Broken Dangerously Entwined Ransom Texas SWAT; an Aegis Group spin off Fighting Redemption Stolen Redemption Forbidden Redemption Reckless Redemption (coming soon) Gone Geek: an Aegis Group spin off Beauty and the Geek Mr. Purr-fect and the Geek The Jock and the Geek The Gamer and the Geek The Adorkable Girl and the Geek The Fake Boyfriend and the Geek
