Really, why aren't people more successful? If you've ever had that idea that made you go 'Aha!' or made that proverbial light bulb go off in your head, you've probably had an idea that was a game-changer: the type of idea that makes life better, easier or more enjoyable for all who use it, and makes you rich and successful by implementing it. We all have great ideas at one point in time or another, but few of us have confidence and know-how to follow through with the idea to completion. In each chapter, I lay out the process of preparing yourself to be a game-changer, and show you how to take an idea from concept to its complete manifest form.
Great ideas often develop gradually after studying a problem at length--but not always. Sometimes, an insight hits like a bolt from the blue. For Archimedes, clarity struck while he was taking a bath. For Gustav Mahler, it came as the blades of his oars touched the water. And for Albert Einstein, it emerged while he was talking to a friend. Why do these moments of insight strike so suddenly? Why do they so often come to us when we are focused on something completely unrelated? And when great ideas "come to" us, where do they come from? In Aha!: The Moments of Insight that Shape Our World, philosopher William B. Irvine, author of A Guide to the Good Life and On Desire, explores these epiphanies, from the minor insights that strike us all daily, to the major realizations that alter the course of history. Focusing on aha moments as they take place in five different domains--religion, morality, science, math, and art--Irvine provides case studies that shed light on the different ways epiphanies happen in the different domains, and on their differing social impact. Along the way, he describes some of the great aha moments in history, from ancient times to the present day. We like to think that our greatest thoughts are the product of our conscious mind. Irvine demonstrates, though, that it is our unconscious mind that is the source of our most significant insights, and that the role the conscious mind plays in eliciting these insights is to try, unsuccessfully, to solve certain problems. Only if the conscious mind is willing to do this--and thereby experience considerable frustration--is the unconscious mind likely to reward it with a breakthrough insight-that the conscious mind will then take credit for. Irvine explores not only the neuroscience of aha moments but also their personal and social ramifications. How does a person respond to having a breakthrough insight that goes against a dominant paradigm? And how does the world respond when she shares that insight? Irvine shows that in many cases, what is most remarkable about those who have had the great insights of human history is not their but their courage and perseverance in fighting for the world to accept those insights. Aha! is a must-read for cognitive scientists, intellectual historians, philosophers, and anyone who has ever been blown away by the ideas that enlighten us when we least expect it.
"Product-Led Growth is about helping your customers experience the ongoing value your product provides. It is a critical step in successful product design and this book shows you how it's done." - Nir Eyal, Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of "Hooked"
“Through this wonderful book, frustrated golfers can learn to swing like Moe [Norman] and improve their games.” —Anthony Robbins, #1 New York Times–bestselling author The mysterious and reclusive genius Moe Norman is acknowledged as the best ball-striker in the history of golf by many of the game’s greats. The Single Plane Golf Swing: Play Better Golf the Moe Norman Way reveals the secrets of the swing that enabled him to hit the ball solidly with unerring accuracy and consistency—every time. Norman’s simple, efficient, and easily understood Single Plane Swing has improved the games of thousands of golfers. Golf professional Todd Graves, known as “Little Moe” and regarded as the world authority on Norman’s swing, comprehensively teaches readers the mechanics, drills, and feelings of the Single Plane Swing that Moe called “The Feeling of Greatness.” Graves shares Norman’s brilliant insights and liberating approach to the game and demonstrates why the conventional “tour” swing is too complex and frustrating for the majority of amateurs. Illustrated with more than 300 photographs and written with Tim O’Connor, Norman’s biographer, the book also engagingly tells Norman’s bittersweet life story and explores the teacher-student bond forged between Norman and his protégé Graves. “One of golf’s greatest untold stories, Moe Norman’s life illustrated a simple and powerful truth: greatness is built from practicing the right swing in the right way. In this book, Todd Graves has given us a blueprint for that swing, for those practice habits, and most of all for a process that builds success.” —Dan Coyle, New York Times-bestselling author of The Culture Code
In a book perfect for readers of Charles Duhigg’s The Power of Habit, David Eagleman’s Incognito, and Leonard Mlodinow’s Subliminal, the cognitive neuroscientists who discovered how the brain has aha moments—sudden creative insights—explain how they happen, when we need them, and how we can have more of them to enrich our lives and empower personal and professional success. Eureka or aha moments are sudden realizations that expand our understanding of the world and ourselves, conferring both personal growth and practical advantage. Such creative insights, as psychological scientists call them, were what conveyed an important discovery in the science of genetics to Nobel laureate Barbara McClintock, the melody of a Beatles ballad to Paul McCartney, and an understanding of the cause of human suffering to the Buddha. But these moments of clarity are not given only to the famous. Anyone can have them. In The Eureka Factor, John Kounios and Mark Beeman explain how insights arise and what the scientific research says about stimulating more of them. They discuss how various conditions affect the likelihood of your having an insight, when insight is helpful and when deliberate methodical thought is better suited to a task, what the relationship is between insight and intuition, and how the brain’s right hemisphere contributes to creative thought. Written in a lively, engaging style, this book goes beyond scientific principles to offer productive techniques for realizing your creative potential—at home and at work. The authors provide compelling anecdotes to illustrate how eureka experiences can be a key factor in your life. Attend a dinner party with Christopher Columbus to learn why we need insights. Go to a baseball game with the director of a classic Disney Pixar movie to learn about one important type of aha moment. Observe the behind-the-scenes arrangements for an Elvis Presley concert to learn why the timing of insights is crucial. Accessible and compelling, The Eureka Factor is a fascinating look at the human brain and its seemingly infinite capacity to surprise us. Praise for The Eureka Factor “Delicious . . . In The Eureka Factor, neuroscientists John Kounios and Mark Beeman give many other examples of [a] kind of lightning bolt of insight, but back this up with the latest brain-imaging research.”—Newsweek “An incredible accomplishment . . . [The Eureka Factor] is not just a chronicle of the journey that numerous scientists (including the authors) have taken to examine insight but is also a fascinating guide to how advances in science are made in general. Messrs. Kounios and Beeman examine how a parade of clever experiments can be designed to answer specific questions and rule out alternative possibilities. . . . Wonderful ideas appear as if out of nowhere—and we are delighted.”—The Wall Street Journal “An excellent title for those interested in neuroscience or creativity . . . The writing is engaging and readable, mixing stories of famous perceptions with explanations of how such revelations happen.”—Library Journal (starred review) “A lively and accessible ‘brain’ book with wide appeal.”—Booklist “[An] ingenious, thoughtful update on how the mind works.”—Kirkus Reviews “The Eureka Factor presents a fascinating and illuminating account of the creative process and how to foster it.”—James J. Heckman, Nobel laureate in economics
Take a look behind the bully in this modern classic from Newbery medalist Jerry Spinelli that packs a punch. And don't miss the highly anticipated new novel, Dead Wednesday. Cocky seventh-grade super-jock Crash Coogan got his nickname the day he used his first football helmet to knock his cousin Bridget flat on her backside. And he has been running over people ever since, especially Penn Webb, the dweeby, vegetarian Quaker kid who lives down the block. Through the eyes of Crash, readers get a rare glimpse into the life of a bully in this unforgettable and beloved story about stereotypes and the surprises life can bring. "Readers will devour this humorous glimpse of what jocks are made of." --School Library Journal, starred review
Farah feels alone, even when surrounded by her classmates. She listens and nods but doesn’t speak. It’s hard being the new kid in school, especially when you’re from another country and don’t know the language. Then, on a field trip to an apple orchard, Farah discovers there are lots of things that sound the same as they did at home, from dogs crunching their food to the ripple of friendly laughter. As she helps the class make apple cider, Farah connects with the other students and begins to feel that she belongs. Ted Lewin’s gorgeous sun-drenched paintings and Eve Bunting’s sensitive text immediately put the reader into another child’s shoes in this timely story of a young Muslim immigrant.
Summary: The aha! moment is a moment of clarity. How you understand the concept and make it a useful practice that anyone can access is less clear. Napier (international business, Boise State University) tries to remedy that dilemma using anecdotes from many fields and citing many personalities from Einstein to Steve Jobs to track the essence of this vehicle to insight. She suggests a three part pursuit that defines, then duplicates the creation, then protects that creative awareness so that it can produce more aha moments. In general, it's basic: learn what it is, learn how to do it, learn how to keep doing it.
The fitness influencer and creator of the #1 bestselling Food & Drink app, FitMenCook, shares 100 easy, quick meal prep recipes that will save you time, money, and inches on your waistline—helping you to get healthy on your own terms. We like to be inspired when it comes to food. No one enjoys cookie-cutter meal plans, bland recipes, or eating the same thing every day. Instead of worrying about what to eat and how it’s going to affect our bodies, we should embrace food freedom—freedom to create flavorful meals, but in a more calorie-conscious way; freedom to indulge occasionally while being mindful of portions; and freedom to achieve wellness goals without breaking the bank. In Fit Men Cook, Kevin Curry, fitness expert and social media sensation with millions of followers and hundreds of thousands of downloads on his app, shares everything you need to live a healthy life each day—from grocery lists to common dieting pitfalls to his ten commandments of meal prep—as well as his personal story of overcoming depression and weight gain to start a successful business and fitness movement. This guide also includes 100+ easy and flavorful recipes like Southern-Inspired Banana Corn Waffles, Sweet Potato Whip, Juicy AF Moroccan Chicken, and many more to help you plan your week and eat something new and nutritious each day. With Fit Men Cook, you can create exciting, satisfying meals and be on your way to losing weight for good. After all, bodies may be sculpted at the gym, but they are built in the kitchen.
You’ll never think about productivity the same way again! Are your employees feeling exhausted, cynical, or just tuned-out? Do they frequently check their phones in meetings, and seem especially uninterested to hear about the next important organizational change? Are they working harder but getting less done? Ill too often or for too long? These are some of the classic warning signs of disengagement. In a perfect world, work should do so much for us. It should lend us purpose and a sense of meaning, offer us structure and stability. But invariably, something goes wrong—many employees have to pull themselves over the fence each day at a job that is burning them out. Employee engagement and burnout were declared in a state of “crisis” and the biggest concerns for employers in 2017. And we are right to be concerned. Disengagement comes at the yearly cost of $550 billion to the US economy. But it’s not just our economic prosperity that’s at stake. The study presented in Burnout to Breakthrough shows an alarming correlation between disengagement and the following three health predators: depression, obesity, and suicide. Here, Ina Catrinescu draws on cutting-edge neuroscience, and integrates social psychology and organizational science to reconsider accepted narratives, connect past developments with contemporary concerns, and examine specific management practices within the context of this workplace crisis. She redefines how we understand work and idleness. And the best part? The same turnkey solution that can aid disengagement and burnout is responsible for unleashing our creativity. Are you ready to get your employees thirsty to create, their minds tickled, and their hearts racing? Then Burnout to Breakthrough is the right book for you.
