Pontefract combines years of experience and research on employee engagement to create a work about the three crucial areas of purpose: individual, workplace role, and organizational. When one area is lacking, this three-legged barstool starts to wobble, and the results range from disengagement to bankruptcy. A business leader that is committed to purpose will create purpose for his/her employees. An employee that feels his/her sense of purpose on the job will be an invaluable asset to productivity and success. An organization centered on purpose will benefit every stakeholder, from employees to society in general. This “sweet spot” of purpose creates a reciprocal relationship between all three areas, and sits at the center of Pontefract’s work.
Pontefract combines years of experience and research on employee engagement, behavior and culture to create a work about the three crucial areas of purpose: personal, organizational and workplace role. If all three can come to fruition--if there is a positive interconnection between the three distinct definitions of purpose--the benefits should be felt by employees, teams, the organization, customers, and perhaps most importantly, society as a whole. We can refer to this balanced state as the "sweet spot." When one area is lacking or ignored the results range from disengagement, apathy, lack of growth and even bankruptcy. The Purpose Effect is aimed at both leaders and employees who wish to achieve a purpose mindset on a personal level, for the organization where they are employed and in their role at work, too. A business leader that is committed to purpose will create purpose for the organization. An employee that feels his/her personal sense of purpose is being fulfilled at work will be an invaluable asset to productivity and success. An organization centered on purpose will benefit every stakeholder, from employees to society in general. This "sweet spot" of purpose creates a reciprocal relationship between all three areas and sits at the center of Pontefract's work.
A Turing Award-winning computer scientist and statistician shows how understanding causality has revolutionized science and will revolutionize artificial intelligence "Correlation is not causation." This mantra, chanted by scientists for more than a century, has led to a virtual prohibition on causal talk. Today, that taboo is dead. The causal revolution, instigated by Judea Pearl and his colleagues, has cut through a century of confusion and established causality -- the study of cause and effect -- on a firm scientific basis. His work explains how we can know easy things, like whether it was rain or a sprinkler that made a sidewalk wet; and how to answer hard questions, like whether a drug cured an illness. Pearl's work enables us to know not just whether one thing causes another: it lets us explore the world that is and the worlds that could have been. It shows us the essence of human thought and key to artificial intelligence. Anyone who wants to understand either needs The Book of Why.
Many of us have one--a place where we store mementos that remind us of an earlier period in our lives--either happy or sad. Those ties to our past are commonly found in a similar place, hidden in a shoebox buried at the back of a closet shelf. It's called The Shoebox Effect--where you "forget", intentionally or unintentionally, about the contents of the box and what they represent. Marcie Keithley's shoebox contained a secret, one she kept for decades, one released when her shoebox was unexpectedly revealed in a moment of grief. A flood of memories and emotions were unleashed when the lid was knocked off. No longer able to deny what she had sequestered away in her closet and in her spirit, the revelation created challenges for Marcie, but it also did something positively unexpected. Releasing the truth began a cascade that resulted in a freedom Marcie did not know was possible. The dramatic story of this long-kept secret, which has been reported globally on major networks and in newspapers across America, will intrigue and enthrall you. But Marcie Keithley doesn't just make her story all about her. Now known as The Shoebox Sherpa, she helps people unpack their own shoeboxes, and teaches us how to face our truths, heal our pasts, and find the freedom we deeply desire. Be prepared to consider Marcie's question to all of us, "What's in your shoebox?"
A hilariously subversive YA debut that explores the meaning of friendship and loyalty, and also why you should avoid being trapped in a small space with an angry chicken. Perfect for fans of Andrew Smith’s Winger and Frank Portman’s King Dork. It all started with a harmless prank. But now high school junior Lawrence Barry is one step away from reform school unless he participates in a mentorship program. His mentee? Spencer Knudsen, a Norwegian exchange student with Spock-like intelligence but the social skills of the periodic table. Then disaster strikes. Homecoming Week. When someone dressed as the school Viking mascot starts destroying the fairytale-inspired floats, all suspicion falls on Lawrence. Add to the mix a demon Goth girl, a Renaissance LARPing group, an overzealous yearbook editor, and three vindictive chickens, and Lawrence soon realizes that his situation may be a little out of control. But Spencer seems to have some answers. In fact, Spencer may be the one friend Lawrence never knew he needed.
#1 Amazon Best Seller in Women's Fiction Friendship, loss, and an enchanting trip to Paris... Amy and Kat had a plan: A secret trip to Paris. Even Amy's husband wouldn't know about it. But when Amy loses Kat to cancer, she knows the plan has disappeared forever. Or has it? Guided by Kat's bold voice and dissatisfaction with her own calorie-counting life in Phoenix, Amy takes the plunge and sneaks off to Paris without telling a soul. Once there, however, she finds that her problems have come right along with her. Through adventures laced with luscious food and a glimpse into an unexpected side of Paris, Amy learns that often in life, love, and friendship, nothing is exactly as it seems. Will she choose her new life in Paris or revive the one she left behind? "Discover a Paris that few casual tourists see" (Paris Voice) in this highly praised "can't-put-down... absorbing adventure" (Kirkus Reviews) Now optioned for film and TV by Papazian-Hirsch Entertainment! Book club discussion guide included. Interview with the AuthorWhat inspired you to write The Paris Effect? This is easy. I am a member of two book groups. We love talking about stories and characters, why we liked or didn't like a novel, what books and reading mean to us. I've done a lot of pondering about what makes a satisfying reading experience. Simply put, I wanted to write a novel that my book groups would enjoy reading and talking about. I love books about Paris! Do you think I will like this book? Yes, I believe so! But this isn't your typical book about Paris. At first it may seem like chick lit (a secret trip to the romantic city of Paris!) or a travel memoir (Amy ventures abroad without telling her husband and ends up on a voyage of self-discovery), though I'd say at its core it's women's fiction: Amy deals with the loss of her best friend and the downward (and sideways) spiral that ensues. She questions herself and her choices. She ultimately has to make some tough decisions. It's an emotional ride. What kind of story is The Paris Effect? Reviewers call it an engrossing adventure that's both funny and touching. Literary types would probably say it's a coming of age story because the main character, Amy (who loves all things French, and is diet-obsessed and believes French women don't get fat), takes the first big risk of her life by running away to France, soon learning the truth of the expression, "Wherever you go, there you are." I call it a tale of self-discovery that for the reader doubles as a virtual mini-vacation to Paris, giving a unique glimpse of Paris life. Many books have been written with Paris as the setting. What sets yours apart? Who doesn't like a Paris love story? For many of us, Paris is the ultimate romantic dream destination. And don't get me wrong-Paris is truly as romantic as it's cracked up to be! But it's also a multilingual, multinational metropolis of street hustlers, diesel fumes, and pickpockets. Amy encounters all of these and more, including some wonderfully kind strangers. She gets to know a Paris that few casual tourists ever see. And so will you. Thanks for reading!
The New York Times bestseller that gives readers a paradigm-shattering new way to think about motivation from the author of When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money—the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction-at work, at school, and at home—is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world. Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does—and how that affects every aspect of life. He examines the three elements of true motivation—autonomy, mastery, and purpose-and offers smart and surprising techniques for putting these into action in a unique book that will change how we think and transform how we live.
If you think money can’t buy happiness, you’re not spending it right. Two rising stars in behavioral science explain how money can buy happiness—if you follow five core principles of smarter spending. If you think money can’t buy happiness, you’re not spending it right. Two rising stars in behavioral science explain how money can buy happiness—if you follow five core principles of smarter spending. Happy Money offers a tour of new research on the science of spending. Most people recognize that they need professional advice on how to earn, save, and invest their money. When it comes to spending that money, most people just follow their intuitions. But scientific research shows that those intuitions are often wrong. Happy Money explains why you can get more happiness for your money by following five principles, from choosing experiences over stuff to spending money on others. And the five principles can be used not only by individuals but by companies seeking to create happier employees and provide “happier products” to their customers. Elizabeth Dunn and Michael Norton show how companies from Google to Pepsi to Crate & Barrel have put these ideas into action. Along the way, the authors describe new research that reveals that luxury cars often provide no more pleasure than economy models, that commercials can actually enhance the enjoyment of watching television, and that residents of many cities frequently miss out on inexpensive pleasures in their hometowns. By the end of this book, readers will ask themselves one simple question whenever they reach for their wallets: Am I getting the biggest happiness bang for my buck?
John Seddon explains how successive governments have failed to deliver what our public services need and exposes the devastation that three decades of political fads, fashions and bad theory have caused. With specific examples and new evidence, he chronicles how the Whitehall ideas machine has failed on a monumental scale - and the impact that this has had on public sector workers and those of us who use public sector services.
We've all experienced discontent in our lives at one point or another, waking up each day and going to sleep each night completely unfulfilled. We feel like something is missing but can't put our finger on what that is. Today's world is custom-built to pull our attention in a hundred and fifty directions, telling us who we should be and how we should live to become an acceptable member of society. We fall prey to the endless cycle of consumerism and information overload. Before we know it, we wake up questioning how the hell we got here in the first place."The Less Effect" is about becoming conscious to the physical environment, social relationships, and daily habits we surround ourselves with so we can clear away what is holding us back and follow our true passion. We spend so much of our lives continuously adding more to solve our problems that, over time, we completely lose sight of who we are underneath it all. When we become more aware of our surroundings and remove what no longer serves us, we are able to tap into our most authentic self and design a life of happiness and purpose.It simply starts with living a life of less.
