What happens when an organization with the express goal of defending individual rights and liberties starts silencing its own board? Lawyer and social critic Wendy Kaminer has intimate knowledge of the ensuing conflict between independent thinking and group solidarity. In this concise and provocative book, she tells an inside story of dramatic ethical decline at the American Civil Liberties Union, using it as a poignant case study of conformity and other vices of association. InWorst Instincts, Kaminer calls on her experience as a dissident member of the ACLU national board to illustrate the essential virtues of dissent in preserving the moral character of any group. When an organization committed to free speech succumbs to pressure to suppress internal criticism and disregard or “spin” the truth, it offers important lessons for other associations, corporations, and governments, where such pressure must surely be rampant. Kaminer clarifies the common thread linking a continuum of minor failures and major disasters, from NASA to Jonestown. She reveals the many vices endemic to groups and exemplified by the ACLU’s post-9/11hypocrisies, including conformity and suppression of dissent in the interests of collegiality, solidarity, or group ℑ self-censorship by members anxious to avoid ostracism or marginalization by the group; elevation of loyalty to the institution over loyalty to the institution’s ideals; substitution of the group’s idealized self-image for the reality of its behavi∨ ad hominem attacks against critics; and deference to cults of personality. From a renowned advocate of civil liberties,Worst Instinctsis a surprising story of ethical meltdown at a revered organization that has abandoned its core principles. It is a powerful book that has much to tell us about the land mines of groupthink.
Fear can't help you in a dangerous situation. A former FBI profiler shows you what can. As one of the world's top experts on psychopathy and criminal behavior, Mary Ellen O'Toole has seen repeatedly how relying on the sense of fear alone often fails to protect us from danger. Whether you are opening the door to a stranger or meeting a date you connected with online, you need to know how to protect yourself from harm-physical, financial, legal, and professional. Using the SMART method, which O'Toole developed and used at the FBI, we can confidently know how to: Respond to a threat in any situation Hire someone who will work inside your home like a contractor or housekeeper Figure out whether a prospective employee is a safe bet Know whom you can trust with your children An especially useful book for women living alone, parents who are concerned about their children's safety, and employers worried about employees who might go postal, Dangerous Instincts gives us the tools used by professionals to navigate potentially hazardous waters. Like The Gift of Fear and The Sociopath Next Door, it will appeal to anyone looking to make the right call in an ever threatening world.
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER “One of the most important books I’ve ever read—an indispensable guide to thinking clearly about the world.” – Bill Gates “Hans Rosling tells the story of ‘the secret silent miracle of human progress’ as only he can. But Factfulness does much more than that. It also explains why progress is so often secret and silent and teaches readers how to see it clearly.” —Melinda Gates "Factfulness by Hans Rosling, an outstanding international public health expert, is a hopeful book about the potential for human progress when we work off facts rather than our inherent biases." - Former U.S. President Barack Obama Factfulness: The stress-reducing habit of only carrying opinions for which you have strong supporting facts. When asked simple questions about global trends—what percentage of the world’s population live in poverty; why the world’s population is increasing; how many girls finish school—we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess teachers, journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers. In Factfulness, Professor of International Health and global TED phenomenon Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators, Anna and Ola, offers a radical new explanation of why this happens. They reveal the ten instincts that distort our perspective—from our tendency to divide the world into two camps (usually some version of us and them) to the way we consume media (where fear rules) to how we perceive progress (believing that most things are getting worse). Our problem is that we don’t know what we don’t know, and even our guesses are informed by unconscious and predictable biases. It turns out that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than we might think. That doesn’t mean there aren’t real concerns. But when we worry about everything all the time instead of embracing a worldview based on facts, we can lose our ability to focus on the things that threaten us most. Inspiring and revelatory, filled with lively anecdotes and moving stories, Factfulness is an urgent and essential book that will change the way you see the world and empower you to respond to the crises and opportunities of the future. --- “This book is my last battle in my life-long mission to fight devastating ignorance...Previously I armed myself with huge data sets, eye-opening software, an energetic learning style and a Swedish bayonet for sword-swallowing. It wasn’t enough. But I hope this book will be.” Hans Rosling, February 2017.
The Forerunners by Romain Rolland: A profound and introspective essay by Romain Rolland, exploring the concept of "forerunners" in the realm of art and human progress. Rolland examines the lives and works of individuals who pave the way for revolutionary ideas and cultural movements. The essay reflects on the impact of these visionary individuals and their role in shaping the course of history and human development. Key Aspects of the Book "The Forerunners": Cultural Influence: Rolland's essay delves into the influence of artistic and intellectual pioneers on the evolution of culture and society. Historical Perspective: The work places the concept of "forerunners" within the broader context of historical developments and the progress of human civilization. Recognition of Visionaries: "The Forerunners" celebrates the contributions of visionary individuals and their impact on the trajectory of art and human thought. Romain Rolland was a French writer, essayist, and Nobel laureate born in 1866. Known for his philosophical and historical writings, Rolland's works often centered on themes of culture, humanism, and the role of artists in society. The Forerunners exemplifies his contemplative approach to understanding the interconnectedness of human achievements and the legacy of visionary individuals in shaping the course of human history.
❤ They have a history -- can it be rewritten?❤ Prince Karl longs to once more be plain Karl Wethers, Wyoming rancher. Instead, his sense of responsibility, nurtured as a cowboy and honed in the U.S. Army, won’t let him turn his back on King Jozef of Bariavak. But he has a plan. If he can pull it off. Then international media consultant Harmon Reed re-enters his life. The Army brat who liked to juggle lit sticks of dynamite is now a woman who could explode that dynamite in his face. He’s fully occupied with trying to keep her from knowing anything about the complications of his royal life, because he will never trust her again, despite the pull of a love long gone. For Harmon, what started as a youthful summer fling ignited into a love that shook her to her core. Equally smitten, Karl saw something beyond her beauty and rebellious streak. Then Harmon broke it off – and broke Karl’s heart. They went their separate ways, but no matter how far apart they traveled, the embers of first love remained. And the slim hope of a second chance floated in the periphery. Oh, yes, these two have a history. A history neither has forgotten … but can they forgive? The Forgotten Prince, Book 9 of USA Today bestselling author Patricia McLinn's The Wedding Series, is a moving, passionate contemporary romance. Revisit characters you’ve come to love in Prelude to a Wedding, Wedding Party, Grady’s Wedding, The Christmas Princess, The Surprise Princess and At the Heart’s Command (from the A Place Called Home series). And don't miss meeting a younger Karl in the full-length prequel Not a Family Man. 5-star praise for The Forgotten Prince ... “A wonderfully complicated story bringing political intrigue, family dynamics, and unforgotten love into a whirlwind of raw emotion. ...The real beauty ... is found in the many and varied relationships of the characters. Their hopes, their fears, their sacrifices, their loves, will so draw one into the story that when it is done you can't help but feel you really know these people.” “Karl and Harmon fight against the love they once shared and the desire of each to help and protect the other… I highly recommend.” “A lovely conclusion to this great series. Interesting characters and terrific storyline makes this a must read.” “I am sorry to see this series come to an end. I highly recommend this to those who enjoy a romance with likable three dimensional characters.” “Awesome story, great series...These books give me hope that I too one day will find out I'm really a secret princess!” ... And The Wedding Series "Love this series ... so many twists and turns that take you all over the world!" "Love it...Love it....love it..... very real. Do I recommend it? Without a doubt, 100%.” “A wonderful series that will make you laugh and cry. ... 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'An entertaining, wide-ranging defence and explanation of the conservative way of seeing the world . . . suffused with generosity and wit' Catholic Herald Brought up by eccentric intellectuals, Ed West experienced what he believed was a fairly normal childhood of political pamphlets as bedtime reading, family holidays to East Germany and a father who was one political step away from advocating the return of serfdom. In his mid-twenties, West found himself embracing a mindset usually acquired alongside a realisation that all music post-1955 is garbage, agreeing with everything said in the Telegraph and all the other bad things people get in middle age. This is his journey to becoming a real-life Tory boy. Forgoing the typically tedious and shouty tone of the Right, West provides that rare gem of a conservative book - one that people of any political alignment can read, if only to laugh at West's gallows humour and dry wit. Crammed with self-deprecating anecdotes and enlightening political insights, Tory Boy discloses a life shaped by politics and the realisation that perhaps this obsession does more harm than good. 'Anyone - liberal, conservative, whatever - would enjoy [this book]. It is full of the most fascinating facts, all mixed in with Ed's inimitable displays of self-mockery' Tom Holland 'A self-deprecating and often hilarious memoir of a born conservative watching the world go wrong. Sprinkled with gallows humour, like a political version of Nick Hornby's Fever Pitch' The Critic
First published nearly one hundred years ago, André Gide’s masterpiece, translated from the original French by Pulitzer Prize winner Richard Howard, draws from the disciplines of biology, philosophy, and history to support the author’s assertion that homosexuality is a natural human trait At the time of his death in 1951, having won the Nobel Prize in Literature only four years prior, André Gide was considered one of the most important literary minds of the twentieth century. In Corydon, initially released anonymously in installments between 1911 and 1920, Gide speaks his most subversive and provocative truth. Citing myriad examples that span thousands of years, Gide’s Socratic dialogues argue that homosexuality is natural—in fact, far more so than the social construct of exclusive heterosexuality, the act of systematically banning or ostracizing same-sex relationships. Corydon, named for the pederast character in Virgil’s Eclogues, caused its author “all kinds of trouble,” according to his friends, but he regarded it as his most important work. The courage, intelligence, and prescience of Gide’s argument make it all the more impressive today.
The great narratives of religion and nationhood were battered in the twentieth century by the dual forces of globalization and postmodernism. In the uncertainty of broken traditions, many people looking for God retreated into a regressive fundamentalism, and others abandoned themselves to nihilism and cynicism. But is there another way? In this volume, esteemed sociologist and therapist Mark W. Teismann offers a fresh approach to spiritual pursuits, one that neither relies upon absolutes nor leaves seekers in a void of disbelief. This approach is to consider the exercise of spirituality as a type of play. Teismann takes the reader on a whirlwind ride through the different aspects of play and how they relate to spirituality. Teismann draws on classical philosophers, memories of childhood, developmental science, poets, and his long career as a psychotherapist to create a deep understanding of how the spirit of play informs our moral pursuits and spiritual yearnings. A conclusion and epilogue summarize the book’s tenets and touch on Mark Teismann’s battle with cancer and how the practices of meditation and play accompanied him on his spiritual journey in the context of an incurable disease. The book’s appendix gives interested readers a detailed description of how to approach the practice of meditation.
