¿Qué nos produce turbación, desprecio o asco? ¿Por qué a veces el llanto nos desborda y nos deja exhaustos? ¿Qué nos lleva a culpar a los demás de lo que no somos capaces de resolver? ¿En qué momento nos convertimos en seres furibundos si perdemos el control?

En este libro sabremos por qué cedemos y en qué circunstancias a los deseos sexuales más intensos; cómo se proyectan en nuestro presente los traumas de la infancia; qué indica reír sin control si pasamos por una tragedia, un dolor físico severo o una gran tristeza; cuáles son las señales de una soledad profunda o un miedo sin límites que pueden derivar en una enfermedad crónica.

El lado B de las emociones es una obra provocadora porque nos confronta con lucidez y contundencia sobre aspectos que tememos, negamos o sencillamente odiamos. Eduardo Calixto llega hasta lo más hondo para hablarnos de nuestro enojo, el resentimiento, la vergüenza, el resultado: un libro con explicaciones impactantes sobre nuestras conductas más siniestras, la verdad sobre los actos perversos y, más que nada, las claves para conocer nuestros abismos, enfrentarlos y llenarlos de luz.

A historian explores the complicated relationship between womanhood and motherhood in this timely, refreshingly open-hearted study of the choices women make and the cards they’re dealt.

In an era of falling births, it’s often said that millennials invented the idea of not having kids. But history is full of women without children: some who chose childless lives, others who wanted children but never had them, and still others—the vast majority, then and now—who fell somewhere in between. Modern women considering how and if children fit into their lives are products of their political, ecological, and cultural moment. But history also tells them that they are not alone.

Drawing on deep research and her own experience as a woman without children, historian Peggy O’Donnell Heffington shows that many of the reasons women are not having children today are ones they share with women in the past: a lack of support, their jobs or finances, environmental concerns, infertility, and the desire to live different kinds of lives. Understanding this history—how normal it has always been to not have children, and how hard society has worked to make it seem abnormal—is key, she writes, to rebuilding kinship between mothers and non-mothers, and to building a better world for us all.

A research-based tool kit for moving past what’s holding you back—in life, in love, and in work.

We all experience stuckness in our lives. We feel stuck in our relationships, career paths, body struggles, addiction issues, and more. Many of us know what we need to do to move forward—but find ourselves unable to take the leap to make it happen. And then we blame and shame ourselves, and stay in a loop of self-doubt that goes nowhere.

The good news is you’re not lazy, crazy, or unmotivated. In this empowering and action-oriented guide, you’ll discover why we can’t think our way forward—and how to break through what’s holding us back. Using an eclectic approach and a customizable plan that’s as direct or as deep as you want, this life-changing guide empowers you to:

• Break old habits and patterns
• Gain perspective on pain and trauma from the past
• Free yourself from the torturous “why” questions
• Take control of your choices to create the life you want

Bringing together research-backed solutions that range from shadow work to reparenting, embodied healing, and other clinical practices, along with empowering personal stories, this book is a hands-on road map for moving forward with purpose, confidence, and the freedom to become who you’re truly meant to be.

Can reading a book make you more rational? Can it help us understand why there is so much irrationality in the world? Steven Pinker, author of Enlightenment Now, answers these questions in Rationality. In the 21st century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding--and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that developed vaccines for Covid-19 in less than a year produce so much fake news, medical quackery, and conspiracy theorizing?

Pinker rejects the cynical cliché that humans are simply irrational--cavemen out of time saddled with biases, fallacies, and illusions. Instead, he explains that we think in ways that are sensible in the low-tech contexts in which we spend most of our lives, but fail to take advantage of the powerful tools of reasoning our best thinkers have discovered over the millennia: logic, critical thinking, probability, correlation and causation, and optimal ways to update beliefs and commit to choices individually and with others.

These tools are not a standard part of our educational curricula and have never been presented clearly and entertainingly in a single book--until now. Rationality also explores its opposite: how the rational pursuit of self-interest, sectarian solidarity, and uplifting mythology by individuals can add up to crippling irrationality in a society. Collective rationality depends on norms that are explicitly designed to promote objectivity and truth.

Rationality matters. It leads to better choices in our lives and in the public sphere, and is the ultimate driver of social justice and moral progress. Brimming with insight and humor, Rationality will enlighten, inspire, and empower.

From the Nobel Prize-winning author of Thinking, Fast and Slow and the coauthor of Nudge, Noise: A Flaw in Human Judgment is a revolutionary exploration of why people make bad judgments and how to make better ones. Imagine that two doctors in the same city give different diagnoses to identical patients, or that two judges in the same courthouse give markedly different sentences to people who have committed the same crime. Suppose that different interviewers at the same firm make different decisions about indistinguishable job applicants, or that when a company is handling customer complaints, the resolution depends on who happens to answer the phone. Now imagine that the same doctor, the same judge, the same interviewer, or the same customer service agent makes different decisions depending on whether it is morning or afternoon, or Monday rather than Wednesday. These are examples of noise: variability in judgments that should be identical.

In Noise, Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony, and Cass R. Sunstein show the detrimental effects of noise in many fields, including medicine, law, economic forecasting, forensic science, bail, child protection, strategy, performance reviews, and personnel selection. Wherever there is judgment, there is noise. Yet, most of the time, individuals and organizations alike are unaware of it. They neglect noise. With a few simple remedies, people can reduce both noise and bias, and so make far better decisions.

Packed with original ideas, and offering the same kinds of research-based insights that made Thinking, Fast and Slow and Nudge groundbreaking New York Times bestsellers, Noise explains how and why humans are so susceptible to noise in judgment—and what we can do about it.

We've all been there: stuck in a cycle of what-ifs, plagued by indecision, paralyzed by the fear of getting it wrong. Nobody wants to live a life of constant overthinking, but it doesn't feel like something we can choose to stop doing. It feels like something we're wired to do, something we just can't escape. But is it? Anne Bogel's answer is no. Not only can you overcome negative thought patterns that are repetitive, unhealthy, and unhelpful, you can replace them with positive thought patterns that will bring more peace, joy, and love into your life.

In Don't Overthink It, you'll find actionable strategies that can make an immediate and lasting difference in how you deal with questions both small--Should I buy these flowers?--and large--What am I doing with my life? More than a book about making good decisions, Don't Overthink It offers you a framework for making choices you'll be comfortable with, using an appropriate amount of energy, freeing you to focus on all the other stuff that matters in life.

Covering the process of therapy from beginning to end, this engaging text helps students and practitioners use play confidently and effectively with children, adolescents, and adults struggling with emotional or behavioral problems or life challenges.

With an accessible theory-to-practice focus, the book explains the basics of different play therapy approaches and invites readers to reflect on and develop their own clinical style. It is filled with rich case material and specific examples of play techniques and strategies.

The expert authors provide steps for building strong relationships with clients; exploring their clinical issues and underlying dynamics; developing and working toward clear treatment goals; and collaborating with parents and teachers.

A chapter on common challenges offers insightful guidance for navigating difficult situations in the playroom.

Carnet de Voyage is a visual diary and travel sketchbook that chronicles the artist's wanderings through Africa and Europe. Craig Thompson spent three months traveling through Barcelona, the Alps, and France, as well as Morocco, researching his next graphic novel, Habibi.

Spontaneous sketches and a travelogue diary document his adventures and quiet moments, creating a raw and intimate portrait of countries, culture, and the wandering artist. This book offers readers a unique glimpse into the life of an artist on the road.

Great at Work: The Hidden Habits of Top Performers, by Morten T. Hansen, is an authoritative and practical guide to individual performance, offering insights from a groundbreaking study on why some people outperform others in the workplace.

The book presents the "Seven Work Smarter Practices" that anyone can apply to maximize their time and efficiency. Through inspiring stories from the study's participants, readers will encounter a variety of individuals who have achieved remarkable success through these practices, such as a high school principal who turned around a failing institution, a rural Indian farmer improving life for women in his village, and a sushi chef earning three Michelin stars with simple yet effective preparation techniques.

Hansen's work also explores historical examples, like Alfred Hitchcock's filming of Psycho and the 1911 race to the South Pole, to illustrate the timeless application of these productivity practices. The book is filled with questions, insights, mini-quizzes, and tips to help readers identify their work strengths and weaknesses, and to develop a personalized strategy for enhanced work performance.

Comprehensive and accessible, Great at Work is designed to help readers work smarter, not harder, backed by a solid foundation of statistical analysis.

Un revólver para salir de noche, escrita por Monika Zgustova, es una obra que sigue su exploración de la figura femenina en el siglo XX. En esta ocasión, la autora se enfoca en Véra Nabokov, la esposa de Vladimir Nabokov, quien desempeñó un papel clave en la vida y el éxito del renombrado escritor.

Véra Nabokov es retratada como una mujer de gran claridad, que eligió dedicar su vida al triunfo de su esposo. Ella fue la primera en leer los manuscritos de Vladimir, encargándose de transcribirlos y prepararlos para su publicación. Además, Véra organizó la vida de la familia Nabokov durante su exilio, viviendo primero en Berlín, luego en París y, finalmente, en Estados Unidos. Allí convenció a Vladimir de cambiar al inglés y centrarse en la novela, hasta que volvieron a Europa y se establecieron en Suiza.

La novela también explora las dinámicas de poder en la relación de los Nabokov, cuestionando si Véra era realmente independiente o si su existencia giraba completamente en torno a su marido. La narrativa se sumerge en las complejas interacciones de Nabokov con otras mujeres y el impacto que tuvieron en su vida y obra, a pesar de los esfuerzos de Véra por mantener el control.

An intensely personal narrative of loss, hope, and longing for a child. In this brave and lucid account, Julia Leigh broaches a challenging life event often left undiscussed: how the struggle to have a child can take an agonizing toll.

Leigh’s experience at the vanguard of medical science is acutely rendered, both physically and emotionally, transmitting what it feels like to so desperately wish for a child while knowing that the odds are stacked against you. From the daily shots she puts herself through at home, to hopes raised and dashed, and finally to the decision to stop treatment, Avalanche bears witness to Leigh’s raw desire, suffering, strength, and, in the end, transformation—a shift to a different kind of love.

The reader looks behind the scenes of a clinic and discovers how things really work: reality is a far cry from the slick marketing of the billion-dollar infertility industry. As for so many women, Leigh’s treatment failed, but her ghost child lingers in memory.

Are you having trouble deciding whether or not to become a parent? Are you under pressure from family and friends? Unsettled by feelings of guilt or ambivalence? Unsure whether you will regret your decision in later years?

The Baby Decision offers a clear path to finding the answers to all of these questions.

Now you can get off the fence and get on with your life. Imagine your relief when you discover the right choice and break free from obsession. Picture yourself enjoying the pleasures of parenthood or the freedom and spontaneity of living childfree.

The Baby Decision is a powerful, unbiased guidebook by a professional coach/psychotherapist who has specialized in the topic for forty years.

With wisdom, depth, and humor, Merle will help you take this overwhelming decision and break it down into a digestible sequence of five steps.

During this discovery process you will:
- Dissolve fear and doubt.
- Use thirty visualization exercises and thought experiments to uncover your answer.
- Have deep talks with your partner, even if you disagree.
- Resist pressures from family and friends, and fully consider the rewards of the childfree choice.
- Learn the latest on one-child families, single, LGBTQI+ and older parents, fertility and adoption.
- Steal a few benefits from the opposite choice.

Merle Bombardieri, MSW, LICSW is a psychotherapist, coach, and workshop leader. Although she enjoyed raising her daughters, she has been a childfree advocate since 1978.

Discover your personal answer to the baby question.

What does it take to win success and influence? Some people think that in today's hyper-competitive world, it's the tough, take-no-prisoners type who comes out on top. But in reality, argues New York Times bestselling author Dave Kerpen, it's actually those with the best people skills who win the day. Those who build the right relationships. Those who truly understand and connect with their colleagues, their customers, their partners. Those who can teach, lead, and inspire.

In a world where we are constantly connected, and social media has become the primary way we communicate, the key to getting ahead is being the person others like, respect, and trust. Because no matter who you are or what profession you're in, success is contingent less on what you can do for yourself, but on what other people are willing to do for you.

Here, through 53 bite-sized, easy-to-execute, and often counterintuitive tips, you'll learn to master the 11 People Skills that will get you more of what you want at work, at home, and in life. For example, you'll learn:

• The single most important question you can ever ask to win attention in a meeting
• The one simple key to networking that nobody talks about
• How to remain top of mind for thousands of people, every day
• Why it usually pays to be the one to give the bad news
• How to blow off the right people
• And why, when in doubt, buy him a Bonsai

This book is often described as How to Win Friends and Influence People for today's world, showing how to charm and win over anyone to be more successful at work and outside of it.

Social scientist Brené Brown has ignited a global conversation on courage, vulnerability, shame, and worthiness. Her pioneering work uncovered a profound truth: Vulnerability—the willingness to show up and be seen with no guarantee of outcome—is the only path to more love, belonging, creativity, and joy. But living a brave life is not always easy: We are, inevitably, going to stumble and fall.

It is the rise from falling that Brown takes as her subject in Rising Strong. As a grounded theory researcher, Brown has listened as a range of people—from leaders in Fortune 500 companies and the military to artists, couples in long-term relationships, teachers, and parents—shared their stories of being brave, falling, and getting back up. She asked herself, What do these people with strong and loving relationships, leaders nurturing creativity, artists pushing innovation, and clergy walking with people through faith and mystery have in common? The answer was clear: They recognize the power of emotion and they’re not afraid to lean in to discomfort.

Walking into our stories of hurt can feel dangerous. But the process of regaining our footing in the midst of struggle is where our courage is tested and our values are forged. Our stories of struggle can be big ones, like the loss of a job or the end of a relationship, or smaller ones, like a conflict with a friend or colleague. Regardless of magnitude or circumstance, the rising strong process is the same: We reckon with our emotions and get curious about what we’re feeling; we rumble with our stories until we get to a place of truth; and we live this process, every day, until it becomes a practice and creates nothing short of a revolution in our lives.

Rising strong after a fall is how we cultivate wholeheartedness. It’s the process, Brown writes, that teaches us the most about who we are.

Milk and Honey is a collection of poetry and prose that delves into the themes of survival, violence, abuse, love, loss, and femininity. It is structured into four distinct chapters, each one confronting a different form of pain and offering a path to healing a different heartache.

The book guides readers through the darkest moments of life and uncovers the sweetness hidden within them—because there is sweetness to be found everywhere, if one is only willing to search for it.

Building Together: Case Studies in Participatory Planning and Community Building offers a comprehensive exploration of neighborhood developments across various regions including North and South America, Europe, and Africa, covering a span of over forty years. This book is a seminal work on the community-based design practices of participatory planning and advocacy architecture.

Through a series of case studies, the authors, Roger Katan and Ron Shiffman, illustrate the challenges, opportunities, and rewards that come with grassroots collaboration. These case studies are carefully selected for their practical lessons and range in scale from regional urban planning to smaller architectural projects, covering areas as diverse as Harlem, Greenpoint, and the greater New York Metropolitan region to sites in coastal Colombia, southern France, and Burkina Faso, Africa.

Designed to appeal to a wide audience, including community development specialists, faculty and students of planning, architecture, community health, and the social sciences, as well as practicing professionals and decision-makers in economic development and community-based organizations, Building Together is a crucial resource for those interested in creating a more humane and healthy city through participatory democracy.

Wise Craft is a guide to the homemade life, turning old things into special new objects that enhance the home. Based on the popular blog of the same name, this guide focuses on creating a homemade atmosphere that reflects your family, without spending a fortune.

Instead of throwing away old shirts and boring dishes, or passing up thrift store finds that aren't quite right, author Blair Stocker teaches how to remake, adding special touches to make them work for her home—and yours.

The book is divided into four seasonal chapters, with designs that reflect different holidays and the changing seasons, allowing you to update your home according to the weather outside.

Many projects are portable or perfect to do during a family movie night, making the Wise Craft lifestyle an easy one to attain.

Sixty projects include May Day cones and recycled floral mirror frames—perfect for a teenager’s room—plus throw pillow updates, a picnic blanket made from a pile of men’s shirts, spooky Halloween dishes, advent calendars, and recycled gift jars.

Beautiful photography and illustrations make each project a snap, no matter your crafting background.

Walter Isaacson's worldwide bestselling biography of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs is a compelling account of a man whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized multiple industries, including personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.

Isaacson's narrative is based on over forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years, as well as conversations with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues. This biography paints an intricate portrait of a creative entrepreneur known for his intense personality and inventive mind.

Jobs's story offers invaluable lessons on innovation, character, leadership, and values, and serves as a source of inspiration for maintaining America's innovative edge in the digital age. His approach to business and the groundbreaking products that resulted are a testament to his belief in the fusion of creativity with technology.

Throughout the biography, Jobs's colleagues provide a candid view of the qualities that shaped his approach to business and innovation. Despite his complex character, Jobs's impact on the tech world remains unmatched, and his story continues to inspire future generations.

Rabid charts the history, science, and cultural mythology of rabies, documenting how before its vaccine, the disease caused fatal brain infections and sparked the creations of famous monsters including werewolves, vampires, and zombies. This engrossing, lively history of a fearsome and misunderstood virus binds man and dog.

The most fatal virus known to science, rabies—a disease that spreads avidly from animals to humans—kills nearly one hundred percent of its victims once the infection takes root in the brain. In this critically acclaimed exploration, journalist Bill Wasik and veterinarian Monica Murphy chart four thousand years of the history, science, and cultural mythology of rabies. From Greek myths to zombie flicks, from the laboratory heroics of Louis Pasteur to the contemporary search for a lifesaving treatment, Rabid is a fresh and often wildly entertaining look at one of humankind’s oldest and most fearsome foes.

Avi Steinberg is stumped. After defecting from yeshiva to attend Harvard, he has nothing but a senior thesis on Bugs Bunny to show for himself. While his friends and classmates advance in the world, Steinberg remains stuck at a crossroads, his “romantic” existence as a freelance obituary writer no longer cutting it. Seeking direction (and dental insurance), Steinberg takes a job running the library counter at a Boston prison.

He is quickly drawn into the community of outcasts that forms among his bookshelves—an assortment of quirky regulars, including con men, pimps, minor prophets, even ghosts—all searching for the perfect book and a connection to the outside world. Steinberg recounts their daily dramas with heartbreak and humor in this one-of-a-kind memoir—a piercing exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man’s earnest attempt to find his place in the world.

The prison library counter, his new post, attracts con men, minor prophets, ghosts, and an assortment of quirky regulars searching for the perfect book and a connection to the outside world. There’s an anxious pimp who solicits Steinberg’s help in writing a memoir, a passionate gangster who dreams of hosting a cooking show titled Thug Sizzle, a disgruntled officer who instigates a major feud over a Post-it note, and a doomed ex-stripper who asks Steinberg to orchestrate a reunion with her estranged son, himself an inmate.

Over time, Steinberg is drawn into the accidental community of outcasts that has formed among his bookshelves—a drama he recounts with heartbreak and humor. But when the struggles of the prison library—between life and death, love and loyalty—become personal, Steinberg is forced to take sides.

Running the Books is a trenchant exploration of prison culture and an entertaining tale of one young man’s earnest attempt to find his place in the world while trying not to get fired in the process.

Learn what sets high achievers apart — from Bill Gates to the Beatles — in this #1 bestseller from "a singular talent" (New York Times Book Review).

In this stunning book, Malcolm Gladwell takes us on an intellectual journey through the world of "outliers"—the best and the brightest, the most famous and the most successful. He asks the question: what makes high-achievers different?

His answer is that we pay too much attention to what successful people are like, and too little attention to where they are from: that is, their culture, their family, their generation, and the idiosyncratic experiences of their upbringing. Along the way he explains the secrets of software billionaires, what it takes to be a great soccer player, why Asians are good at math, and what made the Beatles the greatest rock band.

Brilliant and entertaining, Outliers is a landmark work that will simultaneously delight and illuminate.

Develop a new understanding of neurodivergence with this thoughtful exploration of the human mind from a bestselling author and psychologist. From ADHD and dyslexia to autism, the number of diagnosis categories listed by the American Psychiatric Association has tripled in the last fifty years. With so many people affected, it is time to revisit our perceptions of people with disabilities.

Bestselling author, psychologist, and educator Thomas Armstrong illuminates a new understanding of neuropsychological disorders. He argues that if they are a part of the natural diversity of the human brain, they cannot simply be defined as illnesses. Armstrong explores the evolutionary advantages, special skills, and other positive dimensions of these conditions.

A manifesto as well as a keenly intelligent look at "disability," The Power of Neurodiversity is a must for parents, teachers, and anyone who is looking to learn more about neurodivergence.

Unbearable Lightness: A Story of Loss and Gain is a searing, unflinchingly honest memoir by actress Portia de Rossi, where she shares the truth of her long battle to overcome anorexia and bulimia while living in the public eye. It details the new happiness and health she has found in recent years, including her coming out and her marriage to Ellen DeGeneres.

Portia de Rossi reveals the pain and illness that haunted her for decades, starting when she was a twelve-year-old girl working as a model in Australia, through her early rise to fame as a cast member of the hit television show Ally McBeal. All the while, she was terrified that the truth of her sexuality would be exposed in the tabloids. She alternately starved herself and binged, putting her life in danger and concealing the seriousness of her illness from herself and everyone around her.

The memoir explores the pivotal moments of her childhood that set her on the road to illness and describes the elaborate rituals around food that dominated hours of every day. She also reveals the heartache and fear that accompany a life lived in the closet, a sense of isolation that was only magnified by her unrelenting desire to be ever thinner. From her lowest point, Portia began the painful climb back to health and honesty, emerging as an outspoken and articulate advocate for gay rights and women's health issues.

Unbearable Lightness is a landmark book that inspires hope and nourishes the spirit, shining a bright light on the dark subject of eating disorders and the complex emotional truth surrounding food, weight, and body image.

Insectopedia is a stunningly original exploration of the ties that bind us to the beautiful, ancient, astoundingly accomplished, and unfathomably different species with whom we share this world.

For as long as humans have existed, insects have been our constant companions. Yet, we hardly know them, not even the ones we're closest to: the insects that eat our food, share our beds, and live in our homes.

Organizing his book alphabetically, with one entry for each letter, Hugh Raffles weaves together brief vignettes, meditations, and extended essays. He embarks on a mesmerizing exploration of history and science, anthropology and travel, economics, philosophy, and popular culture, showing us how insects have triggered our obsessions, stirred our passions, and beguiled our imaginations.

Raffles offers us a glimpse into the high-stakes world of Chinese cricket fighting, the deceptive courtship rites of the dance fly, the intriguing possibilities of queer insect sex, and the vital and vicious role locusts play in the famines of West Africa. He also explores how beetles deformed by Chernobyl inspired art, and how our desire and disgust for insects have prompted our own aberrant behavior.

Deftly fusing the literary and the scientific, Hugh Raffles has given us an essential book of reference that is also a fascination of the highest order.

Acclaimed New Yorker writer and author of the breakout debut bestseller The Lost City of Z, David Grann, offers a collection of spellbinding narrative journalism.

Whether he's reporting on the infiltration of the murderous Aryan Brotherhood into the U.S. prison system, tracking down a chameleon con artist in Europe, or riding in a cyclone-tossed skiff with a scientist hunting the elusive giant squid, David Grann revels in telling stories that explore the nature of obsession and that piece together true and unforgettable mysteries.

Each of the dozen stories in this collection reveals a hidden and often dangerous world and, like Into Thin Air and The Orchid Thief, pivots around the gravitational pull of obsession and the captivating personalities of those caught in its grip. There is the world's foremost expert on Sherlock Holmes who is found dead in mysterious circumstances; an arson sleuth trying to prove that a man about to be executed is innocent, and sandhogs racing to complete the brutally dangerous job of building New York City's water tunnels before the old system collapses.

Throughout, Grann's hypnotic accounts display the power—and often the willful perversity—of the human spirit. Compulsively readable, The Devil and Sherlock Holmes is a brilliant mosaic of ambition, madness, passion, and folly.

The astonishing, uplifting story of a real-life Indiana Jones and his humanitarian campaign to use education to combat terrorism in the Taliban’s backyard. Anyone who despairs of the individual’s power to change lives has to read the story of Greg Mortenson, a homeless mountaineer who, following a 1993 climb of Pakistan’s treacherous K2, was inspired by a chance encounter with impoverished mountain villagers and promised to build them a school. Over the next decade, he built fifty-five schools—especially for girls—that offer a balanced education in one of the most isolated and dangerous regions on earth.

As it chronicles Mortenson’s quest, which has brought him into conflict with both enraged Islamists and uncomprehending Americans, Three Cups of Tea combines adventure with a celebration of the humanitarian spirit.

Skin: A Natural History explores the evolution of three unique attributes of human skin: its naked sweatiness, its distinctive sepia rainbow of colors, and its remarkable range of decorations.

Nina G. Jablonski examines the modern human obsession with age-related changes in skin, especially wrinkles. She delves into our use of cosmetics, body paint, tattooing, and scarification, revealing how skin serves as a canvas for self-expression.

This work provides a fascinating look at skin's structure and functions and tours its three-hundred-million-year evolution. It also touches on the importance of touch and how skin reflects and affects emotions, placing the rich cultural canvas of skin within its broader biological context.

Grayson is the true story of a remarkable encounter between long-distance swimmer Lynne Cox and an 18-foot baby whale named Grayson. This miraculous ocean adventure unfolds when Lynne, in training for a big swim, finds herself swimming alongside a young gray whale.

In the darkness of early morning, Lynne was in 55-degree water, two hundred yards offshore. As she was swimming her last half-mile back to the pier, she realized something was swimming with her. The ocean was alive with energy, as thousands of baby anchovies darted through the water, evading a larger presence. It wasn't a shark, as Lynne feared, but a baby gray whale following her.

Lynne had been swimming for over an hour and needed to rest, but if she left the water, the baby whale would follow her to shore and risk dying from collapsed lungs. The young whale was on a three-month migration to the Bering Sea and needed its mother's care to survive. Lynne embarked on a quest to reunite Grayson with his mother in the vast Pacific Ocean.

This captivating tale blends mystery and magic, unveiling the bond between human and whale amidst the vastness of the ocean.

A tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that, despite its profound flaws, gave the author the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

Social Capital is a comprehensive introduction to the concept of social capital, which defines the intangible resources of community, shared values, and trust that we rely on in everyday life. The term has gained significant traction across the social sciences due to the diverse contributions of Pierre Bourdieu in France, and James Coleman and Robert Putnam in the United States, and has become a central explanation for the observed decline in social cohesion and community values in Western societies.

The book not only delves into the theoretical aspects of the subject but also examines the empirical work that has been conducted to understand its workings. Moreover, it discusses the impact social capital has had on policy-making, particularly within international organizations such as the World Bank and the European Commission.

With its clear and thorough approach, this fully revised third edition of Social Capital offers valuable insights into changing policy perceptions of social capital, its relationship with the internet and economics, and its resilience during challenging times. Complete with guides for further reading and a list of the most important websites, this book is an essential resource for anyone interested in the intersection of sociology, politics, and social policy.

Women without Children: Nurturing Lives is based on over 125 interviews with women who have no children. The author, Yvonne M. Vissing, explores the cultural myths surrounding childlessness and delves into the reasons why these women do not have children, as well as how it affects and shapes their day-to-day lives.

This book is organized into three main sections: the social context of "childlessness", its causes, and its meanings. Each section places the women's experiences within a demographic and sociological context, offering readers an understanding of the issues these individuals face and their efforts to create a place for themselves in a child-centered society.

Women without Children is a celebration of the strength, beauty, and love demonstrated by women who—by accident or choice—have not borne or raised children. It provides understanding, insights, comfort, and empowerment to those who have traditionally been made to feel less than whole because they do not have children.