Books with category 💬 Psychology
Displaying 46 books

Ensear a Hablar a un Monstruo

2023

by José C. Vales

Enseñar a Hablar a un Monstruo es una indagación literaria sobre el gran misterio que nos hace humanos: el lenguaje. Es el primer libro de no ficción del novelista, traductor y profesor de linguística José C. Vales. Este ensayo narrativo y literario nos propone un viaje al origen del lenguaje, la evolución de las lenguas y el milagro de la escritura.

Armado con múltiples preguntas y reflexiones, el autor plantea las diferentes teorías que explican por qué estamos dotados de lenguaje, cómo evoluciona y de qué manera empieza a transcribirse. El texto es una lectura deliciosa, amena, interesante y sugerente respecto a un tema universal, explicado con afán didáctico y libre de tecnicismos.

Con el estilo que caracteriza a José C. Vales, repleto de lucidez, sabiduría y siempre con su toque irónico pero amable, descubriremos el fascinante mundo de la comunicación humana.

Blood on the Tracks

2022

by Shuzo Oshimi

Seiichi is back home for the first time in ages to inter his father's remains in the family grave. After that, he'll be finished, nothing left to hold him in this world...until he happens to bump into Fukiishi, resurrecting all the feelings he had buried along with his past—

Will Seiichi finally find peace in death? Or will the specters of the past keep him here against his will...?

Building a Second Brain

2022

by Tiago Forte

For the first time in history, we have instantaneous access to the world's knowledge. There has never been a better time to learn, to contribute, and to improve ourselves. Yet, rather than feeling empowered, we are often left feeling overwhelmed by this constant influx of information. The very knowledge that was supposed to set us free has instead led to the paralyzing stress of believing we'll never know or remember enough.

Now, this eye-opening and accessible guide shows how you can easily create your own personal system for knowledge management, otherwise known as a Second Brain. As a trusted and organized digital repository of your most valued ideas, notes, and creative work synced across all your devices and platforms, a Second Brain gives you the confidence to tackle your most important projects and ambitious goals. Discover the full potential of your ideas and translate what you know into more powerful, more meaningful improvements in your work and life by Building a Second Brain.

Generation Dread

2022

by Britt Wray

Generation Dread offers an impassioned perspective on maintaining mental well-being amid the growing concerns of climate change. Climate and environment-related fears, often leading to eco-anxiety, are becoming more prevalent globally. Britt Wray combines scientific understanding with emotional insight to demonstrate that such intense emotions are a natural reaction to the world's current state.

Connecting with our climate emotions is essential for becoming an active steward of the planet, Wray argues. Recognizing and valuing eco-anxiety is the first step to overcoming the widespread denial that has contributed to the current ecological crisis. With the climate situation deteriorating, the need for compassion and care is becoming more critical than ever.

Wray's book intertwines perspectives from climate-aware therapists, discussions on race and privilege, innovative ideas for mental health, and creative coping mechanisms. Generation Dread highlights the importance of learning from the past, our emotions, and one another to not only survive but thrive in our ever-changing environment.

The Authority Gap: Why Women Are Still Taken Less Seriously Than Men, and What We Can Do About It

The Authority Gap provides an incisive, intersectional look at a significant gender bias: the resistance to women's authority and power. Despite advancements toward equality, there is still a pervasive failure to take women as seriously as men. Journalist Mary Ann Sieghart offers a compelling perspective on this issue as it manifests in various aspects of life, including pop culture, media, education, and politics.

Through a wealth of data from psychology, sociology, political science, and business, and interviews with influential women such as Booker Prize winner Bernardine Evaristo, classicist Mary Beard, U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen, and Hillary Clinton, Sieghart explores the intersection of gender bias with racial and class biases. The book examines the unconscious biases that affect our behavior towards women and outlines measures for individual and societal change. The Authority Gap is an eye-opening and motivating work that addresses how we can work together to narrow the gender gap and counteract systemic sexism for the benefit of everyone.

The Power of Regret

2022

by Daniel H. Pink

The Power of Regret by Daniel H. Pink explores the transformative power of our most misunderstood yet potentially most valuable emotion: regret. Daniel H. Pink explains that everybody has regrets, which are a universal and healthy part of being human. Understanding how regret works can help us make smarter decisions, perform better at work and school, and bring greater meaning to our lives.

Drawing on research in social psychology, neuroscience, and biology, Pink debunks the myth of the "no regrets" philosophy of life. Using the largest sampling of American attitudes about regret ever conducted and his own World Regret Survey—which has collected regrets from more than 15,000 people in 105 countries—he lays out the four core regrets that each of us has. These deep regrets offer compelling insights into how we live and how we can find a better path forward.

Pink lays out a dynamic new way of thinking about regret and frames his ideas in ways that are clear, accessible, and pragmatic. Packed with true stories of people's regrets as well as practical takeaways for reimagining regret as a positive force, The Power of Regret shows how we can live richer, more engaged lives.

How to Be Perfect

2022

by Michael Schur

From the creator of The Good Place and the cocreator of Parks and Recreation, a hilarious, thought-provoking guide to living an ethical life, drawing on 2,400 years of deep thinking from around the world.

Most people think of themselves as “good,” but it’s not always easy to determine what’s “good” or “bad”—especially in a world filled with complicated choices and pitfalls and booby traps and bad advice. Fortunately, many smart philosophers have been pondering this conundrum for millennia and they have guidance for us. With bright wit and deep insight, How to Be Perfect explains concepts like deontology, utilitarianism, existentialism, ubuntu, and more so we can sound cool at parties and become better people. 

Schur starts off with easy ethical questions like “Should I punch my friend in the face for no reason?” (No.) and works his way up to the most complex moral issues we all face. Such as: Can I still enjoy great art if it was created by terrible people? How much money should I give to charity? Why bother being good at all when there are no consequences for being bad? And much more. By the time the book is done, we’ll know exactly how to act in every conceivable situation, so as to produce a verifiably maximal amount of moral good. We will be perfect, and all our friends will be jealous. OK, not quite. Instead, we’ll gain fresh, funny, inspiring wisdom on the toughest issues we face every day.

Toxic Positivity

2022

by Whitney Goodman

A powerful guide to owning our emotions—even the difficult ones—in order to show up authentically in the world, from the popular therapist behind the Instagram account @sitwithwhit.

Every day, we’re bombarded with pressure to be positive. From “good vibes only” and “life is good” memes, to endless advice, to “look on the bright side,” we’re constantly told that the key to happiness is silencing negativity wherever it crops up, in ourselves and in others. Even when faced with illness, loss, breakups, and other challenges, there’s little space for talking about our real feelings—and processing them so that we can feel better and move forward.

But if all this positivity is the answer, why are so many of us anxious, depressed, and burned out? In this refreshingly honest guide, sought-after therapist Whitney Goodman shares the latest research along with everyday examples and client stories that reveal how damaging toxic positivity is to ourselves and our relationships, and presents simple ways to experience and work through difficult emotions. The result is more authenticity, connection, and growth—and ultimately, a path to showing up as you truly are.

The Power of Fun

2021

by Catherine Price

If you're not having fun, you're not fully living. Catherine Price, the author of How to Break Up with Your Phone, makes the case that fun is critical to our well-being and shows us how to have more of it.

Journalist and screen/life balance expert Catherine Price argues that our always-on, tech-addicted lifestyles have made us obsess over intangible concepts such as happiness, while obscuring the fact that real happiness lies in the everyday experience of fun. True Fun—which Price defines as the magical confluence of playfulness, connection, and flow—will give us the fulfillment we so desperately seek.

Using True Fun as your compass, you will be happier and healthier, more productive, less resentful, and less stressed. You'll have more energy, find community, and a sense of purpose.

Weaving together scientific research with personal experience, Price reveals the surprising mental, physical, and cognitive benefits of fun, and offers a practical, personalized plan for achieving better screen/life balance and attracting more True Fun into our daily lives—without feeling overwhelmed.

The Power of Fun is groundbreaking, eye-opening, and packed with useful advice. It won't just change the way you think about fun; it will bring you back to life.

How to Talk to a Science Denier

2021

by Lee McIntyre

Can we change the minds of science deniers? Encounters with flat earthers, anti-vaxxers, coronavirus truthers, and others who defy reason are the focus of this work. In a world where many citizens reject scientific expertise in favor of ideology and conspiracy theories, Lee McIntyre's book, How to Talk to a Science Denier, offers a poignant exploration into the culture of science denialism.

McIntyre, drawing on his own experiences, such as attending a Flat Earth convention, along with academic research, seeks to understand the common themes of science denialism. These themes are evident in misinformation campaigns that have persisted over decades, ranging from tobacco companies denying the link between smoking and lung cancer to the current day anti-vaxxer movement.

In his quest to communicate the truth and values of science, McIntyre shares personal anecdotes, such as engaging discussions with coal miners and a scientist friend about genetically modified organisms. He presents tools and techniques for effective communication, emphasizing the importance of calm, respectful conversations and face-to-face engagement with science deniers.

Through this book, McIntyre not only shares insights into the psychology of denial but also provides a hopeful message: it is possible to make a difference by standing up against science denial, which can have life-or-death consequences.

Four Thousand Weeks

2021

by Oliver Burkeman

The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. Assuming you live to be eighty, you have just over four thousand weeks. Nobody needs telling there isn't enough time. We're obsessed with our lengthening to-do lists, our overfilled inboxes, work-life balance, and the ceaseless battle against distraction; and we're deluged with advice on becoming more productive and efficient, and "life hacks" to optimize our days. But such techniques often end up making things worse. The sense of anxious hurry grows more intense, and still the most meaningful parts of life seem to lie just beyond the horizon.

Still, we rarely make the connection between our daily struggles with time and the ultimate time management problem: the challenge of how best to use our four thousand weeks. Drawing on the insights of both ancient and contemporary philosophers, psychologists, and spiritual teachers, Oliver Burkeman delivers an entertaining, humorous, practical, and ultimately profound guide to time and time management. Rejecting the futile modern fixation on "getting everything done," Four Thousand Weeks introduces readers to tools for constructing a meaningful life by embracing finitude, showing how many of the unhelpful ways we've come to think about time aren't inescapable, unchanging truths, but choices we've made as individuals and as a society--and that we could do things differently.

You're Not Listening

2021

by Kate Murphy

On social media, we shape our personal narratives. At parties, we talk over one another. So do our politicians. We're not listening. And no one is listening to us. Despite living in a world where technology allows constant digital communication and opportunities to connect, it seems no one is really listening or even knows how. And it's making us lonelier, more isolated, and less tolerant than ever before.

A listener by trade, New York Times contributor Kate Murphy wanted to know how we got here. In this always illuminating and often humorous deep dive, Murphy explains why we're not listening, what it's doing to us, and how we can reverse the trend. She makes accessible the psychology, neuroscience, and sociology of listening while also introducing us to some of the best listeners out there (including a CIA agent, focus group moderator, bartender, radio producer, and top furniture salesman).

Equal parts cultural observation, scientific exploration, and rousing call to action that's full of practical advice, You're Not Listening is to listening what Susan Cain's Quiet was to introversion. It's time to stop talking and start listening.

Negative Space

2021

by Lilly Dancyger

Despite her parents’ struggles with addiction, Lilly Dancyger always thought of her childhood as a happy one. But what happens when a journalist interrogates her own rosy memories to reveal the instability around the edges? 

Dancyger’s father, Joe Schactman, was part of the iconic 1980s East Village art scene. He created provocative sculptures out of found materials like animal bones, human hair, and broken glass, and brought his young daughter into his gritty, iconoclastic world. She idolized him—despite the escalating heroin addiction that sometimes overshadowed his creative passion. When Schactman died suddenly, just as Dancyger was entering adolescence, she went into her own self-destructive spiral, raging against a world that had taken her father away. As an adult, Dancyger began to question the mythology she’d created about her father—the brilliant artist, struck down in his prime. Using his sculptures, paintings, and prints as a guide, Dancyger sought out the characters from his world who could help her decode the language of her father’s work to find the truth of who he really was.

Think Again

2021

by Adam M. Grant

Think Again by Adam Grant is a compelling exploration into the power of rethinking our beliefs and embracing the unknown.

Through a blend of research and storytelling, Grant illustrates how we can develop the intellectual and emotional muscle needed to stay curious enough to effect change in the world. He delves into the art of rethinking: learning to question our opinions and open other people's minds. This, he posits, can position us for excellence at work and wisdom in life.

The book showcases how an international debate champion wins arguments and a Black musician persuades white supremacists to abandon hate. It offers insights on how a vaccine whisperer convinces concerned parents to immunize their children, and even how Yankees fans might be coaxed to root for the Red Sox. Grant reveals that we don't have to believe everything we think or internalize everything we feel. Think Again is an invitation to let go of outdated views and value mental flexibility over foolish consistency.

With bold ideas backed by rigorous evidence, Think Again not only teaches us the importance of rethinking but also provides practical guidance on how to cultivate this critical skill.

The Art of Impossible

2021

by Steven Kotler

Bestselling author, peak performance expert and Executive Director of the Flow Research Collective, Steven Kotler decodes the secrets of those elite performers—athletes, artists, scientists, CEOs and more—who have changed our definition of the possible, teaching us how we too can stretch far beyond our capabilities, making impossible dreams much more attainable for all of us.

What does it take to accomplish the impossible? What does it take to shatter our limitations, exceed our expectations, and turn our biggest dreams into our most recent achievements? We are capable of so much more than we know—that’s the message at the core of The Art of Impossible. Building upon cutting-edge neuroscience and over twenty years of research, author Steven Kotler lays out a blueprint for extreme performance improvement and offers a playbook to make it happen.

ADHD & Us

2020

by Anita Robertson

Navigating adult ADHD in your relationship—simple, effective strategies to strengthen your commitment. Communicating and thriving in a neurodiverse relationship is possible. ADHD & Us gives couples the tools and strategies they need to connect as well as overcome the unique challenges they face on the road to long-term happiness and satisfaction.

Drawing from Anita Robertson's years of practice counseling couples with ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder), this honest and straightforward guide helps couples better understand adult ADHD and how it affects relationships, while also providing the tools necessary for both partners to feel understood and respected. Learn how to avoid common conflicts, appreciate your differences, and meet each partner's needs. Together, you can make it happen.

This relationship guide for people with adult ADHD includes:

  • Five pillars of success—Learn about the five relationship pillars—praise, acknowledgement, games, growth mindset, and positive acceptance—and how they are essential in a successful relationship.

  • A practical approach to adult ADHD—Build communication skills and deepen your connection using engaging exercises that allow both partners to share in safe and constructive ways.

  • Modern and inclusive guidance—With expert advice based on the most-up-to-date understandings of adult ADHD, this book is designed for use in all kinds of relationships.

Overcome the challenges of dealing with adult ADHD and thrive together with this simple, actionable guide.

Breath

2020

by James Nestor

Breath: The New Science of a Lost Art is not just a book about breathing; it is a journey into the scientific, cultural, spiritual, and evolutionary history of this most fundamental practice. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Big Magic and Eat Pray Love, describes it as a long overdue look at the importance of this simple act.

Journalist James Nestor takes readers around the world to uncover the mysteries of breath. From ancient burial sites and secret Soviet facilities to New Jersey choir schools and the streets of São Paulo, Nestor seeks out those who are uncovering the hidden science behind ancient breathing practices such as Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, and Tummo.

As it turns out, the way we breathe affects everything from athletic performance to the health of our internal organs. Nestor's exploration reveals that slight adjustments to our breathing can have profound impacts on our health, including halting snoring, asthma, autoimmune diseases, and even correcting scoliotic spines.

With insights drawn from medical texts spanning thousands of years and cutting-edge studies in pulmonology, psychology, biochemistry, and human physiology, Breath challenges the conventional wisdom about the biological function that we thought we knew so well. After reading this book, you might just find yourself breathing in a whole new way.

Think Like a Rocket Scientist

2020

by Ozan Varol

Think Like a Rocket Scientist is not just about the celebration of technology's greatest triumphs; it's about the thought process that allows us to reach beyond the known into the realm of the unknown. Ozan Varol, a former rocket scientist, shares the habits, ideas, and strategies that can transform the seemingly impossible into the possible.

The same thought process that allowed Neil Armstrong to take his giant leap for mankind and spacecraft to traverse millions of miles through outer space is now accessible to everyone. Varol introduces nine simple strategies from rocket science that can be applied to our work and life challenges. Whether you're aiming to land your dream job, propel your business forward, pick up a new skill, or create an innovative product, these strategies provide the tools to achieve extraordinary results.

In our world of complex and unfamiliar problems, those who can approach these issues creatively and persistently hold a significant advantage. Think Like a Rocket Scientist will inspire you to embark on your own moonshot project and give you the confidence to achieve liftoff.

Humankind

Humankind: A Hopeful History challenges the belief that humans are fundamentally bad—a notion that has been a common thread uniting figures across the ideological spectrum from ancient philosophers to modern thinkers. Rutger Bregman questions this assumption and offers a new perspective on our species, arguing that we are innately kind, cooperative, and trustworthy.

Drawing on insights from evolutionary biology to historical events, such as the real-life story reminiscent of Lord of the Flies and the cooperation seen in the wake of the Blitz, Bregman presents compelling evidence of humanity's capacity for generosity. The book critically examines popular social science experiments, like the Stanford prison experiment, and historical contexts, arguing for a more optimistic view of human nature and its implications for politics and economics.

Using engaging storytelling and an accessible approach, Bregman makes the case that a belief in the better aspects of humanity can create a foundation for societal change. With a balance of wit and frankness, Humankind is not just an analysis of past behavior but a hopeful vision for the future of our species.

Range

2019

by David Epstein

Range: Why Generalists Triumph in a Specialized World explores the benefits of being a generalist in a world that increasingly values specialization. While many believe that early specialization is the key to success, David Epstein presents compelling evidence that this is not always the case. Through rigorous research and engaging examples, Epstein demonstrates that generalists are often more creative, agile, and capable of making connections that their specialized peers might miss.

Instead of focusing on a single path from an early age, generalists tend to find their way later in life, embracing a wide range of experiences and interests. This breadth of knowledge allows them to adapt to complex and unpredictable fields. Epstein's work challenges the notion that efficiency is always the best approach, arguing for the value of cultivating inefficiency. He shows that those who experiment and fail, those who quit and move on to different pursuits, often end up with the most rewarding careers.

Provocative and thoroughly researched, Range encourages readers to rethink performance and success in various domains. It is a call to broaden our experiences and perspectives in a world where interdisciplinary thinking and diverse skill sets are becoming increasingly important.

Biased

Biased by Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt is a compelling examination of unconscious racial bias and its profound impact on society and criminal justice. Eberhardt, a leading expert in the field, offers both a scientific and personal perspective on one of the most challenging issues of our time.

Despite our best intentions, racial bias can infiltrate our perception, attention, memory, and actions, leading to disparities in various aspects of life, including education, employment, and housing. These disparities, in turn, perpetuate the bias. Eberhardt's work extends beyond the laboratory, engaging with law enforcement, courtrooms, and the streets, offering a comprehensive view of how bias operates in real-world settings.

The book is informed by Eberhardt's research, including analysis of police body camera footage, and is enriched with interviews, personal anecdotes, and practical suggestions for reform. Biased confronts the uncomfortable reality that racial bias is a pervasive human problem, one that all individuals have the power to address and overcome.

Su cuerpo dejarán

Su cuerpo dejarán es un ensayo que explora la relación entre el cuerpo y la poesía. Alejandra Eme Vázquez se sumerge en una reflexión sobre cómo el cuerpo se convierte en el vehículo para la expresión poética y cómo la poesía, a su vez, moldea nuestra percepción del cuerpo. A través de un lenguaje íntimo y revelador, la autora nos invita a considerar la poesía como una extensión de nuestro ser más físico y emocional.

When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing

2019

by Daniel H. Pink

Daniel H. Pink, the #1 bestselling author of Drive and To Sell Is Human, unlocks the scientific secrets to good timing to help you flourish at work, at school, and at home. Everyone knows that timing is everything. But we don't know much about timing itself. Our lives are a never-ending stream of "when" decisions: when to start a business, schedule a class, get serious about a person. Yet we make those decisions based on intuition and guesswork.

Timing, it's often assumed, is an art. In When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing, Pink shows that timing is really a science. Drawing on a rich trove of research from psychology, biology, and economics, Pink reveals how best to live, work, and succeed.

How can we use the hidden patterns of the day to build the ideal schedule? Why do certain breaks dramatically improve student test scores? How can we turn a stumbling beginning into a fresh start? Why should we avoid going to the hospital in the afternoon? Why is singing in time with other people as good for you as exercise? And what is the ideal time to quit a job, switch careers, or get married?

In When, Pink distills cutting-edge research and data on timing and synthesizes them into a fascinating, readable narrative packed with irresistible stories and practical takeaways that give readers compelling insights into how we can live richer, more engaged lives.

The 5AM Club

Legendary leadership and elite performance expert Robin Sharma introduced The 5am Club concept over twenty years ago, based on a revolutionary morning routine that has helped his clients maximize their productivity, activate their best health and bulletproof their serenity in this age of overwhelming complexity.

Now, in this life-changing book, handcrafted by the author over a rigorous four-year period, you will discover the early-rising habit that has helped so many accomplish epic results while upgrading their happiness, helpfulness and feelings of aliveness.

Through an enchanting—and often amusing—story about two struggling strangers who meet an eccentric tycoon who becomes their secret mentor, The 5am Club will walk you through:

  • How great geniuses, business titans and the world's wisest people start their mornings to produce astonishing achievements
  • A little-known formula you can use instantly to wake up early feeling inspired, focused and flooded with a fiery drive to get the most out of each day
  • A step-by-step method to protect the quietest hours of daybreak so you have time for exercise, self-renewal and personal growth
  • A neuroscience-based practice proven to help make it easy to rise while most people are sleeping, giving you precious time for yourself to think, express your creativity and begin the day peacefully instead of being rushed
  • "Insider-only" tactics to defend your gifts, talents and dreams against digital distraction and trivial diversions so you enjoy fortune, influence and a magnificent impact on the world

Part manifesto for mastery, part playbook for genius-grade productivity and part companion for a life lived beautifully, The 5am Club is a work that will transform your life. Forever.

White Fragility

White Fragility is an in-depth exploration of the counterproductive reactions white people exhibit when their assumptions about race are challenged. This phenomenon, known as white fragility, is characterized by a variety of emotions and behaviors, such as anger, fear, guilt, argumentation, and silence, which serve to reinstate white racial equilibrium and obstruct meaningful cross-racial dialogue.

Anti-racist educator Dr. Robin DiAngelo delves into the development of white fragility, how it upholds racial inequality, and provides insights on how to engage in more constructive conversations about race. Through this examination, DiAngelo sheds light on the societal and individual patterns that contribute to the persistence of racial tension and inequality.

Why We Sleep

2017

by Matthew Walker

Why We Sleep is a groundbreaking exploration of sleep, examining how it affects every aspect of our physical and mental well-being. Neuroscientist and sleep expert Matthew Walker charts the most cutting-edge scientific breakthroughs and, with his decades of research and clinical practice, provides actionable steps towards getting a better night's sleep.

Walker explains how we can harness sleep to improve learning, mood, and energy levels; regulate hormones; prevent cancer, Alzheimer's, and diabetes; slow the effects of aging; and increase longevity. He also delves into the importance of dreaming, how caffeine and alcohol affect sleep, and why our sleep patterns change across a lifetime.

The book is a revolutionary exploration of the vital importance of sleep, transforming our appreciation of the extraordinary phenomenon that safeguards our existence.

Convenience Store Woman

2016

by Sayaka Murata

Convenience Store Woman is an ironic and sharp-eyed look at contemporary work culture and the pressures to conform, as well as a charming and completely fresh portrait of an unforgettable heroine.

Keiko Furukura had always been considered a strange child, and her parents always worried how she would get on in the real world, so when she takes on a job in a convenience store while at university, they are delighted for her. For her part, in the convenience store she finds a predictable world mandated by the store manual, which dictates how the workers should act and what they should say, and she copies her coworkers' style of dress and speech patterns so that she can play the part of a normal person. However, eighteen years later, at age 36, she is still in the same job, has never had a boyfriend, and has only few friends. She feels comfortable in her life, but is aware that she is not living up to society's expectations and causing her family to worry about her. When a similarly alienated but cynical and bitter young man comes to work in the store, he will upset Keiko's contented stasis--but will it be for the better?

The Mind-Gut Connection

2016

by Emeran Mayer

Combining cutting-edge neuroscience with the latest discoveries on the human microbiome, The Mind-Gut Connection offers a practical guide that conclusively demonstrates the inextricable, biological link between mind and body. Dr. Emeran Mayer, professor of medicine and executive director of the UCLA Center for Neurobiology of Stress, provides a revolutionary and provocative look at this developing science, teaching us how to harness the power of the mind-gut connection to take charge of our health and listen to the innate wisdom of our bodies.

The Mind-Gut Connection describes the importance of a predominantly plant-based diet for gut and brain health, the role of early childhood in gut-brain development, and the impact of excessive stress and anxiety in gastrointestinal ailments and cognitive disorders. It also details how to "listen to your gut" and pay attention to the signals your body is sending you, providing insights on diet, the microbiome, and much more.

Deep Work

2016

by Cal Newport

Deep Work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. This book will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship. In short, deep work is like a super power in our increasingly competitive twenty-first century economy.

Author and professor Cal Newport flips the narrative on impact in a connected age. Instead of arguing that distraction is bad, he celebrates the power of its opposite. The book is divided into two parts: the first makes the case that in almost any profession, cultivating a deep work ethic will produce massive benefits. The second part presents a rigorous training regimen, a series of four rules, for transforming your mind and habits to support this skill:

  1. Work Deeply
  2. Embrace Boredom
  3. Quit Social Media
  4. Drain the Shallows

A mix of cultural criticism and actionable advice, Deep Work takes the reader on a journey through memorable stories and no-nonsense advice, such as the claim that most serious professionals should quit social media and that you should practice being bored. It is an indispensable guide to anyone seeking focused success in a distracted world.

Superintelligence

2015

by Nick Bostrom

Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies by Nick Bostrom is a comprehensive analysis of the concept of artificial intelligence surpassing human intelligence and the potential consequences of such a development. Bostrom explores the capabilities unique to the human brain that have allowed our species to hold a dominant position on Earth. This dominance could be challenged if machine intelligence exceeds our own, presenting a superintelligence that could become extremely powerful, possibly beyond our control.

The book delves into whether it is possible to construct an initial seed AI in such a way that an intelligence explosion could be survivable. Bostrom presents a controlled approach to this explosive potential, addressing topics such as oracles, genies, singletons, boxing methods, tripwires, mind crime, humanity's cosmic endowment, differential technological development, indirect normativity, instrumental convergence, whole brain emulation, technology couplings, Malthusian economics, dystopian evolution, artificial intelligence, biological cognitive enhancement, and collective intelligence.

With lucid writing, Bostrom guides the reader through this complex landscape, making it accessible and engaging. Superintelligence does not merely lay out the challenges ahead; it offers a reconceptualization of our essential tasks in the face of the future of intelligent life and the fate of humanity itself.

The Art of Asking

2014

by Amanda Palmer

Rock star, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. When she became a singer, songwriter, and musician, she was not afraid to ask her audience to support her as she surfed the crowd (and slept on their couches while touring). And when she left her record label to strike out on her own, she asked her fans to support her in making an album, leading to the world's most successful music Kickstarter.

Even while Amanda is both celebrated and attacked for her fearlessness in asking for help, she finds that there are important things she cannot ask for-as a musician, as a friend, and as a wife. She learns that she isn't alone in this, that so many people are afraid to ask for help, and it paralyzes their lives and relationships. In this groundbreaking book, she explores these barriers in her own life and in the lives of those around her, and discovers the emotional, philosophical, and practical aspects of The Art of Asking.

Part manifesto, part revelation, this is the story of an artist struggling with the new rules of exchange in the twenty-first century, both on and off the Internet. The Art of Asking will inspire readers to rethink their own ideas about asking, giving, art, and love.

Sapiens. De animales a dioses

Sapiens. De animales a dioses: Una breve historia de la humanidad es una exploración fascinante de cómo la biología y la historia han definido a la humanidad. Yuval Noah Harari, uno de los historiadores más interesantes de nuestros tiempos, nos lleva en un viaje desde que los primeros humanos caminaron sobre la Tierra hasta los avances de las tres grandes revoluciones que nuestra especie ha protagonizado: la cognitiva, la agrícola y la científica.

Utilizando hallazgos de disciplinas tan diversas como la biología, la antropología, la paleontología o la economía, Harari examina cómo las corrientes de la historia han moldeado nuestra sociedad, la fauna y la flora que nos rodean, e incluso nuestras personalidades.

El libro plantea preguntas profundas: ¿Hemos ganado en felicidad a medida que ha avanzado la historia? ¿Seremos capaces de liberar nuestra conducta de la herencia del pasado? ¿Podemos hacer algo para influir en los siglos futuros? Audaz y provocador, Sapiens cuestiona todo lo que creíamos saber sobre el ser humano: nuestros orígenes, ideas, acciones, poder... y nuestro futuro.

The Culture Map

2014

by Erin Meyer

The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business is an insightful and practical guide by INSEAD professor Erin Meyer, aimed at helping you understand and navigate the complexities of cultural differences in both your work and personal life.

The book dives into the nuances of international business communication and cooperation, explaining why Americans often start with positive comments before delivering criticism, while French, Dutch, Israelis, and Germans are more direct. It explores how Latin Americans and Asians are influenced by hierarchical structures, and why Scandinavians might view the ideal boss as a peer rather than a superior.

Erin Meyer provides a field-tested model for decoding cultural differences that affect international business. Her book combines an analytical framework with practical, actionable advice to thrive in a global environment, making it an indispensable resource for professionals engaged in cross-cultural interactions.

Uzumaki

2013

by Junji Ito

Kurôzu-cho, a small fogbound town on the coast of Japan, is cursed. According to Shuichi Saito, the withdrawn boyfriend of teenager Kirie Goshima, their town is haunted not by a person or being but by a pattern: uzumaki, the spiral, the hypnotic secret shape of the world. It manifests itself in everything from seashells and whirlpools in water to the spiral marks on people's bodies, the insane obsessions of Shuichi's father and the voice from the cochlea in our inner ear. As the madness spreads, the inhabitants of Kurôzu-cho are pulled ever deeper into a whirlpool from which there is no return!

Search Inside Yourself

With Search Inside Yourself, Chade-Meng Tan, one of Google's earliest engineers and a personal growth pioneer, offers a proven method for enhancing mindfulness and emotional intelligence in life and work.

Tan's role involves teaching Google's best and brightest how to apply mindfulness techniques in the office and beyond. Now, readers everywhere can gain insider access to one of the most sought-after classes in the country—a course in health, happiness, and creativity that is improving the livelihood and productivity of those responsible for one of the most successful businesses in the world.

With forewords by Daniel Goleman, author of the international bestseller Emotional Intelligence, and Jon Kabat-Zinn, a renowned mindfulness expert and author of Coming To Our Senses, Tan's book is an invaluable guide to achieving your own best potential.

Thinking, Fast and Slow

2011

by Daniel Kahneman

Thinking, Fast and Slow presents a groundbreaking tour of the mind, as Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman explains the two systems that drive our thinking. System 1 operates quickly, intuitively, and emotionally; in contrast, System 2 is slower, more deliberate, and more logical.

Kahneman unveils the remarkable capabilities—and the biases and faults—of quick thinking, along with the profound influence of intuitive impressions on our thoughts and behaviors. He delves into the impact of loss aversion and overconfidence on corporate strategies, the difficulty of predicting our future happiness, and how biases affect everything from stock market trading to vacation planning.

Engaging readers in a lively conversation about how we think, Kahneman demonstrates where we can and cannot trust our intuitions and how we can benefit from slow thinking. He provides practical insights into how decisions are made in our personal and business lives and offers strategies to guard against the mental glitches that often lead us astray. Thinking, Fast and Slow is a transformative book that will change the way you think about thinking.

Start with Why

2009

by Simon Sinek

In 2009, Simon Sinek started a movement to help people become more inspired at work, and in turn inspire their colleagues and customers. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, including more than 28 million who've watched his TED Talk based on START WITH WHY -- the third most popular TED video of all time.

Sinek starts with a fundamental question: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over?

People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY. They realized that people won't truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it. START WITH WHY shows that the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world all think, act, and communicate the same way -- and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.

A Whole New Mind

2006

by Daniel H. Pink

The future belongs to a different kind of person with a different kind of mind: artists, inventors, storytellers—creative and holistic "right-brain" thinkers whose abilities mark the fault line between who gets ahead and who doesn't.

Drawing on research from around the world, Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others) outlines the six fundamentally human abilities that are absolute essentials for professional success and personal fulfillment—and reveals how to master them. A Whole New Mind takes readers to a daring new place, and a provocative and necessary new way of thinking about a future that's already here.

The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Personal Workbook

Internationally renowned leadership authority and bestselling author Stephen R. Covey presents a personal hands-on companion to the landmark The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, which has become a touchstone for individuals, families, and businesses around the world. The overwhelming success of Stephen R. Covey's principle-centered philosophy is a testament to the millions who have benefited from his lessons, and now, with The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People Personal Workbook, they can further explore and understand this tried-and-true approach.

With the same clarity and assurance Covey's fans have come to appreciate, this individualized workbook teaches readers to fully internalize the 7 Habits through private and thought-provoking exercises, whether they are already familiar with the principles or not.

Fight Club

1996

by Chuck Palahniuk

Fight Club follows the experiences of an unnamed protagonist struggling with insomnia. Inspired by his doctor's exasperated remark that insomnia is not suffering, the protagonist finds relief by impersonating a seriously ill person in several support groups. Then he meets a mysterious man named Tyler Durden and establishes an underground fighting club as radical psychotherapy.

In this novel, Chuck Palahniuk offers a dark and provocative look into the depths of the human psyche, delivering a tale that is as unsettling as it is compelling. With biting satire and a unique voice, Fight Club has become a modern classic, exploring themes of identity, consumerism, and the search for meaning in a contemporary world.

Blindness

Discover a chillingly powerful and prescient dystopian vision from one of Europe's greatest writers. A driver waiting at the traffic lights goes blind. An ophthalmologist tries to diagnose his distinctive white blindness, but is affected before he can read the textbooks. It becomes a contagion, spreading throughout the city. Trying to stem the epidemic, the authorities herd the afflicted into a mental asylum where the wards are terrorised by blind thugs. And when fire destroys the asylum, the inmates burst forth and the last links with a supposedly civilised society are snapped. This is not anarchy, this is blindness.

Saramago repeatedly undertakes to unite the pressing demands of the present with an unfolding vision of the future. This is his most apocalyptic, and most optimistic, version of that project yet.

Queer

Originally written in 1952 but not published until 1985, Queer is an enigma - both an unflinching autobiographical self-portrait and a coruscatingly political novel. It is Burroughs' only realist love story and a montage of comic-grotesque fantasies that paved the way for his masterpiece, Naked Lunch.

Set in Mexico City during the early fifties, Queer follows William Lee's hopeless pursuit of desire from bar to bar in the American expatriate scene. As Lee breaks down, the trademark Burroughsian voice emerges; a maniacal mix of self-lacerating humor and the Ugly American at his ugliest. A haunting tale of possession and exorcism, Queer is also a novel with a history of secrets, as this new edition reveals.

The Left Hand of Darkness

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin is a groundbreaking work of science fiction that explores the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants spend most of their time without a gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. However, to achieve this, he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture he encounters.

Embracing aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness is celebrated as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction. The novel delves into complex themes involving gender and sexuality, challenging readers' perceptions of human nature and societal constructs. It is not only an adventure story but also a profound thought experiment that invites contemplation about the fluidity of gender and the potential for understanding amidst cultural differences.

The Left Hand of Darkness

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin is a groundbreaking work of science fiction that explores the story of a lone human emissary to Winter, an alien world whose inhabitants spend most of their time without a gender. His goal is to facilitate Winter's inclusion in a growing intergalactic civilization. However, to achieve this, he must bridge the gulf between his own views and those of the completely dissimilar culture he encounters.

Embracing aspects of psychology, society, and human emotion on an alien world, The Left Hand of Darkness is celebrated as a landmark achievement in the annals of intellectual science fiction. The novel delves into complex themes involving gender and sexuality, challenging readers' perceptions of human nature and societal constructs. It is not only an adventure story but also a profound thought experiment that invites contemplation about the fluidity of gender and the potential for understanding amidst cultural differences.

The Bell Jar

1963

by Sylvia Plath

The Bell Jar is the only novel written by American poet Sylvia Plath. It chronicles the crack-up of Esther Greenwood: brilliant, beautiful, enormously talented, and successful, but slowly going under—maybe for the last time.

Sylvia Plath masterfully draws the reader into Esther's breakdown with such intensity that Esther's insanity becomes completely real and even rational, as probable and accessible an experience as going to the movies. Such deep penetration into the dark and harrowing corners of the psyche is an extraordinary accomplishment and has made The Bell Jar a haunting American classic.

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest

1962

by Ken Kesey

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest is a novel that epitomizes the spirit of the sixties. Ken Kesey's extraordinary first novel is an exuberant, ribald, and devastatingly honest portrayal of the boundaries between sanity and madness.

Tyrannical Nurse Ratched rules her ward in an Oregon State mental hospital with a strict and unbending routine, unopposed by her patients, who remain cowed by mind-numbing medication and the threat of electroshock therapy. But her regime is disrupted by the arrival of McMurphy—the swaggering, fun-loving trickster with a devilish grin who resolves to oppose her rules on behalf of his fellow inmates. His struggle is seen through the eyes of Chief Bromden, a seemingly mute half-Indian patient who understands McMurphy's heroic attempt to do battle with the powers that keep them imprisoned.

Are you sure you want to delete this?