Saturday, January 3, 2015

The Diana Chronicles by Tina Brown

"A fresh portrait of Princess Diana and the impact she had on a generation" (Newsweek)

"Intensely well researched and an un-put-down-able read, Tina Brown's extraordinary book parts the brocaded velvet , lifts the expensive net curtains and allows us an unprecedented look at the world and mind of the most famous person on the planet. It is a tragi-comedy, a soap opera, a social commentary, a historical document and a psychological examination, written by a superb investigative journalist." (Academy Award Winning Actress, Helen Mirren)

"Every previous Dianologist must now take a back seat. Tina Brown's The Diana Chronicles is not a book on Diana. It is the book. It conveys better than anything I have ever read, the basic intelligence of its subject. The truly impressive thing about the book is its wisdom. It is full of good mots. It is a master. Ruthless, relentlessly inquisitive, it made me cheer to the rafters." (A.N. Wilson, Sunday Times)

Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence by Karen Armstrong

"Karen Armstrong's wonderful book certainly cleanses the mind. It may even do a little repair work on the heart" (Ferdinand Mount Spectator)

"Karen Armstrong is one of our most perceptive and thoughtful writers on religion... Consistently surprising and illuminating, Fields of Blood should be read by anyone interested in understanding the interaction of religion with violence in the modern world" (John Gray New Statesman)

"A fascinating and very accessible book... Fields of Blood is a must read for those who want to work for justice and peace." (Tariq Ramadan, Professor of Contemporary Islamic Studies, University of Oxford)

"Mind-boggling… we feel we are in the hands of an expert. Armstrong is doing us a great service" (David Shariatmadari Guardian)

A History Of God by Karen Armstrong

"This is the most fascinating and learned survey of the biggest wild-goose chase in history - the quest for God. Karen Armstrong is a genius" (A.N. Wilson)

"A splendidly readable book...the stage is set for the question: has God a future?" (Sister Wendy Beckett Sunday Times)

"We are all watching a daily fight between the darkness and light. What we want, but may never get, is assurance that the light will prevail. Armstrong is too tough a thinker to offer us comfort there" (Anthony Burgess Observer)

"Armstrong shows a reverent curiosity and a generosity of spirit, refreshing the understanding of what one knows and providing a clear introduction to the unfamiliar" (Rt Revd Robert Runcie Daily Telegraph)

What Money Can't Buy: The Moral Limits of Markets by Michael Sandel

 One of the most popular teachers in the world (Observer)

Sandel is touching something deep in both Boston and Beijing (Thomas Friedman New York Times)

The most influential foreign figure of the year (China's Newsweek)

Few philosophers are compared to rock stars or TV celebrities, but that's the kind of popularity Michael Sandel enjoys in Japan (Japan Times)

One of the world's most interesting political philosophers (Guardian)

What Money Can't Buy selected by the Guardian as a literary highlight for 2012 (Guardian)

A Mind For Numbers: How to Excel at Math and Science by Barbara Oakley

 Whether you are a student struggling to fulfill a math or science requirement, or you are embarking on a career change that requires a higher level of math competency, A Mind for Numbers offers the tools you need to get a better grasp of that intimidating but inescapable field. Engineering professor Barbara Oakley knows firsthand how it feels to struggle with math. She flunked her way through high school math and science courses, before enlisting in the army immediately after graduation. When she saw how her lack of mathematical and technical savvy severely limited her options—both to rise in the military and to explore other careers—she returned to school with a newfound determination to re-tool her brain to master the very subjects that had given her so much trouble throughout her entire life.

Friday, January 2, 2015

The Righteous Mind: Why Good People are Divided by Politics and Religion

Why can it sometimes feel as though half the population is living in a different moral universe from you? Why do ideas such as 'fairness' and 'freedom' mean such different things to different people? Why is it so easy to see the flaws in others' arguments, and less in our own?

Jonathan Haidt, one of the world's most influential psychologists, reveals that the reason we find it so hard to get along is because our minds are designed to be moral. Not only that, we are hardwired to be moralistic, judgemental and self-righteous too. Our intrinsic morality enabled us to form communities and create civilization, and it is the key to understanding everybody. It explains why some of us are liberal, others conservative. It is often the difference between war and peace. It is also why we are the only species that will kill for an ideal. Drawing on moral psychology, ancient philosophy, modern politics, poetry, advertising and the semantics of bumper stickers, Haidt's incredibly wise and enjoyable book examines how morality evolves; why we are predisposed to believe certain things; how our surroundings can affect our morality; and how moral values are not just about justice and fairness - for some people authority, sanctity or loyalty are more important.

Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? by Michael J. Sandel

Is killing sometimes morally required? Is the free market fair? It is sometimes wrong to tell the truth? What is justice, and what does it mean?

These and other questions are at the heart of Michael Sandel's Justice. Considering the role of justice in our society and our lives, he reveals how an understanding of philosophy can help to make sense of politics, religion, morality - and our own convictions. Breaking down hotly contested issues, from abortion, euthanasia and same-sex marriage, to patriotism, dissent and affirmative action, Sandel shows how the biggest questions in our civiv life can be broken down and illuminated through reasoned debate. Justice promises to take readers - of all ages and political persuasions - on an exhilarating journey to confront controversies in a fresh and enlightening way.

Downloadhttp://sh.st/o15Bp

Emotional Intelligence: Why It Can Matter More Than IQ by Daniel Goleman

Everyone knows that high IQ is no guarantee of success, happiness, or virtue, but until Emotional Intelligence, we could only guess why. Daniel Goleman's brilliant report from the frontiers of psychology and neuroscience offers startling new insight into our "two minds"—the rational and the emotional—and how they together shape our destiny.

Through vivid examples, Goleman delineates the five crucial skills of emotional intelligence, and shows how they determine our success in relationships, work, and even our physical well-being. What emerges is an entirely new way to talk about being smart.

The best news is that "emotional literacy" is not fixed early in life. Every parent, every teacher, every business leader, and everyone interested in a more civil society, has a stake in this compelling vision of human possibility.
 
Downloadhttp://sh.st/o13r3

A Whole New Mind: Why Right-Brainers Will Rule the Future

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.

Downloadhttp://sh.st/o1bvn

Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead - Sheryl Sandberg

Thirty years after women became 50 percent of the college graduates in the United States, men still hold the vast majority of leadership positions in government and industry. This means that women’s voices are still not heard equally in the decisions that most affect our lives. In Lean In, Sheryl Sandberg examines why women’s progress in achieving leadership roles has stalled, explains the root causes, and offers compelling, commonsense solutions that can empower women to achieve their full potential.

Sandberg is the chief operating officer of Facebook and is ranked on Fortune’s list of the 50 Most Powerful Women in Business and as one of Time’s 100 Most Influential People in the World. In 2010, she gave an electrifying TEDTalk in which she described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which became a phenomenon and has been viewed more than two million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto.

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