New York Times bestselling author and renowned neuroscientist Robert M. Sapolsky strikes (again) with its latest book, Determined. With his profound understanding of the human brain, Sapolsky dismantles the notion of free will covering a spectrum of disciplines— from neuroscience to ethics, philosophy to physics. He explains why every action in our lives stems from various complex and predetermined factors beyond our control, yet emphasizes why we shouldn't be afraid of this reality. Ultimately, the book fosters empathy and acceptance. While Determined may be challenging for those less scientifically inclined, it is undeniably compelling, and in my opinion, worth the effort.
One of our great behavioral scientists, the bestselling author of Behave, plumbs the depths of the science and philosophy of decision-making to mount a devastating case against free will, an argument with profound consequences
Robert Sapolsky’s Behave, his now classic account of why humans do good and why they do bad, pointed toward an unsettling conclusion: We may not grasp the precise marriage of nature and nurture that creates the physics and chemistry at the base of human behavior, but that doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist. Now, in Determined, Sapolsky takes his argument all the way, mounting a brilliant (and…
This brilliant book delves into the atrocities of Hitler and the tragedy of the Holocaust, highlighting the dangers we face today. Snyder masterfully narrates these horrific events, drawing on vivid and impressive testimonies of Jewish survivors. He boldly connects the past to the present, stating, “Our world is closer to Hitler's than we like to admit, and saving it requires us to see the Holocaust as it was --and ourselves as we are.” This haunting, absorbing, and groundbreaking read is a must for our challenging times.
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “[Timothy] Snyder identifies the conditions that allowed the Holocaust—conditions our society today shares. . . . He certainly couldn’t be more right about our world.”—The New Republic
A “gripping [and] disturbingly vivid” (The Wall Street Journal) portrait of the defining tragedy of our time, from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of On Tyranny
ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR—The Washington Post, The Economist, Publishers Weekly
In this epic history of extermination and survival, Timothy Snyder presents a new explanation of the great atrocity of the twentieth century, and reveals the risks…
After the first two suggested readings, it's crucial to take a moment to reflect. Taking time and meditating is important in our everyday busy life, as meditation can help clarify one’s thoughts. Honestly, I am not great at meditation but this little book always sits on my nightstand, next to a stack of other reads. It’s my reminder to pause, to breathe in and breathe out. In this book, Zen monk and Buddhist leader (second only to the Dalai Lama) Thich Nhat Hanh masterfully condenses the essence of Buddhist thought and practice. The author explains how to be present in the moment (even in our demanding Western world), and how to be gentle and compassionate. He offers simple practices such as walking (slowly) and breathing with awareness. Like other books by the author, this tiny read is a plea for peace. As the author writes: "When you produce peace and happiness in yourself, you begin to realize peace for the whole world."
Cut through the busyness and anxieties of daily life to discover the simple happiness of living in the present moment, as taught by a world-renowned Zen monk
In this book, Thich Nhat Hanh—Zen monk, author, and meditation master—distills the essence of Buddhist thought and practice, emphasizing the power of mindfulness to transform our lives. But true mindfulness, Hanh explains, is not an escape. It is being in the present moment, totally alive and free.
Based on a retreat that Thich Nhat Hanh led for Westerners, You Are Here offers a range of effective practices for cultivating mindfulness and staying in…
Apes and dolphins: primates and cetaceans. Could any creatures appear to be more different? Yet both are large-brained intelligent mammals with complex communication and social interaction. In the first book to study apes and dolphins side by side, Maddalena Bearzi and Craig B. Stanford, a dolphin biologist and a primatologist who have spent their careers studying these animals in the wild, combine their insights with compelling results. Beautiful Minds explains how and why apes and dolphins are so distantly related yet so cognitively alike and what this teaches us about another large-brained mammal: Homo sapiens.
