Nobody likes being forced to do something, even if it’s the right thing. That we often choose the wrong thing is the problem that Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein seek to address in “Nudge”.
“Nudge” is another in a growing genre of books that blends insights from psychology and economics. From Blink to Bounce, the Upside of Irrationality to Spousonomics and many others in between, these books are an alluring temptation for readers interested in the hidden workings of the human psyche.
Spousonomics is more entertainment than information, but it nevertheless provides an insightful tour of common marital gripes as seen through the lens of the dismal science. Having not read many books about marriage, I cannot speak to the genre, but this engaging read provides ample bite-sized ideas suitable for spousal discussion.
Did you know that exercising does not help you lose weight? Or that eating too much does not make you fat? According to the new (2011) book by science journalist Gary Taubes, the failure of modern science and public health to acknowledge the primary reasons we get fat: excess carbohydrate in our diets, is the cause of our worsening obesity epidemic and rising rates of its related illnesses: diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
Written in 2004, “The European Dream” chronicles the rise of the United States of Europe and its increasing importance as a vision of what a truly global society might look like.
Donella Meadows, Jorgen Randers and Dennis Meadows
Limits To Growth is an oddly dispassionate analysis of the challenges we face as a planet in this century. While I have no doubt that the authors are passionate about sustainability, they have let cold facts and careful analysis set the mood.
Written in 2004, “The Hype About Hydrogen”, comes as a stark wake-up call to those who previously had pinned their hopes for a clean energy revolution on the “Hydrogen Economy”.
You have to be someone before you can share yourself.
With these words, Jaron Lanier's self-titled 'manifesto' throws down the gauntlet before those cheering the rise and boundless opportunity opportunity of the so-called web 2.0 movement.
I recently had the opportunity to watch Julia Roberts in the film adaptation of Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling novel “Eat, Pray, Love”. I watched it with my wife, partly to redeem some movie-selection karma that I had squandered in taking her to see “Tropic Thunder”, but also with a sense of curiosity about what passes for a good chick-flick these days.
