A Glass Half Empty? ... Or Half Full? PDF Download

Author: Dan Schuck
Publisher: Bookbaby
ISBN: 9781543929980
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 0

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Book Description
The question of Pessimism vs. Optimism is often misunderstood, or worse yet, misinterpreted. But by taking a childlike and playful approach, we can explore one of humankind's most ancient riddles and learn some of the deeper lessons that The Question can teach each of us.The Question exists, in some form, in every language across the globe, and its origins are as ancient as the human spirit. But does this simple question really tell us if one is a Pessimist or an Optimist? Can we use The Question to help us with finding balance, managing stress, and enjoying life? Using humor and innocence, this book provides us the opportunity to determine the fullness of our own glass, and how to apply it to our daily lives.

Author: Susan C. Vaughan
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin
ISBN:
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 264

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Book Description
In this fascinating book, Columbia University research scientist and psychoanalyst Susan Vaughan argues that our fundamental view of life as half empty or half full is determined by our capacity for emotional self-modulation. Based on her years of experience as a therapist and researcher, Dr. Vaughan shows how a sense of control over feelings like anger, anxiety, sadness, and even elation promotes optimism and well being. In contrast, feeling out of control makes us pessimistic and glum. Dr. Vaughan asserts that the roots of self-control are laid down through early interactions with caretakers, everyday experiences that literally shape the neural circuitry of the brain. The pictures of self and other formed in the first three years establish the basis for mood modulation in later life. How to limit the impact of early life and reshape our neural circuitry for effective mood modulation is the promise, and the gift, of this book. A convivial and accessible writer, Vaughan engages the reader in a conversation about what really determines whether we see the proverbial glass-as well as ourselves and the world around us-as half empty or half full.

Author: Tali Sharot
Publisher: Vintage
ISBN: 0307379833
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 273

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Book Description
Psychologists have long been aware that most people maintain an irrationally positive outlook on life—but why? Turns out, we might be hardwired that way. In this absorbing exploration, Tali Sharot—one of the most innovative neuroscientists at work today—demonstrates that optimism may be crucial to human existence. The Optimism Bias explores how the brain generates hope and what happens when it fails; how the brains of optimists and pessimists differ; why we are terrible at predicting what will make us happy; how emotions strengthen our ability to recollect; how anticipation and dread affect us; how our optimistic illusions affect our financial, professional, and emotional decisions; and more. Drawing on cutting-edge science, The Optimism Bias provides us with startling new insight into the workings of the brain and the major role that optimism plays in determining how we live our lives.

Author: Rodrigo Aguilera
Publisher: Watkins Media Limited
ISBN: 1912248816
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 388

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Book Description
Despite the doom and gloom of financial crises, global terrorism, climate collapse, and the rise of the far-right, a number of leading intellectuals (Steven Pinker, Hans Rosling, Johan Norberg, and Matt Ridley, among others) have been arguing in recent years that the world is getting better and better. But this “progress narrative” is little more than a very conservative defence of the capitalist status quo. At a time when liberal democracy appears incapable of stemming the tide of the far-right populism, and when laissez-faire capitalism is ill-equipped to deal with socio-economic problems like climate change, inequality, and the future of wok, the real advocates of progress are those willing to challenge these established paradigms. The Glass Half-Empty argues that, without criticising the systems of capitalism, the changes needed to make a better world will always fall short of our expectations. The "progress narrative" needs to be challenged before we stumble into a potentially catastrophic future, despite having the means to build a truly better world.

Author: Randall Munroe
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
ISBN: 0544272994
Category : Humor
Languages : en
Pages : 321

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Book Description
The creator of the incredibly popular webcomic xkcd presents his heavily researched answers to his fans' oddest questions, including “What if I took a swim in a spent-nuclear-fuel pool?” and “Could you build a jetpack using downward-firing machine guns?” 100,000 first printing.

Author: Brian R. Little
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501119966
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 128

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Book Description
"Traditionally, scientists have emphasized what they call the first and second natures of personality--genes and culture, respectively. But today the field of personality science has moved well beyond the nature vs. nurture debate. In Who Are You, Really? Dr. Brian Little presents a distinctive view of how personality shapes our lives--and why this matters. Little makes the case for a third nature to the human condition--the pursuit of personal projects, idealistic dreams, and creative ventures that shape both people's lives and their personalities. Little uncovers what personality science has been discovering about the role of personal projects, revealing how this new concept can help people better understand themselves and shape their lives"--Provided by publisher.

Author: Chris Mitchell
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781446212660
Category : Asperger's syndrome
Languages : en
Pages : 98

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Book Description
This story will be inspirational to all adults either facing Asperger's syndrome personally or interacting with someone who has been diagnosed. Chris Mitchell describes his life before and after diagnosis with Asperger's syndrome.

Author: Stephanie Stokes Oliver
Publisher: Crown
ISBN: 0767905822
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 242

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Book Description
From the author of Daily Cornbread, Seven Soulful Secrets will motivate women to become not just better than they are but the best they can be. In a tone that is as encouraging and comforting as your favorite quilt, veteran journalist and NiaOnline editor in chief Stephanie Stokes Oliver shows women of all ages how to get the most out of life by finding their purpose and minding their mission. In seven wonderfully crafted chapters, Stokes Oliver reveals her soulful secrets in a simple but potent acronym that spells PURPOSE. •Purpose: plan, persevere, and follow your own personal mission •Ultimacy: release your best, “ultimate” self •Relaxation: reduce stress and incorporate daily self-care into your routine •Positivity: claim the joy in your life and celebrate yourself •Optimum health: make the commitment to self-improvement, health, and fitness •Spirituality: develop and maintain a connection to God/Spirit •Esteem: boost your self-esteem and create healthy relationships At once a practical how-to book and a spiritual guide, Seven Soulful Secrets speaks directly to the African American women who embraced Daily Cornbread and to all women eager to live a life that is authentic, vibrant, and fulfilling.

Author: Tiffany Beth Mfume
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1475839618
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 156

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Book Description
Despite the Great Recession and looming “student loan debt crisis”, college education remains the most proven, invaluable lifetime investment and serves as the most reliable path to upward mobility and socioeconomic class reassignment. Mfume suggests that “the value added” of even one year of college can be transformative. As higher education professionals and partners continue to advocate for new and improved college retention and graduation measures, The College Completion Glass—Half-Full or Half-Empty? Exploring the Value of Postsecondary Education presents a new paradigm for higher education, one that focuses on “the value added” of postsecondary education as well as on student success beyond the traditional measure of college graduation rates, a model which merges conventional practices and supports for students with non-traditional partnerships with, and advocacy from, successful non-completers.

Author: Felix Dennis
Publisher: Random House
ISBN: 144816530X
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 276

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Book Description
Multi-millionaires are not supposed to write poetry. It offends against natural justice. But following a life-threatening illness, Felix Dennis, the man behind the magazine publishing powerhouse responsible for The Week and Maxim found himself scribbling lines in the oddest situations - in business meetings, at social functions, on aeroplanes and even in his sleep.