-Titulo Original : A Question Of Power Electricity And The Wealth Of Nations-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Historically, it was guns, germs, and steel that determined the fates of people and nations. Now, more than ever, it is electricity.Global demand for power is doubling every two decades, but electricity remains one of the most difficult forms of energy to supply and do so reliably. Today, some three billion people live in places where per-capita electricity use is less than whats used by an average American refrigerator. How we close the colossal gap between the electricity rich and the electricity poor will determine our success in addressing issues like womens rights, inequality, and climate change.In A Question of Power, veteran journalist Robert Bryce tells the human story of electricity, the worlds most important form of energy. Through onsite reporting from India, Iceland, Lebanon, Puerto Rico, New York, and Colorado, he shows how our cities, our money--our very lives--depend on reliable flows of electricity. He highlights the factors needed for successful electrification and explains why so many people are still stuck in the dark.With vivid writing and incisive analysis, he powerfully debunks the notion that our energy needs can be met solely with renewables and demonstrates why--if we are serious about addressing climate change--nuclear energy must play a much bigger role.Electricity has fueled a new epoch in the history of civilization. A Question of Power explains how that happened and what it means for our future. Review Shocking revelations about electricity.... A robust look at where the juice flows around the planet-and its planetary implications. Kirkus ReviewsOf all the aspects of modern life in the developed world, flipping a switch and having the lights come on ranks as one of the most underrated. Its good to be reminded, as Bryce does through powerful examples, that such convenience was unheard of until the late nineteenth century...In this wide-ranging history of electricity, power expert Bryce takes readers beyond the table lamp and microwave to demonstrate how crucial safe, dependable, and plentiful electricity is to a host of contemporary innovations, from cryptocurrency mining to marijuana cultivation. BooklistInformative and highly readable Foreign Affairs About the Author Robert Bryce is the acclaimed author of five previous books, including Smaller, Faster, Lighter, Denser, Cheaper: How Innovation Keeps Proving the Catastrophists Wrong, and Power Hungry: The Myths of Green Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Austin Chronicle, Guardian, and National Review. He has given over 300 invited or keynote lectures to groups ranging from the Marine Corps War College to the Sydney Institute and has appeared on dozens of media outlets ranging from Fox News to Al Jazeera. Bryce is also the producer of a new feature-length documentary, Juice: How Electricity Explains the World. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Lorin...

-Titulo Original : Reimagining Capitalism In A World On Fire-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: A renowned Harvard professor debunks prevailing orthodoxy with a new intellectual foundation and a practical pathway forward for a system that has lost its moral and ethical foundation.Free market capitalism is one of humanitys greatest inventions and the greatest source of prosperity the world has ever seen. But this success has been costly. Capitalism is on the verge of destroying the planet and destabilizing society as wealth rushes to the top. The time for action is running short.Rebecca Hendersons rigorous research in economics, psychology, and organizational behavior, as well as her many years of work with companies around the world, give us a path forward. She debunks the worldview that the only purpose of business is to make money and maximize shareholder value. She shows that we have failed to reimagine capitalism so that it is not only an engine of prosperity but also a system that is in harmony with environmental realities, the striving for social justice, and the demands of truly democratic institutions. Hendersons deep understanding of how change takes place, combined with fascinating in-depth stories of companies that have made the first steps towards reimagining capitalism, provide inspiring insight into what capitalism can be. Together with rich discussions of important role of government and how the worlds of finance, governance, and leadership must also evolve, Henderson provides the pragmatic foundation for navigating a world faced with unprecedented challenge, but also with extraordinary opportunity for those who can get it right. Review Shortlisted for the Financial Times/McKinsey Book of the Year AwardHendersons convincing arguments and passion will be a clarion call to action for business leaders and interested readers everywhere. Library Journal, starred reviewLucid and optimistic...this accessible and richly detailed call to action offers a clear vision for policy makers and business executives who agree with Henderson that the private sector has an obligation to tackle the worlds biggest problems. Publishers WeeklyA well-constructed critique of an economic system that, by the authors account, is a driver of the worlds destruction... A readable, persuasive argument that our ways of doing business will have to change if we are to prosper-or even survive. Kirkus ReviewsThis book has an important message about the critical role of purpose-driven businesses in our society and how capitalism and democracy need to interact constructively to solve our most pressing challenges. Stanford School of BusinessThe COVID-19 pandemic has given the ideas in... Reimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire...a perverse timeliness, making these issues not only relevant, but even appealing, to people who previously may not have touched them with a 10-foot pole. Katherine Dunn, FortuneIn engaging and refreshingly candid writing, Henderson sets out her vision of equitable and sustainable capitalism and enumerates the changes needed to get us there....Her blueprint may sound impossible, yet Hendersons optimism is founded on deep expertise as a scholar who has worked closely with corporate leaders. Mark Kramer, Stanford Social Innovation Review Coupling detailed accounts from companies taking strides toward redefining capitalism with her own rich understanding of the potential of modern businesses, Henderson makes a compelling argument that capitalism as we know it is a missed opportunity, and builds the framework for business to prosper while complying with environmental factors and championing social justice. WBUR The ARTeryReimagining Capitalism in a World on Fire...should encourage a new era of co-operation & collaboration between government, business & communities of individuals. Andrew Hill, Financial TimesThis powerful and readable book is a clarion call for reimagining and remaking capitalism. The market economy, which used to generate rapid productivity gro...

-Titulo Original : Victory Machine-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: How money, guts, and greed built the Warriors dynasty -- and then took it apartThe Golden State Warriors dominated the NBA for the better part of a decade. Since the arrival of owner Joe Lacob, they won more championships and sold more merchandise than any other franchise in the sport. And in 2019, they opened the doors on a lavish new stadium.Yet all this success contained some of the seeds of decline. Ethan Sherwood Strausss clear-eyed expose reveals the teams culture, its financial ambitions and struggles, and the price that its players and managers have paid for all their winning. From Lacobs unlikely acquisition of the team to Kevin Durants controversial departure, Strauss shows how the smallest moments can define success or failure for years.And, looking ahead, Strauss ponders whether this organization can rebuild after its abrupt fall from the top, and how a relentless business wears down its players and executives. The Victory Machine is a defining book on the modern NBA: it not only rewrites the story of the Warriors, but shows how the Darwinian business of pro basketball really works. Review While Strauss clearly loves the sport, he also treats the N.B.A. as a reflection of the Darwinian contest prized by American society...[he] offers insights into how power gets played out in personalities--the motivations, insecurities, and over-all vibe of people who are often insulated from judgment. The New YorkerStrauss skillfully captures a team peaking as change is taking place all around them, and pulls the curtain aside on the often unsavory realities of what it means to succeed in the NBA. Library Journal What Ethan Strauss does best is to dispense with the niceties and to cut to the core. Hes done it again with The Victory Machine, an unvarnished inside account of the Golden State Warriors, from the driven, resolute owner who bought them to the capricious, conflicted superstar who ultimately left them. A must-read for NBA fans. Jackie MacMullan, senior ESPN writer and Hall of Fame basketball commentatorThe Victory Machine is The Breaks of the Game of its era. Strauss pulls the curtain back to reveal the ambitions, insecurities, and riches that propel one of the most interesting sports leagues in the world. Most sports books are either idea-driven or character-driven-but Strauss has accomplished both. This is a book Ill come back to again and again for its insight and wit. Kevin Arnovitz, NBA writer, ESPN The MagazineThe Victory Machine isnt a romantic look at the Golden State Warriors dynasty, but it gets to the human core of success and asks the reader to question everything he or she knew about sports. Bomani Jones, cohost of High Noon About the Author Ethan Sherwood Strauss is a Golden State Warriors beat reporter for The Athletic. Before that, he held the same role for ESPN. He hosts a podcast, House of Strauss, and is a frequent guest on Slates Hang Up and Listen sports podcast. His articles have appeared in numerous outlets including Slate, Salon, FiveThirtyEight, Huffington Post, and more. He has 97,700 twitter followers and counting...

-Titulo Original : Treasurys War The Unleashing Of A New Era Of Financial Warfare-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Review National Interest“Zarates book admirably underscores the dire national-security threat posed by the almost-unfathomable level of our national debt… There is much in Zarates book that enlightens us, and he gets many things right and proposes some innovative ideas.”Arnaud de Borchgrave, UPI“One of the worlds most challenging assignments -- explained in vivid, dramatic detail by Juan C. Zarate, a former super sleuth in the U.S. governments long campaign to find and disrupt al-Qaidas terrorist funding in the Worldwide Web…Zarates Treasurys War is a gripping electronic whodunit in a constantly changing environment where inequalities are widening and where technology is destroying more jobs than it creates…. This is the first book that lifts the veil of secrecy on the financial power [Zarates team] marshaled against Americas enemies.”Kirkus Reviews“A bracing account by a knowledgeable authority.”Finalist for the William E. Colby Military History AwardBryan Burrough, New York Times Business section“For those of us who start feeling drowsy at the very mention of the words ‘Treasury Department, this book is an eye-opener. Under Mr. Zarate, and his successors, Treasury quietly built new capabilities that owe less to junk bonds than to James Bond…. ‘Treasurys War does a fine job of shedding light on a new and significant aspect of international relations that many of us may not be aware of, and that is likely to gain in importance in the years to come.”Jordan Chandler Hirsch, Washington Post“[A] thorough, thoughtful insiders account… The true value of Zarates book lies in explaining the difference between traditional sanctions and this new form of financial warfare.”ABA Banking Journal“I consider it a must-read for anyone who wants to know where we are, where weve been, and what challenges lie ahead… Treasurys War is detailed, interesting, and sincere.”General Michael Hayden, former Director of CIA and NSA“Juan Zarates groundbreaking Treasurys War illuminates an underappreciated and under commented revolution in international affairs. Beset by nontraditional enemies and threats, the United States in the Bush administration leveraged Americas place in the global financial system to create some important ‘asymmetrical power of its own. As advocate and architect of this new approach, Zarate is well placed to tell the tale of Americas most unique precisionguided weapon and he does so with detail, candor, and perspective.”Sam Nunn, former U.S. SenatorFor those wanting to know how financial power and influence are wielded in the world, this is the book. Juan Zarate not only tells a gripping story, but lays out the policy implications and future for the use of this power. This is a must-read about the evolution of financial warfare over the past decade and how it will continue to play a central role in the nations security. For more than a decade, America has been waging a new kind of war against the financial networks of rogue regimes, proliferators, terrorist groups, and criminal syndicates. Juan Zarate, a chief architect of modern financial warfare and a former senior Treasury and White House official, pulls back the curtain on this shadowy world. In this gripping story, he explains in unprecedented detail how a small, dedicated group of officials redefined the Treasurys role and used its unique powers, relationships, and reputation to apply financial pressure against Americas enemies. This group unleashed a new brand of financial power -- one that leveraged the private sector and banks directly to isolate rogues from the international financial system. By harnessing the forces of globalization and the centrality of the American market and dollar, Treasury developed a new way of undermining Americas foes. Treasury and its tools soon became, and remain, critical in the most vital geopolitical challenges facing the United States, including terrorism, nuclear proliferation,...

-Titulo Original : Super Founders What Data Reveals About Billion-dollar Startups-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Super Founders uses a data-driven approach to understand what really differentiates billion-dollar startups from the rest-revealing that nearly everything we thought was true about them is false! Ali Tamaseb has spent thousands of hours manually amassing what may be the largest dataset ever collected on startups, comparing billion-dollar startups with those that failed to become one-30,000 data points on nearly every factor: number of competitors, market size, the founder’s age, his or her university’s ranking, quality of investors, fundraising time, and many, many more. And what he found looked far different than expected. Just to mention a few: Most unicorn founders had no industry experience;Theres no disadvantage to being a solo founder or to being a non-technical CEO;Less than 15% went through any kind of accelerator program;Over half had strong competitors when starting--being first to market with an idea does not actually matter. You will also hear the stories of the early days of billion-dollar startups first-hand. The book includes exclusive interviews with the founders/investors of Zoom, Instacart, PayPal, Nest, Github, Flatiron Health, Kite Pharma, , Stripe, Airbnb, YouTube, LinkedIn, Lyft, DoorDash, Coinbase, and Square, venture capital investors like Elad Gil, Peter Thiel, Alfred Lin from Sequoia Capital and Keith Rabois of Founders Fund, as well as previously untold stories about the early days of ByteDance (TikTok), WhatsApp, Dropbox, Discord, DiDi, Flipkart, , Careem, Peloton, and SpaceX. Packed with counterintuitive insights and inside stories from people who have built massively successful companies, Super Founders is a paradigm-shifting and actionable guide for entrepreneurs, investors, and anyone interested in what makes a startup successful. Review “This is perhaps one of the most comprehensive and well researched studies by an insightful venture capitalist ever done on startups and investments. I highly recommend it to all MBA and business students as well as everyone interested in startups and venture capital.” Ilya Strebulaev - Professor of Finance, Stanford Graduate School of BusinessSuper Founders dissects startups from every single angle, just like the best investors do. It provides an unparalleled lens for angel investors, VCs, and startup founders to analyze startups, and includes riveting exclusive interviews for anyone interested in understanding how billion-dollar companies happen. Keith Rabois, general partner at Founders Fund, Investor in YouTube, Airbnb, Palantir, Lyft, Yelp, and LinkedInAli debunks myths and misconceptions of great founders. His work encourages us to play our own game on our way to becoming the next Super Founder. Alfred Lin, Partner at Sequoia Capital, Investor in Airbnb, DoorDash, Houzz, and moreAli Tamaseb offers an extraordinary look at the success and failure of startups coupled with inside stories and interviews with some of the best startup leaders. A must-read. Eric Yuan, Founder and CEO, Zoom“It’s heartening to see initiatives and studies like this. A data-driven effort to understand the success and failure of startups has been lacking and this book is doing exactly that. Ron Conway - Founder of SV Angel, Angel Investor in Google, , Airbnb and more“Conventional wisdom about what leads to startup success abounds. With a vast dataset, real rigor, and fresh insight, Tamaseb validates some truisms and debunks many others. A must-read for aspiring founders and venture investors!” Tom Eisenmann, Harvard Business School professor and author of Why Startups FailSuper Founders challenges founders, entrepreneurs, and investors to rethink what matters most when you’re building a business. These insightful stories help break down bias along the startup journey. Its a great guide I wish I had earlier in my career.” Tony Fadell, Future Shape principal, Nest founder, iPod inventor, and iPhone co-inventor...

-Titulo Original : The Snowball System How To Win More Business And Turn Clients Into Raving Fans-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Mo Bunnells comprehensive system will help you win more clients, build stronger relationships, and bring in more business. If youre good at doing something, and you need to connect with paying clients in order to keep doing it, this book is for you. There are more of us out there than you might think -- from professionals like lawyers and consultants to big company account managers and freelancers of all stripes. And this book will teach you how to sell yourself without selling your soul. In The Snowball System, Mo Bunnell offers powerful and proven tools for business development. Whether you are gregarious or introverted, whether you are a part of a small startup or a massive multinational, Bunnells science-based system is effective and efficient, and easily adapted into your day-to-day work. With The Snowball System, you will not only succeed at growing your business, youll learn to enjoy doing the activities that drive that growth. Youll be happier, and so will your clients. Review Winner of the 2019 Axiom Business Book Award in the Networking categorySnowball System is relevant even if you dont work in sales or business development... This book offers a clear and compelling sales process for even the most resistant to sales. Forbes Full of steps that you can follow to grow your business without feeling like a sleazy salesperson. Adam Grant, New York Times-bestselling author of Give and Take and OriginalsIf youre even a little uncomfortable selling, Mo Bunnell will ease your concerns. In this concise, practical book, he shows that the essence of effective sales isnt back-slapping or slick-talking. Its learning how to be strategically helpful to your clients and customers. This is wisdom everyone in business development could use. Dan Pink, author of When and To Sell Is HumanCalling on his years of experience developing this process, Mo Bunnell explains how to create a richer and more meaningful relationship between the client and seller-expert. In his light, engaging style, Mo advances one of my most deeply-held beliefs: Always be of service to others. I highly recommend this book for anyone who not only wants to be better at sales, but to have stronger relationships as well. Keith Ferrazzi, author of the #1 New York Times-bestseller Whos Got Your Back? and Never Eat AloneI was always looking for a business development system that made sense in our high-end, expert-driven world. We found one in Mos method. The Snowball System is accessible and easy to implement, but most importantly, it works. I cannot recommend it highly enough. Bill Ruprecht, CEO, Sothebys (2000-2014)Businesspeople will find it highly useful in making customer growth a permanent part of their careers. Publishers Weekly About the Author Mo Bunnell is a speaker, consultant, and founder and CEO of Bunnell Idea Group (BIG). He helps organizations grow by teaching their highest performers how to bring in more clients and more revenue. Over the course of his career, hes worked in nearly every area of business development and used this knowledge and experience to build the GrowBIG business development system, resulting from years of testing and peer reviewed research into why people buy and what makes the buying process happen faster, in greater volume, and with more enjoyment. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and two daughters. BIG has now certified over 100 professionals as licensed GrowBIG trainers who have trained tens of thousands of professionals around the world, from individuals to Fortune 500 companies around the world, including Aetna, American Express, and Sothebys...

-Titulo Original : Value(s) Building A Better World For All-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: A bold, urgent argument on the misplacement of value in financial markets and how we can and need to maximize value for the many, not few.As an economist and former banker, Mark Carney has spent his life in various financial roles, in both the public and private sector. VALUE(S) is a meditation on his experiences that examines the short-comings and challenges of the market in the past decade which he argues has led to rampant, public distrust and the need for radical change.Focusing on four major crises-the Global Financial Crisis, the Global Health Crisis, Climate Change and the 4th Industrial Revolution-- Carney proposes responses to each. His solutions are tangible action plans for leaders, companies and countries to transform the value of the market back into the value of humanity. Review A radical book that speaks out accessibly as to how we get everyone involved in solving our problems. And this is what we need: 50 Shades of People for 50 Shades of Green. Bono, lead singer of U2Mark Carney’s indispensable new book asks how we can go from knowing the price of everything to understanding its true value. From the Great Financial Crisis to climate change and the coronavirus pandemic, this is the essential handbook for 21st century leaders, policymakers and everyone who wants to build a fair and sustainable world. Christine Lagarde, President of the European Central BankThought-provoking and readable… As societies struggle to rebuild solidarity in the post-Covid world, it will be an essential guide Raghuram Rajan, Former Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of IndiaMark Carney draws on his unique experience of running two central banks to offer original and thought provoking solutions to the world’s biggest challenges - from Covid to climate change. Gordon Brown, Former Prime Minister of the United KingdomA fantastic read for anyone interested in the most pressing issues facing us. The need for a world of profit with better purpose is explained in such a clear and persuasive style. I hope it gets read by many people. Jim ONeill, Member of House of Lords of the United KingdomA roadmap to a fairer and more responsible, resilient world. Carney offers trenchant insights into our relationship with money and status, imagination and responsibility critical to our world’s future. What do we invest in - profit or human potential? This book is irradiated with the inspiring and critical conviction that money can be transformed into a tool of collective good. Antony Gromley“This is an important book. It would be helpful if the right people read it.” Evening Standard“Value(s) is something of a landmark achievement. Carney is at his most sure-footed and convincing on the rise of a market society and the accompanying decline of values… His ringside seat account of the financial crash, when his pre-emptive actions at the Bank of Canada helped insulate the country from the worst of the crisis, along with his damning diagnosis of early 21st-century banking, are gripping. His argument that companies that are driven by creating an intrinsic purpose from which they derive profit fare best over time both for themselves and society is among the best summations I have read… The sweep and aim of Value(s) remains magnificent. It will help arm the best in business, finance and government and disarm the worst. The progressive cause has been advanced. The boy from Canada’s Northwest Territories, still slightly incredulous at his own phenomenal career given his modest beginnings, done good.” The Observer“A powerful exploration of how the rise of ‘market fundamentalism’ has been detrimental to economic systems and democratic values… This is an exhaustive and persuasive look at how and why the global financial system needs to be reformed.” Publishers Weekly“Value(s) delivers very credible answers to the question of how we should tackle the most fundamental problems of our time. It is a rich, thought-provo...

-Titulo Original : Its Better Than It Looks Reasons For Optimism In An Age Of Fear-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Is civilization teetering on the edge of a cliff? Or are we just climbing higher than ever? Most people who read the news would tell you that 2017 is one of the worst years in recent memory. Were facing a series of deeply troubling, even existential problems: fascism, terrorism, environmental collapse, racial and economic inequality, and more. Yet this narrative misses something important: by almost every meaningful measure, the modern world is better than it ever has been. In the United States, disease, crime, discrimination, and most forms of pollution are in long-term decline, while longevity and education keep rising and economic indicators are better than in any past generation. Worldwide, malnutrition and extreme poverty are at historic lows, and the risk of dying by war or violence is the lowest in human history. Its not a coincidence that were confused -- our perspectives on the world are blurred by the rise of social media, the machinations of politicians, and our own biases. Meanwhile, political reforms like the Clean Air Act and technological innovations like the hybridization of wheat have saved huge numbers of lives. In that optimistic spirit, Easterbrook offers specific policy reforms to address climate change, inequality, and other problems, and reminds us that there is real hope in conquering such challenges. In an age of discord and fear-mongering, Its Better Than It Looks will profoundly change your perspective on who we are, where were headed, and what were capable of. Review Besides providing new ammunition for optimists, Mr. Easterbrooks aim in this important book is to identify what weve been doing right and to consider what we can do about the still pressing problems we face... Mr. Easterbrook wants to make optimism intellectually respectable again, and he has done so with cogent arguments and bountiful evidence. Michael Shermer, Wall Street JournalIts Better Than It Looks makes many good arguments about inequality...Easterbrook is good on democracy and dictatorship (democracy is better at money and better at war). He is also good on climate change (the technical solutions are there, and all will be fine if society chooses reform, though that choice is surely the crux of the problem). Angus Deaton, New York Times Book ReviewEasterbrook sets out to disabuse readers of any casual pessimism and equip them with enough facts and arguments to silence dinner parties from now till kingdom come... rich in detail and observation. Philip Delves Broughton, Weekly StandardCountering the usual pessimism disseminated by the experts and rebroadcast by the if it bleeds, it leads media, Its Better Than It Looks ably defends the view that the grand sweep of history has gone from generally bad to generally good for the vast majority of the worlds populace. Whether the book surveys global food supply, infectious diseases, the natural system, the economy, violence, technology or governance, the overall outlook consistently comes up positive, according to Mr. Easterbrook. His impressive, rather objective, amply-referenced, perspicacious analysis supports his optimism. Anthony Sadar, Washington TimesTerrific...Easterbrooks core conclusions are compelling, and he writes with a journalists flair. Foreign AffairsAn argument worth considering. Kirkus ReviewsAmerica, like most of the world, has fallen prey to a false and destructive narrative: the belief that everything is getting worse. In this important and compelling book, Gregg Easterbrook sets the record straight. His refreshing analysis can restore our optimism and help heal our poisoned politics. Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Leonardo da VinciIts Better Than It Looks is a welcome corrective to our fashionable pessimism that things are bad and getting worse, by providing a wealth of evidence that the reverse is true. Gregg Easterbrook is clear-eyed nonetheless in facing up to present challenges...

-Titulo Original : Power Hungry The Myths Of Green Energy And The Real Fuels Of The Future-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: The promise of green jobs and a clean energy future has roused the masses. But as Robert Bryce makes clear in this provocative book, that vision needs a major re-vision. We cannot -- and will not -- quit using carbon-based fuels at any time in the near future for a simple reason: they provide the horsepower that we crave. The hard reality is that oil, coal, and natural gas are here to stay. Fueling our society requires more than sentiment and rhetoric; we need to make good decisions and smart investments based on facts. In Power Hungry, Bryce provides a supertanker-load of footnoted facts while shepherding readers through basic physics and math. And with the help of a panoply of vivid graphics and tables, he crushes a phalanx of energy myths, showing why renewables are not green, carbon capture and sequestration wont work, and even -- surprise! -- that the U.S. is leading the world in energy efficiency. He also charts the amazing growth of the fuels of the future: natural gas and nuclear.Power Hungry delivers a clear-eyed view of what America has in the tank, and whats needed to transform the gargantuan global energy sector. About the Author Robert Bryce is the acclaimed author of five previous books, including Smaller, Faster, Lighter, Denser, Cheaper: How Innovation Keeps Proving the Catastrophists Wrong, and Power Hungry: The Myths of Green Energy and the Real Fuels of the Future. His articles have appeared in numerous publications, including the Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Austin Chronicle, Guardian, and National Review. He has given over 300 invited or keynote lectures to groups ranging from the Marine Corps War College to the Sydney Institute and has appeared on dozens of media outlets ranging from Fox News to Al Jazeera. Bryce is also the producer of a new feature-length documentary, Juice: How Electricity Explains the World. He lives in Austin, Texas, with his wife, Lorin...

-Titulo Original : Think Like A Rocket Scientist Simple Strategies You Can Use To Make Giant Leaps In Work And Life-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: * One of Inc s 6 Books You Need to Read in 2020 (According to Bill Gates, Satya Nadella, and Adam Grant)* Adam Grants # 1 pick of his top 20 books of 2020* One of 6 Groundbreaking Books of Spring 2020 (according to Malcolm Gladwell, Susan Cain, Dan Pink, and Adam Grant).A former rocket scientist reveals the habits, ideas, and strategies that will empower you to turn the seemingly impossible into the possible. Rocket science is often celebrated as the ultimate triumph of technology. But its not. Rather, its the apex of a certain thought process -- a way to imagine the unimaginable and solve the unsolvable. Its the same thought process that enabled Neil Armstrong to take his giant leap for mankind, that allows spacecraft to travel millions of miles through outer space and land on a precise spot, and that brings us closer to colonizing other planets. Fortunately, you dont have to be a rocket scientist to think like one. In this accessible and practical book, Ozan Varol reveals nine simple strategies from rocket science that you can use to make your own giant leaps in work and life -- whether its landing your dream job, accelerating your business, learning a new skill, or creating the next breakthrough product. Today, thinking like a rocket scientist is a necessity. We all encounter complex and unfamiliar problems in our lives. Those who can tackle these problems -- without clear guidelines and with the clock ticking -- enjoy an extraordinary advantage. Think Like a Rocket Scientist will inspire you to take your own moonshot and enable you to achieve liftoff. Review Smart and witty, Varols masterful analysis explains complicated scientific principles and connects them to ordinary life for a mainstream audience. Publishers Weekly Varols polymathic background--rocket scientist, law professor, public speaker--makes him an engaging guide for this book, which cannily blends memoir, pop science, and self-help manual...A charming and insightful airplane read on innovation. Kirkus Reviews The scientific method of observing, developing a hypothesis, testing it and revising as needed has survived centuries for a reason: It works. And, as bona fide rocket scientist Ozan Varol shows, that approach--plus boundless curiosity--is handy whether youre designing a Mars lander or figuring out what to have for dinner. Discover MagazineBut reading this encouraging book is one small way to help counter a downward trend and enrich Americas psyche. Today, America longs for people with this very can-do attitude. Varols optimistic look at the past can become Americas present and future. The Epoch TimesThinking like a rocket scientist is not rocket science! Packed with witty writing, insightful advice, and invigorating stories, this must-read book will change the way you see the world--and empower you to change the world itself. Susan Cain, New York Times-bestselling author of QuietWhen the stakes are high, the unknowns are threatening, and the problems seem insurmountable, you need a superhero -- which means you need Ozan Varol. Hell show you how to master the cognitive skills of a rocket scientist. And by the time you finish reading his endlessly fascinating book, your thinking will be bigger, better, and bolder. Daniel H. Pink, New York Times-bestselling author of When, Drive, and A Whole New MindThis is not just an engrossing read--its bursting with practical insights. Ozan Varols dazzling debut might change how you approach problems. Houston, this book has solutions. Adam Grant, New York Times-bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take, and host of the TED podcast WorkLifeYoure smarter than you think. Ozan Varol makes a compelling case for each of us to level up and to contribute at a level weve talked ourselves out of. Seth Godin, New York Times-bestselling author of This Is MarketingI love Ozan Varol. Hes a brilliant mind, a warm and kind heart, and the exact type of...

-Titulo Original : The Looting Machine Warlords, Oligarchs, Corporations, Smugglers, And The Theft Of Africas Wealth-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: One of Financial Times Books of the Year, 2015 The trade in oil, gas, gems, metals and rare earth minerals wreaks havoc in Africa. During the years when Brazil, India, China and the other emerging markets have transformed their economies, Africas resource states remained tethered to the bottom of the industrial supply chain. While Africa accounts for about 30 per cent of the worlds reserves of hydrocarbons and minerals and 14 per cent of the worlds population, its share of global manufacturing stood in 2011 exactly where it stood in 2000: at 1 percent. In his first book, The Looting Machine, Tom Burgis exposes the truth about the African development miracle: for the resource states, its a mirage. The oil, copper, diamonds, gold and coltan deposits attract a global network of traders, bankers, corporate extractors and investors who combine with venal political cabals to loot the states value. And the vagaries of resource-dependent economies could pitch Africas new middle class back into destitution just as quickly as they climbed out of it. The ground beneath their feet is as precarious as a Congolese mine shaft; their prosperity could spill away like crude from a busted pipeline. This catastrophic social disintegration is not merely a continuation of Africas past as a colonial victim. The looting now is accelerating as never before. As global demand for Africas resources rises, a handful of Africans are becoming legitimately rich but the vast majority, like the continent as a whole, is being fleeced. Outsiders tend to think of Africa as a great drain of philanthropy. But look more closely at the resource industry and the relationship between Africa and the rest of the world looks rather different. In 2010, fuel and mineral exports from Africa were worth 333 billion, more than seven times the value of the aid that went in the opposite direction. But who received the money? For every Frenchwoman who dies in childbirth, 100 die in Niger alone, the former French colony whose uranium fuels Frances nuclear reactors. In petro-states like Angola three-quarters of government revenue comes from oil. The government is not funded by the people, and as result it is not beholden to them. A score of African countries whose economies depend on resources are rentier states; their people are largely serfs. The resource curse is not merely some unfortunate economic phenomenon, the product of an intangible force. What is happening in Africas resource states is systematic looting. Like its victims, its beneficiaries have names. About the Author Tom Burgis has been tenacious and intrepid in confronting the powerful vested interests -- corporate, military, financial and political -- that have fed to excess off Africas riches. He has been reporting for the Financial Times for the last eight years, writing a series of prizewinning investigative reports from Johannesburg and Lagos. He was the winner of the FTs second annual Jones-Mauthner Memorial Prize for his superb reporting and exposA©of corruption, and the Jerwood Award for a nonfiction book in progress for The Looting Machine. He was shortlisted as a young journalist of the year for his Africa reports. The Looting Machine is his first book...

-Titulo Original : The American Health Care Paradox Why Spending More Is Getting Us Less-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Foreword by Harvey V. Fineberg, President of the Institute of Medicine For decades, experts have puzzled over why the US spends more on health care but suffers poorer outcomes than other industrialized nations. Now Elizabeth H. Bradley and Lauren A. Taylor marshal extensive research, including a comparative study of health care data from thirty countries, and get to the root of this paradox: Weve left out of our tally the most impactful expenditures countries make to improve the health of their populations-investments in social services. In The American Health Care Paradox, Bradley and Taylor illuminate how narrow definitions of health care, archaic divisions in the distribution of health and social services, and our allergy to government programs combine to create needless suffering in individual lives, even as health care spending continues to soar. They show us how and why the US health care system developed as it did; examine the constraints on, and possibilities for, reform; and profile inspiring new initiatives from around the world. Offering a unique and clarifying perspective on the problems the Affordable Care Act wont solve, this book also points a new way forward. Review Bradley and Taylor have identified social services as the unnamed culprit behind high health care costs and poor outcomes. Highlighting the non-medical determinants of patients health may not only make physicians jobs easier but also prove to be a prudent strategy for payers. This book offers an important reality check about what actually creates health in the United States. William Gillespie, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Emblem Health, and president of AdvantageCare PhysiciansThe American Health Care Paradox has enough intellectual heft to bring an opera house to its feet. Drawing on data from dozens of international and domestic site visits, wide-ranging scholarly studies and in-depth interviews with patients, practitioners, health care administrators and social service staff from all over the world, the authors tackle the unenviable task of explaining why we think of health care the way we do-to the near total exclusion of social services. And they manage to do it with astonishing clarity, conciseness and narrative ease. Pauline Chen, the New York TimesAn important attempt to shift the discussion on health in the United States KirkusTheir argument has intuitive appeal [and] is made more attractive by their clear prose and by their many helpful descriptions and historical explanations of US health care policy. Arnold Relman, New York Review of BooksAdmirably presented as an apolitical examination of an urgent situation, Bradley and Taylors carefully researched and lucidly reported findings offer what appears to be an easily rendered fix, but their equally striking depiction of uniquely American hostility to government involvement in private matters, exposes a daunting uphill battle. Publishers WeeklyIt seems like there are daily stories of skyrocketing medical costs here in the US coupled with our bad health outcomes compared with other developed countries. This book argues compellingly that we may have been looking for solutions in the wrong places. We wont find the answers by changing medical payments or improving quality of care as important, as those are. But rather that health begins, is nurtured, protected and preserved in our families and neighborhoods where people live, learn, work and play. The authors find that supporting families and children in ways that make their houses, neighborhoods and schools secure and enjoyable pays off in health in concrete and measurable ways. It is time we started to get serious about building a culture of health and making it easier for people to live that kind of life than merely paying the costs to repair the damages from injury and disease. James S. Marks, MD, MPH, president and director of Health Group at the Robert Wood Johnson FoundationIf w...

-Titulo Original : Tower Of Basel The Shadowy History Of The Secret Bank That Runs The World-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Tower of Basel is the first investigative history of the worlds most secretive global financial institution. Based on extensive archival research in Switzerland, Britain, and the United States, and in-depth interviews with key decision-makers -- including Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the US Federal Reserve; Sir Mervyn King, governor of the Bank of England; and former senior Bank for International Settlements managers and officials -- Tower of Basel tells the inside story of the Bank for International Settlements (BIS): the central bankers own bank. Created by the governors of the Bank of England and the Reichsbank in 1930, and protected by an international treaty, the BIS and its assets are legally beyond the reach of any government or jurisdiction. The bank is untouchable. Swiss authorities have no jurisdiction over the bank or its premises. The BIS has just 140 customers but made tax-free profits of 1.17 billion in 2011-2012. Since its creation, the bank has been at the heart of global events but has often gone unnoticed. Under Thomas McKittrick, the banks American president from 1940-1946, the BIS was open for business throughout the Second World War. The BIS accepted looted Nazi gold, conducted foreign exchange deals for the Reichsbank, and was used by both the Allies and the Axis powers as a secret contact point to keep the channels of international finance open. After 1945 the BIS -- still behind the scenes -- for decades provided the necessary technical and administrative support for the trans-European currency project, from the first attempts to harmonize exchange rates in the late 1940s to the launch of the Euro in 2002. It now stands at the center of efforts to build a new global financial and regulatory architecture, once again proving that it has the power to shape the financial rules of our world. Yet despite its pivotal role in the financial and political history of the last century and during the economic current crisis, the BIS has remained largely unknown -- until now. Review “Tower of Basel is essential reading. Meticulously researched and fluently written, it reveals a slice of the modern worlds untold history-a gripping tale of covert networks, secret deals and unaccountable, powerful individuals whose decisions shape our lives.”Liaquat Ahamed, author of Lords of Finance: The Bankers Who Broke the World“Adam LeBor has written an absolutely fascinating history of the BIS, perhaps the most enigmatic financial institution in the world. The story he unveils of the many skeletons in its closet and its astounding ability to remake itself periodically only add to its mystique.”Harold James, professor of history and international affairs, Princeton University, and author of Making the European Monetary Union “Compelling reading-a masterly depiction of the role of the BIS in the Nazi period and Second World War.”Booklist “Its a story of financial intrigue, secrets and lies, rumor and truth. LeBor, a business journalist (hes also the author of several thrillers), knows how to make a true story about finance as thrilling as any spy novel. A highly entertaining and informative book about the most powerful bank youve probably never heard of.”Reuters Breaking Views“[Lebor] does a creditable job in this well-researched account.” - New York Times Book Review“Its a story of financial intrigue, secrets and lies, rumor and truth. LeBor, a business journalist (hes also the author of several thrillers), knows how to make a true story about finance as thrilling as any spy novel. A highly entertaining and informative book about the most powerful bank youve probably never heard of.” - Booklist “Lebor exposes the wheeling, dealing, and often nefarious activities of global investment bankers…Lively… The historical and contemporary power of the secretive BIS will surprise and alarm readers.” - Publishers Weekly“An absorbing and thorough examination of one of the worlds most impor...

-Titulo Original : Its Better Than It Looks Reasons For Optimism In An Age Of Fear-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Is civilization teetering on the edge of a cliff? Or are we just climbing higher than ever? Most people who read the news would tell you that 2017 is one of the worst years in recent memory. Were facing a series of deeply troubling, even existential problems: fascism, terrorism, environmental collapse, racial and economic inequality, and more. Yet this narrative misses something important: by almost every meaningful measure, the modern world is better than it ever has been. In the United States, disease, crime, discrimination, and most forms of pollution are in long-term decline, while longevity and education keep rising and economic indicators are better than in any past generation. Worldwide, malnutrition and extreme poverty are at historic lows, and the risk of dying by war or violence is the lowest in human history. Its not a coincidence that were confused -- our perspectives on the world are blurred by the rise of social media, the machinations of politicians, and our own biases. Meanwhile, political reforms like the Clean Air Act and technological innovations like the hybridization of wheat have saved huge numbers of lives. In that optimistic spirit, Easterbrook offers specific policy reforms to address climate change, inequality, and other problems, and reminds us that there is real hope in conquering such challenges. In an age of discord and fear-mongering, Its Better Than It Looks will profoundly change your perspective on who we are, where were headed, and what were capable of. Review Besides providing new ammunition for optimists, Mr. Easterbrooks aim in this important book is to identify what weve been doing right and to consider what we can do about the still pressing problems we face... Mr. Easterbrook wants to make optimism intellectually respectable again, and he has done so with cogent arguments and bountiful evidence. Michael Shermer, Wall Street JournalIts Better Than It Looks makes many good arguments about inequality...Easterbrook is good on democracy and dictatorship (democracy is better at money and better at war). He is also good on climate change (the technical solutions are there, and all will be fine if society chooses reform, though that choice is surely the crux of the problem). Angus Deaton, New York Times Book ReviewEasterbrook sets out to disabuse readers of any casual pessimism and equip them with enough facts and arguments to silence dinner parties from now till kingdom come... rich in detail and observation. Philip Delves Broughton, Weekly StandardCountering the usual pessimism disseminated by the experts and rebroadcast by the if it bleeds, it leads media, Its Better Than It Looks ably defends the view that the grand sweep of history has gone from generally bad to generally good for the vast majority of the worlds populace. Whether the book surveys global food supply, infectious diseases, the natural system, the economy, violence, technology or governance, the overall outlook consistently comes up positive, according to Mr. Easterbrook. His impressive, rather objective, amply-referenced, perspicacious analysis supports his optimism. Anthony Sadar, Washington TimesTerrific...Easterbrooks core conclusions are compelling, and he writes with a journalists flair. Foreign AffairsAn argument worth considering. Kirkus ReviewsAmerica, like most of the world, has fallen prey to a false and destructive narrative: the belief that everything is getting worse. In this important and compelling book, Gregg Easterbrook sets the record straight. His refreshing analysis can restore our optimism and help heal our poisoned politics. Walter Isaacson, bestselling author of Leonardo da VinciIts Better Than It Looks is a welcome corrective to our fashionable pessimism that things are bad and getting worse, by providing a wealth of evidence that the reverse is true. Gregg Easterbrook is clear-eyed nonetheless in facing up to present challenges...

-Titulo Original : Uncaring How The Culture Of Medicine Kills Doctors And Patients-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Doctors are taught how to cure people. But they don’t always know how to care for them.Hardly anyone is happy with American healthcare these days. Patients are getting sicker and going bankrupt from medical bills. Doctors are burning out and making dangerous mistakes. Both parties blame our nation’s outdated and dysfunctional healthcare system. But that’s only part of the problem.In this important and timely book, Dr. Robert Pearl shines a light on the unseen and often toxic culture of medicine. Today’s physicians have a surprising disdain for technology, an unhealthy obsession with status, and an increasingly complicated relationship with their patients. All of this can be traced back to their earliest experiences in medical school, where doctors inherit a set of norms, beliefs, and expectations that shape almost every decision they make, with profound consequences for the rest of us.Uncaring draws an original and revealing portrait of what it’s actually like to be a doctor. It illuminates the complex and intimidating world of medicine for readers, and in the end offers a clear plan to save American healthcare. Review “No one is better qualified to write about what ails health care than Robert Pearl. Uncaring ought to trigger a rethinking of the professional culture of American medicine.” Malcolm Gladwell, author of five New York Times bestsellers“In Uncaring, Dr. Robert Pearl provides an X-ray examination of the medical profession and how it has both promoted and adversely affected American healthcare. It’s deep, insightful, and can be considered the modern version of what Francis Peabody wrote almost a century ago: ‘The secret of the care of the patient is in caring for the patient.’ We need to get that back.” Eric Topol, MD, professor at Scripps Research and author of Deep Medicine“How do so many young doctors who enter medicine filled with idealism and the desire to do good end up decades later as cynical professionals, caring about money, prestige, success-everything but the patient? Dr. Robert Pearl, in this riveting examination of the physician culture, diagnoses the pathologies in the system that too often strips the ‘caring’ out of health care. Elisabeth Rosenthal, editor in chief of Kaiser Health News and author of An American Sickness“Uncaring is a brilliant and incisive dive into physician culture, both its seamy underbelly and the moments that inspire. Pearl’s vast experience as a physician steeped in the culture, and as leader of one of the largest healthcare systems in America, allows him to write with authority, yet in a personal and engaging way, and at the end to offer solutions. The result is a wonderful and compelling read.” Abraham Verghese, MD, professor of medicine, Stanford University, and author of Cutting for Stone“Uncaring lifts the veil on the deeply conditioned culture that drives American physicians and our multi-trillion-dollar health care system. To solve our biggest challenges, we can’t ignore this elephant in the room, and Dr. Robert Pearl never flinches once. Sunlight is the best disinfectant, and Uncaring illuminates the shadows that many doctors themselves are reluctant to see.” Zubin Damania, MD, host of The ZDoggMD Show, the internet’s most popular live medical show and podcast“The history and culture of medicine has set the stage for the way our current system of care is organized and delivered. In these unprecedented times, this book offers insights into the way our system of care is both working and failing the people that it serves. Pearl spells out the case that to really understand how the health care system works you must really understand how physicians work. Through storytelling and personal reflections of a career in medical leadership with distinction, Pearl shares how physicians view their patients and themselves. This rare ‘under the covers’ view of medicine offers insights into tough issues that plague our system but also offers a path f...

-Titulo Original : The Great Depression A Diary A Diary-Fabricante : Publicaffairs-Descripcion Original: When the stock market crashed in 1929, Benjamin Roth was a young lawyer in Youngstown, Ohio. After he began to grasp the magnitude of what had happened to American economic life, he decided to set down his impressions in his diary.This collection of those entries reveals another side of the Great Depression-one lived through by ordinary, middle-class Americans, who on a daily basis grappled with a swiftly changing economy coupled with anxiety about the unknown future. Roths depiction of life in time of widespread foreclosures, a schizophrenic stock market, political unrest and mass unemployment seem to speak directly to readers today. About the Author James Ledbetter is the editor of The Big Money, Slate s website on business and economics. Daniel B. Roth, son of Benjamin Roth, is the chairman of the law firm of Roth, Blair, Roberts, Strasfeld & Lodge in Youngstown, Ohio...

-Titulo Original : First Person An Astonishingly Frank Self-portrait By Russias President-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Who is this Vladimir Putin? Who is this man who suddenly--overnight and without warning--was handed the reigns of power to one of the most complex, formidable, and volatile countries in the world? How can we trust him if we dont know him? First Person is an intimate, candid portrait of the man who holds the future of Russia in his grip. An extraordinary compilation of over 24 hours of in-depth interviews and remarkable photographs, it delves deep into Putins KGB past and explores his meteoric rise to power. No Russian leader has ever subjected himself to this kind of public examination of his life and views. Both as a spy and as a virtual political unknown until selected by Boris Yeltsin to be Prime Minister, Putin has been regarded as man of mystery. Now, the curtain lifts to reveal a remarkable life of struggles and successes. Putins life story is of major importance to the world. Review The product of six interviews conducted by Russian journalists (and translated into English by Catherine A. Fitzpatrick), First Person is a book-length Q&A session in which Russian president Vladimir Putin discusses his childhood, his life as a spy, and his surprisingly rapid rise as a politician in the 1990s. Parts of this unusual autobiography are plainly banal (he weighs 165 pounds and likes beer), but interspersed throughout are candid comments by one of the worlds most powerful men. Putin admits that he didnt know much about Stalins violent purges in the 1930s when he joined the KGB (I was a pure and utterly successful product of Soviet patriotic education). He also scolds Soviet leaders for the invasions of Hungary and Czechoslovakia during the cold war: These were major mistakes. And the Russophobia that we see in Eastern Europe today is the fruit of those mistakes. At another point, he expresses frustration with some of the things critics have said about him: Why have they made up so much about me? Its complete nonsense! On the war in Chechnya, he is predictably defensive: I was convinced that if we didnt stop the extremists right away, wed be facing a second Yugoslavia on the entire territory of the Russian Federation--the Yugoslavization of Russia.... We are not attacking. We are defending ourselves. Theres also an interview with his wife, who, when asked if her husband ever gets drunk, responds: There hasnt been any of that. (After Yeltsin, this is apparently of concern to Russians.) The interviewers also ask her whether he ever looks at other women. She replies with a question of her own, intriguingly: Well, what sort of man would he be, if he werent attracted by beautiful women? But Putin is, appropriately, the main show. Readers interested in Russian politics will want to review the final pages closely, as the president discourses on contemporary topics. Confronted with tough questions about Russias treatment of a journalist who filed negative stories about Chechnya, Putin says, We interpret freedom of expression in different ways. Thats a KGB man talking--and yet another reason Putin is worth watching. --John J. Miller From Publishers Weekly Prior to his sudden rise to the Russian presidency, Putin was virtually a mystery; this transcript of recent interviews goes a long way toward filling the blanks in his past. In eight chapters of q&a, punctuated with anecdotes from friends and family members, Putin recounts his boyhood in St. Petersburg (then Leningrad), the three years he spent as a KGB intelligence officer in Dresden, his return to the collapsed USSR and decision to enter politics and, finally, the day Boris Yeltsin asked him to take up the Kremlin reins. In Russia, this slim volume surfaced quickly during the brief interim between Yeltsins resignation and the March elections. But rather than focusing on his political views and ideology, the interviewers devote the bulk of the text to Putins biography--an indication of just how unknown...

-Titulo Original : Be Safe, Love Mom A Military Moms Stories Of Courage, Comfort, And Surviving Life On The Home Front-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: This essential guide for all military families provides helpful advice and reassurance on topics ranging from boot camp, to deployment, to PTSD, from a former Army brat turned mother of four military kids. When you enlist in the United States military, you dont just sign up for duty; you also commit your loved ones to lives of service all their own. No one knows this better than Elaine Brye, an Army brat turned military wife and the mother of four officers-one each in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. For more than a decade shes endured countless teary goodbyes, empty chairs at Thanksgiving dinners, and sleepless hours waiting for phone calls in the night. Shes navigated the complicated tangle of emotions that are part and parcel of life as a military mother.Be Safe, Love Mom braids together Elaines own personal experiences with those of fellow parents shes met along the way. She offers gentle guidance and hard-earned wisdom on topics ranging from that first anxious goodbye to surrendering all control of your child, from finding comfort in the support of the military community and the healing power of faith to coping with the enormous sacrifices life as a military mother requires. With hard-to-come-by information and encouragement that is like advice from a wise and trusted friend, Be Safe, Love Mom is an essential handbook to membership in a strong and special sisterhood. About the Author Elaine Lowry Brye, an avid supporter of and advocate for military families, served as a longtime moderator for the USNA-Parents listserv and was one of the founding organizers of its parent community website and page. She became a national figure when she introduced Michelle Obama at the 2012 Democratic Convention. She lives with her husband in northeast Ohio. Nan Gatewood Satter, a writer and independent book editor, is the daughter of a highly decorated Navy fighter pilot. She lives with her husband and son in New Yorks Hudson Valley...

-Titulo Original : Hero Of Two Worlds The Marquis De Lafayette In The Age Of Revolution-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: From the bestselling author of The Storm Before the Storm and host of the Revolutions podcast comes the thrilling story of the Marquis de Lafayette’s lifelong quest to defend the principles of liberty and equalityA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERA #1 ABA INDEPENDENT BOOKSTORE BESTSELLER Few in history can match the revolutionary career of the Marquis de Lafayette. Over fifty incredible years at the heart of the Age of Revolution, he fought courageously on both sides of the Atlantic. He was a soldier, statesman, idealist, philanthropist, and abolitionist. As a teenager, Lafayette ran away from France to join the American Revolution. Returning home a national hero, he helped launch the French Revolution, eventually spending five years locked in dungeon prisons. After his release, Lafayette sparred with Napoleon, joined an underground conspiracy to overthrow King Louis XVIII, and became an international symbol of liberty. Finally, as a revered elder statesman, he was instrumental in the overthrow of the Bourbon Dynasty in the Revolution of 1830. From enthusiastic youth to world-weary old age, from the pinnacle of glory to the depths of despair, Lafayette never stopped fighting for the rights of all mankind. His remarkable life is the story of where we come from, and an inspiration to defend the ideals he held dear. Review “My favorite history book I’ve read this year so far! Jeff Glor, CBS This Morning: Saturday“Pleasingly informal….Duncan’s biography is written in a loose, colloquial style that sometimes startles with its informality but more often delights with its directness.” Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker“Mr. Duncan’s ‘Hero of Two Worlds’ offers, in readable prose, much informative description alongside measured interpretation. The author’s sympathetic yet balanced and sensible rendering, some may think, mirrors Lafayette’s eventful life in a revolutionary age.” The Wall Street Journal“[I]n an age of self-indulgent polemics, deranged conspiracy theories, and pervasive disinformation, to listen to Duncan while washing dishes or folding laundry is to believe that facts are knowable, that historical events of immense complexity can be made legible, and-to attempt to answer the question with which I started this review-that history is made neither by singular individuals nor by social forces, but by the idiosyncratic interplay of decisions within well-placed vanguard classes….This is the kind of detail-oriented storytelling that Duncan excels at.” The New Republic“An immensely compelling biography of Lafayette and a disquisition on the limits of bourgeois liberalism.” Jamelle Bouie, The New York Times“Mike Duncan has dug deep into the world of revolutions, and the richness of detail in this book is beguiling. But Mike’s superpower is his storytelling skill. Hero Of Two Worlds hooks you from page one with humor, a sly perspective and a page turning narrative drive worthy of a life like Lafayette’s.” Rian Johnson, award-winning filmmaker“Duncan displays impressive skill in keeping his Lafayette an admirable figure…. An outstanding account of an almost impossibly eventful life.” Kirkus Reviews, starred“Engrossing… Duncan effectively balances Lafayette the man with Lafayette the public figure and helps delineate the relationship between the United States and France….His impressive biography provides an insightful look at the American Revolution that can be appreciated by history lovers and general readers alike.” BookPageMike Duncan’s excellent, well-researched book portrays Lafayette’s extraordinary life as a fascinating, transatlantic drama with three great revolutions and transitional interludes that carry the reader through seven explosive decades of historical change. The hero of this drama plays starring public roles in the American Revolution and the French Revolutions of 1789 and 1830. But Duncan weaves the people, conflicts, and legacies of these vast public events into stories about a persona...

-Titulo Original : Queen Victorias Matchmaking The Royal Marriages That Shaped Europe-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: Review Wonderfully compelling and packed with new material - a gripping story beautifully told. Jane RidleyIn this enjoyable story for fans of royal machinations, Cadbury ably shows not just the successes, but also the damage inflicted by Victorias single-mindedness. An instructive European history that effectively shows the influence of [Victorias] matchmaking on the remarkable rise of the royal dynasty. Kirkus Reviews[An] absorbing book... The fall of the Romanovs occupies the superb last pages of Cadburys book... Dynastic mergers, we may deduce from Deborah Cadburys account, offer no defence against the whims of history. This catastrophe-laced slice of royal history offers a ripping read. Miranda Seymour, The ObserverEngrossing...Cadbury engagingly presents [Queen Victoria] as a mesmerising Mrs Bennet, summoning her children and then her grandchildren to Balmoral. ..The stories of [Queen Victorias] descendants are mesmerising and often stranger than fiction...From the pen of a writer of skill and style, this surprising narrative leaves you wanting more. Paula Byrne, The TimesCadburys account of Victorias attempts to bend her unruly grandchildren to her matrimonial will is the stuff of melodrama...covered with verve and insight by Deborah Cadbury in her new history. Daisy Goodwin, The Sunday TimesDeborah Cadbury is an adroit story teller. Her lively colourfully written book...begins in the 1880s and ends in the toppling thrones of the First World War, a panoramic family saga, its players by turns pragmatic and romantic, wilful, dutiful, misguided and, occasionally tragic Matthew Dennison, The Daily TelegraphA rich history of Queen Victorias canny use of political power. BookpageMs. Cadbury stresses the human element of her story, not least the wayward personalities and unforeseen family rivalries that thwarted Victorias designs as a monarch and matriarch... Many vivid pen portraits. William Anthony Hay, Wall Street JournalFantastic...In lively and page-turning prose, author Deborah Chocolate Wars Cadbury confirms her place as a leading historian of Britain as she pulls Queen Victoria out of caricature and into our hearts. Randy Dotinga, Christian Science MonitorQueen Victorias Matchmaking is a look at royalty when it still had a somewhat mystical aura-these people who were both the state and their own particular selves-and a fascinating angle on a time of ferment, when the wheels were finally, permanently coming off this way of running nations...Forget The Crown-what I really want is a Netflix show based on all these royal grandchildren. Kelly Faircloth, Pictorial About the Author Deborah Cadbury is the author of eight acclaimed books, including Chocolate Wars; The Dinosaur Hunters; The Lost King of France; Seven Wonders of the Industrial World, for which her accompanying BBC series received a BAFTA nomination; and Princes at War. As a BBC TV producer and executive producer, she has won numerous international awards, including an Emmy. She lives in London...

-Titulo Original : The Cadaver King And The Country Dentist A True Story Of Injustice In The American South-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: A shocking and deeply reported account of the persistent plague of institutional racism and junk forensic science in our criminal justice system, and its devastating effect on innocent lives After two three-year-old girls were raped and murdered in rural Mississippi, law enforcement pursued and convicted two innocent men: Kennedy Brewer and Levon Brooks. Together they spent a combined thirty years in prison before finally being exonerated in 2008. Meanwhile, the real killer remained free.The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist recounts the story of how the criminal justice system allowed this to happen, and of how two men, Dr. Steven Hayne and Dr. Michael West, built successful careers on the back of that structure. For nearly two decades, Hayne, a medical examiner, performed the vast majority of Mississippis autopsies, while his friend Dr. West, a local dentist, pitched himself as a forensic jack-of-all-trades. Together they became the go-to experts for prosecutors and helped put countless Mississippians in prison. But then some of those convictions began to fall apart. Here, Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington tell the haunting story of how the courts and Mississippis death investigation system -- a relic of the Jim Crow era -- failed to deliver justice for its citizens. The authors argue that bad forensics, structural racism, and institutional failures are at fault, raising sobering questions about our ability and willingness to address these crucial issues. Review Of all the tragedy documented in this book, surely the most pernicious is the unacknowledged progression of discriminatory policies in the American criminal justice system. The black men at the storys center were not snatched out of a Mississippi jail and lynched. They were falsely imprisoned. They were haunted by state efforts to execute them for three decades. This is a powerful and instructive story, masterfully told by Balko and Carrington. IbramX. Kendi, National Book Award-winning author of Stamped from theBeginning: The Definitive History of Racist Ideas in AmericaThe Cadaver King and the Country Dentist paints a devastating picture of Mississippis ongoing systemic abuse of junk evidence by medical examiners and highlights the myriad ways the current legal and political systems reward certain and speedy convictions. This carefully constructed and highly-readable account also reveals the ways in which catastrophic and almost comic expert errors can lead to hasty conclusions, ruined lives, and may take years to correct, if they are corrected at all. DahliaLithwick, Senior Editor, SlateIf, like most Americans, you think that our legal system protects innocent people from being falsely convicted, be prepared to have your faith shattered. In horrifying detail, Radley Balko and Tucker Carrington show how structural racism, junk science, overzealous prosecutors, compliant judges, and a bloodthirsty press conspired to wreck lives and convict the innocent. Grounded in Mississippi courtrooms, but with national implications, this bookwill leave you outraged and hungry for change. JamesForman, Jr., Professor, Yale Law School and author of Locking Up OurOwn: Crime and Punishment in Black AmericaA haunting true-crime tale of systemic incompetence and racism...Balko and Carrington have written a cry for help. The New York TimesA superb work of investigative reporting....Balko and Carrington combine expertise, industry and outrage into a searing narrative. Wall Street Journal A horrifying expose of how a few individuals can infect an entire states criminal justice system. Kirkus Reviews, *Starred Review*A clear and shocking portrait of the structural failings of the U.S. criminal justice system... This eminently readable book builds a hard-to-ignore case for comprehensive criminal justice reform. Publishers Weekly, *Starred Review*Through the intensive scrutiny of how the men were speedily tried, convicted, and then ...

-Titulo Original : Moscow Rules-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: From the spymaster and inspiration for the movie Argo, discover the real-life spy thriller of the brilliant but under-supported CIA operatives who developed breakthrough spy tactics that helped turn the tide of the Cold War (Malcolm Nance).Antonio Mendez and his future wife Jonna were CIA operatives working to spy on Moscow in the late 1970s, at one of the most dangerous moments in the Cold War. Soviets kept files on all foreigners, studied their patterns, and tapped their phones. Intelligence work was effectively impossible. The Soviet threat loomed larger than ever.The Moscow Rules tells the story of the intelligence breakthroughs that turned the odds in Americas favor. As experts in disguise, Antonio and Jonna were instrumental in developing a series of tactics -- Hollywood-inspired identity swaps, ingenious evasion techniques, and an armory of James Bond-style gadgets -- that allowed CIA officers to outmaneuver the KGB.As Russia again rises in opposition to America, this remarkable story is a tribute to those who risked everything for their country, and to the ingenuity that allowed them to succeed. Review An insiders look at CIA operations in Moscow, the most challenging operational city in the world, revealing the tradecraft precepts used to keep priceless assets productive against overwhelming KGB surveillance. Written by two of the people who created these breakthrough tactics, The Moscow Rules takes you every step of the way on the snowy streets of Moscow. Jason Matthews, New York Times-bestselling author of the Red Sparrow trilogyIf there was ever a single book which could sum up the dangers, heroism, inventiveness and intrepidity of the intelligence officers of the CIA it is The Moscow Rules. This final homage to one of the nations bravest patriots will be an instant bestseller. It is the real-life spy thriller one cant put down. Malcolm Nance, New York Times bestselling author of The Plot to Destroy DemocracyEven inside the CIA, very few know the whole story of how the highest-level CIA tradecraft was developed for use in Moscow. The legendary Tony and Jonna Mendez were a vital part of creating that tradecraft, and their riveting insider account is unlike any spy story thats ever been published. Joe Weisberg, creator/executive producer, The AmericansA gripping read. Thanks to Tony Mendezs extraordinary talent, the CIA was able to elude KGB surveillance to carry out high-risk, high-payoff operations with impunity-until tripped up by traitors within our own ranks. Its all in this book-the good, the bad, and the ugly, unflinchingly revealed. Tony and his wife and coauthor, Jonna, were two of the stars from the Office of Technical Service, CIAs version of James Bonds Q, and key to so many of the agencys successes-and nowhere more so than in Moscow during the Cold War. Jack Downing, former chief of station, Moscow, and the CIAs former deputy director for operationsIntriguing true stories of the techniques of CIA spying on the dangerous front line of the Cold War. Dame Stella Rimington, former director of MI5A gripping, interesting and relevant read... reads like a spy novel yet tells a true tale of the darkest days of the espionage war largely fought between the CIA and the KGB. Cipher Brief About the Author Antonio (Tony) Mendez served in the CIA for twenty-five years and is a highly decorated CIA officer, one of the top fifty officers in its first fifty years. He received the Intelligence Star for Valor for the ARGO operation, the story of which was told in the 2013 movie of the same name. He is the author of the New York Times bestselling Argo, The Master of Disguise, and Spy Dust.Jonna Mendez is a former Chief of Disguise with over twenty-five years of experience as a CIA officer working in Moscow and other sensitive areas. She participated in a number of training exercises, along with Tony, which ultimately led to the codification of the rule...

-Titulo Original : You Dont Belong Here How Three Women Rewrote The Story Of War-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: The long buried story of three extraordinary female journalists who permanently shattered the official and cultural barriers to women covering war. Kate Webb, an Australian iconoclast, Catherine Leroy, a French dare devil photographer, and Frances FitzGerald, a blue-blood American intellectual, arrived in Vietnam with starkly different life experiences but one shared purpose: to report on the most consequential story of the decade. At a time when women were considered unfit to be foreign reporters, Frankie, Catherine and Kate paid their own way to war, arrived without jobs, challenged the rules imposed on them by the military, ignored the belittlement and resentment of their male peers and found new ways to explain the war through the people who lived through it. In You Dont Belong Here, Elizabeth Becker uses these womens work and lives to illuminate the Vietnam War from the 1965 American buildup, through the Tet Offensive, the expansion into Cambodia, the American defeat and its aftermath. Arriving herself in the last years of the war, Elizabeth writes as an historian and a witness to what these women accomplished.What emerges is an unforgettable story of three journalists forging their place in a land of men, often at great personal sacrifice, and forever altering the craft of war reportage for generations. Deeply reported and filled with personal letters, interviews, and profound insight, You Dont Belong Here fills a void in the history of women and of war. Review “Becker not only shines a light on the contributions of those correspondents - along with the risks they took to show and tell the raw truths of the war as they saw it - but provides a valuable depth of cultural and historical insight into the conflict…There is a fourth woman who rewrote the story of war, and that is of course Elizabeth Becker, who with a depth of research and an abundance of grace gives fresh insight into the background and achievements of three extraordinary war correspondents - and the price they paid for the intensity of their work…“You Don’t Belong Here” is deserving of a wide readership. My guess is that every young woman filled with journalistic ambition will have a copy in her backpack, perhaps as she ventures into a war zone with her laptop, her satellite phone and a sustaining dose of idealism.” Washington Post“With controlled anger, in a riveting narrative… Becker conveys the particular sacrifices that these three women had to make: the indignities, the psychological cost, the elusiveness of stable relationships and children. Still, it’s exhilarating to read Becker’s account of how these women overcame the narrow definitions of their early lives and found themselves by surrendering to the extreme demands of reporting a war.” The Atlantic“Compelling… Becker’s book does an excellent job of bringing back what my colleague in Bosnia, the New York Times reporter John F. Burns, once nostalgically called ‘that time, that place, of war.’ She writes beautifully of the heartache the women suffer, their struggles to be taken seriously, the guffaws, the catcalls, the daily small humiliations that amounted to the French photographer’s fierce indictment: You don’t belong here.” Janine di Giovanni, Foreign Policy“A prize-worthy page-turner of tension, suspense and drama. The tone of the book intensifies with each chapter…Becker never loses sight of her goal to illuminate these women in the larger context of America’s biggest foreign policy disaster of the 20th century.” Mike Tharp, Asia Times“An incisive history of the Vietnam War via the groundbreaking accomplishments of three remarkable women journalists…. A deft, richly illuminating perspective on the Vietnam War.” Kirkus Reviews“An absorbing narrative… Included are gripping stories of Webbs and Beckers coverage of Cambodias bloody killing fields, and Webbs three-week imprisonment by the North Vietnamese… Readers interested in the Vietnam War and in wome...

-Titulo Original : Voices From The Grave Two Mens War In Ireland-Fabricante : PublicAffairs-Descripcion Original: A candid and brutal account of murder, abduction, and violence during the Troubles in Northern Ireland-from two men on opposite sides of the conflict. After the long war in Ireland came to an end, very few paramilitary leaders on either side spoke openly about their role in that bloody conflict, but in Voices from the Grave, two leading figures from opposing sides reveal their involvement in bombings, shootings and killings on one condition: that their stories were kept secret until after their deaths. In extensive interviews given to researchers from Boston College, Brendan Hughes and David Ervine spoke with astonishing openness about their turbulent, violent lives. Hughes was a legend in the Republican movement. An operator, a gun-runner and mastermind of some of the most savage IRA violence of the Troubles, he was a friend and close ally of Gerry Adams and was by his side during the most brutal years of the conflict. David Ervine was the most substantial political figure to emerge from the world of Loyalist paramilitaries. A former Ulster Volunteer Force bomber and confidante of its long-time leader Gusty Spence, Ervine helped steer Loyalisms gunmen towards peace, persuading the UVFs leaders to target IRA and Sinn Fein activists and push them down the road to a ceasefire. Now their stories have been woven into a vivid narrative which provides compelling insight into a secret world and events long hidden from history. Review The first and more gripping half of this fascinating, important book by Ed Moloney recreates Hughess IRA career through his later reflections on it. Irish TimesThis candid analysis of the Troubles in Northern Ireland, as seen through the eyes of two men of violence, is full of revelations ... The memories of both men are vivid, gossipy and informed by an intense moral passion. Daily Express[A] moving new book, which traces the conflict from [Hughes and Erskines] often diametrically opposed perspectives ... Moloneys book expertly interweaves the two mens recollections with a detailed narrative of the conflict. TelegraphHow do you document the history of a conflict in which illegal organisations are among the central players? Voices from the Grave, by the veteran Northern Ireland correspondent Ed Moloney, is an intriguing attempt to answer that question. Open Democracy About the Author Ed Moloney is the author of A Secret History of the IRA and a former Northern Ireland editor of the Irish Times and Sunday Tribune. He lives in New York...