Self-Improvement

One of our nation’s most prominent writers finds the truth about how to live a long and happy life in the centenarian next door. When a veteran Washington journalist moved to Kansas, he met a new neighbor who was more than a century old. Little did he know that he was beginning a long friendship—and a profound lesson in the meaning of life. Charlie White was no ordinary neighbor. Born before radio, Charlie lived long enough to use a smartphone. When a shocking tragedy interrupted his idyllic boyhood, Charlie mastered survival strategies that reflect thousands of years of human wisdom. Thus armored, Charlie’s sense of adventure carried him on an epic journey across the continent, and later found him swinging across bandstands of the Jazz Age, racing aboard ambulances through Depression-era gangster wars, improvising techniques for early open-heart surgery, and cruising the Amazon as a guest of Peru’s president. David Von Drehle came to understand that Charlie’s resilience and willingness to grow made this remarkable neighbor a master in the art of thriving through times of dramatic change. As a gift to his children, he set out to tell Charlie’s secrets. The Book of Charlie is a gospel of grit—the inspiring story of one man’s journey through a century of upheaval. The history that unfolds through Charlie’s story reminds you that the United States has always been a divided nation, a questing nation, an inventive nation—a nation of Charlies in the rollercoaster pursuit of a good and meaningful life.

The lifestyle creator, advice expert, and host of the It’s Me, Tinx podcast shares her hilarious and (sometimes brutally) honest wisdom on how to shift your approach to life, step into your confidence, and enjoy the journey. It’s time to get laser focused on what makes us feel happy and fulfilled. Lifestyle creator, advice expert, and podcast host Tinx wants to take your hand and guide you to a new way of thinking about life, love, happiness, and friendships—where dating evolves into era of self-discovery and not just a means to an end, sharing wisdom becomes a collective power, and chaos turns into a source of creativity. Making small but mighty shifts in thinking can be a tool for personal growth that fuels you instead of fatigues you. The point is to know yourself, discover what you fulfills you, and have fun along the way. In The Shift, Tinx collects all her revolutionary theories and hilarious personal anecdotes in one place, presenting you with a guide to simple mindset shifts that will completely change the way you approach decision making and relationships. Through her own stories, from the good to the bad, Tinx will help you better understand how to step into your power and own self-worth. Some say you cannot love another before you learn to love yourself: Tinx will teach you how to do both at the same time. And she’ll do it while making you laugh out loud. With her signature wit and candor, Tinx will teach you: -How to change your scarcity mindset -How to understand and employ her famous Box Theory dating concept -How to feed the things that fulfill you -How living well is the best revenge -How therapy can reframe struggles into strengths -How to break up with dignity -How knowing your worth makes you a better friend and partner

In Opening to Forgiveness, an audio course from Scribd Coach, director of mindfulness education at UCLA’s Mindful Awareness Research Center Diana Winston gives an activity-based deep dive into the subject of mindfulness and forgiveness, offering a theoretical basis for the nature of forgiveness as well as exercises to help you practice living in the present moment. These exercises build from presence, to greater wellbeing, to practices specifically about forgiveness. In the course, Winston offers an explanation of the concept of forgiveness and how you can open yourself up to it; discusses the basics of mindfulness needed to get the most out of the course (and mindfulness generally); shares an extensive forgiveness practice for meditation; and more, including a number of active mindfulness practices. Unique and comprehensive, Opening to Forgiveness is a valuable opportunity to learn mindfulness from one of its most acclaimed researchers.

In Positive Motivation, an audio course from Scribd Coach, Clinical and Coaching Psychologist and Positivity Institute founder Suzy Green discusses the topic of motivation. Using the principles of positive psychology — the science of optimal human functioning — and Dr. Green explores how you can create a flourishing life marked by increased levels of positivity and reduced levels of distress. In the course, Green outlines her original “6M” model for well-being and peak performance, explaining each of the “Ms” — Mood, Motivation, Might, Meaning, Mindfulness, and Mindset. She also advises on journal exercises, fieldwork exercises, and coaching opportunities so you can begin putting what you’ve learned into practice right away. Whether you’re just dipping your toes into positive psychology or you’re a frequent reader in the discipline, Dr. Suzy Green’s original, comprehensive framework for positive psychology and motivation is bound to provide you with new insights… and step up your daily sense of wellness.

A groundbreaking guide to breaking free from the thoughts, habits, jobs, relationships, and even business models that prevent us from achieving our full potential. Almost everyone feels stuck in some way. Whether you’re muddling through a midlife crisis, wrestling writer’s block, trapped in a thankless job, or trying to remedy a fraying friendship, the resulting emotion is usually a mix of anxiety, uncertainty, fear, anger, and numbness. But it doesn’t have to be this way. Anatomy of a Breakthrough is the roadmap we all need to escape our inertia and flourish in the face of friction. Adam Alter has spent the past two decades studying how people become stuck and how they free themselves to thrive. Here he reveals the formula he and other researchers have uncovered. The solution rests on a process that he calls a friction audit—a systematic procedure that uncovers why a person or organization is stuck, and then suggests a path to progress. The friction audit states that people and organizations get unstuck when they overcome three sources of friction: HEART (unhelpful emotions); HEAD (unhelpful patterns of thought); and HABIT (unhelpful behaviors). Despite the ubiquity of friction, there are many great “unstickers” hidden in plain sight among us and Alter shines a light on some exceptional stories to share their valuable lessons with us. He tells us about the sub-elite swimmer who unstuck himself twice to win two Olympic gold medals, the actor who faced countless rejections before gaining worldwide fame, the renowned painter who became paralyzed and had to relearn to paint with a brush strapped to his wrist, and Alter’s own story of getting unstuck from a college degree that made him deeply unhappy. Artfully weaving together scientific studies, anecdotes, and interviews, Alter teaches us that getting stuck is a feature rather than a glitch on the road to thriving, but with the right tweaks and corrections we can reach even our loftiest targets.

A dazzling tour through 2,000 years of audacious utopian thinking and experiments, exploring better ways to arrange our daily lives, plus a globetrotting jaunt to the communities already putting these seemingly fanciful visions into practice today. In the 6th century BCE, the Greek philosopher Pythagoras—a man remembered today more for his theorem about right-angled triangles than for his progressive politics—founded a commune in a seaside village in what’s now southern Italy. The men and women there shared their property, lived as equals, and dedicated themselves to the study of mathematics and the mysteries of the universe. Ever since, humans have been dreaming up better ways to organize how we live together, share our property, raise our children, and determine who’s part of our families. Some of these experiments burned brightly for only a brief while—but others carry on today. In Everyday Utopia, fascinatingly feminist thinker Kristen R. Ghodsee whisks you away on a tour through history and around the world to explore those places that have boldly dared to reimagine how we might live our daily lives: from the Danish cohousing communities that share chores and deepen neighborly bonds to matriarchal Colombian ecovillages where residents grow all their own food; and from Connecticut, where new laws make it easier for extra “alloparents” to help raise children not their own, to China, where planned microdistricts ensure everything a busy household might need is nearby. One of those startlingly rare books that upends what you think is possible, Everyday Utopia offers a radically hopeful vision for how to build more contented and connected societies, alongside a practical guide to what we all can do in the meantime to live the good life each and every day.

The Michael Chernow Master Course compiles three Scribd Coach audio courses from entrepreneur, branding expert, and Meatball Shop co-founder Michael Chernow all about the world of entrepreneurship. First, in Own Your Morning, Own Your Life, Chernow explains how you can use your morning routine as a jumping off point for a more successful, effective day-to-day life as an entrepreneur. Then, in The Makin’ Moves Mindset, Chernow discusses how to get in the mindset of an entrepreneur to maximize success. Finally, in The Power of the Pause, Chernow talks all about communication, and how you can use upleveled communication techniques to enhance your business and personal lives. Three comprehensive courses from one of the world’s most visible entrepreneurs. Jump in and learn from the best!

Practice Gratitude Daily "Exquisitely reconnects us to the wonder and satisfaction which can be found in our daily lives." ―Judy Ford, author of Wonderful Ways to Love a Child #1 Best Seller in Marriage & Family In a series of brief, evocative, motivational gratitude essays, international executive coach M.J. Ryan teaches us how to unlock the fullness of life through the simple joy of living from a grateful heart. Discover amazing gratitude benefits. Gratitude is a simple, profound practice that can change your life. Research has confirmed its many emotional and physical benefits. Taking the time to notice and reflect upon good things opens our hearts, creates happiness, and restores us to a natural place where we notice what's right instead of wrong. Find happiness and joy with positive thinking. When you find ways to be grateful every day, you experience more joy in life. Author and personal success mentor M. J. Ryan writes, "Gratitude births only positive feelings—love, compassion, joy, and hope. As we focus on what we are thankful for, fear, anger, and bitterness simply melt away, seemingly without effort." Her book Attitudes of Gratitude teaches you how to reach this positive place. Inside find: Essays on a variety of topics that are perfect for gratitude meditation Encouragement to begin practicing, commit to, and celebrate gratitude A variety of ways to practice gratitude in your own life Readers of inspirational books and personal growth books like The Little Book of Gratitude, Good Days Start With Gratitude, The Book of Joy, The Gratitude Diaries, or The Happiness Project will love Attitudes of Gratitude.

In The Power of the Pause, entrepreneur, branding expert, and Meatball Shop founder Michael Chernow discusses the importance of effective communication, both in a business context and in your personal life. In the course, Chernow draws on his business experience to establish the importance of first impressions and explore how to make a great first connection; explains the importance of words and how to use them more intentionally to inspire those around you; discusses how you can use the Power of the Pause to move from reacting in important conversations to responding in them; and outlines how to overcome the trap of resentment. Practical, original, and insightful, The Power of the Pause is an essential primer on communication from one of the world’s foremost experts in entrepreneurship.

There is a force in our everyday lives that we aren't even aware of—and it's so powerful it threatens to derail otherwise promising careers and lives: microstress. It's the hidden epidemic of small moments of anxiety that infiltrate both our work and personal lives. Because each individual microstress is so small, it doesn't trigger the normal stress response in our brains to help us deal with it. Instead, the microstress just embeds in our minds, accumulating along with scores of other microstresses, day-to-day and week-to-week. The long-term effect is devastating: microstress invisibly weighs us down, damages our physical and emotional health, and contributes to a decline in our overall well-being. The good news is that once you learn about microstress, you can fight back. Drawing on fresh research, Rob Cross and Karen Dillon will teach you how to recognize and manage the most common forms of microstress, and even remove some from your life. Compelling interviews with high achievers who've endured their share of microstress bring to life best practices that show you how to build resilience against microstress, and ultimately how to find purpose in your everyday life, using it as an antidote to your own microstress.

In The Makin’ Moves Mindset, entrepreneur, branding expert, and Meatball Shop co-founder Michael Chernow draws on his business background to help you adjust your mindset to put you on course for success, using the core elements of the Makin’ Moves Mindset: commitment, planning, and doing. In the course, Chernow explains each step of his Makin’ Moves Mindset system, and also shares exercises along the way so you can begin putting what you’ve learned into practice immediately. The Makin’ Moves Mindset, one of three Scribd Coach courses with Michael Chernow, is overflowing with practical advice from one of the world’s most visible experts in entrepreneurship.

In Own Your Morning, Own Your Life, entrepreneur, branding expert, and Meatball Shop founder Michael Chernow dives deep into morning routines — the first decision we make each day, to take action toward our goals or take the easy way out. Drawing from the business experience built on his routine, Chernow’s course offers guidance on structuring your mind for an effective morning routine, preparing to get your body on the same page as your mind, setting up your surroundings for maximum productivity, and more. He also shares exercises along the way so you can begin putting what you’ve learned into practice immediately. Own Your Morning, Own Your Life, one of three Scribd Coach courses with Michael Chernow, is overflowing with practical advice from one of the world’s foremost experts in entrepreneurship.

In Kickstart Your Body Image, an audio course from Scribd Coach, intuitive eating coach Tessie Tracy explores the topic of negative body image. Unrealistic standards and expectations we pick up from society and in our upbringing can trigger lifelong insecurities about our looks; in Kickstart Your Body Image, Tracy argues that these expectations and the mindsets they foster are the “problem” — not us, or our bodies — and offers practical advice for taking back your power and developing a healthier body image. In the course, intended as a jumping-off point for deeper body image work, Tracy discusses her three-step process for confronting negative body image: Noticing negative body image thoughts, interrupting them, and building a more positive image. She also shares exercises along the way so you can begin putting what you’ve learned into practice immediately. Kickstart Your Body Image is crucial reading for fans of fitness and personal growth — insightful, empathetic, boldly original, and rooted in the principles of intuitive eating, Tracy’s is a much-needed voice in the world of diet and nutrition.

Peace is always possible, even in the midst of a storm. By sharing a meditation for each day of the year, author Karen Casey speaks to the common experience, shared struggles, and unique strengths of those who seek support and spiritual growth in recovery. Featuring daily inspirational quotes about finding peace and honoring love, this positive thinking book offers the perfect touchstone at this crucial time in history—a time when millions are seeking quiet moments and mindful meditation. Today can open the door to a new way of living. Love can be a powerful influence in our lives. It’s the total absence of judgment. It’s pure acceptance. It is the inner voice reminding us that all is well and God is present, right here and right now. The overwhelming peace we feel is all the evidence we need of God’s constancy. The expression of love quiets our minds and we are flooded with inner peace. How much gentler our lives would be if we dispensed with all expressions but love. But we don’t live in a world that truly values peace. What if we can turn away from constant judgment and offer love instead, in every situation? If you’re looking for inspirational books, mindful gifts, quotes about thinking positive, or mindfulness books for adults—or enjoyed books like A Year of Positive Thinking and 5-Minute Daily Meditations—then you’ll love Each Day a Renewed Beginning.

*A "Next Big Idea Club" Must-Read Book for January* *AS HEARD ON ARMCHAIR EXPERT WITH DAX SHEPARD* Rediscover your ability to pay attention with this groundbreaking new approach from "the definitive expert on distraction and multitasking" (Cal Newport). We spend an average of just 47 seconds on any screen before shifting our attention. It takes 25 minutes to bring our attention back to a task after an interruption. And we interrupt ourselves more than we're interrupted by others. In Attention Span, psychologist Gloria Mark reveals these and more surprising results from her decades of research into how technology affects our attention. She shows how much of what we think we know is wrong, including insights such as: Why multitasking hurts rather than helps productivity How social media and modern entertainment amplify our short attention spans What drains our mental resources and how to refuel them The four types of attention that we experience every day and how to recognize themWhile the concept of “flow” has previously been considered the ideal state of focus, Dr. Mark offers a new framework to help explain how our brains function in the digital world: kinetic attention. This book reveals how we can take control, not only to find more success in our careers, but also to find health and wellness in our everyday lives. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.

In Why We Sit, an audio course from Scribd Coach, One Blade of Grass author and mindfulness teacher Henry Shukman discusses the fundamentals of sitting — meaning the practice of meditation and its benefits. From an evidence-based, scientific perspective grounded in an understanding of the nervous system, Shukman discusses the relationship between our thoughts and our nervous system; the “three fruits of practice”: present moment awareness, Kensho, and learning to live with the Kensho experience; the four kinds of meditation practitioners; different methods of practice for meditation; and more. He also shares exercises so you can put what you’ve learned into practice immediately. Whether you're a newcomer curious about meditation or a mindfulness veteran seeking an evidence-based examination of meditation, you’ll find valuable new insights in Why We Sit.

From Hadley Freeman, bestselling author of House of Glass, comes a searing memoir about her experience as an anorexic and her journey to recovery. In 1995, Hadley Freeman wrote in her diary: “I just spent three years of my life in mental hospitals. So why am I crazier than I was before????” From the ages of fourteen to seventeen, Freeman lived in psychiatric wards after developing anorexia nervosa. Her doctors informed her that her body was cannibalizing her muscles and heart for nutrition, but they could tell her little else: why she had it, what it felt like, what recovery looked like. For the next twenty years, Freeman lived as a “functioning anorexic,” grappling with new forms of self-destructive behavior as the anorexia mutated and persisted. Anorexia is one of the most widely discussed but least understood mental illnesses. In a brilliant narrative that combines personal experience with deep reporting, Freeman delivers an incisive and bracing work that details her experiences with anorexia—the shame, fear, loneliness and rage—and how she overcame it. She interviews doctors to learn how treatment for the illness has changed since she was hospitalized and what new discoveries have been made about the illness, including its connection to autism, OCD, and metabolic rate. She learns why the illness always begins during adolescence and how this reveals the difficulties for girls to come of age. Freeman tracks down the women with whom she was hospitalized and reports on how their recovery has progressed over decades. Good Girls is an honest and hopeful story of resilience that offers a message to the nearly 30 million Americans who suffer from eating disorders: Life can be enjoyed, rather than merely endured.

Mauricio Umansky, real estate mogul, longtime fan favorite of The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills, and star of his own Netflix series Buying Beverly Hills inspires budding entrepreneurs and self-starters of all backgrounds with tips and strategies to find success at work and at home. After more than twenty years in the cutthroat real estate business, Mauricio Umansky has seen and heard it all. Now, he’s ready to share everything he’s learned throughout the highs and lows of his illustrious career in this part memoir, part leadership manifesto. From the challenges of his childhood to outgrowing his father’s textile company and falling out with his brother-in-law Rick Hilton, while also raising a family and maintaining a strong marriage for over twenty-six years, Umansky has plenty of advice and lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs and self-starters across all industries. By outlining his fundamental principles of success, Umansky will embolden those who are ready to work hard and are prepared to meet adversity head on, which requires endless stamina, grit, and determination. Each chapter will center around a specific piece of wisdom and offer insightful takeaways including: How to Play Hard and Work Harder, How to Find Your Professional and Personal Passions, How to be an Innovator Not an Imitator, The Art of the Sell, The Benefits of Remaining Positive, How to Achieve Balance, and so much more. Umansky’s journey has been anything but boring. It’s been unpredictable, exhilarating, and emotionally and physically demanding at times. In The Dealmaker, he imparts his hard-earned knowledge, along with strategies he’s taught himself, for anyone and everyone looking to build their own fruitful career and to find the happiness we all seek in life. Welcome to his exclusive and exciting world.

Reclaim control of your workday with a proven time-saving method. Life is busier than ever before. We are working longer hours to keep up with longer to-do lists. Yet we’re experiencing more stress and seem to fall further and further behind. Our so-called leisure time is punctuated with interruptions, constantly pulling us back to work. We are led to believe we can prioritize our way out of this, but prioritization is broken. In Workday Warrior, productivity expert Ann Gomez presents a fresh approach that smashes today’s time challenges: too many priorities, too many interruptions, and too much complexity. We don’t need more willpower, discipline, or hours in our day. Instead, we need a straightforward approach to help us reclaim our time and upgrade our work habits. We need to concentrate our priori ties, protect our time, and simplify our work to amplify our results. This book will help you become a Workday Warrior. Find more time in your day, play at a higher level, and feel more in control of your time. Your work (and life!) will never be the same.

Read by the author. Offering a path for a new way to think about friendships, The Life Council will inspire and equip you to be a better friend, make new friends, and appreciate how different types of friendships can bring a richness to your life like never before. You'd love to have a "ride or die" posse like you see on social media, but instead you have a host of really good . . . acquaintances. After all, trying to find a soul friend in the midst of dirty dishes, deadlines, and, oh, a crazy busy life can be overwhelming. But what if developing great friendships was actually easier than we thought? And what if finding a "soul friend" wasn't necessarily our highest goal? In The Life Council, Laura Tremaine--the writer and podcaster behind 10 Things to Tell You--tells us what we've been hoping was true all along: making, keeping, and even releasing friends doesn't need to be as hard as we make it. This fun and practical guide gives you what you need to: Create your own "life council" with the friends you already have Understand the ten kinds of friends every woman needs--and how to find them Learn how to evaluate your friendship circle for what's working and what might need to change Navigate tough conversations with friends Get excited again about the possibility of new friendships   The Life Council will give every woman the help she needs to think about friendships in a new way and find true connection, freedom, and joy in her relationships. A discussion guide is included in the accompanying audiobook companion PDF download.

In Collect, Organize, Do, an audio course from Scribd Coach, productivity and time management author Carl Pullein helps you understand the basics of building a productivity system that’s uniquely effective and uniquely yours. Over the course of five distinct units, Pullein equips you with the tools you need to develop a plan that works for you — not someone else — and the mindset to maintain it. In the course, Pullein explains his “Collect, Organize, Do” framework, which helps lift stress and empowers you to handle whatever is thrown at you: collecting information for organization and action; specific tools and practices, like the “golden ten minutes,” and how they can maximize your productivity; and the PACT framework, designed to teach you how to explore productivity systems with patience, action, and consistency. If you’re looking for fresh, practical productivity advice that works, you’ve come to the right place. Pullein is a long-time master of productivity, his course bursting with original insights.

The ultimate guide to mastering change and successfully reinventing how you live, work, and lead “Filled with useful ideas for rethinking your next steps.” —Adam Grant The profound disruptions of recent years have sparked a collective reckoning. We reprioritized our lives, and reordered how we envisioned the future. Businesses were forced to pivot, while leaders scrambled to rethink their roles. There has been an unprecedented global reset. But in truth, almost everyone goes through this kind of reappraisal at least once in their life—and probably more often than that. Whatever the catalyst, it prompts in us the urgent need to pivot, to ask the question: What’s next—and how do I get there? In Next!, bestselling author and journalist Joanne Lipman distills hundreds of personal interviews along with the latest scientific research to answer just this question. Through irresistible storytelling, she takes us inside successful career reinventions (ad executive to bestselling novelist; stay-at-home mom to CEO) and astonishing business transformations (wait until you hear what Play-Doh and Viagra have in common). From the laboratories of neuroscientists to the boardrooms of Fortune 500 companies, to the frontlines of the social justice movement, Lipman explores how and why these transformations succeed. At its heart, Next! offers a thrilling argument: by harnessing the science and understanding the process, we can better understand how to reinvent that new career, change the direction of our lives, or inspire innovation in our organizations. This book provides a toolkit that shows how to make meaningful transitions—large or small—and to figure out for ourselves what’s Next!

You Are a Badass meets Grit in this powerhouse guide to overcoming your fear and finding the confidence within—from Christie’s ambassador and author of the “insightful, inspiring” (New York Journal of Books) The Most Powerful Woman in the Room Is You. “How do I become more confident?” is the question Lydia Fenet hears almost every time she speaks to women across the country. Many of us have forgotten what it feels like to trust ourselves, if we ever knew at all. But that can all change today. From Lydia Fenet, the world’s leading charity auctioneer and author of The Most Powerful Woman in the Room Is You, Claim Your Confidence is a powerful guide to overcoming your fear and finding the confidence within. Navigating a two-decade career at the world’s leading auction house while raising three children, Lydia had her own journey of learning self-assurance. Through stories of overcoming challenges in both her work and personal lives, she demonstrates that confidence isn’t something that only some people are born with; rather, it’s inside every one of us, waiting to be claimed. Lydia provides powerful tools anyone at any phase of their life can use. Claim Your Confidence offers case studies, insights, and advice on how to: - Harness the Power of Positivity - Slam Your Imposter Syndrome - Get Comfortable Being Uncomfortable - Grow Your Mindset And more! From building up the courage to do what scares you the most to persisting when all you want to do is give up, get ready to claim your confidence and get the life you want.

“An irresistibly delicious story.” —Holly Whitaker, New York Times bestselling author A propulsive and vivid memoir—in the vein of Drinking: A Love Story and Somebody’s Daughter—about the journey to sobriety and self-love amidst addiction, privilege, racism, and self-sabotage from the host of the popular podcast The Only One in the Room. After years of hiding her addiction from everyone—from stockpiling pills in her Louboutins to elaborately scheduling withdrawals between PTA meetings, baby showers, and tennis matches—Laura Cathcart Robbins settles into a complicated purgatory. She learns the hard way that privilege doesn’t protect you from pain. Facing divorce, the possibility of a grueling custody battle, and internalized racism, Robbins wonders just how much more she can take. Now, with courage and candid openness, she reveals how she managed to begin the long journey towards sobriety and unexpectedly finding new love. Robbins harrowingly illustrates taking down the wall she built around herself brick by brick and what it means to be Black in a startingly white world. With its raw, finely crafted, and engaging prose, Stash is the story of just how badly the facade she created had to shatter before Laura could reconnect to her true self.

New York Times bestselling author Jonah Berger’s cutting-edge research reveals how six types of words can increase your impact in every area of life: from persuading others and building stronger relationships, to boosting creativity and motivating teams. Almost everything we do involves words. Words are how we persuade, communicate, and connect. They’re how leaders lead, salespeople sell, and parents parent. They’re how teachers teach, policymakers govern, and doctors explain. Even our private thoughts rely on language. But certain words are more impactful than others. They’re better at changing minds, engaging audiences, and driving action. What are these magic words, and how can we take advantage of their power? In Magic Words, internationally bestselling author Jonah Berger gives you an inside look at the new science of language and how you can use it. Technological advances in machine learning, computational linguistics, and natural language processing, combined with the digitization of everything from cover letters to conversations, have yielded unprecedented insights. Learn how salespeople convince clients, lawyers persuade juries, and storytellers captivate audiences; how teachers get kids to help and service representatives increase customer satisfaction; how startup founders secure funding, musicians make hits, and psychologists identified a Shakespearean manuscript without ever reading a play. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook. This book is designed for anyone who wants to increase their impact. It provides a powerful toolkit and actionable techniques that can lead to extraordinary results. Whether you’re trying to persuade a client, motivate a team, or get a whole organization to see things differently, this book will show you how to leverage the power of magic words.

The Art of the Straight Line captures the energy of Lou Reed’s worlds of Tai Chi, music, and meditation. It was edited by his wife, the artist Laurie Anderson, with Stephan Berwick, Bob Currie, and Scott Richman. Lou Reed was a musician, singer, songwriter, poet, and founding member of the legendary rock band the Velvet Underground. He collaborated with many artists, from Andy Warhol and John Cale to Robert Wilson and Metallica. Reed had a groundbreaking solo career that spanned five decades until his death in 2013. Reed was also an accomplished martial artist whose practice began in the 1980s. He studied with Chen Tai Chi pioneer Master Ren GuangYi. This book is a comprehensive collection of Reed’s writings on Tai Chi. It includes conversations with Reed’s fellow musicians, artists, friends, and Tai Chi practitioners, including Julian Schnabel, A. M. Homes, Hal Willner, Mingyur Rinpoche, Eddie Stern, Tony Visconti, and Iggy Pop. Including over 150 photos, ephemera, and a color photo insert, The Art of the Straight Line features Reed’s unpublished writings on the technique, practice, and purpose of martial arts, as well as essays, observations, and riffs on meditation and life.

In Food and Body Breakthrough, an audio course from Scribd Coach, intuitive eating coach Tessie Tracy guides readers through improving their relationship with food, their body, and their health. Breaking with traditional approaches to health and fitness, Tracy instead strikes a balance between the mental and physical by discussing eating psychology and how it may affect your health. Tracy’s course is broken down into five units — Reveal, Relax, Restore, Redefine, and Reacquaint — each exploring a different element of your food and body challenge and providing practical advice for addressing it. Tracy also shares exercises along the way so you can begin putting what you’ve learned into practice immediately. If you’re fed up with diet culture and seeking an alternative framework for health and wellness, you’ve come to the right place. Drawn from experience, psychological principles, and empathy, Food and Body Breakthrough is a course suitable for fitness fans of all stripes.

In The Tyranny of Toxic Relationships, an audio course from Scribd Coach, licensed psychologist and holistic mental health expert Mariel Buqué explores the subject of toxic relationships, and how you can maintain boundaries to keep your mental health in a steady place. In the course, Buqué explores abuse and its relationship to toxic relationships; how to spot signs of toxic relationships, codependency, and trauma bonds; practical tips for self-care and coping; how to assess your core beliefs and values in the context of boundaries; and much more. She also shares exercises so you can begin putting what you’ve learned into practice immediately. Empathetic, far-reaching, and backed by a mastery of psychology and relationships, The Tyranny of Toxic Relationships is taut and accessible, but comprehensive and undeniably valuable.

This program is read by and contains archival audio of the author from MSNBC, BBC Question Time, Oxford Union, and other sources. Win Every Argument shows how anyone can communicate with confidence, rise above the tit-for-tats on social media, and triumph in a successful and productive debate in the real world. MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan isn’t one to avoid arguments. He relishes them as the lifeblood of democracy and the only surefire way to establish the truth. Arguments help us solve problems, uncover new ideas we might not have considered, and nudge our disagreements toward mutual understanding. A good argument, made in good faith, has intrinsic value—and can also simply be fun. Arguments are everywhere—and especially given the fierce debates we’re all embroiled in today, everyone wants to win. In this riveting guide to the art of argument and rhetoric, Hasan shows you how. As a journalist, anchor, and interviewer who has clashed with politicians, generals, spy chiefs, and celebrities from across the world, Hasan reveals his tricks of the trade for the first time. Whether you are making a presentation at work or debating current political issues with a friend, Mehdi Hasan will teach you how to sharpen your speaking skills to make the winning case. A Macmillan Audio production from Henry Holt & Company.

The New York Times bestselling author and human performance expert tests his knowledge and theories on his own aging body in a quest to become an expert skier at age fifty-three. Gnar: adjective, short for “gnarly,” def: any environment or situation that is high in perceived risk and high in actual risk. Country: noun, def: any defined territory, landscape or terrain, fictitious or real. Cutting-edge discoveries in embodied cognition, flow science, and network neuroscience have revolutionized how we think about peak performance aging. On paper, these discoveries should allow older athletes to progress in supposedly “impossible” activities like park skiing (think: jumps and tricks.) To see if theory worked in practice, Kotler conducted his own ass-on-the-line experiment in applied neuroscience and later-in-life skill acquisition: He tried to teach an old dog some new tricks. Recently, top pros have been performing well past a previously considered prime: World-class athletes such as Kelly Slater, the greatest surfer of all time, is winning competitions in his fifties; Tom Brady can beat players half his age. But what about the rest of us? Steven Kotler has been studying human performance for thirty years, and taught hundreds of thousands of people at all skill levels, age groups, and walks of life, how to achieve peak performance. Could his own advice work for him? Gnar Country is the chronicle of his experience pushing his own aging body past preconceived limits. It’s a book about goals and grit and progression. It’s an antidote for weariness that is inspiring, practical, and, often hilarious. It is about growing old and staying rad. It’s a feverish reading experience that makes you put down the book, get out there, and move. Whether hurtling down a mountain side, running your first 10K race, or taking your career to new heights, Kotler challenges us to test ourselves, surpass our limits, and achieve our own impossible, whatever it might be. Part personal journey, part science experiment, part how-to guide, Kotler takes us on his punk rock, high-velocity joy-ride for a better life in spite—and often in defiance of—the perceived limitations of the aging human body. Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.