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Nexus : a brief history of information networks from the Stone Age to AI / by Harari, Yuval N.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."From the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Sapiens comes the groundbreaking story of how information networks have made, and unmade, our world. For the last 100,000 years, we Sapiens have accumulated enormous power. But despite all our discoveries, inventions, and conquests, we now find ourselves in an existential crisis. The world is on the verge of ecological collapse. Misinformation abounds. And we are rushing headlong into the age of AI-a new information network that threatens to annihilate us. For all that we have accomplished, why are we so self-destructive? Nexus looks through the long lens of human history to consider how the flow of information has shaped us and our world. Taking us from the Stone Age, through the canonization of the Bible, early modern witch hunts, Stalinism, Nazism, and the resurgence of populism today, Yuval Noah Harari asks us to consider the complex relationship between information and truth, bureaucracy and mythology, wisdom and power. He explores how different societies and political systems throughout history have wielded information to achieve their goals, for good and ill. And he addresses the urgent choices we face as non-human intelligence threatens our very existence. Information is not the raw material of truth, nor is it a mere weapon. Nexus explores the hopeful middle ground between these extremes, and in doing so, rediscovers our shared humanity."--
Subjects: Information behavior; Information networks; Information technology;
Available copies: 0 / Total copies: 1
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Character : what contemporary leaders can teach us about building a more just, prosperous, and sustainable future / by Seijts, Gerard H.,author.; Milani, Kimberley Young,author.; Preston, Steven C.,writer of foreword.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Character is something intrinsic to us all; it forms and reveals who we are. Unbeknownst to many, character is foundational to our judgment, behavior, and leadership. As we tackle the grand challenges of our time, strength of character guides us to make better decisions, creates greater well-being, and contributes to human flourishing. For those who lead -- whether in the public, private, not for profit, or education sectors -- a greater understanding of character will challenge your thinking, inspire new ideas, and elevate your personal and professional performance. Character: What Contemporary Leaders Can Teach Us about Building a More Just, Prosperous, and Sustainable Future provides an exceptional opportunity to become a better leader by applying the extraordinary yet down-to-earth insights from the authors' accessible scholarship and interviews with truly distinguished leaders whose lessons on building stronger societies through character-based leadership are moving, powerful, and evergreen."--
Subjects: Leadership.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Fluke : chance, chaos, and why everything we do matters / by Klaas, Brian P.(Brian Paul),1986-author.;
In the perspective-altering tradition of Malcolm Gladwell's 'The Tipping Point' and Nassim Nicholas Taleb's 'The Black Swan', 'Fluke' is a provocative challenge to how we think our world works-and why small, chance events can divert our lives and change everything. Drawing on social science, chaos theory, history, evolutionary biology, and philosophy, Brian Klaas provides a brilliantly fresh look at why things happen-all while providing mind-bending lessons on how we can live smarter, be happier, and lead more fulfilling lives.
Subjects: Chance; Chaotic behavior in systems.; Conduct of life.; Forecasting.; Forecasting;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Caste : the origins of our discontents / by Wilkerson, Isabel,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index.""As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power--which groups have it and which do not." In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings. Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people's lives and behavior and the nation's fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people--including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball's Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others--she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity. Beautifully written, original, and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of America life today"--
Subjects: Caste; Social stratification; Ethnicity; Power (Social sciences);
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Caste [sound recording] : the origins of our discontents / by Wilkerson, Isabel,author.; Miles, Robin,narrator.; Random House Audio Publishing,publisher.;
Read by Robin Miles.""As we go about our daily lives, caste is the wordless usher in a darkened theater, flashlight cast down in the aisles, guiding us to our assigned seats for a performance. The hierarchy of caste is not about feelings or morality. It is about power--which groups have it and which do not." In this brilliant book, Isabel Wilkerson gives us a masterful portrait of an unseen phenomenon in America as she explores, through an immersive, deeply researched narrative and stories about real people, how America today and throughout its history has been shaped by a hidden caste system, a rigid hierarchy of human rankings. Beyond race, class, or other factors, there is a powerful caste system that influences people's lives and behavior and the nation's fate. Linking the caste systems of America, India, and Nazi Germany, Wilkerson explores eight pillars that underlie caste systems across civilizations, including divine will, bloodlines, stigma, and more. Using riveting stories about people--including Martin Luther King, Jr., baseball's Satchel Paige, a single father and his toddler son, Wilkerson herself, and many others--she shows the ways that the insidious undertow of caste is experienced every day. She documents how the Nazis studied the racial systems in America to plan their out-cast of the Jews; she discusses why the cruel logic of caste requires that there be a bottom rung for those in the middle to measure themselves against; she writes about the surprising health costs of caste, in depression and life expectancy, and the effects of this hierarchy on our culture and politics. Finally, she points forward to ways America can move beyond the artificial and destructive separations of human divisions, toward hope in our common humanity. Beautifully written, original, and revealing, Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents is an eye-opening story of people and history, and a reexamination of what lies under the surface of ordinary lives and of America life today"--
Subjects: Audiobooks.; Caste; Ethnicity; Power (Social sciences); Social stratification;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Big meg : the story of the largest and most mysterious predator that ever lived / by Flannery, Tim F.(Tim Fridtjof),1956-author.; Flannery, Emma,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Internationally bestselling author and renowned scientist Tim Flannery and his daughter, scientist Emma Flannery, deliver an informative-yet-intimate portrait of the megalodon, an extinct shark and the largest predator of all time. When Tim Flannery was a boy he found a fossilized tooth of the giant shark megalodon at a beach near his home in Australia. This remarkable find-the tooth was large enough to cover his palm-sparked an interest in paleontology that was to inform his life's work and a lifelong quest to uncover the secrets of the great shark Otodus megalodon. Tim passed on his love of the natural world and interest in the fossil record to his daughter, Emma, a scientist and writer. And now, together, they have written a fascinating account of this ancient marine creature. Big Meg charts the evolution of megalodon, its super-predator status for about fifteen million years and its decline and extinction. It delves into the fossil record to answer questions about its behavior and role in shaping marine ecosystems as well as its impact on the human psyche. It contains stories of the scientist and amateur fossil hunters who have scoured the seas, and land, for fossil remains, drawn to the beauty and mystique of the great shark, sometimes meeting their death in the process. Deemed "in the league of the all-time great explorers" by David Attenborough, Tim Flannery has come together with Emma Flannery to spin a story of the great natural history of our planet as enthralling as the fossil record itself"--
Subjects: Animals, Fossil.; Carcharocles megalodon.; Paleontology.; Sharks, Fossil.; Sharks.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Knowing what we know : the transmission of knowledge, from ancient wisdom to modern magic / by Winchester, Simon,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."With the advent of the internet, any topic we want to know about is instantly available with the touch of a smartphone button. With so much knowledge at our fingertips, what is there left for our brains to do? At a time when we seem to be stripping all value from the idea of knowing things--no need for math, no need for map-reading, no need for memorization--are we risking our ability to think? As we empty our minds, will we one day be incapable of thoughtfulness? Addressing these questions, Simon Winchester explores how humans have attained, stored, and disseminated knowledge. Examining such disciplines as education, journalism, encyclopedia creation, museum curation, photography, and broadcasting, he looks at a whole range of knowledge diffusion--from the cuneiform writings of Babylon to the machine-made genius of artificial intelligence, by way of Gutenberg, Google, and Wikipedia to the huge Victorian assemblage of the Mundanaeum, the collection of everything ever known, currently stored in a damp basement in northern Belgium. Studded with strange and fascinating details, Knowing What We Know is a deep dive into learning and the human mind. Throughout this fascinating tour, Winchester forces us to ponder what rational humans are becoming. What good is all this knowledge if it leads to lack of thought? What is information without wisdom? Does Rene Descartes's Cogito, ergo sum--'I think therefore I am,' the foundation for human knowledge widely accepted since the Enlightenment--still hold? And what will the world be like if no one in it is wise?"--
Subjects: Information behavior.; Knowledge, Sociology of.; Thought and thinking.; Information technology; Technology;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Healthy no matter what : how humans are hardwired to adapt / by Jadad, Alejandro R.,author.; Jadad-Garcia, Tamen,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."A provocative manifesto that teaches you how to take control of your own health, no matter your age or circumstances--from an innovative doctor and his philosopher daughter. Dr. Alex Jadad is the creator of the Jadad scale, a methodology to assess the quality of clinical trials that has become the most widely used in the world, and Tamen Jadad-Garcia is a health entrepreneur and philosopher--they combine their expertise to uncover the shaky foundations on which the medical system is built; one that condemns you to be ill. The Jadads begin this exploration with a simple question: "What is health?" Through engaging stories and case studies, the Jadads expand our understanding of health beyond the medical industrial complex. They show how distant connections in your networks can influence key aspects of yourself, like your weight, anxiety and addictions; how intentional architecture can reduce reliance on medication; and how comparisons with peers can shorten your life. In this practical guide, the meaning of health is redefined, putting you in the driver's seat and recognizing you as the most effective evaluator. Building on data and experiences from millions of people around the world, the book reveals that a healthy life is possible, even with complex chronic conditions or terminal illnesses. The Jadads explain why feeling unhealthy could be fatal and how you can monitor your true health and boost it in practically any context, no matter your cultural background or socioeconomic circumstances. With wisdom and empathy, Healthy No Matter What teaches you about how you are equipped to overcome practically any obstacle through your natural gift of adaptability, provides actionable pointers, and shows how and when to use the medical system, so that you can thrive, regardless of the twists and turns life may take"--
Subjects: Health behavior.; Health.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Knowing what we know [text (large print)] : the transmission of knowledge, from ancient wisdom to modern magic / by Winchester, Simon,author.;
Includes bibliographical references."With the advent of the internet, any topic we want to know about is instantly available with the touch of a smartphone button. With so much knowledge at our fingertips, what is there left for our brains to do? At a time when we seem to be stripping all value from the idea of knowing things--no need for math, no need for map-reading, no need for memorization--are we risking our ability to think? As we empty our minds, will we one day be incapable of thoughtfulness? Addressing these questions, Simon Winchester explores how humans have attained, stored, and disseminated knowledge. Examining such disciplines as education, journalism, encyclopedia creation, museum curation, photography, and broadcasting, he looks at a whole range of knowledge diffusion--from the cuneiform writings of Babylon to the machine-made genius of artificial intelligence, by way of Gutenberg, Google, and Wikipedia to the huge Victorian assemblage of the Mundanaeum, the collection of everything ever known, currently stored in a damp basement in northern Belgium. Studded with strange and fascinating details, Knowing What We Know is a deep dive into learning and the human mind. Throughout this fascinating tour, Winchester forces us to ponder what rational humans are becoming. What good is all this knowledge if it leads to lack of thought? What is information without wisdom? Does Rene Descartes's Cogito, ergo sum--'I think therefore I am,' the foundation for human knowledge widely accepted since the Enlightenment--still hold? And what will the world be like if no one in it is wise?"--
Subjects: Large print books.; Information behavior.; Knowledge, Sociology of.; Thought and thinking.; Information technology; Technology;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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A polar bear in the snow / by Barnett, Mac.; Harris, Shawn(Artist);
Follow a magnificent polar bear through a fantastic world of snow and shockingly blue sea. Over the ice, through the water, past Arctic animals and even a human where is he going? What does he want? Acclaimed author Mac Barnett s narration deftly balances suspense and emotion, as well as poignant, subtle themes, compelling us to follow the bear with each page turn. Artist Shawn Harris s striking torn-paper illustrations layer white-on-white hues, with bolts of blue and an interplay of shadow and light, for a gorgeous view of a stark yet beautiful landscape. Simple and thought-provoking, illuminating and intriguing, this engaging picture book will have readers pondering the answer to its final question long after the polar bear has continued on his way.LSC
Subjects: Polar bear; Polar bear; Snow;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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