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The life-changing science of detecting bullshit / by Petrocelli, John V.,author.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."Expanding upon his viral TEDx Talk, psychology professor and social scientist John V. Petrocelli reveals the critical thinking habits you can develop to recognize and combat pervasive false information that harms society in The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit. Bullshit is the foundation of contaminated thinking and bad decisions leading to health consequences, financial losses, legal consequences, broken relationships, and wasted time and resources. No matter how smart we believe ourselves to be, we're all susceptible to bullshit-and we all engage in it. While we may brush it off as harmless marketing sales speak or as humorous, embellished claims, it's actually much more dangerous and insidious. It's how Bernie Madoff successfully swindled billions of dollars from even the most experienced financial experts with his Ponzi scheme. It's how the protocols of Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward resulted in the deaths of 36 million people from starvation. Presented as truths by authority figures and credentialed experts, bullshit appears legitimate, and we accept their words as gospel. If we don't question the information we receive from bullshit artists to prove their thoughts and theories, we allow these falsehoods to take root in our memories and beliefs. This faulty data affects our decision making capabilities, sometimes resulting in regrettable life choices. But with a little dose of skepticism and a commitment to truth seeking, you can build your critical thinking and scientific reasoning skills to evaluate information, separate fact from fiction, and see through bullshitter spin. In The Life-Changing Science of Detecting Bullshit, experimental social psychologist John V. Petrocelli provides invaluable strategies not only to recognize and protect yourself from everyday bullshit, but to accept your own lack of knowledge about subjects and avoid in engaging in bullshit just for societal conformity. With real world examples from people versed in bullshit who work in the used car, real estate, wine, and diamond industries, Petrocelli exposes the red-flag warning signs found in the anecdotal stories, emotional language, and buzzwords used by bullshitters that persuade our decisions. By using his critical thinking defensive tactics against those motivated by profit, we will also learn how to stop the toxic misinformation spread from the social media influencers, fake news, and op-eds that permeate our culture and call out bullshit whenever we see it"--
Subjects: Critical thinking.; Reasoning.; Decision making.;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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A song for the road : a novel / by Basi, Kathleen M.,author.;
"A debut novel about an unconventional road trip and what it means to honor the ones we love. It's one year after the death of her husband and twin teenagers, and Miriam Tedesco has lost faith in humanity and herself. When a bouquet of flowers that her husband always sends on their anniversary shows up at her workplace, she completely unravels. With the help of her best friend, she realizes that it's time to pick up the pieces and begin to move on. Step one is not even cleaning out her family's possessions, but just taking inventory starting with her daughter's room. But when she opens her daughter's computer, she stumbles across a program her daughter has created detailing an automated cross-country road trip, for her and her husband to take as soon-to-be empty nesters. Seeing and hearing the video clips of her kids embedded in the program, Miriam is determined to take this trip for her children. Armed with her husband's guitar, her daughter's cello, and her son's unfinished piano sonata, she embarks on a musical pilgrimage to grieve the family she fears she never loved enough. Along the way she meets a young, pregnant hitchhiker named Dicey, whose boisterous and spunky attitude reminds Miriam of her own daughter. Tornadoes, impromptu concerts, and an unlikely friendship ... whether she's prepared for it or not, Miriam's world is coming back to life. But as she struggles to keep her focus on the reason she set out on this journey, she has to confront the possibility that the best way to honor her family may be to accept the truths she never wanted to face. Hopeful, honest, and tender, A Song for the Road is about courage, vulnerability, and forgiveness, even of yourself, when it really matters"--
Subjects: Psychological fiction.; Domestic fiction.; Grief; Voyages and travels; Female friendship;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The Paris novel [text (large print)] / by Reichl, Ruth,author.;
"When her estranged mother dies, Stella is left with an unusual inheritance: a one-way plane ticket and a note reading "Go to Paris." But Stella is hardly cut out for adventure; a childhood trauma, and her mother's negligent parenting style, have kept her strictly confined to her comfort zone, even in adulthood. When her boss encourages her to time off, Stella resigns herself to honor her mother's wishes, even if a spontaneous trip to Paris is the last thing she wants. Even in a new city, Stella can't help but fall into old habits, living cautiously and frugally. But one day, she stumbles across a consignment store and tries on a fabulous vintage dress. The shopkeeper allows her to borrow it for the day if she goes on an adventure. So Stella decides to treat herself to oysters and wine for lunch, where she has a chance encounter with a dapper octogenarian art collector, Jules. He immediately recognizes Stella needs a proper introduction to the magical side of Paris and takes her under his wing. Amid decadent meals and encounters with a veritable who's who of the 1980s Paris art and culinary worlds, Stella begins to understand what it might mean to live a bigger life. As weeks pass, Stella ends up living at the bookstore Shakespeare & Company as a "tumbleweed," uncovering a hundred-year-old art mystery, and unlocking a passion for food that may be connected to her past, and the true reason she has been sent to Paris. A feast for the senses, this novel is a testament to what it means to live deliciously: to be authentic, to embrace adventure, and to find a home in the last place you might expect"--
Subjects: Historical fiction.; Large print books.; Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Self-realization in women;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Welcome to glorious Tuga : a novel / by Segal, Francesca,1980-author.;
"Passionate about conservation and fleeing an argument with her mother, newly qualified London vet Charlotte Walker has taken up a fellowship on the tiny South Atlantic island of Tuga de Oro to study the endangered Gold Coin tortoises in the jungle interior. She can claim the best of reasons for this year in paradise-What better motivation than to save a species?-but the reality is more complex. For Charlotte has secretly come to believe that she has her own connection to this remote and eccentric community, and she is finally determined to solve the mystery that has dominated her life. But she will have little time for any of her declared or covert investigations. She is inconveniently attracted to the new island doctor. And not only do Tuga's tortoises need attention but so too do the island's dogs, goats, and donkeys, not to mention the islanders themselves, determined to win Charlotte over with cake and homemade jam until she relents and becomes vet to all their animals."--
Subjects: Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Communities; Interpersonal attraction; Interpersonal relations; Islands; Man-woman relationships; Physicians; Women veterinarians;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The spare room : a novel / by Bartz, Andrea,author.;
"Crashing with a friend and her husband is more intimate-and dangerous-than anyone could imagine in this provocative new thriller from the New York Times bestselling author of the Reese's Book Club pick We Were Never Here. When the pandemic first hits, thirty-one-year-old Kelly tries to make the best of quarantine-but it soon becomes clear there are some lemons you just can't make into lemonade. She loses her job and her boyfriend in one fell swoop, and she finds herself looking for any way to get out of the apartment she's still sharing with her now-ex. So when she rekindles a friendship with a bestselling author she knows from childhood, who invites Kelly to stay with her and her husband in their Virginia mansion, she leaps at the chance. And much to Kelly's surprise, she soon realizes she's developed a bit of a crush-on both of her hosts. Even more unexpected is that both of them seem to reciprocate her feelings-and they say it's the first time they've ever brought someone else into their relationship. But that doesn't quite add up with all of the evidence Kelly keeps finding around the house. Another woman clearly has been there before her, and Kelly really can't understand what reason they would have to lie about it ... that is, until she discovers the woman is missing. Cut off from the world, intensely in love, and in way over her head, Kelly is trying desperately to uncover the truth-but the truth might just be that three is a dangerous number"--
Subjects: Erotic fiction.; Psychological fiction.; Queer fiction.; Thrillers (Fiction); Novels.; Women authors; Bisexual women; COVID-19 Pandemic, 2020-; Friendship; Mansions; Missing persons; Non-monogamous relationships; Open marriage; Secrecy; Triangles (Interpersonal relations);
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
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Drop the ball : achieving more by doing less / by Dufu, Tiffany,author.; Steinem, Gloria,writer of foreword.;
Includes bibliographical references and index."A bold and inspiring memoir and manifesto from a renowned voice in the women's leadership movement who shows women how to cultivate the single skill they really need in order to thrive: the ability to let go. Once the poster girl for doing it all, after she had her first child, Tiffany Dufu struggled to accomplish everything she thought she needed to in order to succeed. Like so many driven and talented women who have been brought up to believe that to have it all, they must do it all, Dufu began to feel that achieving her career and personal goals was an impossibility. Eventually, she discovered the solution: letting go. In Drop the Ball, Dufu recounts how she learned to reevaluate expectations, shrink her to-do list, and meaningfully engage the assistance of others--freeing the space she needed to flourish at work and to develop deeper, more meaningful relationships at home. Even though women are half the workforce, they still represent only eighteen per cent of the highest level leaders. The reasons are obvious: just as women reach middle management they are also starting families. Mounting responsibilities at work and home leave them with no bandwidth to do what will most lead to their success. Offering new perspective on why the women's leadership movement has stalled, and packed with actionable advice, Tiffany Dufu's Drop the Ball urges women to embrace imperfection, to expect less of themselves and more from others--only then can they focus on what they truly care about, devote the necessary energy to achieving their real goals, and create the type of rich, rewarding life we all desire"--
Subjects: Dufu, Tiffany; Women professional employees; African American women; Mothers; Leadership in women; Women in the professions; Work-life balance; Sex role; Self-actualization (Psychology);
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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The forest of lost souls / by Koontz, Dean R.(Dean Ray),1945-author.;
"Raised in the wilderness by her late great-uncle, Vida is a young woman with an almost preternatural affinity for nature, especially for the wolves that also call the forested mountains home. Formed by hard experience, by love and loss, and by the prophecies of a fortune teller, Vida just wants peace. If only nearby Kettleton County didn't cast such a dark shadow. It's where Jose Nochelobo, the love of Vida's life and a cherished local hero, died in a tragic accident. That's the official story, but Vida has reasons to doubt it. The truth can't be contained for long. Nor can the hungry men of power in Kettleton who want something too: that Vida, like Jose, disappear forever. One by one they come for her, prepared to do anything to see their plans through to their evil end. Vida is no less prepared for them. Vida, the forest, and its formidable wonders are waiting. She will not rest until goodness and order have been restored"--
Subjects: Thrillers (Fiction); Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Assassins; Enemies; Good and evil; Grief; Love; Man-woman relationships; Murder; Prophecies; Social isolation; Wolves; Women;
Available copies: 3 / Total copies: 3
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Waiting for a star to fall : a novel / by Clare, Kerry,1979-author.;
"Brooke has long been caught in the orbit of Derek, a rising political superstar. First he was her boss, then they were friends and she became his confidant, the one person he shared everything with. And even though she had feelings for him - he's charming and handsome, respected and beloved - she never dreamed he'd feel the same way. Derek is so much older and could have anyone he wants. It turns out that who Derek wants is Brooke, and suddenly none of the reasons they shouldn't be together matter. They fall in love. And even though Brooke has to keep the relationship a secret - stealing weekends away with him, late nights with takeout after long days at work, and business trips that are always a romantic whirlwind - being close to him and her dreams of their future make everything worth it. But Derek becomes embroiled in a scandal - the kind Brooke never could have imagined he'd be involved in - and she is forced to re-examine their relationship and make sense of the man she loves. Poignant, heart-stopping, and resonant, Waiting for a Star to Fall is a story about love, the things we choose to believe, and how sometimes the path to happily ever after has to start with ourselves."--Page 4 of cover.
Subjects: Psychological fiction.; Man-woman relationships; Scandals;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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Tourist season / by Novak, Brenda,author.;
Ismay Chalmers is ready for a relaxing summer reconnecting with her fiancé at his family's luxurious beachfront cottage. But before Remy can join her, a hurricane bears down on Mariners Island. Alone in the large house, Ismay makes a disturbing discovery in Remy's childhood closet. She's not sure what to make of it, but is relieved when the property's caretaker, Bo, checks in on her. Bo's home is damaged, so they temporarily shelter together, and Ismay is comforted by his quiet strength. But the unannounced arrival of a family member puts Bo back at his place and changes Ismay's summer into something other than what she wants--or ever expected. With so many reasons to feel unsettled, Ismay finds herself turning to Bo, who gives her more than a sense of security; there's something about him that makes her feel alive, stirring her to wonder what life might be like if she chose a different path ... As Ismay grows closer to Bo, she begins to hope the reclusive caretaker might eventually let down his guard. But when she finds out that he has secrets, too, she begins to question how well she knows any of the men in her life--and how well she can trust her own heart.
Subjects: Domestic fiction.; Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Family secrets; Islands; Man-woman relationships; Recluses; Secrecy; Storms; Vacation homes;
Available copies: 2 / Total copies: 2
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The horse : a novel / by Vlautin, Willy,author.;
Al Ward lives on an isolated mining claim in the high desert of central Nevada fifty miles from the nearest town. A grizzled man in his sixties, he survives on canned soup, instant coffee, and memories of his ex-wife, friends and family he's lost, and his life as a touring musician. Hampered by insomnia, bouts of anxiety, and a chronic lethargy that keeps him from moving back to town, Al finds himself teetering on the edge of madness and running out of reasons to go on--until a horse arrives on his doorstep: nameless, blind, and utterly helpless. Al hopes the horse will vanish as mysteriously as he appeared. Yet the animal remains, leaving him in a conundrum. Is the animal real, or a phantom conjured from imagination? As Al contemplates the horse's existence--and what, if anything, he can do--his thoughts are interspersed with memories, from the moment his mother's part-time boyfriend gifts him a 1959 butterscotch blonde Telecaster, to the day his travels begin. He joins various bands--all who perform his songs once they discover his talent-playing casinos, truck stops, clubs, and bars. He falls in love, and finds pockets of companionship and minor success along the way. Never close to stardom or financial success, he continues as a journeyman for decades until alcoholism and a heartbreaking tragedy lead him to the solitude of the barren Nevada desert. A poignant meditation on addiction, heartbreak, and the reality of life on the road in small-time bands, The Horse is a beautiful, haunting tale from an author working at the height of his powers.
Subjects: Psychological fiction.; Novels.; Alcoholism; Composers; Memory; Musicians; Recluses;
Available copies: 1 / Total copies: 1
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