Books = brain food

One of the delights of reading is that it offers us access to so much knowledge – including the work of great thinkers and scholars both past and present. Developing a love of learning can help us become more interesting people, insure us against the unexpected (such as the need to change jobs) and help keep our mental acuity for longer. Here are some “brain food” on a range of topics that are interesting and readable for different ages: blog.booko.com.au/2016/02/18/brain-food-for-any-age/
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the book cover for the grand design by stephen hawking and edward mooinow
Prices for The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking
The Grand Design by Stephen Hawking, Leonard Mlodinow. When and how did the universe begin? Why are we here? What is the nature of reality? Is the apparent 'grand design' of our universe evidence for a benevolent creator who set things in motion? Or does science offer another explanation? The Grand Design explains the latest thoughts about model-dependent realism (the idea that there is no one version of reality), and about the multiverse concept of reality in which there are many universes.
an image of the front cover of a book with pictures of motorcycles in different colors
Prices for Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig
Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert Pirsig. A narration of a summer motorcycle trip undertaken by a father and his son, the book becomes a personal and philosophical odyssey into fundamental questions of how to live. Resonant with the confusions of existence, Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance is a touching and transcendent book of life.
the book cover for noam chomsky who rules the world? by tom crensley
Prices for Who Rules the World? by Noam Chomsky
Who Rules the World? by Noam Chomsky. Drawing on examples ranging from expanding drone assassination programs to civil war in Syria to the continued violence in Iraq, Iran, Afghanistan, Israel and Palestine, philosopher, political commentator and prolific activist Noam Chomsky offers unexpected and nuanced insights into the workings of imperial power in our increasingly chaotic planet.
this will make you smarter new scientific concepts to improve your thinking
Prices for This Will Make You Smarter by John Brockman
This Will Make You Smarter by John Brockman. Over 150 of the world's leading scientists and thinkers offer their choice of the ideas, strategies and arguments that will help all of us understand our world, and its future, better.
the book cover for everybody lies, with zebras and an antelope on it
Prices for Everybody Lies by Stephens-Davidowitz, Seth
Everybody Lies by Seth Stephens-Davidowitz. Insightful, surprising and with ground-breaking revelations about our society, Everybody Lies exposes the secrets embedded in our internet searches, with a foreword by bestselling author Steven PinkerEverybody lies, to friends, lovers, doctors, pollsters - and to themselves. In Internet searches, however, people confess their secrets - about sexless marriages, mental health problems, even racist views.
a person pointing at a post it note on a blue background with the words, but not by me
Prices for Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) by Carol Tavris
Mistakes Were Made (But Not By Me) by Carol Tavris, Elliot Aronson. Why do people dodge responsibility when things fall apart? Why the parade of public figures unable to own up when they make mistakes? Why the endless marital quarrels over who is right? Why can we see hypocrisy in others but not in ourselves? Are we all liars? Or do we really believe the stories we tell? Renowned social psychologists Tavris and Aronson take a compelling look into how the brain is wired for self-justification.
the unnatural world by david bielo and elizabeth korett, with green leaves on it
Prices for The Unnatural World by David Biello
The Unnatural World by David Biello. The Unnatural World chronicles a disparate band of unlikely heroes: an effervescent mad scientist who would fertilize the seas; a pigeon obsessive bent on bringing back the extinct; a low-level government functionary in China doing his best to clean up his city, and more. These scientists, billionaires, and ordinary people are all working toward saving the best home humanity is ever likely to have. What is the threat? It is us.
the book cover for how we got to now six innovations that made the modern world
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How We Got to Now: Six Innovations That Made the Modern World by Steven Johnson. The story of collaborative networks building the modern world, written in the provocative, informative, and engaging style that has earned Johnson fans around the globe.
All Out War: The Full Story of Brexit by Tim Shipman. All Out War is a book about leaders and their closest aides, the decisions they make and how and why they make them, as well as how they feel when they turn out to be wrong. It is about men who make decisions that are intellectually consistent and – by their own measure – morally sound that are simultaneously disastrous for themselves and those closest to them.
Prices for All Out War: The Full Story of How Brexit Sank Britain’s Political Class by Tim Shipman
All Out War: The Full Story of Brexit by Tim Shipman. All Out War is a book about leaders and their closest aides, the decisions they make and how and why they make them, as well as how they feel when they turn out to be wrong. It is about men who make decisions that are intellectually consistent and – by their own measure – morally sound that are simultaneously disastrous for themselves and those closest to them.
a book cover with the title whiplash how to survive our faster future job, director, media lab and jeff browne
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Whiplash by Joi Ito. The world is more complex and volatile today than at any other time in our history. The tools of our modern existence are getting faster, cheaper, and smaller at an exponential rate, just as billions of strangers around the world are suddenly just one click or tweet or post away from each other.
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the inevitable book cover with arrows pointing in different directions
Prices for The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly
The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly. Much of what will happen in the next thirty years is inevitable, driven by technological trends that are already in motion. In this fascinating, provocative new book, Kevin Kelly provides an optimistic road map for the future, showing how the coming changes in our lives from virtual reality in the home to an on-demand economy to artificial intelligence embedded in everything we manufacture can be understood as the result of a few long-term, accelerating forces.
the cover of if you can keep it, with an american flag flying in the wind
Prices for If You Can Keep It by Eric Metaxas
If You Can Keep It: The Forgotten Promise of American Liberty by Eric Metaxas. Metaxas explains that America is not a nation bounded by ethnic identity or geography, but rather by a radical and unprecedented idea, based on liberty and freedom for all. He cautions us that it's nearly past time we reconnect to that idea, or we may lose the very foundation of what made us exceptional in the first place.
Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance. A deeply moving memoir with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country.
Prices for Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance
Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance. A deeply moving memoir with its share of humor and vividly colorful figures, Hillbilly Elegy is the story of how upward mobility really feels. And it is an urgent and troubling meditation on the loss of the American dream for a large segment of this country.
a book cover with an image of people and words in spanish on the bottom right hand corner
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The Politics Book by DK. More than 100 groundbreaking ideas in the history of politics are helpfully broken down so that abstract topics, such as theoretical foundations and practical applications become real. Topics span from ancient political thought and medieval politics all the way to world war and modern politics. Features a handy reference section complete with a glossary of political terms and a directory of political thinkers, such as Plato, John Locke, and Karl Marx.
the book cover for outliers by malcolm gladwell, with an image of three balls
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Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell. There's a story that's usually told about extremely successful people that focuses on intelligence and ambition. Gladwell argues that the true story of success is very different, that if we want to understand how some people thrive, we should spend more time looking "around" them-at such things as their family, birthplace, or even their birth date. And in revealing that hidden logic, Gladwell presents a provocative blueprint for making the most of human potential.