Ocean State Libraries

A world-class thinker counts the 100 ways in which humans behave irrationally, showing us what we can do to recognize and minimize these "thinking errors" to make better decisions and have a better life

Despite the best of intentions, humans are notoriously bad—that is, irrational—when it comes to making decisions and assessing risks and tradeoffs. Psychologists and neuroscientists refer to these

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"Throughout our life, we look for ways to keep our mind sharp and effortlessly productive. Now, globe trotting neurosurgeon Dr. Sanjay Gupta offers insights from top scientists all over the world, whose cutting-edge research can help you heighten and protect brain function and maintain cognitive health at any age. Keep Sharp debunks common myths about aging and cognitive decline, explores whether there's a "best" diet or exercise regimen for the brain,...

In this enduring classic, rich with deep, original insight into the nature of early learning, John Holt was the first to make clear that, for small children, "learning is as natural as breathing." In his delightful book he observes how children actually learn to talk, to read, to count, and to reason, and how, as adults, we can best encourage these natural abilities in our children.

"One of the most valuable skills in our economy is becoming increasingly rare. If you master this skill, you'll achieve extraordinary results. Deep work is the ability to focus without distraction on a cognitively demanding task. It's a skill that allows you to quickly master complicated information and produce better results in less time. Deep work will make you better at what you do and provide the sense of true fulfillment that comes from craftsmanship....

"The award-winning professor and author of psychology's best-selling textbook presents a series of essays that look at psychological science's insights into our everyday lives, with wisdom to enable readers to think smarter and live happier"--

"The New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically goes on a journey to understand the enduring power of puzzles: why we love them, what they do to our brains, and how they can improve our world"--

Alexandra Horowitz's brilliant On Looking: Eleven Walks with Expert Eyes shows us how to see the spectacle of the ordinary - to practice, as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle put it, "the observation of trifles." It is structured around a series of eleven walks the author takes with experts on a diverse range of subjects, including an urban sociologist, a well-known artist, a geologist, a physician, and a sound designer. She also walks with a child and a dog...

In 1991, when her daughterʼs rare, hand-carved harp was stolen, Lisby Mayerʼs familiar world of science and rational thinking turned upside down. After the police failed to turn up any leads, a friend suggested she call a dowser-a man who specialized in finding lost objects. With nothing to lose-and almost as a joke-Dr. Mayer agreed. Within two days, and without leaving his Arkansas home, the dowser located the exact California street coordinates...

Over 40? Getting forgetful? Discover the secret of neurobics.   Neurobics is a unique brain exercise program that can be done anytime, anywhere. Based on the latest neuroscience, these deceptively simple exercises stimulate brain nutrients to help new brain cells grow. The key to keeping your brain strong and healthy is to break routines and use all five senses in unexpected ways. Offbeat, fun, and easy, these 83 exercises will result in a mind...

"In this volume we have tried to present, as briefly and as clearly as possible, a synthesis, or summing up, of our work in child psychology. A book such as this seemed to us particularly desirable since our published studies have been spread out over a number of volumes, some of them quite lengthy and some of them fairly difficult to read. This little book, of course, is not meant to be a substitute for reading the other volumes. But it represents,...