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The Narcissism Epidemic: Living in the Age of Entitlement by Jean M. Twenge & W. Keith Campbell
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Publisher: Free Press
Publication Date: April 21 2009
ISBN-10: 1416575987
ISBN-13: 978-1416575986 Psychology / Social IssuesCheck AvailabilityNarcissism -- a very positive and inflated view of the self -- is
everywhere. It's what you have if you're a politician and you've
strayed from your wife, and it's why five times as many Americans
undergo plastic surgery and cosmetic procedures today than did just ten
years ago. It's the value that parents teach their children with song
lyrics like "I am special. Look at me," the skill teenagers and young
adults obsessively hone on Facebook and MySpace, and the reason high
school students physically beat classmates and then broadcast their
violence on YouTube for all to see. It's the message preached by
prosperity gospel and the vacuous ethos spread by celebrity newsmakers.
And it's what's making people depressed, lonely, and buried under piles
of debt. Jean M. Twenge's influential and controversial first book, Generation Me,
generated a national debate with its trenchant depiction of the
challenges twenty- and thirtysomethings face emotionally and
professionally in today's world -- and the fallout these issues create
for older generations as well as employers. Now, Dr. Twenge is on to a
new incendiary topic that has repercussions for every age-group and
class: the pernicious spread of narcissism in today's culture and its
catastrophic effects. Dr. Twenge joins forces with W. Keith Campbell,
Ph.D., a nationally recognized expert on narcissism, for The Narcissism Epidemic, their eye-opening exposition of the alarming rise of narcissism -- and they show how to stop it. Every
day, you encounter the real costs of narcissism: in your relationships
and family, in the workplace and the economy at large, in schools that
fail to teach necessary skills, in culture, and in politics. Even the
world economy has been damaged by risky, unrealistic overconfidence.
Filled with arresting anecdotes that illustrate the hold narcissism has
on us today -- from people hiring fake paparazzi in order to experience
feeling famous to college students who won't leave a professor's office
until their B+ becomes an A -- The Narcissism Epidemic is a riveting window into the consequences of narcissism. |
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Not Yet: a Memoir of Living and Almost Dying by Wayson Choy
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Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Pub Date: Mar 31 2009
ISBN-10: 0385663102
ISBN-13: 978-0385663106
Biography & Memoir
Check Availability
Framed by Wayson Choy's two brushes with death, Not Yet is an intimate and insightful study of one man's reasons for living.
In
2001, Wayson Choy suffered a combined asthma-heart attack. As he lay in
his hospital bed, slipping in and out of consciousness, his days
punctuated by the beeps of the machines that were keeping him alive,
Choy heard the voices of his ancestors warning him that without a wife,
he would one day die alone. And yet through his ordeal Choy was never
alone; men and women, young and old, from all cultures and ethnicities,
stayed by Choy's side until he was well. When his heart failed him a
second time, four years later, it was the strength of his bonds with
these people, forged through countless acts of kindness, that pulled
Choy back to his life.
Not Yet is a passionate,
sensitive, and beautiful exploration of the importance of family, which
in Choy's case is constituted not through blood but through love. It is
also a quiet manifesto for embracing life, not blind to our mortality,
but knowing how lucky we are for each day that comes.
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The Well-Dressed Ape: a Natural History of Myself by Hannah Holmes
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Publisher: Random House Canada
Publication Date: Jan 20 2009
ISBN-10: 0679314954
ISBN-13: 978-0679314950 Science & Nature / Human Behaviour
A surprising, humourous, and edifying look at our species as, essentially, animals.
Combining
personal stories, cutting-edge science, and a buoyant sense of humour,
Hannah Holmes offers an intriguing and fresh way to understand our
place in the world.
Science journalist Hannah Holmes wryly
examines the human animal, beginning with the animal she knows best:
herself. What she finds is that, of course, we are indisputably animals
- in some ways (smell and vision, for instance) rather inferior ones.
Yet
Holmes also discovers that Homo sapiens exhibit some traits and
behaviours found in no other animal on earth. Our species is among the
most generous, and the most thoughtful. Not so admirably, we kill
ourselves any number of ways, including by eating ourselves to death.
All this in addition to a patently bizarre physical appearance, and
shocking lack of defences.
Confronting the creature in the
mirror, Holmes wrestles with the big questions: Are humans special at
all? How different are men and women? (Very.) What is our place in the
kingdom of animals - and on the planet Earth? |
The Purpose of Boys: Helping our Sons Find Meaning, Significance & Direction in Their Lives by Michael Gurian
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Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Publication Date: Mar 18 2009
ISBN-10: 0470243376
ISBN-13: 978-0470243374
Lifestyle & Family / ParentingCheck Availability
From Michael Gurian, the groundbreaking author of the best-selling
books The Wonder of Boys and The Minds of Boys, comes the final volume
in his definitive trilogy. In this remarkable work,
Gurian presents a tool kit for parents who want to discover how to
inspire the ultimate fulfillment of their son's life. As he explains,
purpose is vital for the success and happiness of every boy. Throughout
the book, Gurian shows how parents can help boys build motivation,
character, selflessness, meaningful and intimate relationships, a sense
of responsibility to family and community, pride in their own good
work, and mental and physical health. Based on the latest
scientific research regarding how boys develop neurologically, The
Purpose of Boys reveals what it takes to best support boys and address
their unique needs, weaknesses, and strengths. The book offers an
understanding of what is happening inside a boy's brain as he grows up,
from birth through early adulthood. The author also explores the roles
of the nuclear and extended family, communities, and neighborhoods; the
best schools for boys; and specific rite-of-passage experiences and how
they influence a young man's personal growth. Here is a map parents can use to help their own sons wrestle with
everyday life events and growth. |
The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life by Tal Ben-Shahar
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Publisher: McGraw-Hill
Publication Date: Mar 11 2009
ISBN-10: 0071608826
ISBN-13: 978-0071608824
Mind & Body / Self Improvement
Check Availability We're
all laboring under our own and society's expectations to be perfect in
every way-to look younger, to make more money, to be happy all the
time. But according to Tal Ben-Shahar, the New York Times bestselling
author of Happier, the pursuit of perfect may actually be the number-one internal obstacle to finding happiness.
Applying cutting-edge research in the field of positive psychology - the
scientific principles taught in his wildly popular course at Harvard
University - Ben-Shahar takes us off the impossible pursuit of perfection
and directs us to the way to happiness, richness, and true fulfillment.
He shows us the freedom derived from not trying to do it all right all
the time and the real lessons that failure and painful emotions can
teach us. In The Pursuit of Perfect,
Tal Ben-Shahar offers an optimal way of thinking about failure and
success--and the very way we live. He provides exercises for self
reflection, meditations, and "Time-Ins" to help you rediscover what you
really want out of life. |
The Skinny: on Losing Weight Without Being Hungry - the Ultimate Guide to Weight Loss Success by Louis J. Aronne and Alisa Bowman
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Publisher: Broadway
Publication Date: Mar 24 2009
ISBN-10: 0767930398
ISBN-13: 978-0767930390
Mindy & Body / Diet & NutritionCheck AvailabilityTried diet after diet and still can't lose weight? It's time to call the expert. In The Skinny,
Dr. Louis Aronne, America's top weight-loss specialist, shares the plan
that has worked so well for his many patients. Through his friendly
guidance, you'll finally learn how to: - stop the weight-loss, weight-gain cycle - learn the strategy for feeling full with fewer calories - teach your brain to stop craving food - learn to put down your fork and automatically push away from the table - learn what common medications & medical conditions can make you gain weight - lose the weight-even if nothing else has worked In The Skinny, Dr. Aronne shows you how to
fix your internal biology by adjusting your eating and activity one
step at a time. Including comprehensive menus, restaurant options for
every type of food, a do-it-at-home strength plan and exercise plans,
more than fifty low-calorie, high-satisfaction recipes, and extensive
advice that helps you put the plan into practice, this is the only book
you'll need to learn how to defeat your hunger and cravings, and make
the changes to your biochemistry that will keep the weight off for
good. Are you tired of yo-yo dieting? Tired of the pain and
discomfort of being overweight? Do you finally want to feel good about
the body you're in? Is long-term weight loss as important to you as
initial short-term loss? Then you're ready to commit to The Skinny.
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To Buy or Not to Buy: Why We Overshop & How to Stop by April Benson
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Publisher: Trumpeter
Publication Date: Dec 30 2008
ISBN-10: 159030599X
ISBN-13: 978-1590305997
Consumerism / Self-Improvement Check AvailabilityAre you a shopaholic? Do you use shopping as a quick fix for the blues?
Do you often buy things that you don't need or can't afford? Do your
buying binges leave you feeling anxious or guilty? Is your shopping
behavior hurting your relationships? Have you tried to stop but been
unable to? If so, you are not alone. Nearly 18 million
Americans are problem shoppers, unable to break the buying habits that
lead them into debt, damaged relationships, and depression. If this
describes you, or someone you care about, the help you need is here. Drawing
on recent research and on decades of working with overshoppers, Dr.
April Benson brings together key insights with practical strategies in
a powerful program to help you stop overshopping. As you progress
through this book, you'll take back control of your shopping and
spending and create a richer, more meaningful and satisfying life.
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After the Crash: How to Guard Your Money in These Turbulent Times by Garth Turner
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Publisher: Key Porter Books
Publication Date: Jan 19 2009
ISBN-10: 1554701821
ISBN-13: 978-1554701827
Personal Finance
The news has been a disaster: stock markets have tanked; losses in
pensions, RRSPs and savings mount. Choked-up credit markets have made
bank loans and mortgages more expensive. A recession is costing jobs
and sideswiping family finances. House values are plunging across
Canada. How did we get into this mess? What does the future look like?
What can I do to protect myself? To protect my investments and my
family?
Financial expert Garth Turner answers each and every question
you might have in this up-to-the-minute guide to everything you will
need to know to deal with the fallout. This isn't crystal ball
incantation or eye-glazing academic mumbo jumbo. It's straight talk
from an expert on what you can do to safeguard your investments...and
your future. After the Crash is essential reading for everyone looking
for a guide through our troubled times.
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Dancing at the River's Edge: A Patient and Her Doctor Negotiate Life with Chronic Illness by Alida Brill & Michael D. Lockshin
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Publisher: Schaffner Press
Publication Date: Jan 1 2009
ISBN-10: 0980139406
ISBN-13: 978-0980139402
Biography & Memoir / Medicine
An invaluable resource for medical professionals, victims of chronic
illnesses, and their loved ones, this dual memoir by a doctor and his
longtime patient traces the growth of their unique friendship over a
span of decades.
By exploring the bond between caregiver and sufferer,
this sensitive account evokes not only the constant day to day
frustrations and emotional toll suffered by the chronically ill, but
also an understanding of the mental struggles and conflicts that a
conscientious doctor must face in deciding how best to treat a patient
without compromising personal freedoms. In alternating chapters, the
narrative explores the frustration, joy, despair, grief, and pain on
both sides of the doctor-patient relationship.
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Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
by Vicki Myron & Bret Witter
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Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: Sep 24 2008
ISBN-10: 0446407410
ISBN-13: 978-0446407410
Pets / Biography & MemoirHow much of an impact can an animal have? How many lives can one cat
touch? How is it possible for an abandoned kitten to transform a small
library, save a classic American town, and eventually become famous
around the world? You can't even begin to answer those questions until
you hear the charming story of Dewey Readmore Books, the beloved
library cat of Spencer, Iowa. Dewey's
story starts in the worst possible way. Only a few weeks old, on the
coldest night of the year, he was stuffed into the returned book slot
at the Spencer Public Library. He was found the next morning by library
director, Vicki Myron, a single mother who had survived the loss of her
family farm, a breast cancer scare, and an alcoholic husband. Dewey won
her heart, and the hearts of the staff, by pulling himself up and
hobbling on frostbitten feet to nudge each of them in a gesture of
thanks and love. For the next nineteen years, he never stopped charming
the people of Spencer with his enthusiasm, warmth, humility, (for a
cat) and, above all, his sixth sense about who needed him most. As
his fame grew from town to town, then state to state, and finally,
amazingly, worldwide, Dewey became more than just a friend; he became a
source of pride for an extraordinary Heartland farming town pulling its
way slowly back from the greatest crisis in its long history.
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Free-Range Kids: Giving Our Children the Freedom We Had Without Going Nuts with Worry by Lenore Skenazy
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Publisher: Jossey-Bass
Publication Date: Mar 30 2009
ISBN-10: 0470471948
ISBN-13: 978-0470471944
Lifestyle & Family / Parenting
Check AvailabilityHow come we had so much more freedom when we were kids? How can we give our kids that freedom now?
When Lenore Skenazy wrote a newspaper column about letting her
nine-year-old ride the subway alone in New York City, little did she
realize that the response would spark a national movement. Her
outspoken, commonsense approach to parenting galvanized a huge wave of
supporters-and a counterstorm of protest from others who dubbed her
"America's Worst Mom." In this funny, fed-up book, Lenore
encourages parents to let their kids be kids. She's all for helmets and
car seats but insists children do not need a security detail every time
they go outside. Armed with stories, wisecracks, and a battery of
facts, she gleefully punctures modern-day myths about rampant
kidnapping, marauding germs, and poisoned Halloween candy. After
exposing where these worries come from, she gives tips on how to break
free. Her Fourteen Free-Range Commandments include:
- KNOW WHEN TO WORRY: Play Dates and Axe Murderers: How to Tell the Difference
- BOYCOTT BABY KNEE PADS: And the Rest of the Kiddie Safety-Industrial Complex
- RELAX: Not Every Little Thing You Do Has That Much Impact on Your Child's Development
The book reads like a conversation with your funniest, most honest
friend. Readers will find themselves laughing out loud while shedding
their fears. For anyone who remembers the days of walking to school,
playing outside, or eating a kernel of unwrapped candy corn-and longs
to bring them back to childhood - this book is a must-read.
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Grizzlyville: Adventures in Bear Country by Jake Macdonald |
Publisher: Harper Collins Publishers Ltd
Publication Date: April 3 2009
ISBN-10: 155468370X
ISBN-13: 978-1554683703
Biography & Memoir / Science & Nature Jake MacDonald had his first experience with bears when, as a
20-year-old travelling through the wilderness of British Columbia, he
lay awake in his tent at night, simultaneously eager and terrified at
the prospect of encountering a grizzly. Although he saw no bears on
that trip, he has seen plenty since. Part memoir, part natural history,
Grizzlyville is MacDonald's fascinating meditation on North America's
largest predators and on the people who deal with them, sometimes on a
daily basis. More than ever before, bears and human beings are
living closer together as climate change, deforestation and community
encroachment diminish bear territory. In some places, like the
mountainside suburbs of Vancouver and the cities of Northern Ontario,
bears are almost as common as raccoons. In Churchill, Manitoba, they're
a tourist attraction. Some experts believe that the animals should be
left entirely alone; others argue that responsible hunting will best
serve both bears and human beings. MacDonald gives weight to both sides
as he examines the history and behaviour of the three species of bears
in North America's grizzlies, black bears and polar bears.
Thought-provoking and often frightening, Grizzlyville draws on the
personal experiences of MacDonald and others, recounting an absorbing
story about the place bears occupy in our world and the place we occupy
in theirs. |
The Horse Boy: a Father's Quest to Heal his Son by Rupert Isaacson
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Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication Date: April 14 2009
ISBN-10: 0316008230
ISBN-13: 978-0316008235
Biography & Memoir / Alternative Health Check AvailabilityWhen his son Rowan was diagnosed with autism, Rupert Isaacson was
devastated, afraid he might never be able to communicate with his
child. But when Isaacson, a lifelong horseman, rode their neighbor's
horse with Rowan, Rowan improved immeasurably. He was struck with a
crazy idea: why not take Rowan to Mongolia, the one place in the world where horses and shamanic healing intersected? The Horse Boy is the dramatic and heartwarming story of that impossible adventure. In Mongolia,
the family found undreamed of landscapes and people, unbearable
setbacks, and advances beyond their wildest dreams. This is a deeply
moving, truly one-of-a-kind story--of a family willing to go to the
ends of the earth to help their son, and of a boy learning to connect
with the world for the first time. |
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