In The Second Mountain, David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to...

"Down the road from a working-class British pub, along the brick wall of a narrow alley, if the conditions are exactly right, you'll find the entrance to Slade House: a surreal place where visitors see what they want to see, including some things that should be impossible. Every nine years, the house's residents--an odd brother and sister--extend a unique invitation to someone who's different or lonely: a precocious teenager, a divorced policeman,...

"For anyone who wants to be heard at work, earn that overdue promotion, or win more clients, deals, and projects, the bestselling author of Captivate, Vanessa Van Edwards, shares her advanced guide to improving professional relationships through the power of cues. If you've ever been interrupted in meetings, overwhelmed in presentations, or even felt awkward during interactions, it's not you, it's your cues! Becoming fluent in the language of cues-the...

"Nobody ever talks to strangers on the train. It's a rule. But what would happen if they did? From the New York Times bestselling author of The Authenticity Project, a heartwarming novel about unexpected friendships and the joy of connecting. Every day Iona, a larger-than-life magazine advice columnist, travels the ten stops from Hampton Court to Waterloo Station by train, accompanied by her dog, Lulu. Every day she sees the same people, whom she...

Argues for the practice of talking to strangers as a way of widening one's experience of the world, addressing the transformative possibilities as well as the political and practical considerations of engaging with strangers in public.

"Jamieson and Gower teach practical tools to help each member of a group skillfully express their core values, concerns, and highest hopes for any undertaking-building a foundation of understanding and respect that can support even the most ambitious goals. Their All-In Method starts with making the implicit explicit so collaborators are able to develop a foundation of empathy and trust"--

Arguing that modern technology has provided unprecedented access to others while ironically promoting human disengagement, a respected social psychologist shares recommendations for rehumanizing life in relationships and the business world. "An urgent yet hopeful analysis of the surge in dehumanization, and how we can reverse it. The unprecedented access to other humans that technology provides has ironically freed us from engaging with them. Thanks...

"In this follow-up to The Art of Reading Minds, Henrik Fexeus uses his expert psychology knowledge to teach the reader how to hone their social skills, perfect for fans of Dale Carnegie. Research has increasingly shown that nonverbal communication prowess is absolutely essential in seemingly unrelated areas of our lives (investment decisions, salary levels, etc.) However, as our society becomes more modernized and we incorporate new forms of technology...

Perhaps you are WEIRD: raised in a society that is Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. If so, you’re rather psychologically peculiar. Unlike much of the world today, and most people who have ever lived, WEIRD people are highly individualistic, self-obsessed, control-oriented, nonconformist, and analytical. They focus on themselves―their attributes, accomplishments, and aspirations―over their relationships and social roles....

"Resonating with our most profound life experiences, this book explains why we trust other people and form lifelong bonds, and why we ignore these connections at our peril. Pinker answers crucial questions about human relationships in a digital age, such as: How important is face-to-face interaction as children develop new skills, when adults fall in love, when they negotiate business transactions, and as they age? How did humans evolve such finely-tuned...