Focus on the Good Stuff. The Power of Appreciation

You are born into it or marry in. Loyalty is absolute, bloodshed revered and you kill or go to your grave before betraying The Family. This code of omert? is how the 'Ndrangheta became the world’s most powerful mafia. The Good Mothers is the story of the women who broke the silence.We live in their buildings, work in their companies, shop in their stores, eat in their restaurants and elect politicians they fund. Founded more than 150 years ago by shepherding families in the toe of Italy, the ’Ndrangheta is today the world’s most powerful mafia, with a crushing presence in southern Italy, a market-moving size in global finance and a reach that extends to fifty countries around the world. And yet, remarkably, few of us have ever heard of it.The ’Ndrangheta’s power rests on a code of silence, omert?, enforced by a claustrophobic family hierarchy and murderous misogyny. Men and boys rule. Girls are married off as teenagers in arranged clan alliances. Beatings are routine. A woman who is ‘unfaithful’ – even to a dead husband – can expect her sons, brothers or father to kill her to erase the ‘family shame’.In 2009, when abused wife Lea Garofalo ‘disappears’ after giving evidence against her mafiosi husband, prosecutor Alessandra Cerreti realises the ’Ndrangheta’s bigotry may be its great flaw. The key to bringing down this criminal empire is to free its women and allow them to speak out and testify. When Alessandra finds two collaborators inside Italy’s biggest crime families, she must persuade them to cooperate, and save themselves and their children.The stakes could not be higher. Alessandra is fighting to save a nation. The mafiosi are fighting for their existence. The women are fighting for their lives. Not all will survive.

We live in an era of aesthetics. Art has become both pervasive and powerful – it is displayed not only in museums and galleries but also on the walls of corporations and it is increasingly fused with design. But what makes art so powerful, and in what does its power consist? 

According to a widespread view, the power of art – its beauty – lies in the eye of the beholder. What counts as art appears to be a function of individual acts of evaluation supported by powerful institutions. On this account, the power of art stems from a force that is not itself aesthetic, such as the art market and the financial power of speculators. Art expresses, in a disguised form, the power of something else – like money – that lies behind it. In one word, art has lost its autonomy. 

In this short book, Markus Gabriel rejects this view. He argues that art is essentially uncontrollable. It is in the nature of the work of art to be autonomous to such a degree that the art world will never manage to overpower it. Ever since the cave paintings of Lascaux, art has taken hold of the human mind and implemented itself in our very being. Thanks to the emergence of art we became human beings, that is, beings who lead their lives in light of an image of the human being and its position in the world and in relation to other species. Due to its structural, ontological power, art itself is and remains radically autonomous. Yet, this power is highly ambiguous, as we cannot control its unfolding. 

In this book, a leading proponent of New Realism applies this philosophical perspective to art to create a new aesthetic realism.

Straightforward advice for navigating the  challenges facing professionals who are underrepresented in the leadership of today’s organizations   Michael Hyter is one of the nation’s highest regarded executives of color, and a widely respected thought leader in the area of talent development and leadership succession. To get there, he worked hard and made his work count through Efficacy. In  The Power of Choice  he reveals the lessons he learned along the way—putting you on the fast track to career success.  This book provides answers to the questions you might face as you immerse yourself in an often confusing and challenging workplace culture. It is about how to take informed personal responsibility for your career. Inside, you’ll find an open and frank discussion of how you can—and must, if you want to succeed!—make deliberate choices about who you are and how to represent yourself in your career. You’ll learn how to open doors for yourself (rather than waiting for others to open them for you), choose what’s important to you, and decide how you will achieve your goals.  Learn how to choose greatness by embracing efficacy to make the most of your time and energy Take your career into your own hands with inspiration from others who have made it Discover how embracing personal responsibility can create the opportunities you’ve dreamed of Gain deep insights into your own mind and make the right decisions to get where you’re going Yes, for those of us who are underrepresented talent, there are tradeoffs to finding success in today’s workplace culture. If you rise to the challenge, you stand a good chance of reaching your full potential—both professionally and personally.

In this wide-ranging work, now available in paperback, Habermas presents his views on the nature of the social sciences and their distinctive methodology and concerns. He examines, among other things, the traditional division between the natural sciences and the social sciences; the characteristics of social action and the implications of theories of language for social enquiry; and the nature, tasks and limitations of hermeneutics. Habermas' analysis of these and other themes is, as always, rigorous, perceptive and constructive. This brilliant study succeeds in highlighting the distinctive characteristics of the social sciences and in outlining the nature of, and prospects for, critical theory today.

The need for realism in reform of its monetary system is what makes Bernstein’s story of the Power of Gold so timely. It is a compelling reminder that maintaining a fixed price for gold and fixed exchange rates were difficult even in a simpler financial environment….Peter Bernstein was reluctant to project the story of gold into the future. But to me his message was clear. Yes, gold will be with us, valued not only for its intrinsic qualities but as a last refuge and store of value in turbulent times. But its days as money, as a means of payment and a fixed unit of account are gone. —From the New Foreword by Paul Volcker This bestselling book reveals a record of human nature in the ubiquity of gold with a new foreword by Paul Volcker In this exciting book, the late Peter L. Bernstein tells the story of history's most coveted, celebrated, and inglorious asset: gold. From the ancient fascinations of Moses and Midas through the modern convulsions caused by the gold standard and its aftermath, gold has led many of its most eager and proud possessors to a bad end. And while the same cycle of obsession and desperation may reverberate in today's fast-moving, electronically-driven markets, the role of gold in shaping human history is the striking feature of this tumultuous tale. Such is the power of gold. Whether it is Egyptian pharaohs with depraved tastes, the luxury-mad survivors of the Black Death, the Chinese inventor of paper money, the pirates on the Spanish Main, or the hardnosed believers in the international gold standard, gold has been the supreme possession. It has been an icon for greed and an emblem of rectitude, as well as a vehicle for vanity and a badge of power that has shaped the destiny of humanity through the ages. Discusses the beginnings of gold as something with magical, religious, and artistic qualities and follows its trail as we progress to the invention of coinage, the transformation of gold into money, and the gold standard Other bestselling books by the late Peter Bernstein: Against the Gods, Capital Ideas, and Capital Ideas Evolving Contemplates gold from the diverse perspectives of monarchs and moneyers, potentates and politicians, men of legendary wealth and others of more plebeian beginnings Far more than a tale of romantic myths, daring explorations, and the history of money and power struggles, The Power of Gold suggests that the true significance of this infamous element may lie in the timeless passions it continues to evoke, and what this reveals about ourselves.

The Cult of Ancestors is the long-awaited debut book by the winner of the sixteenth season of 'Battle of the Psychics' - Viktoria Raidos. The author discusses how the actions of distant ancestors continue to influence our destiny today. She also answers the most important question: Is it possible to change what is literally 'written in the family?' The ability to learn from mistakes and to improve is the basis of both biological and spiritual evolution. One of the most important human tools to help achieve this is conscious attention on the themes of our destiny. This is very important in relation to the history of the family: direct ancestors act on a person automatically, and in order to somehow change their influence you must first understand them. The influence of distant ancestors, on the other hand, and the help they can give is almost impossible to feel and receive without knowledge of them and their fates. Usually, in order to act correctly, you need to understand who you are and where you are. Victoria is convinced that, in many ways, this understanding comes from a kind of knowledge gained through the history of your ancestors. The force that has been transmitted over centuries from one generation to the next, which is located in your physiology and psyche, develops into certain themes that affect your very life. If you learn to see and change these stories, you will learn to change your destiny.

The Cult of Ancestors is the long-awaited debut book by the winner of the sixteenth season of 'Battle of the Psychics' - Viktoria Raidos. The author discusses how the actions of distant ancestors continue to influence our destiny today. She also answers the most important question: Is it possible to change what is literally 'written in the family?' The ability to learn from mistakes and to improve is the basis of both biological and spiritual evolution. One of the most important human tools to help achieve this is conscious attention on the themes of our destiny. This is very important in relation to the history of the family: direct ancestors act on a person automatically, and in order to somehow change their influence you must first understand them. The influence of distant ancestors, on the other hand, and the help they can give is almost impossible to feel and receive without knowledge of them and their fates. Usually, in order to act correctly, you need to understand who you are and where you are. Victoria is convinced that, in many ways, this understanding comes from a kind of knowledge gained through the history of your ancestors. The force that has been transmitted over centuries from one generation to the next, which is located in your physiology and psyche, develops into certain themes that affect your very life. If you learn to see and change these stories, you will learn to change your destiny.

Such Stuff as Dreams: The Psychology of Fiction explores how fiction works in the brains and imagination of both readers and writers. Demonstrates how reading fiction can contribute to a greater understanding of, and the ability to change, ourselves Informed by the latest psychological research which focuses on, for example, how identification with fictional characters occurs, and how literature can improve social abilities Explores traditional aspects of fiction, including character, plot, setting, and theme, as well as a number of classic techniques, such as metaphor, metonymy, defamiliarization, and cues Includes extensive end-notes, which ground the work in psychological studies Features excerpts from fiction which are discussed throughout the text, including works by William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, Kate Chopin, Anton Chekhov, James Baldwin, and others

The Power In/Of Language features a collection of essays that analyse the ways in which language is utilized in contemporary education revealing its deeply entrenched power relationships. Features essays grounded in theoretical rigor that offer critical insights into contemporary educational practice Provides educators with fresh new perspectives on language in education Based on the latest research data

A practical guide to avoiding accidental philanthropy and controlling your tax destiny Written by Daniel Nigito-a financial services expert whose programs have saved families millions in tax dollars and created millions more for charities across the United States-this timely guide will show you how to use the simple, yet powerful strategy known as «charitable leverage» to regain control of your financial life. This proven approach, which allows you to become a partner with charity while gaining control over your tax destiny and providing for you and your family, taps into the unique tax characteristics of two financial instruments-the Charitable Remainder Trust (CRT) and Cash Value Life Insurance (CVLI)-in order to achieve some amazing goals. Offers insights on increasing your current income while paying less tax on it Discusses how to develop real asset protection without moving your money offshore or using complicated and often questionable tax schemes Details how you can build a personal tax-deductible retirement account that does not interfere with other retirement plans The best way to avoid becoming an accidental philanthropist is by understanding how to make taxes work for you. The Power of Leveraging the Charitable Remainder Trust will show you how to do this and, in the process, add meaning to your money.