Never Saw It Coming

Never Saw It Coming PDF Author: Karen A. Cerulo
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226100294
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 345

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Book Description
People—especially Americans—are by and large optimists. They're much better at imagining best-case scenarios (I could win the lottery!) than worst-case scenarios (A hurricane could destroy my neighborhood!). This is true not just of their approach to imagining the future, but of their memories as well: people are better able to describe the best moments of their lives than they are the worst. Though there are psychological reasons for this phenomenon, Karen A.Cerulo, in Never Saw It Coming, considers instead the role of society in fostering this attitude. What kinds of communities develop this pattern of thought, which do not, and what does that say about human ability to evaluate possible outcomes of decisions and events? Cerulo takes readers to diverse realms of experience, including intimate family relationships, key transitions in our lives, the places we work and play, and the boardrooms of organizations and bureaucracies. Using interviews, surveys, artistic and fictional accounts, media reports, historical data, and official records, she illuminates one of the most common, yet least studied, of human traits—a blatant disregard for worst-case scenarios. Never Saw It Coming, therefore, will be crucial to anyone who wants to understand human attempts to picture or plan the future. “In Never Saw It Coming, Karen Cerulo argues that in American society there is a ‘positive symmetry,’ a tendency to focus on and exaggerate the best, the winner, the most optimistic outcome and outlook. Thus, the conceptions of the worst are underdeveloped and elided. Naturally, as she masterfully outlines, there are dramatic consequences to this characterological inability to imagine and prepare for the worst, as the failure to heed memos leading up to both the 9/11 and NASA Challenger disasters, for instance, so painfully reminded us.”--Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Swarthmore College “Katrina, 9/11, and the War in Iraq—all demonstrate the costliness of failing to anticipate worst-case scenarios. Never Saw It Coming explains why it is so hard to do so: adaptive behavior hard-wired into human cognition is complemented and reinforced by cultural practices, which are in turn institutionalized in the rules and structures of formal organizations. But Karen Cerulo doesn’t just diagnose the problem; she uses case studies of settings in which people effectively anticipate and deal with potential disaster to describe structural solutions to the chronic dilemmas she describes so well. Never Saw It Coming is a powerful contribution to the emerging fields of cognitive and moral sociology.”--Paul DiMaggio, Princeton University

Never Saw It Coming

Never Saw It Coming PDF Author: Karen A. Cerulo
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226100294
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 345

Get Book Here

Book Description
People—especially Americans—are by and large optimists. They're much better at imagining best-case scenarios (I could win the lottery!) than worst-case scenarios (A hurricane could destroy my neighborhood!). This is true not just of their approach to imagining the future, but of their memories as well: people are better able to describe the best moments of their lives than they are the worst. Though there are psychological reasons for this phenomenon, Karen A.Cerulo, in Never Saw It Coming, considers instead the role of society in fostering this attitude. What kinds of communities develop this pattern of thought, which do not, and what does that say about human ability to evaluate possible outcomes of decisions and events? Cerulo takes readers to diverse realms of experience, including intimate family relationships, key transitions in our lives, the places we work and play, and the boardrooms of organizations and bureaucracies. Using interviews, surveys, artistic and fictional accounts, media reports, historical data, and official records, she illuminates one of the most common, yet least studied, of human traits—a blatant disregard for worst-case scenarios. Never Saw It Coming, therefore, will be crucial to anyone who wants to understand human attempts to picture or plan the future. “In Never Saw It Coming, Karen Cerulo argues that in American society there is a ‘positive symmetry,’ a tendency to focus on and exaggerate the best, the winner, the most optimistic outcome and outlook. Thus, the conceptions of the worst are underdeveloped and elided. Naturally, as she masterfully outlines, there are dramatic consequences to this characterological inability to imagine and prepare for the worst, as the failure to heed memos leading up to both the 9/11 and NASA Challenger disasters, for instance, so painfully reminded us.”--Robin Wagner-Pacifici, Swarthmore College “Katrina, 9/11, and the War in Iraq—all demonstrate the costliness of failing to anticipate worst-case scenarios. Never Saw It Coming explains why it is so hard to do so: adaptive behavior hard-wired into human cognition is complemented and reinforced by cultural practices, which are in turn institutionalized in the rules and structures of formal organizations. But Karen Cerulo doesn’t just diagnose the problem; she uses case studies of settings in which people effectively anticipate and deal with potential disaster to describe structural solutions to the chronic dilemmas she describes so well. Never Saw It Coming is a powerful contribution to the emerging fields of cognitive and moral sociology.”--Paul DiMaggio, Princeton University

Worst Cases

Worst Cases PDF Author: Lee Clarke
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
ISBN: 0226108600
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 226

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Book Description
Al Qaeda detonates a nuclear weapon in Times Square during rush hour, wiping out half of Manhattan and killing 500,000 people. A virulent strain of bird flu jumps to humans in Thailand, sweeps across Asia, and claims more than fifty million lives. A single freight car of chlorine derails on the outskirts of Los Angeles, spilling its contents and killing seven million. An asteroid ten kilometers wide slams into the Atlantic Ocean, unleashing a tsunami that renders life on the planet as we know it extinct. We consider the few who live in fear of such scenarios to be alarmist or even paranoid. But Worst Cases shows that such individuals—like Cassandra foreseeing the fall of Troy—are more reasonable and prescient than you might think. In this book, Lee Clarke surveys the full range of possible catastrophes that animate and dominate the popular imagination, from toxic spills and terrorism to plane crashes and pandemics. Along the way, he explores how the ubiquity of worst cases in everyday life has rendered them ordinary and mundane. Fear and dread, Clarke argues, have actually become too rare: only when the public has more substantial information and more credible warnings will it take worst cases as seriously as it should. A timely and necessary look into how we think about the unthinkable, Worst Cases will be must reading for anyone attuned to our current climate of threat and fear.

The Worst Princess

The Worst Princess PDF Author: Anna Kemp
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1847388752
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 32

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Book Description
Once upon a time, in a tower near you, Lived a sad princess; the Princess Sue. "Some day," she sighed, "my prince will come, But I wish he'd move his royal bum." But when Princess Sue's prince finally does arrive, he's not quite what she had in mind. Find out how the feisty princess escapes the clutches of her twit of a prince in this funny, feminist twist on the traditional princess tale. Forget about pretty dresses, fairytale weddings and grand balls, Princess Sue is all about adventure, mischief and making unusual friends. She really is the worst princess! An empowering picture book from the brilliant author Anna Kemp, with illustrations by Sara Ogilive, illustrator of The Detective Dog – perfect for fans of Fantastically Great Women Who Changed the World, Princess Smartypants,Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls and Ada Twist, Scientist. ‘Those sick of the cult of pink princesses will appreciate this quirky take on the traditional princess tale… A very funny new picture book’ The Bookseller Children's Buyers Guide ‘Told in verse, and wonderfully illustrated by Sara Ogilvie, this picture book is so funny it could be safely recommended for all ages’ The Independent on Sunday ‘Girl power is celebrated in this picture book that turns the princess role firmly on its head’ Waking Brain Cells blog ‘This book will remind young girls that it takes courage and determination to be oneself, even when going after one’s dreams or when beginning and ending friendships’ curled up with a good kid's book

Good Strategy Bad Strategy

Good Strategy Bad Strategy PDF Author: Richard Rumelt
Publisher: Currency
ISBN: 0307886239
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 338

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Book Description
Good Strategy/Bad Strategy clarifies the muddled thinking underlying too many strategies and provides a clear way to create and implement a powerful action-oriented strategy for the real world. Developing and implementing a strategy is the central task of a leader. A good strategy is a specific and coherent response to—and approach for—overcoming the obstacles to progress. A good strategy works by harnessing and applying power where it will have the greatest effect. Yet, Rumelt shows that there has been a growing and unfortunate tendency to equate Mom-and-apple-pie values, fluffy packages of buzzwords, motivational slogans, and financial goals with “strategy.” In Good Strategy/Bad Strategy, he debunks these elements of “bad strategy” and awakens an understanding of the power of a “good strategy.” He introduces nine sources of power—ranging from using leverage to effectively focusing on growth—that are eye-opening yet pragmatic tools that can easily be put to work on Monday morning, and uses fascinating examples from business, nonprofit, and military affairs to bring its original and pragmatic ideas to life. The detailed examples range from Apple to General Motors, from the two Iraq wars to Afghanistan, from a small local market to Wal-Mart, from Nvidia to Silicon Graphics, from the Getty Trust to the Los Angeles Unified School District, from Cisco Systems to Paccar, and from Global Crossing to the 2007–08 financial crisis. Reflecting an astonishing grasp and integration of economics, finance, technology, history, and the brilliance and foibles of the human character, Good Strategy/Bad Strategy stems from Rumelt’s decades of digging beyond the superficial to address hard questions with honesty and integrity.

Banaras

Banaras PDF Author: Thibaut Meurisse
Publisher: Penguin Random House India Private Limited
ISBN: 9357084533
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 171

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Book Description
What if you could make your success inevitable? Imagine if, by mastering specific laws of success, you could achieve any goal you’ve ever set? How would that make you feel? What would you start doing differently? Success Is Inevitable is your definitive master plan for success. By reading it, you’ll discover the seventeen laws that will skyrocket your success. With pragmatic exercises and personal examples, you’ll explore specific techniques that will enable you to reach your full potential and achieve your biggest goals. In this book, you will discover how to increase your odds of success by harnessing the four fundamental powers, how to build unshakeable self-confidence using the self-empowerment triangle, and how to use the bullet-proof timeframe to strengthen your resilience, among others. Success Is Inevitable is your must-read guide for achieving the success you desire. If you like easy-to-understand strategies, practical exercises and no-nonsense teachers, then you’ll love Thibaut Meurisse’s books.

Wilderness Medicine E-Book

Wilderness Medicine E-Book PDF Author: Paul S. Auerbach
Publisher: Elsevier Health Sciences
ISBN: 1455733563
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 2931

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Book Description
Quickly and decisively manage any medical emergency you encounter in the great outdoors with Wilderness Medicine! World-renowned authority and author, Dr. Paul Auerbach, and a team of experts offer proven, practical, visual guidance for effectively diagnosing and treating the full range of emergencies and health problems encountered in situations where time and resources are scarce. Every day, more and more people are venturing into the wilderness and extreme environments, or are victims of horrific natural disasters...and many are unprepared for the dangers and aftermath that come with these episodes. Whether these victims are stranded on mountaintops, lost in the desert, injured on a remote bike path, or ill far out at sea, this indispensable resource--now with online access at www.expertconsult.com for greater accessibility and portability-- equips rescuers and health care professionals to effectively address and prevent injury and illness in the wilderness! This textbook is widely referred to as "The Bible of Wilderness Medicine." Be able to practice emergency medicine outside of the traditional hospital/clinical setting whether you are in remote environments, underdeveloped but highly populated areas, or disaster areas, are part of search and rescue operations, or dealing with casualties from episodes of extreme sports and active lifestyle activities. Face any medical challenge in the wilderness with expert guidance: Dr. Auerbach is a noted author and the world's leading authority on wilderness medicine. He is a founder and Past President of the Wilderness Medical Society, consultant to the Divers Alert Network and many other agencies and organizations, and a member of the National Medical Committee for the National Ski Patrol System. Handle everything from frostbite to infection by marine microbes, not to mention other diverse injuries, bites, stings, poisonous plant exposures, animal attacks, and natural disasters. Grasp the essential aspects of search and rescue. Respond quickly and effectively by improvising with available materials. Improve your competency and readiness with the latest guidance on volcanic eruptions, extreme sports, splints and slings, wilderness cardiology, living off the land, aerospace medicine, mental health in the wilderness, tactical combat casualty care, and much more. Meet the needs and special considerations of specific patient populations such as children, women, elders, persons with chronic medical conditions, and the disabled. Make smart decisions about gear, navigation, nutrition, and survival. Be prepared for everything with expanded coverage on topics such as high altitude, cold water immersion, and poisonous and venomous plants and animals. Get the skills you need now with new information on global humanitarian relief and expedition medicine, plus expanded coverage of injury prevention and environmental preservation. Get guidance on the go with fully searchable online text, plus bonus images, tables and video clips - all available on ExpertConsult.com.

The Secret

The Secret PDF Author: Rhonda Byrne
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 0731815297
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
The tenth-anniversary edition of the book that changed lives in profound ways, now with a new foreword and afterword. In 2006, a groundbreaking feature-length film revealed the great mystery of the universe—The Secret—and, later that year, Rhonda Byrne followed with a book that became a worldwide bestseller. Fragments of a Great Secret have been found in the oral traditions, in literature, in religions and philosophies throughout the centuries. For the first time, all the pieces of The Secret come together in an incredible revelation that will be life-transforming for all who experience it. In this book, you’ll learn how to use The Secret in every aspect of your life—money, health, relationships, happiness, and in every interaction you have in the world. You’ll begin to understand the hidden, untapped power that’s within you, and this revelation can bring joy to every aspect of your life. The Secret contains wisdom from modern-day teachers—men and women who have used it to achieve health, wealth, and happiness. By applying the knowledge of The Secret, they bring to light compelling stories of eradicating disease, acquiring massive wealth, overcoming obstacles, and achieving what many would regard as impossible.

What's the Worst That Could Happen?

What's the Worst That Could Happen? PDF Author: Donald E. Westlake
Publisher: Mysterious Press
ISBN: 0759522960
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 394

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Book Description
It started with a ring. A cheap ring. The yellow metal said brass, not gold, and the sparkly bits were certainly not diamonds. But the ring belonged to May's horseplaying uncle, who swore it brought good luck. Dortmunder, who wouldn't kick a little good luck out of bed, puts it to the test when he goes to burglarize Long Island billionaire Max Fairbanks. As luck would have it, Dortmunder is greeted by Fairbanks himself - and a loaded gun - as soon as he strolls through the door. When the cops arrive, the mogul adds insult to injury by claiming that Dortmunder's lucky ring is actually his. Big mistake, big guy. As soon as Dortmunder can give the cops the slip, the world's most single-minded burglar goes after the fat cat with a vengeance and a team of crooks that only he can assemble. And from the get go everything will go Dortmunder's way - everything, that is, except the ring.

The Anxieties of Idleness

The Anxieties of Idleness PDF Author: Sarah Jordan
Publisher: Bucknell University Press
ISBN: 9780838755235
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 308

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Book Description
The Anxieties of Idleness: Idleness in Eighteenth-Century British Literature and Culture investigates the preoccupation with idleness that haunts the British eighteenth century. Jordan argues that as Great Britain began to define itself as a nation during this period, one important quality it claimed was industriousness. However, this claim was undermined and complicated by many factors, such as leisure's importance to class status. Thus idleness was a subject of intense anxiety. One result of this anxiety was an increased surveillance of the supposed idleness of those members of society with less power to wield: the working classes, the nonwhite races, and women. Jordan analyzes how the "idleness" of these groups is figured, in traditional literature and in extra-literary works. Idleness was also a concern for writers of the day, as writing became a money-earning profession. Jordan examines the lives and works of two writers especially obsessed with idleness, Samuel Johnson and William Cowper.

Dreams of a Lifetime

Dreams of a Lifetime PDF Author: Karen A. Cerulo
Publisher: Princeton University Press
ISBN: 0691229082
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 280

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Book Description
How social status shapes our dreams of the future and inhibits the lives we envision for ourselves Most of us understand that a person’s place in society can close doors to opportunity, but anything is possible when we dream about what might be, or so we think. Dreams of a Lifetime reveals that what and how we dream—and whether we believe our dreams can actually come true—are tied to our social class, gender, race, age, and life events. Karen Cerulo and Janet Ruane argue that our social location shapes the seemingly private and unique life of our minds. We are all free to dream about possibilities, but not all dreamers are equal. Cerulo and Ruane show how our social position ingrains itself on our mind’s eye, quietly influencing the nature of our dreams, whether we embrace dreaming or dream at all, and whether we believe that our dreams, from the attainable to the improbable, can become realities. They explore how inequalities stemming from social disadvantages pattern our dreams for ourselves, and how sociocultural disparities in how we dream exacerbate social inequalities and limit the life paths we believe are open to us. Drawing on a wealth of original interviews with people from diverse social backgrounds, Dreams of a Lifetime demonstrates how the study of our dreams can provide new avenues for understanding and combating inequality—including inequalities that precede action or outcome.