Author: Nicholas Bate
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780857084729
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
If you want to be happy, fulfilled and energised its probably best not to obsess over being THE best. Why not focus on doing YOUR best? You don't need to completely transform yourself and become a shining beacon of wonderment and astonishing success—you should remain you . . . just a better version. You, Only Better is all about discovering what you're good at and focusing on that. It's about deciding what it is you really want from life and learning how to reach your full potential. Packed with the author's hand-drawn illustrations, helpful quotes, mini-case studies and Q&As you'll learn how to change your mindset for the better and think positively, take action to achieve your goals, fight against fatigue and get motivated and achieve long lasting happiness and contentment. You, Only Better offers techniques and methods for: Gaining energy and focus Managing your time effectively Setting your goals Honing your thinking and mindset Dealing with pressure and stress Making smart decisions Thinking creatively to solve problems Actually taking action and keeping up the momentum
You, Only Better
Author: Nicholas Bate
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780857084729
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
If you want to be happy, fulfilled and energised its probably best not to obsess over being THE best. Why not focus on doing YOUR best? You don't need to completely transform yourself and become a shining beacon of wonderment and astonishing success—you should remain you . . . just a better version. You, Only Better is all about discovering what you're good at and focusing on that. It's about deciding what it is you really want from life and learning how to reach your full potential. Packed with the author's hand-drawn illustrations, helpful quotes, mini-case studies and Q&As you'll learn how to change your mindset for the better and think positively, take action to achieve your goals, fight against fatigue and get motivated and achieve long lasting happiness and contentment. You, Only Better offers techniques and methods for: Gaining energy and focus Managing your time effectively Setting your goals Honing your thinking and mindset Dealing with pressure and stress Making smart decisions Thinking creatively to solve problems Actually taking action and keeping up the momentum
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 9780857084729
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
If you want to be happy, fulfilled and energised its probably best not to obsess over being THE best. Why not focus on doing YOUR best? You don't need to completely transform yourself and become a shining beacon of wonderment and astonishing success—you should remain you . . . just a better version. You, Only Better is all about discovering what you're good at and focusing on that. It's about deciding what it is you really want from life and learning how to reach your full potential. Packed with the author's hand-drawn illustrations, helpful quotes, mini-case studies and Q&As you'll learn how to change your mindset for the better and think positively, take action to achieve your goals, fight against fatigue and get motivated and achieve long lasting happiness and contentment. You, Only Better offers techniques and methods for: Gaining energy and focus Managing your time effectively Setting your goals Honing your thinking and mindset Dealing with pressure and stress Making smart decisions Thinking creatively to solve problems Actually taking action and keeping up the momentum
Be You, Only Better
Author: Kristi Hugstad
Publisher: New World Library
ISBN: 1608687392
Category : Young Adult Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 170
Book Description
Along with all the perks of becoming an adult come challenges and the need to learn skills that help you self-regulate as you venture into new experiences. Highlighting five key areas of life — physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial — Be You, Only Better offers science- and experience-backed tools and easy-to-implement techniques for success. Skill-building and self-care practices — such as journaling, getting enough sleep and exercise, embracing nature, managing time and money, and practicing gratitude, mindfulness, and optimism — are presented, and each is illustrated with the story of a real young person. These practices will help you create a resilient foundation for your powerful future. You’ll discover a wonderfully accessible lifeline and a realistically inspiring guide to leading — and loving — your best possible life.
Publisher: New World Library
ISBN: 1608687392
Category : Young Adult Nonfiction
Languages : en
Pages : 170
Book Description
Along with all the perks of becoming an adult come challenges and the need to learn skills that help you self-regulate as you venture into new experiences. Highlighting five key areas of life — physical, mental, emotional, social, and financial — Be You, Only Better offers science- and experience-backed tools and easy-to-implement techniques for success. Skill-building and self-care practices — such as journaling, getting enough sleep and exercise, embracing nature, managing time and money, and practicing gratitude, mindfulness, and optimism — are presented, and each is illustrated with the story of a real young person. These practices will help you create a resilient foundation for your powerful future. You’ll discover a wonderfully accessible lifeline and a realistically inspiring guide to leading — and loving — your best possible life.
Be Your Best Self
Author: Mike Bayer
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0063013193
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 170
Book Description
Based on Mike Bayer’s New York Times bestseller Best Self, a motivational, do-it-yourself workbook teaching you how to reinvent your life and live every day as your Best Self. In Best Self, Mike Bayer, known to his fans and followers as Coach Mike, empowered his readers to embrace authenticity, break through obstacles, and discover the freedom to be their best selves. By working through each of the Seven SPHERES of life—Social, Personal, Health, Education, Relationships, Employment, and Spiritual Development—Coach Mike distilled his wisdom into a focused guide to get real results. Now, Coach Mike, a regular on The Dr. Phil Show, expands upon his tried-and-true strategy for igniting change and shows you how to design a life that is deeply fulfilling. In this fully interactive workbook, Coach Mike builds on the revealing quizzes, provocative questionnaires, and paradigm-shifting prompts he introduced in Best Self. Using his important but tough questions and exercises, he can help anyone see what their Best Selves and Anti-Selves really look like. The truth is, we all show up in slightly different ways within each of our seven SPHERES. We behave differently when we are in “parenting” mode, versus “career” mode, and so on. That’s to be expected to a degree, but where we run into trouble is when we aren’t always acting as our Best Self within all of our SPHERES. This workbook helps the reader discover personalized strategies for consistently staying connected to and behaving authentically within each SPHERE, because if we aren’t, then we run the risk of getting way out of balance in some areas of our lives. As a mental health specialist, a personal development coach, and an all-around change agent, Coach Mike understands our struggles intimately, because he’s faced—and overcome—his own. With this essential handbook, he makes you see that change is possible. Be Your Best Self will give readers the tools to build a better life, in real-time.
Publisher: HarperCollins
ISBN: 0063013193
Category : Education
Languages : en
Pages : 170
Book Description
Based on Mike Bayer’s New York Times bestseller Best Self, a motivational, do-it-yourself workbook teaching you how to reinvent your life and live every day as your Best Self. In Best Self, Mike Bayer, known to his fans and followers as Coach Mike, empowered his readers to embrace authenticity, break through obstacles, and discover the freedom to be their best selves. By working through each of the Seven SPHERES of life—Social, Personal, Health, Education, Relationships, Employment, and Spiritual Development—Coach Mike distilled his wisdom into a focused guide to get real results. Now, Coach Mike, a regular on The Dr. Phil Show, expands upon his tried-and-true strategy for igniting change and shows you how to design a life that is deeply fulfilling. In this fully interactive workbook, Coach Mike builds on the revealing quizzes, provocative questionnaires, and paradigm-shifting prompts he introduced in Best Self. Using his important but tough questions and exercises, he can help anyone see what their Best Selves and Anti-Selves really look like. The truth is, we all show up in slightly different ways within each of our seven SPHERES. We behave differently when we are in “parenting” mode, versus “career” mode, and so on. That’s to be expected to a degree, but where we run into trouble is when we aren’t always acting as our Best Self within all of our SPHERES. This workbook helps the reader discover personalized strategies for consistently staying connected to and behaving authentically within each SPHERE, because if we aren’t, then we run the risk of getting way out of balance in some areas of our lives. As a mental health specialist, a personal development coach, and an all-around change agent, Coach Mike understands our struggles intimately, because he’s faced—and overcome—his own. With this essential handbook, he makes you see that change is possible. Be Your Best Self will give readers the tools to build a better life, in real-time.
Me!
Author: Jim Benton
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 0545116163
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
Jamie Kelly is back with an all-new diary involving Angeline, her "flawless" friend.
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
ISBN: 0545116163
Category : Juvenile Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 161
Book Description
Jamie Kelly is back with an all-new diary involving Angeline, her "flawless" friend.
Write Like You Talk--Only Better
Author: Barb Sawyers
Publisher: Barb Sawyers
ISBN: 1465889078
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 106
Book Description
What happens when you write like you talk--only better?You have fun, like you have ever since you learned to talk.Your writing flows. You connect and make friends.You think about what matters. You see your writing accomplish your goals.Here are 10 reasons why you need to read this book1. Build relationships with the people who matter to you.2. Reach out to many more.3. Create enjoyment for you and the people you connect with.4. Work with your first and favorite way to communicate-talking.5. Avoid writer's block.6. Get to the point, so you won't waste anyone's time.7. Remember the five grammar rules you need to look good.8. Write tight for social media and busy people.9. Advance to the next level of writing skill through techniques from movies, music and other media.10. Move closer to fulfilling your potential.
Publisher: Barb Sawyers
ISBN: 1465889078
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 106
Book Description
What happens when you write like you talk--only better?You have fun, like you have ever since you learned to talk.Your writing flows. You connect and make friends.You think about what matters. You see your writing accomplish your goals.Here are 10 reasons why you need to read this book1. Build relationships with the people who matter to you.2. Reach out to many more.3. Create enjoyment for you and the people you connect with.4. Work with your first and favorite way to communicate-talking.5. Avoid writer's block.6. Get to the point, so you won't waste anyone's time.7. Remember the five grammar rules you need to look good.8. Write tight for social media and busy people.9. Advance to the next level of writing skill through techniques from movies, music and other media.10. Move closer to fulfilling your potential.
From Junk Food to Joy Food
Author: Joy Bauer
Publisher: Hay House, Inc
ISBN: 1401950396
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 277
Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR Imagine what it would be like if you could eat all the comfort foods you love—from General Tso’s Chicken and Buffalo Wings to Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream—but without the calories. But instead of feeling bloated, heavy, and lethargic, you felt light, alive, and healthy. It sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? This dream is, in fact, reality, and New York Times best-selling author Joy Bauer is here to prove it. In From Junk Food to Joy Food, Bauer lays out the secrets to transforming everyone’s favorite comfort foods into healthier versions of themselves—just like she does in her popular segment on the TODAY show. With a few simple tweaks, readers can create sumptuous, healthy comfort food dishes with the flavors and textures they crave but without the negative side effects. Instead of making them feel tired and weighed down, these foods will help readers lose weight, alleviate arthritis pain, boost energy, enhance heart health, normalize blood pressure, minimize wrinkles, and so much more. Packed with more than 100 recipes and stunning four-color before-and-after food photography, this recipe book presents some of the most delicious (and typically fattening!) meals, snacks, desserts and drinks—but with a healthy twist. So get set to gobble down Chicken Parmesan for dinner and top it off with Boston Cream Pie, and still drop two dress sizes in a few weeks. It’s all possible when you turn your favorite junk food into Joy food.
Publisher: Hay House, Inc
ISBN: 1401950396
Category : Cooking
Languages : en
Pages : 277
Book Description
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST-SELLING AUTHOR Imagine what it would be like if you could eat all the comfort foods you love—from General Tso’s Chicken and Buffalo Wings to Strawberry Cheesecake and Chocolate Chip Ice Cream—but without the calories. But instead of feeling bloated, heavy, and lethargic, you felt light, alive, and healthy. It sounds like a dream, doesn’t it? This dream is, in fact, reality, and New York Times best-selling author Joy Bauer is here to prove it. In From Junk Food to Joy Food, Bauer lays out the secrets to transforming everyone’s favorite comfort foods into healthier versions of themselves—just like she does in her popular segment on the TODAY show. With a few simple tweaks, readers can create sumptuous, healthy comfort food dishes with the flavors and textures they crave but without the negative side effects. Instead of making them feel tired and weighed down, these foods will help readers lose weight, alleviate arthritis pain, boost energy, enhance heart health, normalize blood pressure, minimize wrinkles, and so much more. Packed with more than 100 recipes and stunning four-color before-and-after food photography, this recipe book presents some of the most delicious (and typically fattening!) meals, snacks, desserts and drinks—but with a healthy twist. So get set to gobble down Chicken Parmesan for dinner and top it off with Boston Cream Pie, and still drop two dress sizes in a few weeks. It’s all possible when you turn your favorite junk food into Joy food.
On Rereading
Author: Patricia Meyer Spacks
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674267478
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
After retiring from a lifetime of teaching literature, Patricia Meyer Spacks embarked on a year-long project of rereading dozens of novels: childhood favorites, fiction first encountered in young adulthood and never before revisited, books frequently reread, canonical works of literature she was supposed to have liked but didn’t, guilty pleasures (books she oughtn’t to have liked but did), and stories reread for fun vs. those read for the classroom. On Rereading records the sometimes surprising, always fascinating, results of her personal experiment. Spacks addresses a number of intriguing questions raised by the purposeful act of rereading: Why do we reread novels when, in many instances, we can remember the plot? Why, for example, do some lovers of Jane Austen’s fiction reread her novels every year (or oftener)? Why do young children love to hear the same story read aloud every night at bedtime? And why, as adults, do we return to childhood favorites such as The Hobbit, Alice in Wonderland, and the Harry Potter novels? What pleasures does rereading bring? What psychological needs does it answer? What guilt does it induce when life is short and there are so many other things to do (and so many other books to read)? Rereading, Spacks discovers, helps us to make sense of ourselves. It brings us sharply in contact with how we, like the books we reread, have both changed and remained the same.
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 0674267478
Category : Literary Criticism
Languages : en
Pages : 294
Book Description
After retiring from a lifetime of teaching literature, Patricia Meyer Spacks embarked on a year-long project of rereading dozens of novels: childhood favorites, fiction first encountered in young adulthood and never before revisited, books frequently reread, canonical works of literature she was supposed to have liked but didn’t, guilty pleasures (books she oughtn’t to have liked but did), and stories reread for fun vs. those read for the classroom. On Rereading records the sometimes surprising, always fascinating, results of her personal experiment. Spacks addresses a number of intriguing questions raised by the purposeful act of rereading: Why do we reread novels when, in many instances, we can remember the plot? Why, for example, do some lovers of Jane Austen’s fiction reread her novels every year (or oftener)? Why do young children love to hear the same story read aloud every night at bedtime? And why, as adults, do we return to childhood favorites such as The Hobbit, Alice in Wonderland, and the Harry Potter novels? What pleasures does rereading bring? What psychological needs does it answer? What guilt does it induce when life is short and there are so many other things to do (and so many other books to read)? Rereading, Spacks discovers, helps us to make sense of ourselves. It brings us sharply in contact with how we, like the books we reread, have both changed and remained the same.
The First 20 Hours
Author: Josh Kaufman
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101623047
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of practicing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By completing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the methods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard keyboard, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the simple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Figure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcomponents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accurate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chainsaws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101623047
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 290
Book Description
Forget the 10,000 hour rule— what if it’s possible to learn the basics of any new skill in 20 hours or less? Take a moment to consider how many things you want to learn to do. What’s on your list? What’s holding you back from getting started? Are you worried about the time and effort it takes to acquire new skills—time you don’t have and effort you can’t spare? Research suggests it takes 10,000 hours to develop a new skill. In this nonstop world when will you ever find that much time and energy? To make matters worse, the early hours of practicing something new are always the most frustrating. That’s why it’s difficult to learn how to speak a new language, play an instrument, hit a golf ball, or shoot great photos. It’s so much easier to watch TV or surf the web . . . In The First 20 Hours, Josh Kaufman offers a systematic approach to rapid skill acquisition— how to learn any new skill as quickly as possible. His method shows you how to deconstruct complex skills, maximize productive practice, and remove common learning barriers. By completing just 20 hours of focused, deliberate practice you’ll go from knowing absolutely nothing to performing noticeably well. Kaufman personally field-tested the methods in this book. You’ll have a front row seat as he develops a personal yoga practice, writes his own web-based computer programs, teaches himself to touch type on a nonstandard keyboard, explores the oldest and most complex board game in history, picks up the ukulele, and learns how to windsurf. Here are a few of the simple techniques he teaches: Define your target performance level: Figure out what your desired level of skill looks like, what you’re trying to achieve, and what you’ll be able to do when you’re done. The more specific, the better. Deconstruct the skill: Most of the things we think of as skills are actually bundles of smaller subskills. If you break down the subcomponents, it’s easier to figure out which ones are most important and practice those first. Eliminate barriers to practice: Removing common distractions and unnecessary effort makes it much easier to sit down and focus on deliberate practice. Create fast feedback loops: Getting accurate, real-time information about how well you’re performing during practice makes it much easier to improve. Whether you want to paint a portrait, launch a start-up, fly an airplane, or juggle flaming chainsaws, The First 20 Hours will help you pick up the basics of any skill in record time . . . and have more fun along the way.
One Decision
Author: Mike Bayer
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593296036
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 305
Book Description
A New York Times Bestseller From Dr. Phil show regular and author of the New York Times bestselling Best Self: Be You, Only Better, a plan for taking immediate steps to improving your life Foreword by Dr. Phil McGraw It is estimated that we make 35,000 decisions every day. Right now, at least one decision we make will have a powerful ripple effect across all aspects of our life. But One Decision isn't about taking one overwhelming big step; it's about starting with a single, important choice we can make every day: the decision to be authentic. It is the decision to know who you are, to be who you are, and express yourself authentically. Whether you find yourself up against a new challenge, deciding on a change in direction, or in need of a total reinvention, Coach Mike has created a powerful blueprint to help you connect with your authenticity so that your life reflects who you truly are. With the tools in this book, you can transform what the obstacles in your life into new opportunities. He shows you how to stop constantly over-thinking the "big" decisions and reconnect with your gut instincts and make all of your decisions with confidence and peace of mind. And, this book helps you navigate the forces that routinely drive your decision making, ensuring that you're motivated by facts instead of fears, clarity over confusion, and evidence over emotion. One Decision is an inspiring and practical action plan to help you improve your life, find your purpose, improve your mental health and relationships, work on your physical health, and even make more money. Drawing on twenty years of experience helping individuals from all walks of life make real and lasting change, Coach Mike has a refreshing approach for motivating you to take a risk, be bold, and take real action toward a better life. A PENGUIN LIFE TITLE
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 0593296036
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 305
Book Description
A New York Times Bestseller From Dr. Phil show regular and author of the New York Times bestselling Best Self: Be You, Only Better, a plan for taking immediate steps to improving your life Foreword by Dr. Phil McGraw It is estimated that we make 35,000 decisions every day. Right now, at least one decision we make will have a powerful ripple effect across all aspects of our life. But One Decision isn't about taking one overwhelming big step; it's about starting with a single, important choice we can make every day: the decision to be authentic. It is the decision to know who you are, to be who you are, and express yourself authentically. Whether you find yourself up against a new challenge, deciding on a change in direction, or in need of a total reinvention, Coach Mike has created a powerful blueprint to help you connect with your authenticity so that your life reflects who you truly are. With the tools in this book, you can transform what the obstacles in your life into new opportunities. He shows you how to stop constantly over-thinking the "big" decisions and reconnect with your gut instincts and make all of your decisions with confidence and peace of mind. And, this book helps you navigate the forces that routinely drive your decision making, ensuring that you're motivated by facts instead of fears, clarity over confusion, and evidence over emotion. One Decision is an inspiring and practical action plan to help you improve your life, find your purpose, improve your mental health and relationships, work on your physical health, and even make more money. Drawing on twenty years of experience helping individuals from all walks of life make real and lasting change, Coach Mike has a refreshing approach for motivating you to take a risk, be bold, and take real action toward a better life. A PENGUIN LIFE TITLE
Why Nations Fail
Author: Daron Acemoglu
Publisher: Currency
ISBN: 0307719227
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 546
Book Description
Brilliant and engagingly written, Why Nations Fail answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine? Is it culture, the weather, geography? Perhaps ignorance of what the right policies are? Simply, no. None of these factors is either definitive or destiny. Otherwise, how to explain why Botswana has become one of the fastest growing countries in the world, while other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and Sierra Leone, are mired in poverty and violence? Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson conclusively show that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or lack of it). Korea, to take just one of their fascinating examples, is a remarkably homogeneous nation, yet the people of North Korea are among the poorest on earth while their brothers and sisters in South Korea are among the richest. The south forged a society that created incentives, rewarded innovation, and allowed everyone to participate in economic opportunities. The economic success thus spurred was sustained because the government became accountable and responsive to citizens and the great mass of people. Sadly, the people of the north have endured decades of famine, political repression, and very different economic institutions—with no end in sight. The differences between the Koreas is due to the politics that created these completely different institutional trajectories. Based on fifteen years of original research Acemoglu and Robinson marshall extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, medieval Venice, the Soviet Union, Latin America, England, Europe, the United States, and Africa to build a new theory of political economy with great relevance for the big questions of today, including: - China has built an authoritarian growth machine. Will it continue to grow at such high speed and overwhelm the West? - Are America’s best days behind it? Are we moving from a virtuous circle in which efforts by elites to aggrandize power are resisted to a vicious one that enriches and empowers a small minority? - What is the most effective way to help move billions of people from the rut of poverty to prosperity? More philanthropy from the wealthy nations of the West? Or learning the hard-won lessons of Acemoglu and Robinson’s breakthrough ideas on the interplay between inclusive political and economic institutions? Why Nations Fail will change the way you look at—and understand—the world.
Publisher: Currency
ISBN: 0307719227
Category : Business & Economics
Languages : en
Pages : 546
Book Description
Brilliant and engagingly written, Why Nations Fail answers the question that has stumped the experts for centuries: Why are some nations rich and others poor, divided by wealth and poverty, health and sickness, food and famine? Is it culture, the weather, geography? Perhaps ignorance of what the right policies are? Simply, no. None of these factors is either definitive or destiny. Otherwise, how to explain why Botswana has become one of the fastest growing countries in the world, while other African nations, such as Zimbabwe, the Congo, and Sierra Leone, are mired in poverty and violence? Daron Acemoglu and James Robinson conclusively show that it is man-made political and economic institutions that underlie economic success (or lack of it). Korea, to take just one of their fascinating examples, is a remarkably homogeneous nation, yet the people of North Korea are among the poorest on earth while their brothers and sisters in South Korea are among the richest. The south forged a society that created incentives, rewarded innovation, and allowed everyone to participate in economic opportunities. The economic success thus spurred was sustained because the government became accountable and responsive to citizens and the great mass of people. Sadly, the people of the north have endured decades of famine, political repression, and very different economic institutions—with no end in sight. The differences between the Koreas is due to the politics that created these completely different institutional trajectories. Based on fifteen years of original research Acemoglu and Robinson marshall extraordinary historical evidence from the Roman Empire, the Mayan city-states, medieval Venice, the Soviet Union, Latin America, England, Europe, the United States, and Africa to build a new theory of political economy with great relevance for the big questions of today, including: - China has built an authoritarian growth machine. Will it continue to grow at such high speed and overwhelm the West? - Are America’s best days behind it? Are we moving from a virtuous circle in which efforts by elites to aggrandize power are resisted to a vicious one that enriches and empowers a small minority? - What is the most effective way to help move billions of people from the rut of poverty to prosperity? More philanthropy from the wealthy nations of the West? Or learning the hard-won lessons of Acemoglu and Robinson’s breakthrough ideas on the interplay between inclusive political and economic institutions? Why Nations Fail will change the way you look at—and understand—the world.