Author: Alison C. Rose
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 248
Book Description
Dorothy Parker meets Holly Golightly in this sharp, delicious, bright-girl-comes-to-New-York memoir. Alison Rose, former actress and former model (sort of), takes us from her childhood to her years atThe New Yorker, revealing how, often, she “didn’t care enough about existence to keep it going herself” and preferred to stay in her room with her animals and think. She writes about her childhood in California, daughter of a movie-star-handsome psychiatrist who was charming to friends but a bully and a tyrant to his family (he hadn’t wanted children; he believed mental illness was hereditary). She writes about how she never liked any place better than her wisteria-covered veranda off her childhood bedroom . . . and about the times she lay by the pool with her sister’s boyfriend (she ten; he eighteen), listening to “Ten Cents a Dance” on the phonograph—and learned the victory of cahoots-style flirtation . . . She writes about moving to Manhattan in her twenties, sleeping in Central Park, subsisting on Valium, Eskatrol, and Sara Lee orange cake . . . about the “alter” family she assembled: Francine from Atlanta, whose beauty was so unnerving she disoriented those around her; “Mother,” the short gay man who photographed Alison; “Baby Bob,” just out of Austen Riggs mental hospital . . . She writes about moving to L.A., attending the Actors Studio, living with Burt Lancaster’s son “Billy the Fish” (he lived in his own element, coming up for other people’s air), sabotaging her acting efforts (no one knew better than Alison how to shut the window on her own fingers) . . . about encountering Helmut Dantine ofCasablancafame, who gave her shelter from the storm, and about meeting Gardner McKay, her childhood TV idol, and becoming friends—sacred, close, lifelong. She writes about returning to New York, getting a job as a receptionist atThe New Yorker, being taken up by the writers there—“a tribe of gods,” who turned her from a semi-recluse into a full-fledged writer (“You can't be the smartest person who doesn’t do anything forever”); about their kindredness, the impromptu club they formed: Insane Anonymous (a “whole other world that was better than sane”); and her emergence as a writer for the magazine. As Renata Adler said of Alison’s path, “It is the most nuanced, courageous, utterly crazy way to have wended.” Better Than Saneis the debut of a supremely gifted and entertaining writer.
Better Than Sane
Author: Alison C. Rose
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 248
Book Description
Dorothy Parker meets Holly Golightly in this sharp, delicious, bright-girl-comes-to-New-York memoir. Alison Rose, former actress and former model (sort of), takes us from her childhood to her years atThe New Yorker, revealing how, often, she “didn’t care enough about existence to keep it going herself” and preferred to stay in her room with her animals and think. She writes about her childhood in California, daughter of a movie-star-handsome psychiatrist who was charming to friends but a bully and a tyrant to his family (he hadn’t wanted children; he believed mental illness was hereditary). She writes about how she never liked any place better than her wisteria-covered veranda off her childhood bedroom . . . and about the times she lay by the pool with her sister’s boyfriend (she ten; he eighteen), listening to “Ten Cents a Dance” on the phonograph—and learned the victory of cahoots-style flirtation . . . She writes about moving to Manhattan in her twenties, sleeping in Central Park, subsisting on Valium, Eskatrol, and Sara Lee orange cake . . . about the “alter” family she assembled: Francine from Atlanta, whose beauty was so unnerving she disoriented those around her; “Mother,” the short gay man who photographed Alison; “Baby Bob,” just out of Austen Riggs mental hospital . . . She writes about moving to L.A., attending the Actors Studio, living with Burt Lancaster’s son “Billy the Fish” (he lived in his own element, coming up for other people’s air), sabotaging her acting efforts (no one knew better than Alison how to shut the window on her own fingers) . . . about encountering Helmut Dantine ofCasablancafame, who gave her shelter from the storm, and about meeting Gardner McKay, her childhood TV idol, and becoming friends—sacred, close, lifelong. She writes about returning to New York, getting a job as a receptionist atThe New Yorker, being taken up by the writers there—“a tribe of gods,” who turned her from a semi-recluse into a full-fledged writer (“You can't be the smartest person who doesn’t do anything forever”); about their kindredness, the impromptu club they formed: Insane Anonymous (a “whole other world that was better than sane”); and her emergence as a writer for the magazine. As Renata Adler said of Alison’s path, “It is the most nuanced, courageous, utterly crazy way to have wended.” Better Than Saneis the debut of a supremely gifted and entertaining writer.
Publisher: Knopf
ISBN:
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 248
Book Description
Dorothy Parker meets Holly Golightly in this sharp, delicious, bright-girl-comes-to-New-York memoir. Alison Rose, former actress and former model (sort of), takes us from her childhood to her years atThe New Yorker, revealing how, often, she “didn’t care enough about existence to keep it going herself” and preferred to stay in her room with her animals and think. She writes about her childhood in California, daughter of a movie-star-handsome psychiatrist who was charming to friends but a bully and a tyrant to his family (he hadn’t wanted children; he believed mental illness was hereditary). She writes about how she never liked any place better than her wisteria-covered veranda off her childhood bedroom . . . and about the times she lay by the pool with her sister’s boyfriend (she ten; he eighteen), listening to “Ten Cents a Dance” on the phonograph—and learned the victory of cahoots-style flirtation . . . She writes about moving to Manhattan in her twenties, sleeping in Central Park, subsisting on Valium, Eskatrol, and Sara Lee orange cake . . . about the “alter” family she assembled: Francine from Atlanta, whose beauty was so unnerving she disoriented those around her; “Mother,” the short gay man who photographed Alison; “Baby Bob,” just out of Austen Riggs mental hospital . . . She writes about moving to L.A., attending the Actors Studio, living with Burt Lancaster’s son “Billy the Fish” (he lived in his own element, coming up for other people’s air), sabotaging her acting efforts (no one knew better than Alison how to shut the window on her own fingers) . . . about encountering Helmut Dantine ofCasablancafame, who gave her shelter from the storm, and about meeting Gardner McKay, her childhood TV idol, and becoming friends—sacred, close, lifelong. She writes about returning to New York, getting a job as a receptionist atThe New Yorker, being taken up by the writers there—“a tribe of gods,” who turned her from a semi-recluse into a full-fledged writer (“You can't be the smartest person who doesn’t do anything forever”); about their kindredness, the impromptu club they formed: Insane Anonymous (a “whole other world that was better than sane”); and her emergence as a writer for the magazine. As Renata Adler said of Alison’s path, “It is the most nuanced, courageous, utterly crazy way to have wended.” Better Than Saneis the debut of a supremely gifted and entertaining writer.
How to Stay Sane in a Crazy World
Author: Sophia Stuart
Publisher: Hay House, Inc
ISBN: 1401944809
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 131
Book Description
When did you last go back to bed on a Sunday morning with magazines and some tea and cake? Or sink into a bubble bath by candlelight and listen to soothing music? When was your last massage or vacation? If you can’t remember the last time you took care of yourself like this, this book is for you. There was a time when Sophia Stuart needed this book, too. She lived a crazy life with no true relaxation, and soon enough she found herself in front of a surgeon who told her that she had three tumors in her throat and that she needed a five-and-a-half hour surgery—plus almost a month of medical leave to recover. And that’s when she fell apart. But the kindness of strangers helped her through it all. Her anonymous blog teamgloria.com gave her an outlet to express everything she was feeling—her fear of the pain, her anxiety about the operation, her frustration about being stuck at home, and anything else that came up. Her writing also focused on all the glorious people, places, and things that make life delicious; and slowly, it helped her realize that she wanted to live differently. On teamgloria.com, Sophia wasn’t an executive or a media specialist; she was just another person sharing her thoughts and creativity. And through this she forged deep virtual friendships with people who cheered her on and taught her how to stay sane in a crazy world. This book brings together what she learned. It’s full of practical ideas and sweet inspirations (and even a few shopping lists at the back) to guide you to a more serene place. Because sometimes the world just looks better after a stroll or reading a novel in the park or making a kindness kit for yourself or a long nap on a summer’s afternoon. So grab this book, with its gentle suggestions and peaceful images, and use it as your own little slice of tranquility.
Publisher: Hay House, Inc
ISBN: 1401944809
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 131
Book Description
When did you last go back to bed on a Sunday morning with magazines and some tea and cake? Or sink into a bubble bath by candlelight and listen to soothing music? When was your last massage or vacation? If you can’t remember the last time you took care of yourself like this, this book is for you. There was a time when Sophia Stuart needed this book, too. She lived a crazy life with no true relaxation, and soon enough she found herself in front of a surgeon who told her that she had three tumors in her throat and that she needed a five-and-a-half hour surgery—plus almost a month of medical leave to recover. And that’s when she fell apart. But the kindness of strangers helped her through it all. Her anonymous blog teamgloria.com gave her an outlet to express everything she was feeling—her fear of the pain, her anxiety about the operation, her frustration about being stuck at home, and anything else that came up. Her writing also focused on all the glorious people, places, and things that make life delicious; and slowly, it helped her realize that she wanted to live differently. On teamgloria.com, Sophia wasn’t an executive or a media specialist; she was just another person sharing her thoughts and creativity. And through this she forged deep virtual friendships with people who cheered her on and taught her how to stay sane in a crazy world. This book brings together what she learned. It’s full of practical ideas and sweet inspirations (and even a few shopping lists at the back) to guide you to a more serene place. Because sometimes the world just looks better after a stroll or reading a novel in the park or making a kindness kit for yourself or a long nap on a summer’s afternoon. So grab this book, with its gentle suggestions and peaceful images, and use it as your own little slice of tranquility.
How to Stay Sane
Author: Philippa Perry
Publisher: Picador
ISBN: 1250030641
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
THE SCHOOL OF LIFE IS DEDICATED TO EXPLORING LIFE'S BIG QUESTIONS IN HIGHLY-PORTABLE PAPERBACKS, FEATURING FRENCH FLAPS AND DECKLE EDGES, THAT THE NEW YORK TIMES CALLS "DAMNABLY CUTE." WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT WE WILL DIRECT YOU TOWARDS A VARIETY OF USEFUL IDEAS THAT ARE GUARANTEED TO STIMULATE, PROVOKE, AND CONSOLE. An Economist Best Book of the Year Everyone accepts the importance of physical health; isn't it just as important to aim for the mental equivalent? Philippa Perry has come to the rescue with How to Stay Sane -- a maintenance manual for the mind. Years of working as a psychotherapist showed Philippa Perry what approaches produced positive change in her clients and how best to maintain good mental health. In How to Stay Sane, she has taken these principles and applied them to self-help. Using ideas from neuroscience and sound psychological theory, she shows us how to better understand ourselves. Her idea is that if we know how our minds form and develop, we are less at the mercy of unknown unconscious processes. In this way, we can learn to be the master of our feelings and not their slave. This is a smart, pithy, readable book that everyone with even a passing interest in their psychological health will find useful.
Publisher: Picador
ISBN: 1250030641
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 192
Book Description
THE SCHOOL OF LIFE IS DEDICATED TO EXPLORING LIFE'S BIG QUESTIONS IN HIGHLY-PORTABLE PAPERBACKS, FEATURING FRENCH FLAPS AND DECKLE EDGES, THAT THE NEW YORK TIMES CALLS "DAMNABLY CUTE." WE DON'T HAVE ALL THE ANSWERS, BUT WE WILL DIRECT YOU TOWARDS A VARIETY OF USEFUL IDEAS THAT ARE GUARANTEED TO STIMULATE, PROVOKE, AND CONSOLE. An Economist Best Book of the Year Everyone accepts the importance of physical health; isn't it just as important to aim for the mental equivalent? Philippa Perry has come to the rescue with How to Stay Sane -- a maintenance manual for the mind. Years of working as a psychotherapist showed Philippa Perry what approaches produced positive change in her clients and how best to maintain good mental health. In How to Stay Sane, she has taken these principles and applied them to self-help. Using ideas from neuroscience and sound psychological theory, she shows us how to better understand ourselves. Her idea is that if we know how our minds form and develop, we are less at the mercy of unknown unconscious processes. In this way, we can learn to be the master of our feelings and not their slave. This is a smart, pithy, readable book that everyone with even a passing interest in their psychological health will find useful.
Play Your Way Sane
Author: Clay Drinko
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1982169230
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
Stop negative thoughts, assuage anxiety, and live in the moment with these fun, easy games from improv expert Clay Drinko. If you’ve been feeling lost lately, you’re not alone! Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans were experiencing record levels of loneliness and anxiety. And in our current political turmoil, it’s safe to say that people are looking for new tools to help them feel more present, positive, and in sync with the world. So what better way to get there than play? In Play Your Way Sane, Dr. Clay Drinko offers 120 low-key, accessible activities that draw on the popular principles of improv comedy to help you tackle your everyday stress and reconnect with the people around you. Divided into twelve fun sections, including “Killing Debbie Downer” and “Thou Shalt Not Be Judgy,” the games emphasize openness, reciprocation, and active listening as the keys to a mindful and satisfying life. Whether you’re looking to improve your personal relationships, find new meaning at work, or just survive our trying times, Play Your Way Sane offers serious self-help with a side of Second City sass.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1982169230
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 224
Book Description
Stop negative thoughts, assuage anxiety, and live in the moment with these fun, easy games from improv expert Clay Drinko. If you’ve been feeling lost lately, you’re not alone! Even before the Covid-19 pandemic, Americans were experiencing record levels of loneliness and anxiety. And in our current political turmoil, it’s safe to say that people are looking for new tools to help them feel more present, positive, and in sync with the world. So what better way to get there than play? In Play Your Way Sane, Dr. Clay Drinko offers 120 low-key, accessible activities that draw on the popular principles of improv comedy to help you tackle your everyday stress and reconnect with the people around you. Divided into twelve fun sections, including “Killing Debbie Downer” and “Thou Shalt Not Be Judgy,” the games emphasize openness, reciprocation, and active listening as the keys to a mindful and satisfying life. Whether you’re looking to improve your personal relationships, find new meaning at work, or just survive our trying times, Play Your Way Sane offers serious self-help with a side of Second City sass.
Our American Friend
Author: Anna Pitoniak
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1982158816
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
A globe-spanning thriller of love and betrayal about a mysterious first lady with an explosive secret. Paris, 1974. Lara Orlov and her family arrive from Moscow at the height of the Cold War, thanks to her father’s position as a diplomat. The years pass, and Lara becomes more and more enamored with the City of Lights. As a teenager in Paris, she falls deeply in love with a fellow Russian expat: the passionate, intellectual Sasha, who opens her eyes to the ills of the Soviet Union. Decades later and across the globe, journalist Sofie Morse is taking some much-needed time off after several chaotic years covering Washington politics. But when she gets a call from the office of First Lady Lara Caine, her curiosity is piqued. Sofie, like the rest of the world, knows little about Lara—only that she was born in Soviet Russia and raised in Paris before marrying Henry Caine, the brash future president. After decades of silence, Lara is finally ready to speak candidly about her past: about her father’s work for the KGB and about her ill-fated relationship with Sasha—which may be long in the past, but which could have explosive ramifications for the future. As Sofie begins to write Lara’s biography, she can’t help but wonder: Why is Lara revealing such sensitive information? And why now? Caught in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, both Lara and Sofie must ask themselves what really matters—and confront their own power to upend the global political order.
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1982158816
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 368
Book Description
A globe-spanning thriller of love and betrayal about a mysterious first lady with an explosive secret. Paris, 1974. Lara Orlov and her family arrive from Moscow at the height of the Cold War, thanks to her father’s position as a diplomat. The years pass, and Lara becomes more and more enamored with the City of Lights. As a teenager in Paris, she falls deeply in love with a fellow Russian expat: the passionate, intellectual Sasha, who opens her eyes to the ills of the Soviet Union. Decades later and across the globe, journalist Sofie Morse is taking some much-needed time off after several chaotic years covering Washington politics. But when she gets a call from the office of First Lady Lara Caine, her curiosity is piqued. Sofie, like the rest of the world, knows little about Lara—only that she was born in Soviet Russia and raised in Paris before marrying Henry Caine, the brash future president. After decades of silence, Lara is finally ready to speak candidly about her past: about her father’s work for the KGB and about her ill-fated relationship with Sasha—which may be long in the past, but which could have explosive ramifications for the future. As Sofie begins to write Lara’s biography, she can’t help but wonder: Why is Lara revealing such sensitive information? And why now? Caught in a dangerous game of cat-and-mouse, both Lara and Sofie must ask themselves what really matters—and confront their own power to upend the global political order.
Getting Sane Without Going Crazy
Author: Dorree Lynn
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780738831923
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 236
Book Description
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780738831923
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 236
Book Description
A Sane Woman's Guide to Raising a Large Family
Author: Mary Ostyn
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
ISBN: 1423610709
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
A mother of ten offers supportive, practical advice for managing a full house. Written from the experienced perspective of a mother of ten kids, both biological and adopted, this smart, encouraging guide to the large-family lifestyle answers such important questions as: Can a mother effectively parent multiple children without drowning in sheer neediness? How can a moderate income stretch to include more children? How can you make the most of the limited space in your home? What are some ideas for handling mountains of laundry? How can you preserve time for yourself and your marriage? How can you juggle activities and prioritize purchases? How do you encourage good relationships between siblings? Whether your idea of big is three kids or ten, you’ll find plenty of tips to manage the day-to-day distractions—and enjoy the blessing of a large, loving family.
Publisher: Gibbs Smith
ISBN: 1423610709
Category : Family & Relationships
Languages : en
Pages : 193
Book Description
A mother of ten offers supportive, practical advice for managing a full house. Written from the experienced perspective of a mother of ten kids, both biological and adopted, this smart, encouraging guide to the large-family lifestyle answers such important questions as: Can a mother effectively parent multiple children without drowning in sheer neediness? How can a moderate income stretch to include more children? How can you make the most of the limited space in your home? What are some ideas for handling mountains of laundry? How can you preserve time for yourself and your marriage? How can you juggle activities and prioritize purchases? How do you encourage good relationships between siblings? Whether your idea of big is three kids or ten, you’ll find plenty of tips to manage the day-to-day distractions—and enjoy the blessing of a large, loving family.
Even A Daughter Is Better Than Nothing
Author: Mykel Board
Publisher: Garrett County Press
ISBN: 1891053124
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
This is the story of how Maximum Rock'n'Roll Columnist Mykel Board spent a year teaching English at the Mongolian National University in Ulaanbaatar. From getting lost in the Gobi Desert to stirring fights in a Mongolian disco, Board teeters through the heart of contemporary Mongolian culture with the class, humor and buffoonery of a modern-day Charlie Chaplin.
Publisher: Garrett County Press
ISBN: 1891053124
Category : Travel
Languages : en
Pages : 354
Book Description
This is the story of how Maximum Rock'n'Roll Columnist Mykel Board spent a year teaching English at the Mongolian National University in Ulaanbaatar. From getting lost in the Gobi Desert to stirring fights in a Mongolian disco, Board teeters through the heart of contemporary Mongolian culture with the class, humor and buffoonery of a modern-day Charlie Chaplin.
Better Than Sane
Author: Alison C. Rose
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781567927764
Category : Journalists
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
"A sharp, delicious, bright-girl-comes-to-New-York memoir. Forty-one-year-old Alison Rose was a bright and beautiful single woman, feeling lost in mid-1980s New York City: "I couldn't afford one more round of my famous bad judgment, which was, according to my own records at that point, eternal." Then she landed a job at The New Yorker. "Some of the best things anyone's every said to me were said in, or in the doorway of, my cubicle at School, which was The New Yorker Magazine," writes Rose. She was taken up by the writers there, "a tribe of gods" who turned her from a semi-recluse into a full-fledged writer. These kindred souls formed an impromptu club: Insane Anonymous (a "whole other world that was better than sane"). Rose was unlike anyone in the group. Fellow staff writer Renata Adler said of Rose's path, "It was the most nuanced, courageous, utterly crazy way to have wended." In Better Than Sane, Rose takes us from her California childhood to her years at The New Yorker, revealing how, often, she "didn't care enough about existence to keep it going" and preferred to stay in her room with her animals and think. She writes about growing up on the West Coast, daughter of a movie-star-handsome psychiatrist who was charming to friends but a bully and a tyrant to his family; moving to Manhattan in her twenties, sleeping in Central Park, subsisting on Valium, Eskatrol, and Sara Lee orange cake; moving to Los Angeles, attending the Actors Studio, befriending celebrities and living with some larger than life personalities; and, finally, returning to New York and finding work at the New Yorker. After she'd written an article, Rose would sit on a park bench with a coffee, savoring the moment: "What I had done, by myself. That's what I liked." Better Than Sane is the true story of how-despite her endless ability to sabotage herself-one brilliant and mordantly funny woman found herself"--
Publisher:
ISBN: 9781567927764
Category : Journalists
Languages : en
Pages : 0
Book Description
"A sharp, delicious, bright-girl-comes-to-New-York memoir. Forty-one-year-old Alison Rose was a bright and beautiful single woman, feeling lost in mid-1980s New York City: "I couldn't afford one more round of my famous bad judgment, which was, according to my own records at that point, eternal." Then she landed a job at The New Yorker. "Some of the best things anyone's every said to me were said in, or in the doorway of, my cubicle at School, which was The New Yorker Magazine," writes Rose. She was taken up by the writers there, "a tribe of gods" who turned her from a semi-recluse into a full-fledged writer. These kindred souls formed an impromptu club: Insane Anonymous (a "whole other world that was better than sane"). Rose was unlike anyone in the group. Fellow staff writer Renata Adler said of Rose's path, "It was the most nuanced, courageous, utterly crazy way to have wended." In Better Than Sane, Rose takes us from her California childhood to her years at The New Yorker, revealing how, often, she "didn't care enough about existence to keep it going" and preferred to stay in her room with her animals and think. She writes about growing up on the West Coast, daughter of a movie-star-handsome psychiatrist who was charming to friends but a bully and a tyrant to his family; moving to Manhattan in her twenties, sleeping in Central Park, subsisting on Valium, Eskatrol, and Sara Lee orange cake; moving to Los Angeles, attending the Actors Studio, befriending celebrities and living with some larger than life personalities; and, finally, returning to New York and finding work at the New Yorker. After she'd written an article, Rose would sit on a park bench with a coffee, savoring the moment: "What I had done, by myself. That's what I liked." Better Than Sane is the true story of how-despite her endless ability to sabotage herself-one brilliant and mordantly funny woman found herself"--
It's Better Than It Looks
Author: Gregg Easterbrook
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1610397428
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 378
Book Description
Is civilization teetering on the edge of a cliff? Or are we just climbing higher than ever? Most people who read the news would tell you that 2017 is one of the worst years in recent memory. We're facing a series of deeply troubling, even existential problems: fascism, terrorism, environmental collapse, racial and economic inequality, and more. Yet this narrative misses something important: by almost every meaningful measure, the modern world is better than it ever has been. In the United States, disease, crime, discrimination, and most forms of pollution are in long-term decline, while longevity and education keep rising and economic indicators are better than in any past generation. Worldwide, malnutrition and extreme poverty are at historic lows, and the risk of dying by war or violence is the lowest in human history. It's not a coincidence that we're confused -- our perspectives on the world are blurred by the rise of social media, the machinations of politicians, and our own biases. Meanwhile, political reforms like the Clean Air Act and technological innovations like the hybridization of wheat have saved huge numbers of lives. In that optimistic spirit, Easterbrook offers specific policy reforms to address climate change, inequality, and other problems, and reminds us that there is real hope in conquering such challenges. In an age of discord and fear-mongering, It's Better Than It Looks will profoundly change your perspective on who we are, where we're headed, and what we're capable of.
Publisher: PublicAffairs
ISBN: 1610397428
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 378
Book Description
Is civilization teetering on the edge of a cliff? Or are we just climbing higher than ever? Most people who read the news would tell you that 2017 is one of the worst years in recent memory. We're facing a series of deeply troubling, even existential problems: fascism, terrorism, environmental collapse, racial and economic inequality, and more. Yet this narrative misses something important: by almost every meaningful measure, the modern world is better than it ever has been. In the United States, disease, crime, discrimination, and most forms of pollution are in long-term decline, while longevity and education keep rising and economic indicators are better than in any past generation. Worldwide, malnutrition and extreme poverty are at historic lows, and the risk of dying by war or violence is the lowest in human history. It's not a coincidence that we're confused -- our perspectives on the world are blurred by the rise of social media, the machinations of politicians, and our own biases. Meanwhile, political reforms like the Clean Air Act and technological innovations like the hybridization of wheat have saved huge numbers of lives. In that optimistic spirit, Easterbrook offers specific policy reforms to address climate change, inequality, and other problems, and reminds us that there is real hope in conquering such challenges. In an age of discord and fear-mongering, It's Better Than It Looks will profoundly change your perspective on who we are, where we're headed, and what we're capable of.