I Can Make You Smarter

Featuring a foreword by David Brooks, This Will Make You Smarter presents brilliant—but accessible—ideas to expand every mind. What scientific concept would improve everybody’s cognitive toolkit? This is the question John Brockman, publisher of Edge.org, posed to the world’s most influential thinkers. Their visionary answers flow from the frontiers of psychology, philosophy, economics, physics, sociology, and more. Surprising and enlightening, these insights will revolutionize the way you think about yourself and the world. Contributors include: Daniel Kahneman on the “focusing illusion” Jonah Lehrer on controlling attention Richard Dawkins on experimentation Aubrey De Grey on conquering our fear of the unknown Martin Seligman on the ingredients of well-being Nicholas Carr on managing “cognitive load” Steven Pinker on win-win negotiating Daniel Goleman on understanding our connection to the natural world Matt Ridley on tapping collective intelligence Lisa Randall on effective theorizing Brian Eno on “ecological vision” J. Craig Venter on the multiple possible origins of life Helen Fisher on temperament Sam Harris on the flow of thought Lawrence Krauss on living with uncertainty

Following the huge success of his blockbuster weight-loss program, McKenna has created a groundbreaking new book-and-CD set that reveals the secrets of getting regular, deep, refreshing sleep--and banishing insomnia for good.

A new method of estimating what affects IQ shows that life history and choice count toward your level of intelligence. Contrary to the twin studies, your home can be either an advantage or a disadvantage, and the choices you make at any age (what you read) can upgrade your intelligence.

How TV Can Make You Smarter is a lively guide that shows readers the numerous emotional and intellectual benefits of TV. Contrary to conventional wisdom, television can do more than help you veg out, chill, and escape. Author and TV critic Allison Shoemaker rewires our thinking to show readers how to take advantage of our 24/7 access to this ever-evolving medium. • TV is a powerful tool and How TV Can Make You Smarter will teach you how to use it. • Covers a wide selection of diverse genres from scripted comedies, dramas, and classics to reality and beyond • Find acceptance in embracing "bad" TV, and learn to love yourself in the morning. Lessons include learning how to gain empathy (Mad Men), broadening your perspective (Rupaul's Drag Race), and discovering how working within boundaries (Doctor Who) or breaking them apart (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) can be good for you. Part of the HOW series, the accessible and authoritative guides to engaging with the arts the world, and ourselves. • Filled with smart, unintimidating content in a giftable foil-stamped package • Great for TV and movie buffs, Netflix and Hulu subscribers, DVD owners, and anyone who loves to unwind with television • Packed with insightful tips and tricks for making the most out of what you watch • You'll love this book if you love books like Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business by Neil Postman, Everything Bad Is Good for You: How Today's Popular Culture Is Actually Making Us Smarter by Steven Johnson, and I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution by Emily Nussbaum.

A revelatory and timely look at how technology boosts our cognitive abilities—making us smarter, more productive, and more creative than ever It’s undeniable—technology is changing the way we think. But is it for the better? Amid a chorus of doomsayers, Clive Thompson delivers a resounding “yes.” In Smarter Than You Think, Thompson shows that every technological innovation—from the written word to the printing press to the telegraph—has provoked the very same anxieties that plague us today. We panic that life will never be the same, that our attentions are eroding, that culture is being trivialized. But, as in the past, we adapt—learning to use the new and retaining what is good of the old. Smarter Than You Think embraces and extols this transformation, presenting an exciting vision of the present and the future.

One of the world’s most innovative and respected cognitive neuroscientists combines cutting-edge research with unique exercises to help you improve the most powerful, most staggeringly complex machine ever created: your brain. In Make Your Brain Smarter, renowned cognitive neuroscientist Dr. Sandra Bond Chapman introduces you to the very latest research in brain science and shows you how to tailor a program to strengthen your brain’s capacity to think smarter. In this all-inclusive book, Dr. Chapman delivers a comprehensive “fitness” plan that you can use to “exercise” your way to a healthier brain. You will find strategies to reduce stress and anxiety, increase productivity, enhance decision-making, and strengthen how your brain works at every age. You will discover why memory is not the most important measure of brain capacity, why IQ is a misleading index of brain potential, and why innovative thinking energizes your brain. Make Your Brain Smarter is the ultimate guide for keeping your brain fit during each decade of your life.

Loaded with fun, offbeat trivia and Sandy Silverthorne's hilarious cartoons, this book will not only make you smarter but also much more fun to be around. After all, who wouldn't want to fall into a conversation with someone who knows... how long most Americans spend waiting at red lights in their lifetimes which two first-world countries still haven't signed a treaty to end World War II where the phrase "a blue moon" came from And just think how happy your friends will be when you share little-known but surprisingly helpful tips about sleeping well (a little peanut butter and/or honey on a piece of toast delivers a pleasant dose of tryptophan) or nailing that important job interview (try to schedule it at ten thirty on Tuesday morning). A collection of fun facts sure to make you smarter and your life more enjoyable!

An obsessive word lover's account of reading the entire Oxford English Dictionary, hailed as "the Super Size Me of lexicography." "I'm reading the OED so you don't have to," says Ammon Shea on his slightly masochistic journey to scale the word lover's Mount Everest: the Oxford English Dictionary. In 26 chapters filled with sharp wit, sheer delight, and a documentarian's keen eye, Shea shares his year inside the OED, delivering a hair-pulling, eye-crossing account of reading every word.