Talks For The Times

You've tried managing your time. You've tried prioritizing your time. Now discover how to multiply it. Do you feel like you're busier than ever - yet never caught up? You're not alone. Many of us are tired, frustrated, and stressed from being overworked at the office and at home, with no concrete plan for getting it all under control without compromising our well-being. In Procrastinate on Purpose, self-discipline strategist Rory Vaden presents a different approach for how to identify and focus on what's important. Instead of one more calendar, checklist, or gadget, he points out that what we really need is an understanding of the emotional reasons we fail to maximize our time - and he then reveals the five 'permissions' we can grant ourselves in order to get better results while creating more margin in our daily lives. In this paradigm-shifting book, you will discover how to- Identify your most significant priorities, in business and in life Create more time to do the things you love without sacrificing results Say no to the things that don't matter, and yes to the things that do Implement systems that give you more time tomorrow than you have today Gain control and inner peace by adopting the 'multiplier mindset' Informed by Southwestern Consulting's work with thousands of busy clients, and interspersed with Vaden's case studies that reveal the 'multiplier mindset' at work, this insightful, practical book will turn everything you thought you knew about time upside-down-and it will change the way you work and live. From the New York Timesbestselling author of Take the Stairs- A bold new way to get things done. 'Managing your time is a lot like managing your money. It's not about the numbers; it's about your behavior. The best time-management tricks in the world won't do you much good if they don't actually make your life better. In Procrastinate on Purpose, Rory builds on what we've all heard about time management and adds the two things that have always been missing- emotion and significance.' Dave Ramsey, New York Timesbestselling author and nationally syndicated radio show host 'If you've ever thought, 'I wish I had more time,' read the great principles of this book. And then I dare you to do what Rory does- live them.' Jon Acuff, New York Timesbestselling author of Start andQuitter 'Procrastinate on Purposewill alter the way the professional world thinks about time - I've never read anything like it. Useful, unique, and relevant . . . this is an absolute must-read for every leader.' Sue Schick, CEO of UnitedHealthcare of Pennsylvania and Delaware 'This book is a game-changer.' Jon Gordon, bestselling author of The Energy Busand The Carpenter 'Every once in a while a book comes along that completely shifts the way an entire generation thinks about a specific topic. When it comes to time management and productivity, Procrastinate on Purposemay be the one!' Andy Andrews, New York Timesbestselling author of The Traveler's Giftand The Noticer

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A captivating exploration of deep time and humanity's search for purpose, from the world-renowned physicist and best-selling author of The Elegant Universe. "Few humans share Greene’s mastery of both the latest cosmological science and English prose." —The New York Times Until the End of Time is Brian Greene's breathtaking new exploration of the cosmos and our quest to find meaning in the face of this vast expanse. Greene takes us on a journey from the big bang to the end of time, exploring how lasting structures formed, how life and mind emerged, and how we grapple with our existence through narrative, myth, religion, creative expression, science, the quest for truth, and a deep longing for the eternal. From particles to planets, consciousness to creativity, matter to meaning—Brian Greene allows us all to grasp and appreciate our fleeting but utterly exquisite moment in the cosmos.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1882.

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.

"Beautifully written, eloquently reasoned…Mr. Buonomano takes us off and running on an edifying scientific journey." —Carol Tavris, Wall Street Journal In Your Brain Is a Time Machine, leading neuroscientist Dean Buonomano embarks on an "immensely engaging" exploration of how time works inside the brain (Barbara Kiser, Nature). The human brain, he argues, is a complex system that not only tells time, but creates it; it constructs our sense of chronological movement and enables "mental time travel"—simulations of future and past events. These functions are essential not only to our daily lives but to the evolution of the human race: without the ability to anticipate the future, mankind would never have crafted tools or invented agriculture. This virtuosic work of popular science will lead you to a revelation as strange as it is true: your brain is, at its core, a time machine.

The dramatic story of West Point's class of 2002, the first in a generation to graduate during wartime They came to West Point in a time of peace, but soon after the start of their senior year, their lives were transformed by September 11. The following June, when President George W. Bush spoke at their commencement and declared that America would "take the battle to the enemy," the men and women in the class of 2002 understood that they would be fighting on the front lines. In this stirring account of the five years following their graduation from West Point, the class experiences firsthand both the rewards and the costs of leading soldiers in the war on terror. In a Time of War focuses on two members of the class of 2002 in particular: Todd Bryant, an amiable, funny Californian for whom military service was a family tradition; and Drew Sloan, the hardworking son of liberal parents from Arkansas who is determined to serve his country. On the battlefields of Iraq and Afghanistan, Todd, Drew, and their classmates—the army's newest and youngest officers—lead their troops into harm's way again and again. Meticulously reported, sweeping in scope, Bill Murphy Jr.'s powerful book follows these brave and idealistic officers—and their families—as they experience the harrowing reality of the modern battlefield. In a Time of War tells a vivid and sometimes heartbreaking story about courage, honor, and what war really means to the soldiers whose lives it defines.

A collection of early work and new short pieces from “the bad boy of American theater” (Time). Neil LaBute burst onto the American theater scene in 1989 with his controversial debut Filthy Talk for Troubled Times. Set in a barroom in Anytown, USA, and populated by a series of everymen (and two beleaguered everywomen), this series of frank exchanges explores the innumerable varieties of American intolerance. A unique snapshot of the times, the play—seldom allowed production by the author since—provides a compelling look at the early thinking and evolution of one of our great theater artists. Also in this collection is a series of new, short works, some never before produced. They include “The New Testament,” a showbiz satire that takes a close look at the perils of color-blind casting, and “The Furies,” in which a woman helps navigate her brother’s breakup with his out—and then perhaps in-the-closet again—lover. “There is something of the sinister menace of Pinter in LaBute’s work (along with David Mamet, he is very much the heir apparent to that master).” —Hedy Weiss, Chicago Sun-Times “There is no playwright on the planet these days who is writing better than Neil LaBute.” —John Lahr, The New Yorker

Kids, It's Time We Have THE TALK because doing the sex-thing or doing the drug-thing can ruin a kid's life, but NOT doing The God-thing can ruin a kid's eternity. Using teachings from John Paul II, Fulton J. Sheen, Thomas Merton, Mother Teresa, and others, John R. VanBuskirk tells his kids about God & God-stuff, Living & Dying, Heaven & hell. VanBuskirk explains the purpose of life to his twenty-something-year-old kids and the importance of getting through life rather than merely being successful in it. He challenges his kids to: - Love the world more than any other creature God has ever given life to - Possess the heart of a servant and add to what God has created as one of His co-creators and partners - Know God in ways equal to the saints and angels in Heaven - Achieve a special, personal intimacy with God - an intimacy that the angels might envy Kids, It's Time We Have THE TALK will help you keep First-Things-First. It will enable you to explain why First-Things are First-Things. It's the talk parents are obligated to have with kids. It's the talk each of us is obligated to have with ourselves.