Why We Act

Now and then, we hear about everyday heroes riding to the rescue when they see someone suffering or being harassed. But most bystanders don't intervene. Catherine Sanderson turns to cutting-edge research in social psychology and neuroscience to explain why we so often fail to act and offers practical strategies to nudge us into being brave.

In this challenging book, written as a series of open letters to an American friend, Pierre Berton reaches into his profound knowledge of the country’s history and geography to dissect, praise, explain and occasionally criticize the national character. He does so, not with abstract opinions but with apt and colourful examples taken from the past and the present: Sam Steele’s gold rush censorship of the Turkish Whirlwind Danseuse; Ontario’s grudging acceptance of beer in three Toronto ballparks; New York’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade; Lorne Greene’s rueful return to Toronto; William Van Horne’s tirade against winter carnivals; the role of Kentucky in the War of 1812; W.A.C. Bennett’s surprising takeover of the B.C. Electric Company on the day of its president’s funeral. All these apparently disconnected incidents are woven into a carefully thought-out dissection of the national character, a distillation of more than thirty years of Berton research.

Explores characteristics inherited from both primitive man and other animals.

Every life is an interesting story, and this story is best written when people go through life’s experiences by staying connected to who they truly are. To stay connected to yourself, you need first to start listening from within. This book gives a perspective on why we think, feel and act the way we do, through concepts from neuroscience and psychology. It attempts to answer some of life’s key questions, such as— - Why do we all perceive things differently? - Why are we designed to do different things? - Why do we all learn things in different ways? - How are habits formed? - What role do emotions play in our lives? - What makes us happy? And finally, what it means and takes to stay connected to ourselves and others. “Great ideas for a better living, that not only help you to connect with yourself but also to connect with others.” Dr. David J Lincoln – Chief advisor and president ANLP India. “The simplicity of ideas and the depth of knowledge make this book a must-read for leaders everywhere.” Rajat Garg Master Certified Coach & Director, Global Board of Directors for The ICF (International Coaching Federation) “Vishal brings to life and connects many aspects of living with facts about the brain and how the human mind works. These easy to read and well-structured reflections ‘from the heart’ show the simple aspects of living life fully.” Chitra Ravi Founder & Principle consultant at SeedTLC, Regional Representative for India & Asia on the Board of Trustees of the ITAA (International Transactional Analysis Association)

An urgent manifesto for global democracy from Joshua Wong, the 23-year-old phenomenon leading Hong Kong's protests - and Nobel Peace Prize nominee - with an introduction by Ai Weiwei With global democracy under threat, we must act together to defend out rights: now. When he was 14, Joshua Wong made history. While the adults stayed silent, Joshua staged the first-ever student protest in Hong Kong to oppose National Education -- and won. Since then, Joshua has led the Umbrella Movement, founded a political party, and rallied the international community around the anti-extradition bill protests, which have seen 2 million people -- more than a quarter of the population -- take to Hong Kong's streets. His actions have sparked worldwide attention, earned him a Nobel Peace Prize nomination, and landed him in jail twice. Composed in three parts, Unfree Speech chronicles Joshua's path to activism, collects the letters he wrote as a political prisoner under the Chinese state, and closes with a powerful and urgent call for all of us globally to defend our democratic values. When we stay silent, no one is safe. When we free our speech, our voice becomes one.

'How We Act' presents a compelling picture of human action as part of the natural causal order. Berent Enç eschews any appeal to special capacities supposedly unique to rational agents, such as agent causation or irreducible acts of volition, and by appealing to analogous positions in epistemology and the theory of perception, shows why it is a mistake to subscribe to such capacities. His defense begins with a foundationalist definition of action that rests on a theory of basic acts, conceived here as derived from empirical studies of animal behaviour. Basic acts are complex units that agents acquire as part of their repertoire of things they can readily do - things with which practical syllogisms end.

The inspiring, life-changing bestseller by the author of LEADERS EAT LAST and TOGETHER IS BETTER. In 2009, Simon Sinek started a movement to help people become more inspired at work, and in turn inspire their colleagues and customers. Since then, millions have been touched by the power of his ideas, including more than 28 million who’ve watched his TED Talk based on START WITH WHY -- the third most popular TED video of all time. Sinek starts with a fundamental question: Why are some people and organizations more innovative, more influential, and more profitable than others? Why do some command greater loyalty from customers and employees alike? Even among the successful, why are so few able to repeat their success over and over? People like Martin Luther King Jr., Steve Jobs, and the Wright Brothers had little in common, but they all started with WHY. They realized that people won't truly buy into a product, service, movement, or idea until they understand the WHY behind it. START WITH WHY shows that the leaders who've had the greatest influence in the world all think, act, and communicate the same way -- and it's the opposite of what everyone else does. Sinek calls this powerful idea The Golden Circle, and it provides a framework upon which organizations can be built, movements can be led, and people can be inspired. And it all starts with WHY.

Why we act the way we do; how we talk about it addresses communication difficulties in relationships. Using the couple relationship as her model, Dr. Danks illustrates that all communication is based in the behavior of the person attempting to communicate. Because so many are unaware of their own behavior and motivations, communication is ineffective. Part I defines behavior and the ways in which it manifests with different personalities; Part II allows the reader to communicate in an honest and non-threatening manner. Communication blunders are identified along with effective ways to avoid them. Ideal for families, teachers, coaches and anyone who supervises or prepares others for leadership.