Best for: Perhaps people who need to negotiate? Or maybe people who just want a quick reference of different ideas or theories on communication? I’m not totally sure. In a nutshell: An attempt at narrowing down — into two pages and a diagram — theories of communication. Worth quoting: “Negotiating properly means everyone gets more than they expected to.” Why I chose it: I was about a week away from starting up an office job for the first time in nearly a year, and figured […]
Is It Really So Wrong?
Best for: People who enjoy the academic rigor of a peer-reviewed book, but actually want to enjoy reading said book. Also, people who find the idea of cheating (in all its forms) fascinating. In a nutshell: Law professor and legal ethicist Rhode examines why people cheat, and what society can do to mitigate those tendencies. Worth quoting: “Totally honest, incorruptible people constitute about 10 percent of the population. Totally dishonest people who will cheat in a wide variety of situations account for about 5 percent. […]
Perhaps You Can Teach an Old Dog New Tricks
Best for: Goalies and Goalie Coaches (it’s a bit of a niche market, I’ll grant you). In a nutshell: US Men’s National Team Goalkeeper coach (he coached Tim Howard, yo) offers tips for training effective goalkeepers. Worth quoting: “The best way to stay on top of the game is by playing along in your head.” Why I chose it: I am a goalkeeper who rarely had any proper goalkeeper training. Whoops. Review: When I moved to London, I thought team sports — specifically soccer, or […]
Sort of a Lost Art
Best for: Those who like trivia about everyday life – in this case, about handwriting. (For example, did you know that a typical pencil can draw a line thirty-five miles long?) In a nutshell: Author Burns Florey takes the reader on a trip through the history of handwriting, from the very beginning, through those gorgeous (though illegible) tomes produced by monks in the middle ages, up to strict penmanship training in the early 1900s, and ending with contemplation of how handwriting fits into the digital […]