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Healthy, Wealthy, and Wise December 2019
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The Boy Who Felt Too Much: How a Renowned Neuroscientist and His Son Changed Our Image of Autism Forever
by Lorenz Wagner
What it's about: Reveals how the author, inspired by his son Kai's disorder, upended the conventional wisdom about autism through groundbreaking research. He devised a radical new theory: people like Kai don't feel too little; they feel too much. Their senses are too delicate for this world.
Author alert: Henry Markram is considered "the Elon Musk of neuroscience" -- the man behind the billion-dollar Blue Brain Project to build a supercomputer model of the brain.
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| Scatterbrain: How the Mind's Mistakes Make Humans Creative, Innovative, and Successful by Henning BeckWhat it's about: the often frustrating flaws in the human brain and how these "imperfections" actually help us to learn, adapt, and innovate.
Topics include: the usefulness of things like forgetfulness, distractibility, trouble understanding time, and daydreaming.
Read it for: its accessibility, moments of laugh-out-loud humor, and tips on how to make the most of your own mind's "failures." |
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| Face to Face: The Art of Human Connection by Brian GrazerWhat it is: a thought-provoking examination of the importance of nonverbal communication, with a focus on the power of eye contact.
About the author: Academy Award-winning producer Brian Grazer has worked on films such as Apollo 13 and Frost/Nixon and also wrote A Curious Mind, a book about the benefits of being inquisitive.
Try this next: The Village Effect by Susan Pinker, which discusses the advantages of in-person contact; Collaborative Intelligence by Dawna Markova, which outlines the power of putting our heads together. |
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| Radical: The Science, Culture, and History of Breast Cancer in America by Kate PickertWhat it’s about: This well-researched yet accessible survey of breast cancer chronicles the past, present, and likely future of knowledge about the disease, treatment options, and ongoing debates about screening and fundraising.
Don’t miss: accounts of the earliest cancer surgeries; a much-needed discussion of the occurrence of breast cancer in men.
Reviewers say: “A useful text on a well-known cancer bolstered by the author's personal perspective as a survivor” (Kirkus Reviews). |
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| Wired to Create: Unraveling the Mysteries of the Creative Mind by Scott Barry Kaufman and Carolyn GregoireWhat it is: an engaging review of some of the habits and traits shared by notable creatives like Josephine Baker, Shigeru Miyamoto, Frida Kahlo, and Marcel Proust; and how to develop these habits in yourself.
Topics include: solitude, sensitivity, imaginative play, and openness to experience.
Why you should read it: Grounded in scientific research, the inspiring insights outlined here can benefit readers with a wide variety of professional and personal interests. |
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Broken Places & Outer Spaces: Finding Creativity in the Unexpected
by Nnedi Okorafor
What it's about: A discussion of how the author used her hardships throughout life to fuel her creative work, touching upon such other artists as Frida Kahlo and Mary Shelley to explore how limitations have the potential to become one's greatest strengths.
Author alert: Nnedi Okorafor is best known for world-building Afrofuturistic science fiction, post-apocalyptic fiction, and science fantasy.
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| Creative Quest by QuestloveAuthor alert: Musician and music journalist Questlove is the drummer and cofounder of the foundational hip-hop group The Roots, who currently play as the house band for The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon.
What’s inside: a collection of creative wisdom that Questlove has picked up over the course of his career and suggestions for how the rest of us can generate new creative ideas, seek out mentors, and get the most out of collaborations.
Cameo appearances from: David Byrne, George Clinton, D’Angelo, and Ava DuVernay. |
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| Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self by Manoush ZomorodiWhat it’s about: the effects of digital technology on the mind’s ability to be creative and how we might all benefit from unplugging and letting our minds wander.
For fans of: How to Do Nothing by Jenny Odell; The Art of Noticing by Rob Walker.
About the author: Manoush Zomorodi is a journalist best known for hosting the radio show and podcast Note to Self which dealt with the relationship between humans and technology. |
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Contact your librarian for more great books!
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