How many times have you had the unsettling experience of being treated as a troublemaker as soon as you question or raise an objection to a school policy, a textbook, a course of study, a new county regulation, or a community proposal? Every day, attendees of conferences, community forums, PTA meetings, and board meetings are made to feel uncomfortable and occasionally foolish by the person or persons leading the meeting. The speakers, moderators,...

When the world reemerges from the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems likely that it will have transformed irrevocably. Can societies already reeling from climate change, income inequality, and structural racism change for the better? Does the shock of the pandemic offer an opportunity to pivot to a more sustainable way of life? Early in the crisis, a global volunteer collaboration called Pivot Projects was formed to rethink how the world works. Some members...

An eminent psychologist explains why dissent should be cherished, not feared We've decided by consensus that consensus is good. In In Defense of Troublemakers, psychologist Charlan Nemeth argues that this principle is completely wrong: left unchallenged, the majority opinion is often biased, unoriginal, or false. It leads planes and markets to crash, causes juries to convict innocent people, and can quite literally make people think blue is green....

A boy has a difficult time making decisions even though there is a vocal bunch of Hunches to help him. Suggested level: junior, primary.

"In this illustrated choose-your-own-ending book, Toby can hardly contain his excitement to meet his new baby brother. Will he act wild or stay calm? Readers make choices for Toby and read what happens next, with each story path leading to different consequences. Includes three different endings and discussion questions"--

We are taught not to throw good money after bad or to cry over spilt milk. Yet we do both, otherwise we would not be taught not to. People often make choices based on what has been lost rather than what can be gained. Such choices are particularly costly in the world of finance. Behavioral Finance: What Everyone Needs to Know® provides an overview of common shortcuts and mistakes people make in managing their finances. It covers the common cognitive...

Bill Burnett and Dave Evans, the Silicon Valley innovators and Stanford University design educators in their hugely successful course, Designing Your Life, have helped thousands change the way they live. Burnett and Evans believe that in order to change, people need a process--a design process--to help them figure out what they want and how to create it. In this long-awaited book, Burnett and Evans make clear, step by step, how to think like a designer,...

"There's no doubt that our world has gotten more extreme. Pandemics, climate change, superpower rivalries, cyberattacks, political radicalization--virtually, everywhere we look there is mayhem bearing down on us, putting trillions of assets at risk. And at least two factions have formed around how to respond. In Chaos Kings, Scott Patterson depicts how one faction, led by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, bestselling author of The Black Swan, believes humans...

Poses questions for pondering : "Would you rather be a dog or be a cat," "Would you rather live in igloos or in tents?" "Would you rather be a mermaid with a tail instead of feet?"