This book is drawn from a collection of articles that first appeared in the «Smart thinking» column of Longitude, the first Italian monthly foreign-language magazine published in English and distributed worldwide.Longitude, a brainchild of its editor-in-chief, Pialuisa Bianco, head of the Strategic Forum of Foreign Ministry, represents an initiative of «public diplomacy». The book provides an enquiring perspective at issues concerning international politics and economics, at social, environmental and financial problems, with the aim of raising awareness about the small beating butterfly wings that cause storms. It also represents a culturally introspective analysis of the author’s native country, in which he casts a revealing beam of light, guiding sailors through the tempestuous seas of international affairs, global socio-economic trends and the interconnection of dangers and opportunities. The author is never assertive and encourages the reader to question and reflect on the great changes that the increasing boost of innovation is bringing about on all levels. The book is an invitation to the reader to get ready through both the calm and the storm, by keeping a clear head and practicing smart thinking.

In Change by Design, Tim Brown, CEO of IDEO, the celebrated innovation and design firm, shows how the techniques and strategies of design belong at every level of business. Change by Design is not a book by designers for designers; this is a book for creative leaders who seek to infuse design thinking into every level of an organization, product, or service to drive new alternatives for business and society.

"The compass's rocky evolution is charted with an enthusiast's passion…A fascinating adventure." —Bernadette Murphy, Los Angeles Times This is the rich history of the most important navigational device of all time, the magnetic compass, born of the need for a reliable means of negotiating treacherous sea routes around the globe. Compass chronicles the misadventures of those who attempted to perfect the instrument—so precious to sixteenth-century seamen that, by law, any man found tampering with one had his hand pinned to the mast with a dagger. Part history, part adventure, this book is a compelling tribute to human ingenuity—and the mysteries of the sea.