Douglas Texter takes his readers on a whirlwind tour of the practice of self-betterment through the ages in this biting parody of self-help literature. He carefully explores the Big 12 myths of self-improvement, and at the same time, delivers a devastating, sardonic social and political commentary: The Myth of Planning shows you how sales-rep Tiffany Johnson secures the 2000-student adoption of the outrageously expensive textbook To Market, To Market by using the techniques she learned in Ninety Seven Habits of Really Rapacious People. In The Myth of Education, you'll attend gym class with Winston Nebbish and learn how our education system creates and unleashes over-achievers who do incredible damage. You'll also discover the secrets behind dodge ball and the fine art of giving a wedgie. The Myth of Work takes you behind the scenes at Ishmael's Caffeine Machine, America's hottest new high-end coffee retailer. Peeking out from behind the flaps of the sweat lodge that CEO Martha Little Sympathy has built, you'll witness the birth of the Moby Dick product line. You'll accompany marketing guru Lisa Jones to a focus-group meeting and the strangest worker-empowerment session you'll ever see. In The Myth of Mythology, you'll bear witness to the way in which belief in God enables medieval pickpocket Raoul, who faces a choice between a hanging and a holy war, to find the courage to lead fifteen thousand mercenaries on the First Crusade. Our world has never been the same. The Myth of Self-Actualization takes you to a meeting of "The Formula," where, along with former pot head Michael Ginley, you'll learn how to GET IT, how to BE IT, and, most important of all, how to PAY FOR IT. The Myth of Creativity gives you an advance screening of Saving Private Ryan's Credit Rating, the MFA project of Frederick P. Zalston. You'll accompany the members of the 241st Extraction Brigade as they fight their way through a barrage of product placements to deliver an overdue American Express bill. In The Myth of Self-Denial, you'll see how your favorite vampire finds the courage to take a bite out of life (and everybody else). Young Vlad the Caresser discovers that knowing how to make a good quiche doesn't cut the mustard when you're trying to protect your homeland. This is the Dracula story that Bram Stoker didn't have the stomach to tell. The Myth of Diversity lets you view the results of CEO J. B. Downing's decision to create a truly diverse workplace. Wanting to melt down human resources into ingots of profit, Downing tells HR manager Bob De Lucca to "bring me Wobblies and bring me Wookies. Bring me all of this and more." J. B.'s Worktopia initiative is diversity unlike anything you've ever seen. In The Myth of Philosophy, you'll sit one cubicle over from intern Carrie Hoofsnagle as she helps the Right Thinking Institute to engage in some of the most convoluted cognition that you're likely ever to witness. You'll discover what happens when RTI applies flawless reasoning and free alcohol to the problem of getting architect and Civil War re-enactor Joseph Legucci to build the Mall of Northern Aggression. The Myth of Social Activism shows you how Judge Jack Lovell embroils young dirt farmer Walter Smith in the War to End all Wars. Speeding off with Walter to Camp Xenophobia, you'll see how the Great War made the world safe for the American way of life and the not-very-flattering house dresses worn by J. Edgar Hoover. The Myth of Vision returns to the dawn of time so that you can see the very first "Aha " moment. You'll be standing by the flip chart when the planet's original idea man, Oog, partners up with his cave mate of indeterminate gender, Boog, to start a mastodon-extermination company. And, finally, The Myth of Sisyphus ties together everything you've learned and sends you back to your room, exactly the place where you can do the least harm.

The National Book Critics Circle Award–winning author delivers a collection of essays that serve as the perfect “antidote to mansplaining” (The Stranger). In her comic, scathing essay “Men Explain Things to Me,” Rebecca Solnit took on what often goes wrong in conversations between men and women. She wrote about men who wrongly assume they know things and wrongly assume women don’t, about why this arises, and how this aspect of the gender wars works, airing some of her own hilariously awful encounters. She ends on a serious note— because the ultimate problem is the silencing of women who have something to say, including those saying things like, “He’s trying to kill me!” This book features that now-classic essay with six perfect complements, including an examination of the great feminist writer Virginia Woolf’s embrace of mystery, of not knowing, of doubt and ambiguity, a highly original inquiry into marriage equality, and a terrifying survey of the scope of contemporary violence against women. “In this series of personal but unsentimental essays, Solnit gives succinct shorthand to a familiar female experience that before had gone unarticulated, perhaps even unrecognized.” —The New York Times “Essential feminist reading.” —The New Republic “This slim book hums with power and wit.” —Boston Globe “Solnit tackles big themes of gender and power in these accessible essays. Honest and full of wit, this is an integral read that furthers the conversation on feminism and contemporary society.” —San Francisco Chronicle “Essential.” —Marketplace “Feminist, frequently funny, unflinchingly honest and often scathing in its conclusions.” —Salon

Revised edition of the best-selling memoir that has been read by over a million people worldwide with translations in 29 languages. After too many years of unfulfilling work, Bronnie Ware began searching for a job with heart. Despite having no formal qualifications or previous experience in the field, she found herself working in palliative care. During the time she spent tending to those who were dying, Bronnie's life was transformed. Later, she wrote an Internet blog post, outlining the most common regrets that the people she had cared for had expressed. The post gained so much momentum that it was viewed by more than three million readers worldwide in its first year. At the request of many, Bronnie subsequently wrote a book, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, to share her story. Bronnie has had a colourful and diverse life. By applying the lessons of those nearing their death to her own life, she developed an understanding that it is possible for everyone, if we make the right choices, to die with peace of mind. In this revised edition of the best-selling memoir that has been read by over a million people worldwide, with translations in 29 languages, Bronnie expresses how significant these regrets are and how we can positively address these issues while we still have the time. The Top Five Regrets of the Dying gives hope for a better world. It is a courageous, life-changing book that will leave you feeling more compassionate and inspired to live the life you are truly here to live.

The World’s Most Influential Book on Personal Success The bestselling classic that made Systems Over Goals, Talent Stacking, and Passion Is Overrated universal success advice has been reborn. Once in a generation, a book revolutionizes its category and becomes the preeminent reference that all subsequent books on the topic must pay homage to, in name or in spirit. How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big by Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert, is such a book for the field of personal success. A contrarian pundit and persuasion expert in a class of his own, Adams has reached hundreds of millions directly and indirectly through the 2013 first edition’s straightforward yet counterintuitive advice—to invite failure in, embrace it, then pick its pocket. The second edition of How to Fail is a tighter, updated version, by popular demand. Yet new and returning readers alike will find the same candor, humor, and timeless wisdom on productivity, career growth, health and fitness, and entrepreneurial success as the original classic. How to Fail at Almost Everything and Still Win Big, Second Edition is the essential read (or re-read) for anyone who wants to find a unique path to personal victory—and make luck find you in whatever you do.

From the New York Times bestselling authors of Sprint comes “a unique and engaging read about a proven habit framework [that] readers can apply to each day” (Insider, Best Books to Form New Habits). “If you want to achieve more (without going nuts), read this book.”—Charles Duhigg, author of The Power of Habit Nobody ever looked at an empty calendar and said, "The best way to spend this time is by cramming it full of meetings!" or got to work in the morning and thought, Today I'll spend hours on Facebook! Yet that's exactly what we do. Why? In a world where information refreshes endlessly and the workday feels like a race to react to other people's priorities faster, frazzled and distracted has become our default position. But what if the exhaustion of constant busyness wasn't mandatory? What if you could step off the hamster wheel and start taking control of your time and attention? That's what this book is about. As creators of Google Ventures' renowned "design sprint," Jake and John have helped hundreds of teams solve important problems by changing how they work. Building on the success of these sprints and their experience designing ubiquitous tech products from Gmail to YouTube, they spent years experimenting with their own habits and routines, looking for ways to help people optimize their energy, focus, and time. Now they've packaged the most effective tactics into a four-step daily framework that anyone can use to systematically design their days. Make Time is not a one-size-fits-all formula. Instead, it offers a customizable menu of bite-size tips and strategies that can be tailored to individual habits and lifestyles. Make Time isn't about productivity, or checking off more to-dos. Nor does it propose unrealistic solutions like throwing out your smartphone or swearing off social media. Making time isn't about radically overhauling your lifestyle; it's about making small shifts in your environment to liberate yourself from constant busyness and distraction. A must-read for anyone who has ever thought, If only there were more hours in the day..., Make Time will help you stop passively reacting to the demands of the modern world and start intentionally making time for the things that matter.

This collection is a combination of romantic, philosophic, mystical, and spiritual poetry written to warm even the coldest of hearts. They come from a very inspired place that speaks of a great desire to understand ourselves. The elusive butterfly in all of us, that out of its innate curiosity to learn and experience things by necessity, transforms itself. They also speak of the unique place that we all share in the divine tapestry we call life and how we are all intimately connected. The poems reflect on the betrayal and hypocrisy that we all inevitably encounter on our journey through life. Most importantly, a message of hope and joy runs through them, so that we are always reminded that even in our darkest moments, the light of truth and love has never abandoned us. The book also shares some of the stories that inspired and motivated some of the poems. They run the gamut, from gut-wrenching tearjerkers to deeply impassioned pleas for universal kindness to the whimsical frolic of a playful little child. Included is a section titled Musings on Life. These are philosophic perspectives intended to be life lessons for the reader. It's been said that not all men are masters, but all masters have been men. Along that same line of thinking, the author feels that although not all philosophers are poets, all poets are philosophers.