Social sciences

New York Times"-bestselling author Pinker marries two of the subjects he knows best: language and human nature. The result is a fascinating look at how words explain human nature.

Drawn from the work of StoryCorps, the largest and most ambitious oral history project in American history, this tapestry--as heard on NPR--shares hard-won wisdom and boundless humanity ("Seattle ...

An instant bestseller that is poised to become a classic, "Moonwalking with Einstein" recounts Foer's yearlong quest to improve his memory under the tutelage of top "mental athletes." He draws on cutting-edge research, a surprising cultural history of remembering, and venerable tricks of the mentalist's trade to transform our understanding of human memory.

Visionary game designer McGonigal reveals how we can harness the power of games to solve real-world problems and boost global happiness.

Faced with the ceaseless stream of news about war, crime, and terrorism, one could easily think this is the most violent age ever seen. Yet as bestselling author Pinker shows in this startling and engaging new work, just the opposite is true: violence has been diminishing for millennia and this may be the most peaceful time in mankind's existence.

Ghaemi, who runs the Mood Disorders Program at Tufts University Medical Center, draws from the careers such notable leaders as Lincoln, Churchill, Gandhi, Martin Luther King, Jr., JFK, and others to build an argument at once controversial and compelling.

Reveals the secrets of self-control. This title shows us that willpower is like a muscle that can be strengthened with practice and improved over time. It teaches you how to gain from self-control without pain, and discover the real power in willpower.

When Laura Estreich is born, her appearance presents a puzzle: does the shape of her eyes indicate Down syndrome or the fact that she has a Japanese grandmother? In this powerful memoir, George Estreich, a poet and stay-at-home dad, tells his daughter's story, reflecting on her inheritance - from the literal legacy of her genes, to the family history that precedes her, to the Victorian physician ...