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The True Creator of Everything: How the Human Brain Shaped the Universe as We Know It
by Miguel NicolelisA radically new cosmological view from a groundbreaking neuroscientist placing the human brain at the center of humanity’s universe Renowned neuroscientist Miguel Nicolelis introduces readers to a revolutionary new theory of how the human brain evolved to become an organic computer without rival in the known universe. Nicolelis undertakes the first attempt to explain the entirety of human history, culture, and civilization based on a series of recently uncovered key principles of brain function. This new cosmology is centered around three fundamental properties of the human brain: its insurmountable malleability to adapt and learn; its exquisite ability to allow multiple individuals to synchronize their minds around a task, goal, or belief; and its incomparable capacity for abstraction. Combining insights from such diverse fields as neuroscience, mathematics, evolution, computer science, physics, history, art, and philosophy, Nicolelis presents a neurobiologically based manifesto for the uniqueness of the human mind and a cautionary tale of the threats that technology poses to present and future generations.
True Enough
by Catherine Z. ElginThe development of an epistemology that explains how science and art embody and convey understanding. Philosophy valorizes truth, holding that there can never be epistemically good reasons to accept a known falsehood, or to accept modes of justification that are not truth conducive. How can this stance account for the epistemic standing of science, which unabashedly relies on models, idealizations, and thought experiments that are known not to be true? In True Enough, Catherine Elgin argues that we should not assume that the inaccuracy of models and idealizations constitutes an inadequacy. To the contrary, their divergence from truth or representational accuracy fosters their epistemic functioning. When effective, models and idealizations are, Elgin contends, felicitous falsehoods that exemplify features of the phenomena they bear on. Because works of art deploy the same sorts of felicitous falsehoods, she argues, they also advance understanding. Elgin develops a holistic epistemology that focuses on the understanding of broad ranges of phenomena rather than knowledge of individual facts. Epistemic acceptability, she maintains, is a matter not of truth-conduciveness, but of what would be reflectively endorsed by the members of an idealized epistemic community—a quasi-Kantian realm of epistemic ends.
True Genius: The Life And Science Of John Bardeen
by Lillian Hoddeson Vicki DaitchWhat is genius? Define it. Now think of scientists who embody the concept of genius. Does the name John Bardeen spring to mind? Indeed, have you ever heard of him?Like so much in modern life, immediate name recognition often rests on a cult of personality. We know Einstein, for example, not just for his tremendous contributions to science, but also because he was a character, who loved to mug for the camera. And our continuing fascination with Richard Feynman is not exclusively based on his body of work; it is in large measure tied to his flamboyant nature and offbeat sense of humor.These men, and their outsize personalities, have come to erroneously symbolize the true nature of genius and creativity. We picture them born brilliant, instantly larger than life. But is that an accurate picture of genius? What of others who are equal in stature to these icons of science, but whom history has awarded only a nod because they did not readily engage the public? Could a person qualify as a bona fide genius if he was a regular Joe?The answer may rest in the story of John Bardeen.John Bardeen was the first person to have been awarded two Nobel Prizes in the same field. He shared one with William Shockley and Walter Brattain for the invention of the transistor. But it was the charismatic Shockley who garnered all the attention, primarily for his Hollywood ways and notorious views on race and intelligence.Bardeen’s second Nobel Prize was awarded for the development of a theory of superconductivity, a feat that had eluded the best efforts of leading theorists—including Albert Einstein, Neils Bohr, Werner Heisenberg, and Richard Feynman. Arguably, Bardeen’s work changed the world in more ways than that of any other scientific genius of his time. Yet while every school child knows of Einstein, few people have heard of John Bardeen. Why is this the case?Perhaps because Bardeen differs radically from the popular stereotype of genius. He was a modest, mumbling Midwesterner, an ordinary person who worked hard and had a knack for physics and mathematics. He liked to picnic with his family, collaborate quietly with colleagues, or play a round of golf. None of that was newsworthy, so the media, and consequently the public, ignored him.John Bardeen simply fits a new profile of genius. Through an exploration of his science as well as his life, a fresh and thoroughly engaging portrait of genius and the nature of creativity emerges. This perspective will have readers looking anew at what it truly means to be a genius.
True Genius: The Life and Work of Richard Garwin, the Most Influential Scientist You've Never Heard of
by Joel ShurkinRichard Garwin was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Barack Obama Called a "true genius" by Enrico Fermi, Richard Garwin has influenced modern life in far-reaching ways, yet he is hardly known outside the physics community. This is the first biography of one of America's great minds--a top physicist, a brilliant technological innovator, and a trusted advisor of presidents for sixty years. Among his many contributions to modern technology are innovations we now take for granted: air-traffic control systems, touch screens, color monitors, laser printers, GPS satellite navigation, and many other facets of everyday contemporary life.But certainly his most important work has been on behalf of nuclear disarmament. As a key member of the Los Alamos team that developed the hydrogen bomb (he created the final design), Garwin subsequently devoted much of his career to ensuring that nuclear weapons never again be used. He has spent hundreds of hours testifying before Congress, serving on government advisory committees, and doing work that is still classified, all the while working for IBM as a researcher. A genuine polymath, his ideas extend from propulsion systems for interplanetary flight to preventing flu epidemics. Never shy about offering his opinions, even to rigid government bureaucracies unwilling to change, Garwin continues to show leaders how to do the smart thing. The world is a more interesting and safer place because of his many accomplishments.
True or Poo?: The Definitive Field Guide to Filthy Animal Facts and Falsehoods (Does It Fart Series #2)
by Nick Caruso Dani RabaiottiFrom the scientist duo behind the New York Times bestselling sensation Does It Fart? comes a new illustrated compendium of animal facts and falsehoods, from the head-scratching to the repulsive! After Does It Fart? comes Number Two...a fully illustrated compendium of animal facts and falsehoods--the more repulsive the better. Do komodo dragons have toxic slobber? Is it true that a scorpion that sheds its tail dies of constipation? Speaking of poo, do rabbits really have a habit of, err, eating their own? And can you really get high from licking toads, or is that...fake newts?The answers to all these questions and more can be found in True or Poo?, a manual for disgusting and one-upping your friends and enemies for years to come.
True or Poo?: The Ultimate Guide to Animal Facts and Fibs (Does It Fart Ser. #2)
by Nick Caruso Dani RabaiottiThe toilet-tastic book that asks young readers to guess if animal facts are true...or POO?!Do wombats have cube-shaped poo?Do you eat spiders in your sleep?Do beetles pretend to be ant bottoms?In this hilariously helpful guide to which facts about the animal kingdom are true or false, you might be surprised to learn what's true ... and what's a big pile of poo! And you will find out a lot about that smelly stuff in this book too, from how it's made to which animals eat their own waste. (Yuck!)But will you be able to guess what's real and what's made up? Find out in this comical collection of weird habits, cool facts and sneaky myths about your favourite animals!This HILARIOUS book is the companion title to Does it Fart?
True Roots: What Quitting Hair Dye Taught Me about Health and Beauty
by Ronnie Citron-FinkLike 75% of American women, Ronnie Citron-Fink dyed her hair, visiting the salon every few weeks to hide gray roots in her signature dark brown mane. She wanted to look attractive, professional, young. Yet as a journalist covering health and the environment, she knew something wasn't right. All those unpronounceable chemical names on the back of the hair dye box were far from natural. Were her recurring headaches and allergies telltale signs that the dye offered the illusion of health, all the while undermining it?So after twenty-five years of coloring, Ronnie took a leap and decided to ditch the dye. Suddenly everyone, from friends and family to rank strangers, seemed to have questions about her hair. How'd you do it? Are you doing that on purpose? Are you OK? Armed with a mantra that explained her reasons for going gray—the upkeep, the cost, the chemicals—Ronnie started to ask her own questions.What are the risks of coloring? Why are hair dye companies allowed to use chemicals that may be harmful? Are there safer alternatives? Maybe most importantly, why do women feel compelled to color? Will I still feel like me when I have gray hair?True Roots follows Ronnie's journey from dark dyes to a silver crown of glory, from fear of aging to embracing natural beauty. Along the way, readers will learn how to protect themselves, whether by transitioning to their natural color or switching to safer products. Like Ronnie, women of all ages can discover their own hair story, one built on individuality, health, and truth.
The True Story of Modern Cosmology: Origins, Main Actors and Breakthroughs
by Emilio ElizaldeThis book tells the story of how, over the past century, dedicated observers and pioneering scientists achieved our current understanding of the universe. It was in antiquity that humankind first attempted to explain the universe often with the help of myths and legends. This book, however, focuses on the time when cosmology finally became a true science. As the reader will learn, this was a slow process, extending over a large part of the 20th century and involving many astronomers, cosmologists and theoretical physicists. The book explains how empirical astronomical data (e.g., Leavitt, Slipher and Hubble) were reconciled with Einstein's general relativity; a challenge which finally led Friedmann, De Sitter and Lemaître, and eventually Einstein himself, to a consistent understanding of the observational results. The reader will realize the extraordinary implications of these achievements and how deeply they changed our vision of the cosmos: From being small, static, immutable and eternal, it became vast and dynamical - originating from (almost) nothing, and yet now, nearly 14 billion years later, undergoing accelerated expansion. But, as always happens, as well as precious knowledge, new mysteries have also been created where previously absolute certainty had reigned.
True Tales of Medical Physics: Insights into a Life-Saving Specialty
by Jacob Van DykSince the discovery of the x-ray over 125 years ago, scientists and medical professionals alike have harnessed the power of the atom to heal and protect. This book brings together an all-star cast of high-profile and award-winning scholars, introducing the general readership to an often unnoticed yet societally vital profession – medical physics. This collection of personal short stories offers an informal, behind-the-scenes glimpse into the lives of these esteemed professionals, encapsulating their transformative “aha” moments within a whimsical hodgepodge of instructive and inspiring anecdotes. They even pass on words of wisdom discovered from their diverse experiences throughout the academic, clinical, and commercial worlds. The wealth of information packed into these vignettes runs the gamut from practical career advice to lighthearted tales of humorous misadventure, providing a tremendous overview of the breadth and depth of medical physics as a career and discipline while imparting sage advice that extends well beyond the field. In his Foreword to this book Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency, provides his strong endorsement of the life-saving work carried out by medical physicists and the profession as a whole.From the general public to the budding student in search of career guidance, as well as young and seasoned practicing professionals, these thought-provoking, witty, and simply entertaining “untold stories” encourage the reader to reflect on and ponder the many enduring lessons born from unexpected life-turning events.
True Truffle (Tuber spp.) in the World
by Alessandra Zambonelli Mirco Iotti Claude MuratThis book focuses on the taxonomic diversity of the genus Tuber as economically important truffles. In contributions by internationally respected scientists, it examines truffle systematics, interactions with abiotic and biotic environments, strategies for spore dispersal, and molecular processes in truffles. Topics discussed include: evolutionary theories and phylogeny of Tuber species from Asia, Europe and North-America; the influence of climate on the natural distribution of Tuber species and fruiting body production, soil characteristics and vegetation in natural habitats; tools for tracing truffles in soil, host diversity, truffle inhabiting fungi and truffle-associated bacteria; and the relationships of small mammals and wild boars with truffles, as well as the smell of truffles. This book offers a valuable reference guide for all researchers working in the fields of mycology, ecology and the soil sciences, and will also be useful for farmers and foresters interested in truffle cultivation worldwide.
The True Wireless
by Nikola TeslaNikola Tesla was a genius who revolutionized how the world looks at electricity.
Truly Human Enhancement: A Philosophical Defense of Limits (Basic Bioethics)
by Nicholas AgarA nuanced discussion of human enhancement that argues for enhancement that does not significantly exceed what is currently possible for human beings.The transformative potential of genetic and cybernetic technologies to enhance human capabilities is most often either rejected on moral and prudential grounds or hailed as the future salvation of humanity. In this book, Nicholas Agar offers a more nuanced view, making a case for moderate human enhancement—improvements to attributes and abilities that do not significantly exceed what is currently possible for human beings. He argues against radical human enhancement, or improvements that greatly exceed current human capabilities.Agar explores notions of transformative change and motives for human enhancement; distinguishes between the instrumental and intrinsic value of enhancements; argues that too much enhancement undermines human identity; considers the possibility of cognitively enhanced scientists; and argues against radical life extension. Making the case for moderate enhancement, Agar argues that many objections to enhancement are better understood as directed at the degree of enhancement rather than enhancement itself. Moderate human enhancement meets the requirement of truly human enhancement. By radically enhancing human cognitive capabilities, by contrast, we may inadvertently create beings (“post-persons”) with moral status higher than that of persons. If we create beings more entitled to benefits and protections against harms than persons, Agar writes, this will be bad news for the unenhanced. Moderate human enhancement offers a more appealing vision of the future and of our relationship to technology.
Truly Human Enhancement
by Nicholas AgarThe transformative potential of genetic and cybernetic technologies to enhance human capabilities is most often either rejected on moral and prudential grounds or hailed as the future salvation of humanity. In this book, Nicholas Agar offers a more nuanced view, making a case for moderate human enhancement -- improvements to attributes and abilities that do not significantly exceed what is currently possible for human beings. He argues against radical human enhancement, or improvements that greatly exceeds current human capabilities. Agar explores notions of transformative change and motives for human enhancement; distinguishes between the instrumental and intrinsic value of enhancements; argues that too much enhancement undermines human identity; considers the possibility of cognitively enhanced scientists; and argues against radical life extension. Making the case for moderate enhancement, Agar argues that many objections to enhancement are better understood as directed at the degree of enhancement rather than enhancement itself. Moderate human enhancement meets the requirement of truly human enhancement. By radically enhancing human cognitive capabilities, by contrast, we may inadvertently create beings ("post-persons") with moral status higher than that of persons. If we create beings more entitled to benefits and protections against harms than persons, Agar writes, this will be bad news for the unenhanced. Moderate human enhancement offers a more appealing vision of the future and of our relationship to technology.
Truncated Predictor Based Feedback Designs for Linear Systems with Input Delay (Control Engineering)
by Yusheng Wei Zongli LinThis monograph is the first of its kind to present innovative research results on truncated predictor feedback (TPF) designs for general linear systems with input delay. Beginning with a brief review of time delay systems, the first half of the book focuses on TPF with a constant feedback parameter. Both state feedback and output feedback are considered. It is established that TPF achieves stabilization in the presence of an arbitrarily large bounded delay if the open loop system is not exponentially unstable. Examples are presented to illustrate that TPF may fail to stabilize an exponentially unstable system when the delay is sufficiently large. Bounds on the delay are then established under which stabilization can be achieved. The second half of the book explores variations of the TPF laws designed with a non-constant feedback parameter to accommodate unknown delays and improve closed-loop performance. The authors employ a step-by-step approach to presenting the ultimate result on a completely delay-independent feedback law. Truncated Predictor Based Feedback Designs for Linear Systems with Input Delay will appeal to control engineers, control theorists, and graduate students studying control systems. This volume will also be a valuable resource for engineers and applied mathematicians interested in dynamic systems with time delays.
Trust
by Toshio YamagishiThis book is written around the central message that collectivist societies produce security, but destroy trust. In collectivist societies, people are connected through networks of strong personal ties where the behavior of all agents is constantly monitored and controlled. As a result, individuals in collectivist networks are assured that others will abide by social norms, and gain a sense of security erroneously thought of as "trust." However, this book argues that this security is not truly trust, based on beliefs regarding the integrity of others, but assurance, based on the system of mutual control within the network. In collectivist societies, security is assured insofar as people stay within the network, but people do not trust in the benevolence of human nature. On the one hand, transaction costs are reduced within collectivist networks, as once accepted into a network the risk of being maltreated is minimized. However, joining the network requires individuals to pay opportunity cost, that is, they pay a cost by forgoing potentially superior opportunities outside the security of the network. In this era of globalization, people from traditionally collectivistic societies face the challenge of learning how to free themselves from the security of such collectivistic networks in order to explore the opportunities open to them elsewhere. This book presents research investigating how the minds of individuals are shaped by the conflict between maintaining security inside closed networks of strong ties, and venturing outside of the network to seek out new opportunities.
Trust, Accountability and Purpose: The Regulation of Corporate Governance (Elements in Corporate Governance)
by Justin O'BrienThe collapse of trust can be found across all of our institutions but most of all in finance. This Element seeks to answer an existential question: how to rebuild trust in distrusting times? Integrity, responsibility and accountability must be embedded into corporate mission statements, values and codes of conduct. Through organisational and regulatory design across five interlocking themes - legal, regulatory, managerial, ethical and social. What is required is substantive rather than technical compliance; warranted rather than stated commitment to high ethical standards; effective deterrence strategies; enhanced accountability; and a shared commitment to risk within negotiated, binding and enforceable parameters.
Trust and Confidence at the Interfaces of the Life Sciences and Society: Does the Public Trust Science? A Workshop Summary
by Helaine E. ResnickDoes the public trust science? Scientists? Scientific organizations? What roles do trust and the lack of trust play in public debates about how science can be used to address such societal concerns as childhood vaccination, cancer screening, and a warming planet? What could happen if social trust in science or scientists faded? These types of questions led the Roundtable on Public Interfaces of the Life Sciences of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine to convene a 2-day workshop on May 5-6, 2015 on public trust in science. This report explores empirical evidence on public opinion and attitudes toward life sciences as they relate to societal issues, whether and how contentious debate about select life science topics mediates trust, and the roles that scientists, business, media, community groups, and other stakeholders play in creating and maintaining public confidence in life sciences. Does the Public Trust Science? Trust and Confidence at the Interfaces of the Life Sciences and Society highlights research on the elements of trust and how to build, mend, or maintain trust; and examine best practices in the context of scientist engagement with lay audiences around social issues.
Trust and Credit in Organizations and Institutions: As Viewed from the Evolution of Cooperation (Theoretical Biology)
by Mayuko NakamaruThis book shows that evolutionary game theory can unravel how mutual cooperation, trust, and credit in a group emerge in organizations and institutions. Some organizations and institutions, such as insurance unions, credit unions, and banks, originated from very simple mutual-aid groups. Members in these early-stage mutual-aid groups help each other, making rules to promote cooperation, and suppressing free riders. Then, they come to “trust” not only each other but also the group they belong to, itself. The division of labor occurs when the society comes to have diversity and complexity in a larger group, and the division of labor also requires mutual cooperation and trust among different social roles. In a larger group, people cannot directly interact with each other, and the reputation of unknown people helps other decide who is a trustworthy person. However, if gossip spreads untruths about a reputation, trust and cooperation are destroyed. Therefore, how to suppress untrue gossip is also important for trust and cooperation in a larger group. If trustworthiness and credibility can be established, these groups are successfully sustainable. Some develop and evolve and then mature into larger organizations and institutions. Finally, these organizations and institutions become what they are now. Therefore, not only cooperation but also trust and credit are keys to understanding these organizations and institutions.The evolution of cooperation, a topic of research in evolutionary ecology and evolutionary game theory, can be applied to understanding how to make institutions and organizations sustainable, trustworthy, and credible. It provides us with the idea that evolutionary game theory is a good mathematical tool to analyze trust and credit. This kind of research can be applied to current hot topics such as microfinance and the sustainable use of ecosystems.
Trust in Numbers: The Pursuit of Objectivity in Science and Public Life
by Theodore M. PorterA foundational work on historical and social studies of quantificationWhat accounts for the prestige of quantitative methods? The usual answer is that quantification is desirable in social investigation as a result of its successes in science. Trust in Numbers questions whether such success in the study of stars, molecules, or cells should be an attractive model for research on human societies, and examines why the natural sciences are highly quantitative in the first place. Theodore Porter argues that a better understanding of the attractions of quantification in business, government, and social research brings a fresh perspective to its role in psychology, physics, and medicine. Quantitative rigor is not inherent in science but arises from political and social pressures, and objectivity derives its impetus from cultural contexts. In a new preface, the author sheds light on the current infatuation with quantitative methods, particularly at the intersection of science and bureaucracy.
Trust, Security and Privacy for Big Data
by Mamoun AlazabData has revolutionized the digital ecosystem. Readily available large datasets foster AI and machine learning automated solutions. The data generated from diverse and varied sources including IoT, social platforms, healthcare, system logs, bio-informatics, etc. contribute to and define the ethos of Big Data which is volume, velocity and variety. Data lakes formed by the amalgamation of data from these sources requires powerful, scalable and resilient storage and processing platforms to reveal the true value hidden inside this data mine. Data formats and its collection from various sources not only introduce unprecedented challenges to different domains including IoT, manufacturing, smart cars, power grids etc., but also highlight the security and privacy issues in this age of big data. Security and privacy in big data is facing many challenges, such as generative adversary networks, efficient encryption and decryption algorithms, encrypted information retrieval, attribute-based encryption, attacks on availability, and reliability. Providing security and privacy for big data storage, transmission, and processing have been attracting much attention in all big data related areas.The book provides timely and comprehensive information for researchers and industry partners in communications and networking domains to review the latest results in security and privacy related work of Big Data. It will serve computer science and cybersecurity communities including researchers, academicians, students, and practitioners who have interest in big data trust privacy and security aspects. It is a comprehensive work on the most recent developments in security of datasets from varied sources including IoT, cyber physical domains, big data architectures, studies for trustworthy computing, and approaches for distributed systems and big data security solutions etc.
Trust Us, We're Experts
by Sheldon Rampton John StauberFearless investigative journalists Sheldon Rampton and John Stauber ( Toxic Sludge Is Good for You! and Mad Cow U.S.A.) are back with a gripping expos of the public relations industry and the scientists who back their business-funded, anti-consumer-safety agendas. There are two kinds of "experts" in question--the PR spin doctors behind the scenes and the "independent" experts paraded before the public, scientists who have been hand-selected, cultivated, and paid handsomely to promote the views of corporations involved in controversial actions. Lively writing on controversial topics such as dioxin, bovine growth hormone, and genetically modified food makes this a real page-turner, shocking in its portrayal of the real and potential dangers in each of these technological innovations and of the "media pseudo-environment" created to obfuscate the risks. By financing and publicizing views that support the goals of corporate sponsors, PR campaigns have, over the course of the century, managed to suppress the dangers of lead poisoning for decades, silence the scientist who discovered that rats fed on genetically modified corn had significant organ abnormalities, squelch television and newspaper stories about the risks of bovine growth hormone, and place enough confusion and doubt in the public's mind about global warming to suppress any mobilization for action. Rampton and Stauber introduce the movers and shakers of the PR industry, from the "risk communicators" (whose job is to downplay all risks) and "outrage managers" (with their four strategies--deflect, defer, dismiss, or defeat) to those who specialize in "public policy intelligence" (spying on opponents). Evidently, these elaborate PR campaigns are created for our own good. According to public relations philosophers, the public reacts emotionally to topics related to health and safety and is incapable of holding rational discourse. Needless to say, Rampton and Stauber find these views rather antidemocratic and intend to pull back the curtain to reveal the real wizard in Oz. This is one wake-up call that's hard to resist.
Trustworthy Open Self-Organising Systems
by Wolfgang Reif Gerrit Anders Hella Seebach Jan-Philipp Steghöfer Elisabeth André Jörg Hähner Christian Müller-Schloer Theo UngererThis booktreats the computational use of social concepts as the focal point for therealisation of a novel class of socio-technical systems, comprising smartgrids, public display environments, and grid computing. Thesesystems are composed of technical and human constituents that interact witheach other in an open environment. Heterogeneity, large scale, and uncertaintyin the behaviour of the constituents and the environment are the rule ratherthan the exception. Ensuringthe trustworthiness of such systems allows their technical constituents tointeract with each other in a reliable, secure, and predictable way while theirhuman users are able to understand and control them. "TrustworthyOpen Self-Organising Systems" contains a wealth of knowledge, fromtrustworthy self-organisation mechanisms, to trust models, methods to measure auser's trust in a system, a discussion of social concepts beyond trust, andinsights into the impact open self-organising systems will have on society.
Truth: How the Many Sides to Every Story Shape Our Reality
by Hector MacDonaldFrom one of the world's leading experts in business storytelling, and for readers of Daniel Levitin, Nate Silver, and Charles Duhigg, Truth: A User's Guide is about the different types of competing truths we face every day in life: how to identify them, why they work, when they are used and misused, and what we can do to guard against them or--when appropriate--to make constructive use of them.We tend to see the world like Orwell's Winston Smith: "There was truth and there was untruth." Yet the world is far more complicated than that. In a time of "post-truth", when "fake news" is itself the subject of our headlines, it is not "untruths" that we need to worry about. Hector Macdonald reveals and examines one of our greatest collective blind spots: we are all routinely misled by the truth. This is because for any fact, scenario, story, and situation, there are what Hector terms "Competing Truths." Why do Competing Truths matter? They matter because we vote, shop, work, co-operate, and fight based on what we believe to be true, and what we believe depends in large part on what we read or hear from others. Many of the most sophisticated and influential forms of political, business, and media communication manipulate technically true statements to pull the wool over the public's eyes. Truth is not an absolute--it has its own spectrum. Truth: A User's Guide shows us how to cut through the nebulous issue of truth using a scaffold of timely examples. These examples range from the disingenuous use of statistics in Donald Trump's speeches to the 2013 fallacy that Western quinoa demand was disadvantaging native Andean farmers, to the structure, ethics, and success of Uber. Macdonald is as comfortable and insightful parsing the influence of Facebook as he is examining Colgate's misleading campaign as the toothpaste recommended by dentists. Truth: A User's Guide explores how we can guard against the noise of competing truths, in business, in our personal relationships, and within ourselves, but also how we can use them to our advantage. Written with authority and humour, this is an accessible and illuminating narrative that will find a wide audience among readers in search of understanding why the meaning of "truth" seems to have gone completely haywire.
Truth: A Brief History Of Total Bullsh*t
by Tom Phillips“A lighthearted history of lying”—from the international bestselling author of Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up (Kirkus Reviews).We live in a “post-truth” world, we’re told. But was there ever really a golden age of truth-telling? Or have people been lying, fibbing and just plain bullsh*tting since the beginning of time?Tom Phillips, editor of a leading independent fact-checking organization, deals with this question every day. In Truth, he tells the story of how we humans have spent history lying to each other—and ourselves—about everything from business to politics to plain old geography. Along the way, he chronicles the world’s oldest customer service complaint, the Great Moon Hoax of 1835 and the surprisingly dishonest career of Benjamin Franklin.Sharp, witty and with a clear-eyed view of humanity’s checkered past, Truth reveals why people lie—and how we can cut through the bullsh*t.Praise for Humans: A Brief History of How We F*cked It All Up“A laugh-along, worst-hits album for humanity.” —Steve Brusatte, New York Times–bestselling author of The Rise and Reign of the Mammals“[A] perfect blend of brilliance and goofiness.” —BuzzFeed“[A] timely, irreverent gallop through thousands of years of human stupidity.” —Nicholas Griffin, author of The Year of Dangerous Days“Chronicles humanity’s myriad follies down the ages with malicious glee and much wit . . . a rib-tickling page-turner.” —Business Standard
The Truth About Animals: Stoned Sloths, Lovelorn Hippos, and Other Tales from the Wild Side of Wildlife
by Lucy CookeMary Roach meets Sam Kean and Bill Bryson in this uproarious tour of the basest instincts and biggest mysteries of the animal worldHumans have gone to the Moon and discovered the Higgs boson, but when it comes to understanding animals, we've still got a long way to go. Whether we're seeing a viral video of romping baby pandas or a picture of penguins "holding hands," it's hard for us not to project our own values--innocence, fidelity, temperance, hard work--onto animals. So you've probably never considered if moose get drunk, penguins cheat on their mates, or worker ants lay about. They do--and that's just for starters. In The Truth About Animals, Lucy Cooke takes us on a worldwide journey to meet everyone from a Colombian hippo castrator to a Chinese panda porn peddler, all to lay bare the secret--and often hilarious--habits of the animal kingdom. Charming and at times downright weird, this modern bestiary is perfect for anyone who has ever suspected that virtue might be unnatural.