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Young People Using Family Violence: International Perspectives on Research, Responses and Reforms
by Kate Fitz-Gibbon Heather Douglas JaneMaree MaherThis book examines the use of violence by children and young people in family settings and proposes specialised and age-appropriate responses to these children and young people It interrogates the adequacy and effectiveness of current service and justice system responses, including analysis of police, court and specialist service responses. It proposes new approaches to children and young people who use violence that are evidence based, non-punitive, and informed by an understanding of the complexity of needs and the importance of age appropriate service responses.Bringing together a range of Australian and International experts, it sheds new light on questions such as: How can we best understand and respond to the use of family violence by young people? To what extent do traditional family violence responses address the experiences of adolescents who use violence in family settings? What barriers to help seeking exist for parental and sibling victims of adolescent family violence? To what degree do existing support and justice services provide adequate responses to those using adolescent family violence and their families? In what circumstances do children kill their biological and adopted parents?The explicit focus on child and adolescent family violence produces new knowledge in the area of family violence, which will be of relevance to academics, policy makers and family violence practitioners in Australia and internationally.
Young People’s Career Development and Wellbeing: An Enquiry across National Education Systems Based on Longitudinal Data (International Study of City Youth Education #5)
by Elizabeth Knight Belgin Okay-SomervilleThis book explores how career development experiences during education are relevant for wellbeing in youth career transitions from an interdisciplinary lens, using longitudinal data from different national educational contexts. Seven empirical chapters culminate in a conceptual model and recommendations for careers and wellbeing-oriented prevention and intervention programs to assist young people as they transition into the world of work. Following a foreword by Professor Stephen Lamb (the Springer International Study of City Youth series editor) and introduction by the editors, the book consists of empirical chapters based in six national and educational contexts, focusing specifically on schooling, higher education and transitions between compulsory schooling and young adulthood. Each national context chapter generates insights based on a longitudinal cohort study with at least two data points concerning information on young people’s career development and wellbeing. The empirical chapters are followed by discussion and conclusion chapters by the editors. The editors reflect on the evidence generated in this book and question what we know about the relevance of career development experiences on young people’s wellbeing during education-to-work transitions. Implications of these empirical findings on career interventions and policy making across the educational systems are discussed. The contributions in this book show that career development experiences while in education matters, not only for employment outcomes, but also for our subjective wellbeing in early careers. Key conclusions point towards a need for theoretically integrating: (i) the sensemaking role of time; (ii) resource-based approaches to careers; as well as (iii) the efficacy of career development experiences to overcome structural inequalities. Methodologically, this book shows the value of nationally representative longitudinal datasets that focus on young people’s educational and labour market experiences.
Young People's Civic Identity in the Digital Age (Palgrave Studies in Young People and Politics)
by Julianne K. ViolaThis book explores young people’s civic experiences in contemporary American society, and how they navigate the political world in an era defined by digital media. Drawing on the experiences of young people before they have reached voting age, the book provides vital perspectives on citizenship and civic engagement of a part of the population that is often overlooked. The author engages with the tensions young people encounter in their everyday personal and civic lives, particularly in their understanding and experience of civic identity in ways that are shaped by society’s (mis)perceptions of youth. The book introduces a new framework of civic identity that has been directly informed by the lived civic experiences of young people themselves. The findings will be of great interest to researchers and students working in political science, sociology, youth studies, education studies, and media studies, as well as policy-makers, practitioners, and parents of young people.
Young People’s Daily Mobilities in Sub-Saharan Africa
by Mac Mashiri Elsbeth Robson Alister Munthali Albert Abane Kate Hampshire Gina PorterThis book explores the daily mobilities and immobilities of children and young people in sub-Saharan Africa. The authors draw on findings from rural and urban field research extending over many years, culminating in a 24-site study across three African countries: Ghana, Malawi, and South Africa. Wider reflections on gender, relationality, the politics of mobility, and field methodology frame the study. By bringing together diverse strands of a complex daily mobilities picture-from journeys for education, work, play/leisure and health, to associated experiences of different transport modes, road safety, and the virtual mobility now afforded by mobile phones-the book helps fill a knowledge gap with crucial significance for development policy and practice.
Young People’s Development and the Great Recession: Uncertain Transitions and Precarious Futures
by Ingrid Schoon John BynnerThe 2007–8 financial crisis and subsequent 'Great Recession' particularly affected young people trying to make their way from education into the labour market at a time of economic uncertainty and upheaval. This is the first volume to examine the impact of the Great Recession on the developmental stage of young adulthood, a critical phase of the life course that has great significance in the foundations of adult identity. Using evidence from longitudinal data sets spanning three major OECD countries, these essays examine the recession's effects on education and employment outcomes and consider the wider psycho-social consequences, including living arrangements, family relations, political engagement, and health and well-being. While the recession intensified the impact of pre-existing trends towards a prolonged dependence on parents and, for many, the precaritisation of life chances, the findings also point to manifestations of resilience, where young people countered adversity by forging positive expectations of the future. Recasts the concept of youth transitions within a contemporary life course perspective, taking into account micro and macro influences Provides a more holistic understanding of recession effects, and offers pointers where new policy regarding, for example, education and training is urgently needed; Draws on data collected for a number of large-scale, national representative and longitudinal data sets; Illustrates the role of social policy in buffering the effects of the recession, and how these vary across countries.
Young People’s Educational Careers in England and Germany
by Judith GlaesserThrough a comparative study of young people's educational careers in England and Germany, this book explores the range of influences which shape educational careers such as the individual talents and interests of young people, their social class and background, as well as school and country characteristics. Methodologically, the book develops a mixed methods approach that utilises Charles Ragin's increasingly popular Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) to examine cross-case analyses of secondary survey data alongside within-case process-tracing analyses of interview data to establish causal understanding of educational careers. International comparison adds another dimension, exploiting the significant differences between the two countries' school and university systems. The book therefore offers both a contemporary account of young people's educational careers and decision-making as well as a practical contribution to ongoing debates concerning the establishment of causal andexplanatory knowledge in the non-experimental social sciences.
A Young People's History of the United States: Revised and Updated (For Young People Series)
by Howard ZinnA Young People's History of the United States brings to US history the viewpoints of workers, enslaved people, immigrants, women, Black people, Latino Americans, Asian Americans, American Indians, and others whose stories, and their impact, are rarely included in books for young people. Beginning with a look at Christopher Columbus&’s arrival through the eyes of the Arawak Indians, then leading the reader through the struggles for workers&’ rights, women&’s rights, and civil rights during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and ending with the current protests against continued American imperialism, Zinn presents a radical new way of understanding America&’s history. In so doing, he reminds readers that America&’s true greatness is shaped by our dissident voices, not our military generals.A Young People's History of the United States is also a companion volume to The People Speak, the film adapted from A People's History of the United States and Voices of a People&’s History of the United States.
Young People’s Human Rights and the Politics of Voting Age
by Sonja C. GroverYoung People's Human Rights and The Politics of Voting Age explores the broader societal implications of voting age eligibility requirements and the legislative bar against youth voting in North America and in Commonwealth countries (where 'youth' is defined as persons 16 and over but under age 18). The issue is raised as to whether the denial of the youth vote undermines democratic principles and values and ultimately the human dignity of youth. This is the first book to address the topic of the youth vote in-depth as a fundamental human rights concern relating to the entitlement in a democracy to societal participation and inclusion in influencing policy and law which profoundly affects one's life. Also examined are international perspectives on the issue of voting age eligibility. The book would be extremely valuable for instructional purposes as one of the primary texts in undergraduate or graduate courses on children's human rights, political psychology, political science , sociology of law or society and as a supplementary text for courses on human rights or constitutional law and would be of interest also to members of the general public concerned with children's human rights issues.
Young People's Perspectives on End-of-Life
by Sarah CoombsThis book challenges adult assumptions that young-people do not, cannot and should not think about death. The author uses everyday material objects in order to facilitate a range of conversations, revealing lively engagement with the topic. Cultural resources, such as literature and film, provide a rich variety of perspectives on and responses to death, whilst equally providing an opportunity to challenge many of these representations as unreal and unauthentic. The book contains personal narratives of loss and memories of loved ones, presenting a variety of encounters with significant deaths, the stories being told in an array of vibrant, amusing and emotive ways. Similarly, death is explored from a variety of religious and scientific frameworks, highlighting rich and changing perspectives. Such shifting and exciting vistas are a largely undiscovered part of young-people's lives and situate them in a landscape not often associated with childhood. Young-People's Perspectives on End-of-Life will be of interest to students and scholars across a range of disciplines, including Childhood and Youth Studies, Death Studies, Qualitative Research Methodologies, Sociology, Anthropology and Education.
Young People’s Political Participation in Western Europe: Continuity or Generational Change? (Palgrave Studies in European Political Sociology)
by Gema M. García-AlbaceteAre young people today politically 'apathetic'? Or are they democratically 'mature' citizens? This book examines several types of involvement to reveal changes in young people's political participation in Europe in recent decades. It uses various concepts of 'age' to compare participation across countries and over time.
Young People's Quality of Life and Construction of Citizenship
by Graciela TononThe study of quality of life refers to the material environment (social welfare) and psychosocial environment (wellbeing). It has been defined as a concept that implies the objective and subjective dimension that Cummins (1997) first studied in seven domains. The use of domains in the quality of life study allows a more precise measurement than the one that could have been reached through simple questions, since psychometric scales are used and if the addition of domains is equivalent to the totality of life satisfaction, then the group of domains is a valid measure of quality of life. In the case of young people, it has been observed that even if they live in negative physical, social and contextual conditions, they can nevertheless experience a relatively positive experience in relation to their quality of life, depending on the strategies and capabilities that they generate in relation to the context. Similarly, young people that live in favorable socioeconomic conditions and with a trouble free psychological situation may experience a relatively poor evaluation of their position in life (Patrick et al). oung people do not form a homogenous group and, in this sense, it is not possible to generalize about youth; they interact with the environment in which they live and they are a product of the history they happen to live, in this way they transit different vital scenarios in daily life that affect their quality of life. The social representations about youth that each population has, in each historical moment, are embedded in the social context in which young people live and develop, conditioning every-day life and /or creating related stereotypes. The concept of youth is a social construction built conjointly by all members of society in the historical moment in which they live. Young people interact with the environment in which they live and they are a product of the history they happen to live. Authors like Urresti (1999) define youth from a point of view that takes into account the living together of different generations in different societies, thus being impossible to compare young people of today with those of two or three decades ago; in addition, he states that it is necessary to situate the understanding of youth within the historical and social moment in which they live. Nowadays the predominant adult model is based in individualism, and even if an intergenerational dialogue is necessary, it is difficult for young people to achieve this kind of communication with adults that, in some cases, are living "stages of youth" or that need to be "forever young". Young people live in uncertainty, with a limited perspective for future action, assigning their own meaning to events and facts, according to their fundamental concerns that are significantly different from those of their parents' generation. In the other side the process of globalization and the protagonist social role of the new informational and communicational technologies, produce that the possibilities to expand individual freedoms increase, but not all young people can manage with it (Lechner, 2002). What young people need in order to construct their citizenship and feel satisfied, varies according to the different societies, especially considering that most of them live a fragile situation. As Cortina (2003:7-9) states, the idea of citizenship always transcends individualism, because the citizen is somebody that exists together with others, and those others are equal to him before the city, is somebody that deliberates with others, that acts with others conjointly, that assumes the protagonist role of his own life, in this way citizen is not only that who the law protects, but that who participates in the public issues. Speaking about young people we propose to recognize them from their equal dignity because "recognition is not only a courtesy that we owe others: it is an essential human need" (Taylor, 1993:46). This recognition is based in human dignity and tends to protect the basic rights of people as individuals and to recognize the particul...
Young People's Rights in the Citizenship Education Classroom (Palgrave Studies in Global Citizenship Education and Democracy)
by Helen HannaThis book explores the rights held by young people in the citizenship education classroom in the divided societies of Northern Ireland and Israel. Against the backdrop of a long history of protracted conflict and division, the author analyses how international rights obligations are reflected in the contested citizenship education curriculum in secondary schools. Drawing upon extensive qualitative data as well as policy and curriculum documents, the author reveals that understandings of education rights can be oriented around three themes – minority group representation in the curriculum, dealing with difference through pedagogy, and preparing young people for life in a (divided) society. This can be mapped onto the 42-A rights framework where education should be ‘acceptable’ and ‘adaptable’. However, the variety of interpretations held by participants raises questions regarding the ‘universality’ of international frameworks for education rights, and the workability of such frameworks in the national and divided contexts. While the contexts of Northern Ireland and Israel have much in common, they are rarely compared: this book will show that their comparison is as relevant as ever, as issues of identity continue to affect everyday school life. This book will be of interest to citizenship and history education scholars, as well as those who are concerned with the application of international human rights law.
Young People’s Transitions into Creative Work: Navigating Challenges and Opportunities (Routledge Research in Education)
by Julian Sefton-Green S Craig Watkins Ben KirshnerExploring how formal and informal education initiatives and training systems in the US, UK and Australia seek to achieve a socially diverse workforce, this insightful book offers a series of detailed case studies to reveal the initiative and ingenuity shown by today’s young people as they navigate entry into creative fields of work. Young People’s Journeys into Creative Work acknowledges the new and diverse challenges faced by today's youth as they look to enter employment. Chapters trace the rise of indie work, aspirational labour, economic precarity, and the disruptive effects of digital technologies, to illustrate the oinventive ways in which youth from varied socio-economic and cultural backgrounds enter into work in film, games production, music, and the visual arts. From hip-hop to new media arts, the text explores how opportunities for creative work have multiplied in recent years as digital technologies open new markets, new scenes, and new opportunities for entrepreneurs and innovation. This book will be of great interest to researchers, academics and postgraduate students in the fields of youth studies, careers guidance, media studies, vocational education and sociology of education.
Young People's Understanding of Society (Adolescence And Society Ser.)
by Adrian FurnhamFirst published in 1991, this book represents the first wide-ranging review of young people’s understanding of the social world and the functioning of society. Taking a social cognitive view of adolescence, it focuses on the processes by which young people learn to understand other people’s thoughts, emotions, intentions and behaviour. Concentrating on the social world of politics, economics, work, gender and religion, the authors cover such issues as: politics and government; work and unemployment; law and legislative matters; religion; marriage and the family; social class; and racial and ethnic differences. This work will be of interest to students of sociology and psychology.
Young Refugees and Forced Displacement: Navigating Everyday Life in Beirut (Routledge Advances in Sociology)
by Liliana Riga Mary Holmes Arek Dakessian Johannes Langer David AndersonYoung Refugees and Forced Displacement is about young Syrian and Iraqi refugees navigating the complex realities of forced displacement in Beirut. It is based on a British Academy funded two-year project with 51 displaced youths aged 8 to 17 and under the care of three local humanitarian organisations. Focus groups, interviews and innovative arts-based methods were used to learn about their everyday lives. At the end of the project, we coproduced with them a public mural, allowing unexpected epistemological and methodological reflections on researching refugees and the "right to opacity." Families and friendships, humanitarian caregiving, racism, discrimination and everyday decencies and civilities make up the stuff of their ordinary, everyday encounters within refugeedom, defining both its sharper edges and its more inadvertent and quietly political ones. Thus, refugeedom, as we conceive it, includes "the humanitarian condition" but goes a little beyond it, to become also a human condition of political alterity. In navigating refugeedom, the young Syrians and Iraqis become sophisticated political and moral actors, using emotional reflexivity as they engage layered subjectivities to define the terms of their own forced displacement. This book will be of interest to policymakers, humanitarian organisations, social science scholars and students working on refugees, displacement, humanitarianism, intimacies and emotions, racism and discrimination. It may also be of interest to displaced youth.
Young Women in Japan: Transitions to Adulthood (ASAA Women in Asia Series)
by Kaori H. OkanoYoung women in Japan: Transitions to adulthood received a CHOICE "Outstanding Academic Title of the Year 2010" award from the American Library Association. This book examines young women in Japan, focusing in particular on their transitions to adulthood, their conceptions of adulthood and relations with Japanese society more generally. Drawing on detailed primary research including a year-long observation of high schools and subsequent interviews over a 12 year period, it traces the experiences of a group of working class women from their last year of high-schooling in 1989 through to 2001 as they approached their thirties. It considers important aspects of the transition to adulthood including employment, marriage, divorce, childbirth and custody. It shows how the role and identities of young women changed over the course of the 1990s, exploring the impact of changes within Japanese society and global forces, and explains fully the implications for ordinary young people and their everyday lives. It considers to what extent young women’s perceptions of themselves and society are shifting, and how far this can be explained by external constraints and their own experiences and decisions.
Young Workers and Trade Unions
by Andy Hodder Lefteris KretsosIn most cases young workers all over the world carry out low-paid, low-status and insecure work. As their position in the labour market becomes increasingly precarious, one may expect them to join unions to get more protection. Nevertheless most young workers remain disengaged from trade union activity and trade unions are struggling with the loss of members and an increasing ageing effect. Young Workers and Trade Unions provides an understanding of the processes in which unions engage with young people and the views and opinions young people hold relating to collective representation. One of the key strengths of the collection is the selection of specific national cases of high relevance to contemporary debates of precariousness, trade union revitalization strategies and austerity policies.
Young Working-Class Men in Transition (Critical Studies of Men and Masculinities)
by Steven RobertsYoung Working Class Men in Transition uses a unique blend of concepts from the sociologies of youth and masculinity combined with Bourdieusian social theory to investigate British young working-class men’s transition to adulthood. Indeed, utilising data from biographical interviews as well as an ethnographic observation of social media activity, this volume provides novel insights by following young men across a seven-year time period. Against the grain of prominent popular discourses that position young working-class men as in ‘crisis’ or as adhering to negative forms of traditional masculinity, this book consequently documents subtle yet positive shifts in the performance of masculinity among this generation. Underpinned by a commitment to a much more expansive array of emotionality than has previously been revealed in such studies, young men are shown to be engaged in school, open to so called ‘women’s work’ in the service sector, and committed to relatively egalitarian divisions of labour in the family home. Despite this, class inequalities inflect their transition to adulthood with the ‘toxicity’ neoliberalism - rather than toxic masculinity - being core to this reality. Problematising how working-class masculinity is often represented, Young Working Class Men in Transition both demonstrates and challenges the portrayal of working class masculinity as a repository of homophobia, sexism and anti-feminine acting. It will appeal to students and researchers interested in fields such as youth studies, masculinity studies, gender studies, sociology of education and sociology of work.
Your Best Health Care Now: Get Doctor Discounts, Save With Better Health Insurance, Find Affordable Prescriptions
by Frank LalliInspired by his viral New York Times article, prize-winning investigative journalist Frank Lalli details how he mastered the ins and outs of health care--and how you, too, can get the best care for your money.Frank Lalli, the former editor of Money and George magazines, has devoted his career to getting to the bottom of a good story. When he was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a rare but potentially deadly blood cancer, he put his reporter's instincts to work and got the wonder drug he needed at an affordable price--thousands of dollars less than he was told he would have to spend. Amazed by the complex and arbitrary nature of the health care system, he decided to share what he has learned as his own Health Care Detective so that others can find their best care and save money, too. Based on three years of research and more than 300 first-hand interviews with experts, Your Best Health Care Now is your easy-to-follow, real-world guide to making today's health system work for you. You'll learn all the smart moves and timely tips to get better care and save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars--no matter what your concerns may be. Whether you're trying to book a free check-up or negotiate with a surgeon, looking for an effective generic drug or the best price for a brand-name, or worrying about high insurance deductibles and rising premiums or a stack of surprise bills, Your Best Health Care Now has the answers you need to take charge of your wellbeing.
Your Computer Is on Fire
by Thomas Mullaney Benjamin Peters Mar Hicks Kavita PhilipTechno-utopianism is dead: Now is the time to pay attention to the inequality, marginalization, and biases woven into our technological systems.This book sounds an alarm: after decades of being lulled into complacency by narratives of technological utopianism and neutrality, people are waking up to the large-scale consequences of Silicon Valley-led technophilia. This book trains a spotlight on the inequality, marginalization, and biases in our technological systems, showing how they are not just minor bugs to be patched, but part and parcel of ideas that assume technology can fix--and control--society.ContributorsJanet Abbate, Ben Allen, Paul N. Edwards, Nathan Ensmenger, Mar Hicks, Halcyon M. Lawrence, Thomas S. Mullaney, Safiya Umoja Noble, Benjamin Peters, Kavita Philip, Sarah T. Roberts, Sreela Sarkar, Corinna Schlombs, Andrea Stanton, Mitali Thakor, Noah Wardrip-Fruin
Your Daily Phil: 100 Days of Truth and Freedom to Heal America's Soul
by Phil RobertsonA daily dose of truth, morality, and biblical wisdom from A&E Duck Dynasty patriarch Phil Robertson in this 100-day devotional.There is a war being waged on the soul of America, but Phil Robertson believes there is hope. In this compilation of 100 days of readings taken from his bestselling books The Theft of America&’s Soul and Jesus Politics, now with newly added prayers and Bible verses, he shows how Americans can turn away from the lies of the devil and embrace the life-giving, healing, and wholly transforming love of God, helping to bring the kingdom of heaven to our homes, neighborhoods, churches, communities, and country. These 100 devotionals cover God-honoring principles, includingcommitting to the life of Christ and his words;understanding the importance of kindness, respect, hard work, and financial stewardship;enjoying God&’s creation—Earth, animals, and each other.Written with captivating storytelling and unflinching honesty, this book is a call for Christians to wake up and use their time, talents, resources, influence, and votes to protect and advance the policies of King Jesus—the only policies that will truly heal the soul of America.
Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science (A Guide for Sinners, Quitters, and Procrastinators)
by Drew DyckWhy can&’t I control my anger? Or stop overeating? Or wasting time online?Why can't I seem to finish my projects? Or make progress in my spiritual life?Why do I fall for the same stupid temptations over and over again?When we fail, its easy to make excuses or blame our circumstances. But let&’s face it: the biggest enemy is usually the one staring back at us from the mirror every morning. We lack self-control. Self-control isn&’t very popular these days. We tend to think of it as boring, confining, the cop that shows up and shuts down the party. But the truth is that people who cultivate this vital virtue lead freer, happier, and more meaningful lives. After all, our bad habits—from the slight to the serious—bring a host of painful consequences. Ultimately, they keep us from becoming the people God created us to be.Your Future Self Will Thank You is a compassionate and humorous guide to breaking bad habits and growing your willpower. It explores Scripture&’s teachings on how to live a disciplined life while offering practical strategies for growth based on the science of self-control. Whether you want to deepen your spiritual life, conquer an addiction, or kick your nail-biting habit, this book will help you get motivated, stay on track, and achieve your goals.Sure, self-control is hard, but it doesn&’t have to be that hard. Get the help you need to be freer, happier, and more productive. Your future self will thank you!
Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science (A Guide for Sinners, Quitters, and Procrastinators)
by Drew DyckWhy can&’t I control my anger? Or stop overeating? Or wasting time online?Why can't I seem to finish my projects? Or make progress in my spiritual life?Why do I fall for the same stupid temptations over and over again?When we fail, its easy to make excuses or blame our circumstances. But let&’s face it: the biggest enemy is usually the one staring back at us from the mirror every morning. We lack self-control. Self-control isn&’t very popular these days. We tend to think of it as boring, confining, the cop that shows up and shuts down the party. But the truth is that people who cultivate this vital virtue lead freer, happier, and more meaningful lives. After all, our bad habits—from the slight to the serious—bring a host of painful consequences. Ultimately, they keep us from becoming the people God created us to be.Your Future Self Will Thank You is a compassionate and humorous guide to breaking bad habits and growing your willpower. It explores Scripture&’s teachings on how to live a disciplined life while offering practical strategies for growth based on the science of self-control. Whether you want to deepen your spiritual life, conquer an addiction, or kick your nail-biting habit, this book will help you get motivated, stay on track, and achieve your goals.Sure, self-control is hard, but it doesn&’t have to be that hard. Get the help you need to be freer, happier, and more productive. Your future self will thank you!
Your Girlfriends Only Know So Much: A Brother's Take on Dating and Mating for Sistas
by Finesse MitchellFace it. Your girlfriends can tell you what you need to know about just about everything...except men. For that, you need comedian and Essence columnist Finesse Mitchell. Eager to help his sistas out and show them how to avoid the types of men who have left them baffled, blue, or just plain bitter, Mitchell tells the truth, whether it's good, bad, or downright despicable. Your Girlfriends Only Know So Much clues women in to what men are really thinking at every stage of a relationship, from first contact through deciding to propose. Lighthearted and brutally (if hilariously) honest,Your Girlfriends Only Know So Much lets women in on the things only men know about men and, in the process, saves them from wasting time.
Your Happiness Was Hacked: Why Tech Is Winning The Battle To Control Your Brain--and How To Fight Back
by Vivek Wadhwa Alex Salkever<p>Do you feel in control of your life or enslaved by your devices? Have you risked your life texting and driving? Do you sympathize with a test group of students who endured painful shocks rather than be separated from their phones? <p>Digital technology is wonderful, but it's making us miserable, say former tech executives Vivek Wadhwa and Alex Salkever. There's a reason Apple CEO Tim Cook told the Guardian he won't let his nephew on social networks. We've become a nation of tech addicts—although it's not entirely our fault, and it is possible to enjoy the benefits of technology while taking our happiness back from the bots. <p>Wadhwa and Salkever describe the applied neuroscience techniques developers are using to make their products so insidiously habit-forming and, drawing on the latest research, detail the negative impact of technology in four key areas: love, work, play, and life. There are dozens of vivid examples. Online dating apps like Tinder encourage users to evaluate people like products, leading to superficial, unsatisfying relationships. Workers check their email an average of seventy-seven times a day, wreaking havoc on productivity. Children now spend nearly twice as much time playing inside with their screens as they do outside in the natural world—it is any wonder childhood obesity is a problem? The light from the devices so many of us look at right before we go to sleep suppresses the production of melatonin, a hormone vital for sleep and healthy organ functioning. <p>But there's a way out. Wadhwa and Salkever lay out simple, common-sense ways to disrupt developers' efforts to get you hooked, including six simple questions to help you decide what role any given technology should play in your life. Ironically, they even describe some emerging technologies designed to give users more control. Get back to making technology serve you, not the other way around!