Monday, February 14, 2011

When Genius Failed

The Rise and Fall of Long-Term Capital Management


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R an dom House | English | 9 hours and 10 mins | ISBN: 0375758259 | Audio MP3 | 199 MB
On September 23, 1998, the boardroom of the New York Fed was a tense place. Around the table sat the heads of every major Wall Street bank, the chairman of the New York Stock Exchange, and representatives from numerous European banks, each of whom had been summoned to discuss a highly unusual prospect: rescuing what had, until then, been the envy of them all, the extraordinarily successful bond-trading firm of Long-Term Capital Management. Roger Lowenstein's When Genius Failed is the gripping story of the Fed's unprecedented move, the incredible heights reached by LTCM, and the firm's eventual dramatic demise.

Lowenstein, a financial journalist and author of Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist, examines the personalities, academic experts, and professional relationships at LTCM and uncovers the layers of numbers behind its roller-coaster ride with the precision of a skilled surgeon. The fund's enigmatic founder, John Meriwether, spent almost 20 years at Salomon Brothers, where he formed its renowned Arbitrage Group by hiring academia's top financial economists. Though Meriwether left Salomon under a cloud of the SEC's wrath, he leapt into his next venture with ease and enticed most of his former Salomon hires--and eventually even David Mullins, the former vice chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve--to join him in starting a hedge fund that would beat all hedge funds.

LTCM began trading in 1994, after completing a road show that, despite the Ph.D.-touting partners' lack of social skills and their disdainful condescension of potential investors who couldn't rise to their intellectual level, netted a whopping $1.25 billion. The fund would seek to earn a tiny spread on thousands of trades, "as if it were vacuuming nickels that others couldn't see," in the words of one of its Nobel laureate partners, Myron Scholes. And nickels it found. In its first two years, LTCM earned $1.6 billion, profits that exceeded 40 percent even after the partners' hefty cuts. By the spring of 1996, it was holding $140 billion in assets. But the end was soon in sight, and Lowenstein's detailed account of each successively worse month of 1998, culminating in a disastrous August and the partners' subsequent panicked moves, is riveting.

The arbitrageur's world is a complicated one, and it might have served Lowenstein well to slow down and explain in greater detail the complex terms of the more exotic species of investment flora that cram the book's pages. However, much of the intrigue of the Long-Term story lies in its dizzying pace (not to mention the dizzying amounts of money won and lost in the fund's short lifespan). Lowenstein's smooth, conversational but equally urgent tone carries it along well. The book is a compelling read for those who've always wondered what lay behind the Fed's controversial involvement with the LTCM hedge-fund debacle.

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The Sages : Warren Buffett, George Soros, Paul Volcker, and the Maelstrom of Markets

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HighBridge Companyy (June 8, 2009) | English | ISBN: 159887912X | MP3@96 kbps | 5 hrs 35 mins | 214.51 MB
“Morris’s succinct but insightful biographies and his provocative criticisms make this an informative and recommended choice.”

Three titans of finance predicted the current economic crisis several years ago, but their warnings went unheeded. A New York Times bestselling author distills the wisdom of all three.

Throughout the violent financial disruptions of the past several years, three men have stood out as beacons of judgment and wisdom: Warren Buffett, George Soros, and Paul Volcker. Though their experiences and styles vary—Buffett is the canny stock-market investor, Soros the reader of shifting global tides in trade and currencies, Volcker the regulator and governor, sheriff and clean-up crew—they have very much in common.

All three men have more than 50 years of deep involvement in markets. All are skeptical of Wall Street frenzies. They believe that markets tend to be right, but usually only over the medium term. Today, all three are key economic advisors to President Obama.

With the benefit of his own deep understanding of markets and finance, Morris brilliantly analyzes the records of these men, distills their wisdom and experience, and argues for the importance of consistent values in navigating the treacherous terrain of today's globalized world.

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Million Dollar Speaking: The Professional's Guide to Building Your Platform

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English | M gH | (September 15, 2010) | ISBN: 0071743804 | 385 pages | PDF
Make your move into, or improve your position in, the powerful world of professional speaking

If you think you have what it takes to speak professionally, or you've already been doing so with insufficient reward, now is the time to make your move.

Bestselling business author and Professional Speaking Hall of Fame member Alan Weiss offers the inside advice you need to turn your talent into a high-paying career—from honing your delivery skills to building a business. In Million Dollar Speaking, you’ll learn the critical skills of

* Dealing with difficult crowds
* Creating powerful speeches
* Targeting high-potential markets
* Creating a "star" reputation
* Setting fees that reflect your outstanding value
* Perfecting platform skills—making ¬them the best in the business
* Expanding your business through diversification

Weiss has packed the guide with tips, resources, helpful examples, and checklists that make it easy for you to keep a record of your progress. Whether you're a trainer, workshop leader, or consultant, Million Dollar Speaking has what you need to get on the paid public-speaking circuit in no time.

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QBQ! The Question Behind the Question

What to Really Ask Yourself to Eliminate Blame, Complaining, and Procrastination

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Audio MP3 | Penguin Audio| English | ISBN-10: 014305709X | 23 MB
This remarkable and timely book gives a practical method for putting personal accountability into daily action, with astonishing results: problems are solved, internal barriers come down, service improves, teamwork thrives and people adapt to change more quickly.

QBQ! is the book you’ll want to get for everyone you know — but you should read first!

With almost one million copies in print in twenty languages, QBQ! is published by Putnam (a Penguin imprint), publishers of the smash best-seller "Who Moved My Cheese?" QBQ! is a quick 55 minute read, making it a marvelous book for the busy person – at work and at home. It is an excellent tool for teams, study groups, and as a give-away at conferences. Full of fun, light-hearted, true-life stories, QBQ! and its message of personal accountability works equally well for corporations, academia, nonprofits, churches, and government organizations.

"John Miller is one of the few people who I’ve allowed to be a guest on The Dave Ramsey Show. His book, QBQ!, is the best book on personal responsibility available today. This is required reading for my team!"

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Get Hired in a Tough Market

Insider Secrets for Finding and Landing the Job You Need Now

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M c G_ raw-H_il l; (November 20, 2009) | ISBN: 0071637052 | Pages: 224 | PDF | 13,92 Mb
Want that job? Then make employers want you!

Cutting-edge strategies that make you stand out--and blow your competition away!

In an uncertain market, job seekers need to use every tool at their disposal to find the right position. From the pre-work that gets you off on the right foot, to approaching opportunities from multiple fronts, to interviewing and negotiation, career expert Alan De Back reveals the secrets to getting hired fast in a changing marketplace.

You only have one minute to sell yourself

The most important element in your job search is to learn to market yourself successfully. Using the one-minute commercial featured in Get Hired in a Tough Market, you'll learn how to put together an effective, concise, and customizable presentation that gives potential employers all the reasons they need to hire you.

Filled with worksheets, templates, checklists, and examples to provide leadership and support along the way, Get Hired in a Tough Market shows you:
* How to match your skills to those desired by employers--without going back to school
* Where to look for contacts you didn't even know you had
* How to properly leverage social networks--so your efforts won't backfire
* How to pitch yourself to potential employers so they'll never forget you

You'll learn the best ways to network, pursue leads, and make things happen! With the hard-won wisdom in this indispensable guide, you're sure to be the next one hired--and an asset to your new team.

Alan De Back is an experienced career counselor, learning consultant, and speaker based in the Washington, DC, area. He develops and provides learning solutions for clients nationwide that help them achieve their career goals.

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Perfect Phrases for Employee Development Plans

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English | M Gr w-H ll; (June 18, 2010) | ISBN: 0071715096| 176 pages | PDF
A quick-reference guide for managers and HR professionals tasked with designing and executing an employee development plan.About the Book Perfect Phrases for Employee Development Planscontains hundreds of ready-to-use phrases for implementing the best development plans, ensuring employees stay motivated and competitive, develop teamwork and sound work ethics, and help meet organizational targets.

From preparing employees for advancement to building confidence levels to helping teams create their own plan,Perfect Phrases for Employee Development Plansprovides managers and HR professionals with the right words at the right time.Readers will learn how to help employees better know themselves and their competencies, find easy-to-use career assessments, expand educational experiences, and design an on-demand employee development resource center.

Key Selling Features Builds on the highly successful Perfect Phrases series brand (more than one-million copies sold) Author is a skilled authority in employee performance and development, motivation, and leadership. Author has written six books for MHP, including three titles in our best-selling Briefcase Books series. Contains world-class employee development plans from such leading organizations as Southwest Airlines, Google, LinkedIn, and others. Simple, easily applied phrases help the reader build any employee development plan from the ground up.Market / Audience Managers; HR professionals..

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Mind Magic: How to Develop the 3 Components of Intelligence That Matter Most in Today's World

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304 pages | M c G aw-H l l | English | PDF | ISBN-10: 0071468056 | 5.8MB
What do you and Isaac Newton, Albert Einstein, Aristotle, and Immanuel Kant all have in common? . . . Mind Magic!

Widely considered one of the great thinkers of the 20th century, Swiss psychologist Jean Piaget offered insights into how our minds work that are widely accepted by psychologists and educators as keys to successful teaching and learning. John Laurence Miller, Ph.D., who studied with Piaget, shows readers how to apply the ideas of this revolutionary thinker’s work. Mind Magic demonstrates how you can understand how your own mind naturally works and how to use that knowledge to build intelligence.

From the Back Cover
"In this important book, John Laurence Miller offers fresh insight into the human mind that can help us all meet the stresses of everyday life and achieve our potential." --John M. Morse, president and publisher, Merriam-Webster Inc.

"Mind Magic is a fascinating and powerful book. By explaining how the mind works in an easy-to-understand format, this book can help educators, businesspeople, and students become more self-aware and effective." --Josh Bersin, principal and founder, Bersin & Associates

What do you, Albert Einstein, and Aristotle all have in common? Mind Magic!

Psychologist Jean Piaget, one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century, discovered that every mind that is and ever was--from Descartes' to Stephen Hawking's to yours--works according to the same principles. In Mind Magic, Dr. John Laurence Miller shows you how to use those principles in your own life. Using fun, easy-to-use problem-solving and learning techniques, you'll learn how to:

* Dramatically enhance the three aspects of intelligence crucial to success: adaptability, creativity, and information management
* Improve your focus and mental performance by making your emotions work in greater harmony with your intellect
* Tap into your creative centers and increase your powers of innovation
* Gain the confidence you need to aim for higher intellectual and professional achievement

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Zoo Publishing - Speed Painting Vol.1

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Publisher: Zoo Publishing | 2008 | English | ISBN: N/A | 102 pages | PDF | 74 Mb
This 102-page eBook is a collection of Speed Painting tutorials, which have been created by some of the top digital painters around today. The idea behind this tutorial series was for the artist to interpret a one-line descriptive brief, create a speed painting from it and then produce a tutorial showing and explaining each stage of production of the artwork. Some of the artists have also kindly created some unique brushes which can be downloaded at the end of their Speed Painting tutorials. This downloadable PDF eBook can be followed in most 2D software packages that support paintbrushes and layers.

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Your Brain and Your Self : What You Need to Know

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120 pages | Springer (December 8, 2008) | English | ISBN-10: 3540875220 | PDF
How does my brain work? Why am I conscious? Where is my memory? Is what I perceive around me reality or just an illusion? We all ask these questions, which we could sum up in a single question: Who am I?

How is it that I have memories and that I feel I exist? What does it mean that my mind is free in time and space, and yet I am imprisoned in a body that is doomed to disappear? What happens to my mind when my body disappears? What are the risks of my suffering from a brain disease? Could my whole being eclipse because of a disease in which my body survives but my mind ceases to exist? What remedies are there? What hope does reasearch hold out?

Recent discoveries about the brain allow us to ask such questions more pointedly, hoping to define more clearly the relations of the brain with the mind, of man with his body.

This book is based on numerous discussions with specialists. It attempts to determine the state of the art. It is organized in chapters that can be read in continuity, but it is equally possible to discover the chapters in a different way.

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Windows Phone 7 Secrets

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W_i l e y (Nov. 9, 2010) | 480 Pages | English | ISBN: 0470886595 | PDF | 17 MB
Listen up! Bestselling author Paul Thurrott whispers little know Windows Phone 7 tips, tricks, and advice
The newly revamped Windows Phone platform boasts sophisticated new features and functionality. Sharing his years of training and experience, bestselling author and Windows expert Paul Thurrott reveals little known tips, valuable insight, and unbeatable advice so you can get the most from your Windows Phone 7. You’ll benefit from the simple, straightforward solutions to common problems, all of which will go a long way to help if you are new to the Window Phone 7.

Written with access to unique information from the team at Microsoft, Windows Phone 7 Secrets is the ultimate guide to this exciting new mobile platform. Unlike other books, this title reveals the inner workings of the Windows Phone and how to make it work the way you want it. Thurrott begins with the basics of choosing the right Windows Phone, setting it up, and upgrading from another smart phone. He then moves on to customizing the screen; downloading applications; and using the Internet, e-mail, calendar, Microsoft Office; and more.

Coverage includes:
* Pre-Flight Checklist: What to Do Before You Get Your Windows Phone
* Windows Live ID: One Online ID to Rule Them All
* Using Windows Live ID to Access Your Social Networks and Other Services
* Picking a Phone
* Unboxing and Getting Started
* Unboxing Your Windows Phone
* Windows Phone Usage
* Understanding the Windows Phone User Interface
* The Way We Were: How Microsoft Screwed Up Mobile So Bad It Had to Start Over from Scratch
* A New Beginning: Metro
* Real World Metro: A Whirlwind Tour of the UI
* Hubs and Applications
* You and Your Friends: How to Connect with Others, Connect to the World.
* Managing Your Digital Persona
* Being a People Person: Managing Your Family, Friends, and Other Contacts
* Configuring the People Hub
* Digital Memories: Using the Pictures Hub and Camera
* Using the Pictures Hub
* Taking Pictures and Videos with the Camera
* Moving Photos Between the Phone and Your PC
* Sharing Photos and Customizing Your Phone
* Configuring Pictures Hub Options
* Zune to Go: Music + Videos
* Using the Zune PC Software with Windows Phone
* Enjoying Music and Video Content on Windows Phone
* Why Zune Is Different
* More Music: Pandora and Other Services
* Having Fun: Windows Phone and Games
* Windows Phone: Great Mobile Gaming Platform
* Understanding Xbox Live
* Xbox Live on Windows Phone:Not the Full Meal Deal
* Using the Games Hub
* Playing a Game
* Finding More Games in the Marketplace
* Browsing the Web
* A (Short) History of the Mobile Web

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Unfinished Evolution

How a New Age Revival Can Change Your Life and Save the World

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352 pages | Scotalyn Press (November 1, 2009) | English | ISBN-10: 0615229727 | PDF
IF YOU WANT TO SAVE THE WORLD START HERE! Despite rumors to the contrary, the New Age movement is alive and well and still our best hope for creating a more enlightened society. True, the term New Age has fallen from fashion. That s one reason why those of us who are spiritual but not religious 24 percent of Americans according to a recent Newsweek poll have been stuck in an identity crisis over what to call ourselves. Are we part of a Holistic Movement, an Aquarian Conspiracy, a Cultural Creative Renaissance, what? We don t know, and mostly likely, we haven't been too concerned about it; we find labels much too limiting. But our disdain for naming ourselves has been purchased at enormous cost.

Most of us walk alone and often lonely on our individual paths, unable to share our efforts. We walk alone, our numbers uncounted, our opinions unconsidered, and our voices unheard by the society we hope to transform. Today, with global warming and terrorism dire threats to our future survival, transforming society is no longer a pleasant option, but urgent necessity. It s time for the New Age to get is mojo back. It s time for us to tap into the power of a collective identity. Unfinished Evolution is a roll call for all spiritual idealists all 50 million of us cultural creatives, liberal Christians and Jews, bohemians, treehuggers, peaceniks, yoga enthusiasts, holistic healers, pagans, armchair Buddhists and other alternative sorts.

It is time to come out of hiding, time to declare the courage of your convictions, time to stand up and be counted as an agent of change. "In case you thought the dream of a 'new age' of consciousness was dead, think -- and read -- again. This book, wise, intimate, and deeply informative, is a clarion call about the greatest of conversations: about the future of humanity." -Michael Grosso, Ph.D., author of The Millennium Myth and Experiencing the Next World Now "Booth dares to pick up the tattered and torn banner of the New Age and restore it to the meaning it once had... [Her book] made me feel like an old New Age workhorse ready to wear the saddle again. I was inspired. " -From the foreword by David Spangler, author of Reimagination of the World, and Blessing: The Art and the Practice

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The Last Economic Superpower

The Retreat of Globalization, the End of American Dominance, and What We Can Do About It


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M cGr_aw-H_ill (Oct. 20, 2010) | English | ISBN: 0071742832 | 304 pages | PDF
The Risks and Rewards for the West in the Coming Multipolar World

"A marked shift has occurred in the tone and assumptions surrounding our national fortune. Nowhere is this better seen than in the second generation of books dealing with America’s financial crisis, particularly Joseph P. Quinlan’s The Last Economic Superpower."
New York Journal of Books

The global economy, designed by Western powers with the United States as lead architect, is in the process of reconfiguration. The 2008 global financial crisis has terminated America’s reign as sole economic superpower and opened up important new spheres of influence to developing nations.

Does this signal the retreat of globalization as we know it? Has an economic “cold war” already begun? Will the West ever exert the kind of control and influence it enjoyed just a few short years ago?

In The Last Economic Superpower, Joseph P. Quinlan, a Wall Street veteran and expert on global economic affairs, addresses these questions and many others. Presenting his vision with refreshing clarity and objectivity, Quinlan examines:

* How America went from being a major creditor to the world’s largest debtor nation in only two decades
* Five critical issues America must face in order to prevent permanent fragmentation of the global economy
* What the fading appeal of Europe and Japan means for the future of globalization
* What China, India, and others have that the West doesn’t--and why this gives them unprecedented leverage

Decisions made now will shape the course of history. The Last Economic Superpower outlines critical choices that must be made in order to recast, reinvent, and reenergize a new style of globalization.

The Last Economic Superpower lays bare the issues and challenges that will decide whether the world builds a new, functional system that serves all or fragments into separate spheres of influence, which benefits no one.

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Opportunities in Property Management Careers

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Publisher: M_cGr_aw-Hill | English | ISBN: 0071482083 | PDF | 160 pages
This book offers: the latest information on a field of interest; training and educational requirements for each career; salary statistics for different positions within each field; and, up-to-date professional and Internet resources.

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Brain Building : Easy Games to Develop Your Problem Solving Skills

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Prentice Halll | English | ISBN: 0130810428 | 92 pages | PDF
Warning: The puzzles in this book will not torment, tease, or frustrate you!

In fact, these guided mental exercises have been created to enlighten rather than exasperate you. Brain Building will arm you with the practical thinking tactics that give you a sense of mastery over confusing situations. How? By teaching you the seven critical mental processes that spell the difference between "scatterbrained" and clear thinking.

First, you're provided with a simple problem. Then you'll get to see these mental techniques in action as you "listen in" on the thought processes of a logical thinker. You'll learn how to organize information into a manageable structure and zero in on key facts that enable you to find an answer-without hours of fretting. Finally, you'll get a chance to practice these logical principles by solving similar problems yourself You don't have to be a genius to tackle problems effectively. If you've ever felt overwhelmed by complex problems and wish you could think more logically at these times, then this unique series of puzzles is for you!

Dr. Karl Albrecht is it management consultant, seminar leader, professional speaker, and prolific author. He has written five other Prentice-Hall books, including Brainpower: Learn to Improve Your Thinking Skills. Brainpower was the basis for the best-selling training film of the same name, starring John Houseman. Karl Albrecht teaches Brainpower seminars to executives and managers in business organizations.

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How to Be a People Magnet

Finding Friends and Lovers and Keeping Them for Life



267 pages | M cG aw-H | English | ISBN-10: 0809224356 | PDF
"Humorous and wise . . . Lowndes helps readers focus on what's important and gives them a good chuckle along the way."

Making friends can be intimidating for anyone, especially if you are naturally shy. This can be an obstacle not only in social interactions but in romantic and work relationships as well. Now there is hope from communications expert Leil Lowndes's How to Be a People Magnet.

The bestselling author of How to Make Anyone Fall in Love with You, Lowndes reveals specific and proven techniques for attracting friends and lovers and keeping them for life. She uncovers the secrets of attracting friends for fun and romance as well as networking to strengthen business contacts and relationships. Her advice is effective, yet easy for anyone--shy or bold--to implement.

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How to Use Power Phrases to Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say, & Get What You Want



224 pages | M cG aw-H | English | ISBN-10: 0071424857 | PDF

Easy-to-master techniques for more effective communications in all areas of life

In this breakthrough guide, communication guru Meryl Runion explains why effective communication is more than just a business tool. It is also the key to happier, healthier relationships, and greater personal fulfillment and business success. In How to Use Power Phrases to Say What You Mean, Mean What You Say, & Get What You Want she introduces readers to the concept of power phrases--short, focused expressions that let people be direct and to the point without seeming brusque or nasty. In clear, down-to-earth language, illustrated with numerous vignettes and real-world examples, Reunion teaches readers how to:

* Say what needs to be said without fear of misinterpretation or creating negative emotional responses
* Master six basic methods for crafting power phrases for any setting and every social, professional, or interpersonal situation

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Smart Questions - Learn to Ask the Right Questions for Powerful Results


320 pages | Wiley | English | ISBN-10: 0470894075 | PDF
There are many reasons that business leaders, managers, and private individuals go about problem solving in the wrong way. As Gerald Nadler and William Chandon point out, most people have learned to use the wrong framework or paradigm for working through issues and problems. In essence, they approach problems using a thinking mode that leads to excessive if not pointless data collection, analysis-paralysis, and static solutions that tend to only patch up the situation for a short period of time.


"Smart Questions" offers an entirely new framework for creating solutions. Drawn from the authors' many years of research and field experience, the Smart Questions Approach reveals how the leading creators of solutions in almost every profession and walk of life--including business, government, education, and even in families--think and approach their assignments. The author's holistic thinking approach shows how to use three "foundation" questions--focusing on uniqueness, purposeful information, and systems--which must be explored for every problem. These three questions, an essential starting point for exploring problems, in turn lead to other key questions that will ultimately create effective solutions.

"Smart Questions" will completely retrain the reader to become a more intelligent thinker and a better creator of solutions--with an ability to develop creative, purposeful, long-term answers in a wide range of situations.

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Mind Games: The Aging Brain and How to Keep it Healthy



349 pages | Delmar Cengage  | English | ISBN-10: 0766812804 | PDF

The brain, just like any other muscle, is strengthened through use. Mind Games teaches you the latest concepts on the workings of memory and how to apply them to "train your brain." Whether you are looking to sharpen your own memory, or the memory of a loved one, this book will provide the strategies and techniques needed.

From mental exercises, games and activities, to diet recommendations and physical exercises, this resource can be used to train your brain for life. (mind, brain, health, memory)

Review
The authors have succeeded in presenting much of what is known in the scientific community about cognitive aging and memory into a language that's easy for readers without scientific or medical backgrounds. The exercises are similar to those used successfully in laboratory studies to improve a variety of cognitive skills and enhance mental flexibility in normal, aging people." -- K. Warner Schaie Ph.D., Evan Pugh Professor of Human Development and Psychology and Director



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