CityU Library - Books of the Week

Monday, June 17, 2013

Nudge: Improving Decisions About Health, Wealth and Happiness

Richard H. Thaler, Cass R. Sunstein
online access from ProQuest Ebook Central
check holdings in CityU LibraryFind

Every day we make decisions: about the things that we buy or the meals we eat; about the investments we make or our children's health and education; even the causes that we champion or the planet itself. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly.

We are all susceptible to biases that can lead us to make bad decisions that make us poorer, less healthy and less happy. And, as Thaler and Sunstein show, no choice is ever presented to us in a neutral way. By knowing how people think, we can make it easier for them to choose what is best for them, their families and society. Using dozens of eye-opening examples the authors demonstrate how to nudge us in the right directions, without restricting our freedom of choice. Nudge offers a unique new way of looking at the world for individuals and governments alike.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

換掉你的鱷魚腦袋: 擺脫慣性思考, 讓創意源源湧出 (Think Better)

提姆・赫森 (Tim Hurson) 著
online access from McGraw-Hill Education
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「豐富思考模式」是幫你發揮創見巧思、讓你更有效思考的架構。許多公司以這套模式來為事業難題尋找新奇解答，許多人依賴這套模式解決迫切的個人問題。

在這兩種情況下，創見巧思都能改變人生。本書的目的是要教你豐富思考的程序，原則很簡單：把思維分成創意思考與審慎思考；鎖定問題；想出許多點子，努力達到「三分之三」；尋找意外的關聯。

這套模式包含六個環環相扣的步驟：
第一步：發生什麼事？
探索及真正了解挑戰。
第二步：何謂成果？
想像理想的結果及設定成功的標準。
第三步：問題是什麼？
找出真正的問題或契機。
第四步：提出解答。
列出許多可能的解決方案。
第五步：研擬解決方案。
決定哪個方案最好，再加以改善。
第六步：配置資源。
規劃行動方案。

提姆．赫森一開始先說明我們的內心如何產生妨礙有效思考的障礙，他指出嚴重限制我們行為的思考習慣，從「心猿意馬」到「鱷魚腦袋」等等，然後再說明如何克服這些障礙。

豐富思考是讓你正視問題並把問題化為契機的態度，經過這個規律的腦力激盪過程，你就能得出具體的行動方案，還有時間表與截止時間。

書中有許多赫森原創的腦力激盪工具，可以幫你想出點子，加以組織與處理。例如，你可以使用五C找出最棒的點子：Cull（挑撿）、Cluster（匯集）、Combine（結合）、Clarify（釐清）、Choose（選擇）；也可以用POWER（肯定（Positives）、否定（Objections）、另解（What else?）、強化（Enhancements）、補救（Remedies））把初步概念轉變成扎實的解決方案。

要開創未來，必須先發揮想像，豐富思考正是幫你做到的方法。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

Monday, June 10, 2013

No Excuses! The Power of Self-discipline

Brian Tracy
online access from Books24x7
check holdings in CityU LibraryFind

Most people think success comes from good luck or enormous talent, but many successful people achieve their accomplishments in a simpler way: through self-discipline. No Excuses! shows you how you can achieve success in all three major areas of your life, including your personal goals, business and money goals, and overall happiness. Each of the 21 chapters in this book shows you how to be more disciplined in one aspect of your life, with end-of-chapter exercises to help you apply the "no excuses" approach to your own life. With these guidelines, you can learn how to be more successful in everything you do--instead of wistfully envying others you think are just "luckier" than you. A little self-discipline goes a long way…so stop making excuses and read this book!

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

貝聿銘傳

廖小東
check holdings in CityU LibraryFind

他在美國設計肯尼迪圖書館，他的作品被公認是美國建築史上最佳傑作之一；他在香港修建中銀大廈，成為香港的標誌性建築；他在法國改建羅浮宮，成為法國人的驕傲。他的建築精緻、美麗，充滿人性的光芒。他，就是美籍華人建築設計大師貝聿銘。本書揭示了這位舉世知名的傑出華人貝聿銘的生活道路和事業成功的奧秘。

在他身後，聳拔著激動人心的卓越建築︰美國國家藝術館東樓，整修一新的巴黎羅浮宮，香港中銀大廈。

深湛、獨到的現代主義建築藝術與非凡的個人魅力、社交藝術︰其客戶和朋友包括法國總統密特朗、美國肯尼迪總統夫人。

本書以引人入勝的文筆深入揭示了20世紀最重要的建築師之一、舉世知名的傑出華人貝聿銘的生活道路和事業成功的奧秘，有很強的可讀性與啟發性，是一本令人贊嘆的佳作。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

《華裔建築師第一人貝聿銘》

Monday, June 3, 2013

Dancing from Past to Present: Nation, Culture, Identities

Edited by Theresa Jill Buckland
online access from ProQuest Ebook Central
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This is groundbreaking collection combines ethnographic and historic strategies to reveal how dance plays crucial cultural roles in various regions of the world, including Tonga, Java, Bosnia-Herzegovina, New Mexico, India, Korea, Macedonia, and England. The essays find a balance between past and present and examine how dance and bodily practices are core identity and cultural creators. Reaching beyond the typically Eurocentric view of dance, Dancing from Past to Present opens a world of debate over the role dance plays in forming and expressing cultural identities around the world.
(Excerpt from amazon.com)