Before the Fall

Noah Hawley
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Winner of the 2017 EDGAR AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL and the 2017 INTERNATIONAL THRILLER WRITERS AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL

On a foggy summer night, eleven people--ten privileged, one down-on-his-luck painter--depart Martha's Vineyard on a private jet headed for New York. Sixteen minutes later, the unthinkable happens: the plane plunges into the ocean. The only survivors are the painter Scott Burroughs and a four-year-old boy, who is now the last remaining member of an immensely wealthy and powerful media mogul's family.

Was it by chance that so many influential people perished? Or was something more sinister at work? A storm of media attention brings Scott fame that quickly morphs into notoriety and accusations, and he scrambles to salvage truth from the wreckage. Amid trauma and chaos, the fragile relationship between Scott and the young boy grows and glows at the heart of this stunning novel, raising questions of fate, morality, and the inextricable ties that bind us together.

Kristin Hannah raves, "Noah Hawley really knows how to keep a reader turning the pages... a complex, compulsively readable thrill ride of a novel."

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

零秒思考力 : 全世界最簡單的腦力鍛鍊

赤羽雄二
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一個主題、一張A4紙、一分鐘、一天10張
短短三週就能達到95%的腦力開發。
確實鍛練出連麥肯錫都無法實現的瞬間思考力。

只要把浮現於腦海中的想法，逐一寫在A4紙上，
就能夠鍛鍊你的腦力與領導力！

猶疑困惑的時間為零、
煩惱憂慮的時間為零、
瞬間掌握現狀的時間為零、
釐清問題的時間為零、
想出解決方案的時間為零、
做出行動決策的時間為零……
思考重「質」也重「速度」，
將兩者同時達到極致，正是「零秒思考力」的威力！

零秒思考，是一場意識與行動的改革。
為何明明提案在即，思緒卻毫無進展？！

對組織來說，人才的戰鬥力將大幅影響著公司的未來，
但不論是學校教育或工作訓練，都不曾教導我們「如何深入思考」？

本書作者活躍於麥肯錫顧問公司十數年，
親自驗證上萬張A4筆記後，所創造的獨一無二「零秒思考力」，
是最簡單、且最有效的腦力鍛鍊方法。

到目前為止，已成功傳授上千名商務人士驗證，
對於掌握現狀、釐清問題或實際行動，都能立即浮現想法。
即使是人生突如其來的變化，也能面對及預測未來。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

Steps to Writing Well with Additional Readings

Jean Wyrick
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Writing well is just a step away! Join the thousands of students who have learned to write well with Jean Wyrick's clear, thoughtful advice. STEPS TO WRITING WELL WITH ADDITIONAL READINGS, 10th Edition, is the ultimate step-by-step guide to writing effective academic essays. Wyrick offers friendly, practical guidelines for composing different types of essays, with discussion of everything from choosing a topic to developing an essay to polishing your prose. This 10th edition includes new "Visualizing the Process" flowcharts that provide at-a-glance summaries of the steps for completing each of the major assignments in the text; many new professional readings and sample essays that offer useful models for academic writing and also touch on engaging topics intended to spark ideas for your own writing; and a wealth of exercises, group activities, and longer assignments that provide additional essay topic ideas and opportunities to apply and review what you are learning.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

讀書便佳

董橋
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本書《讀書便佳》是作者2017年最新作品，全書未曾發表。

作者說，為了寫這本新書他翻看了箱子裏許多陳年筆記，補讀了許多沒有細讀的舊書，也重讀了許多偏愛的老書。作者愛零零星星寫些隨筆札記，記錄讀書的一慮和一得。這樣的寫法不是新穎的嘗試，明清筆記文學前代啟發後代，代代相傳，煥然成風，雲蒸霞蔚。十八十九世紀英國不少散文名家都偏愛這樣瑣碎的寫法，匯之成書，裁之成篇。二十世紀初葉英國出版界出過袖珍送禮的小書裁錄著名散文家文集裏的雋語警句。

作者總覺得中國文化的精髓離不開幽情，閑適：「英國人只在下午茶座上才追求幽情和閑適，不夠的。」我們說「東平云為善最樂，紫陽曰讀書便佳。」為善講機緣，讀書是本份，這本新寫的書取名《讀書便佳》，企盼的不是名成也不是利就，塵世喧囂，爭逐齷齪，一卷在手，字裏徘徊，悠忽間一個回眸的欣喜一次促膝的交會，那才是佳趣。

(摘錄自cp1897.com.hk)

The Great Escape : Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality (財富大逃亡)

Angus Deaton
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Angus Deaton was awarded the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his analysis of consumption, poverty, and welfare in 2015.

The world is a better place than it used to be. People are healthier, wealthier, and live longer. Yet the escapes from destitution by so many has left gaping inequalities between people and nations. In The Great Escape, Angus Deaton--one of the foremost experts on economic development and on poverty--tells the remarkable story of how, beginning 250 years ago, some parts of the world experienced sustained progress, opening up gaps and setting the stage for today's disproportionately unequal world. Deaton takes an in-depth look at the historical and ongoing patterns behind the health and wealth of nations, and addresses what needs to be done to help those left behind.

Deaton describes vast innovations and wrenching setbacks: the successes of antibiotics, pest control, vaccinations, and clean water on the one hand, and disastrous famines and the HIV/AIDS epidemic on the other. He examines the United States, a nation that has prospered but is today experiencing slower growth and increasing inequality. He also considers how economic growth in India and China has improved the lives of more than a billion people. Deaton argues that international aid has been ineffective and even harmful. He suggests alternative efforts--including reforming incentives to drug companies and lifting trade restrictions--that will allow the developing world to bring about its own Great Escape.

Demonstrating how changes in health and living standards have transformed our lives, The Great Escape is a powerful guide to addressing the well-being of all nations.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

不當行為 : 行為經濟學之父教你更聰明的思考、理財、看世界 (Misbehaving)

理查．塞勒 (Richard H. Thaler)
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2017年諾貝爾經濟學獎得主，行為經濟學之父，理查‧塞勒半自傳性代表作！

‧ 美國亞馬遜、《紐約時報》暢銷書排行榜冠軍
‧ 《經濟學人》年度選書
‧ 《金融時報》、麥肯錫年度最具影響力 6 本書之一
‧ 諾貝爾經濟學獎得主 丹尼爾‧康納曼、羅伯‧席勒 共同推薦
‧ 台大經濟系副教授馮勃翰 審定．導讀

人類會做出不符經濟學預測的行為？當我們談到經濟時，真該把自己擺進算式裡！

行為經濟學無所不在，諸如國家政策、企業管理，以及逛超商要不要買「第二件半價」等思考模式，皆與這門學科有密不可分的關係。英美各國政府、世界頂尖大學、金融界已將行為經濟學應用在政策執行與規畫管理上。

傳統經濟學假設經濟人是理性的，以追求最大利益為前提，但是行為經濟學之父塞勒博士指出，人類並非完全理性，我們不如愛因斯坦聰明，也沒有苦行僧的自制力，而是有熱情有偏見有衝動的人類。我們會在發薪日去大血拚，還會因為股市短期獲利而影響判斷，所做的決定反而與經濟學家假設的標準性模型相去甚遠，更有甚者，這種不合理行為會造成嚴重的後果。因此，經濟的核心是人──可預測卻易犯錯的個人，我們需要的是以真實人類為主體的經濟模型，才能幫助個人、企業，以及政府做出更好的決定。

本書行文幽默風趣，塞勒博士的研究貼合現實，能夠引導讀者在日趨複雜難懂的世界中做出更聰明的決定，並且將行為經濟學應用在生活各個層面中，包括理財、購物、投資等，將會徹底改變讀者對經濟學、自己，以及整個世界的看法。

我們每一天都在應用行為經濟學：

◎ 300元購入的紅酒現增值為3,000元，收藏家不願賣出，只偶爾開一瓶來喝，也不想花3,000元買酒。為何他寧願喝現值3,000元的酒，卻不想花同樣金額買酒或賣掉原先的收藏？

→ 這就是「機會成本」。無論喝掉藏酒或買新酒，機會成本是一樣的，可是一般人很難在機會成本和掏出現金之間畫上等號。放棄賣出賺錢的機會，感覺不像從皮夾裡拿出錢來那麼難受，相較於親手奉上實實在在的現金，機會成本既模糊又抽象。

◎ 黎妮雅願意開十分鐘的車去買原為500元，折價後少100元的鬧鐘，卻不願意為了定價5萬元的電視機，開十分鐘的車買折價100元的同樣商品。

→ 儘管這十分鐘都價值100元，但是我們較願意為了定價500元的鬧鐘多跑一趟，正是因為電視機省下的錢算不上是「最小可覺差異」。一般人對於獲得和損失皆呈現敏感度遞減，面對獲得，我們抱持著風險規避態度，面對損失，卻抱持風險偏好態度。

◎ 文斯付了3萬元的室內網球場會員費，他罹患網球肘後依然忍痛繼續打了三個月，只因不想浪費已繳的會員費，直到疼痛變得完全無法忍受才決定放棄。

→ 繼續打球對財務有助益嗎？或只是覺得「浪費錢」而有罪惡感？傳統經濟學家認為應該忽略沉沒成本，偏偏人們無法忘懷。如果花錢買了卻沒用，感覺很像實際損失那些錢。我們應該要知道忽略沉沒成本是完全符合理性，甚至是必要的。

◎ 學校在數學大考前五天傳簡訊通知家長，此作法提升數學測驗成績的程度相當於額外多上一個月的課。家長與學生們都說他們希望該作法能持續下去，顯然他們挺樂意被輕輕推一把。

→ 「推力」是吸引我們注意力和影響行為環境的某些小功能。人會犯下可預測的錯誤，如果我們能夠預期這些錯誤，就能先想辦法以減少錯誤發生，或提醒人們可能會忽略的事情，發簡訊就是方法之一。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)