The Sixth Extinction: An Unnatural History

Elizabeth Kolbert
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WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE

A major book about the future of the world, blending intellectual and natural history and field reporting into a powerful account of the mass extinction unfolding before our eyes

Over the last half-billion years, there have been Five mass extinctions, when the diversity of life on earth suddenly and dramatically contracted. Scientists around the world are currently monitoring the sixth extinction, predicted to be the most devastating extinction event since the asteroid impact that wiped out the dinosaurs. This time around, the cataclysm is us. In prose that is at once frank, entertaining, and deeply informed, New Yorker writer Elizabeth Kolbert tells us why and how human beings have altered life on the planet in a way no species has before. Interweaving research in half a dozen disciplines, descriptions of the fascinating species that have already been lost, and the history of extinction as a concept, Kolbert provides a moving and comprehensive account of the disappearances occurring before our very eyes. She shows that the sixth extinction is likely to be mankind's most lasting legacy, compelling us to rethink the fundamental question of what it means to be human.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

真希望我 20 歲就懂的事 : 史丹佛大學的創新 x 創意 x 創業震撼課程 (What I Wish I Knew When I Was 20)

婷娜．希莉格 (Tina Seelig)
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作者希莉格主持「史丹佛科技創業計畫」（STVP）多年，是非常成功的創意與創業導師，專門教導大學生（特別是以當工程師為志向）如何規畫未來及創業。幾年前當她的兒子快要上大學時，她回想起自己讀大學和初入社會的挫折與經驗，不禁希望當年20歲時有人能提點她，於是與兒子分享這些寶貴心情。後來她對一群史丹佛學生分享這些觀察和領悟，把演講題目訂為「真希望我20歲就懂的事」，引發熱烈迴響與共鳴，並應邀到全球發表演講，最後決定將她的豐富經驗和創意課程寫成這本激勵人心的精采著作。

希莉格說，每個人20歲時都會有茫然面對未來、不知何去何從的強烈焦慮感，其實你應該欣然接受這種不確定，不確定才是激發創新的火種，也是向前邁進的重要力量。最有趣的經驗往往發生在偏離既定道路、挑戰傳統假設、從失敗錯誤中看出全新契機的時候！

誰說南極不能賣比基尼？誰說餐廳不能賣蟑螂壽司？蘋果電腦的賈伯斯就會告訴你，被開除是他這輩子最棒的一件事，讓他展開人生最富創造力的一段時光！其實不管你是20歲、30歲、40歲甚至50歲，只要願意跳脫人生框架、勇敢嘗試失敗、以健康的心態挑戰所有「不可能」、把握每個大放異彩的機會，就會帶來無窮的可能性！

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

Mini Habits: Smaller Habits, Bigger Results

Stephen Guise
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What's A Mini Habit?

A mini habit is a very small positive behavior that you force yourself to do every day; its "too small to fail" nature makes it weightless, deceptively powerful, and a superior habit-building strategy. You will have no choice but to believe in yourself when you're always moving forward. The barrier to the first step is so low that even depressed or "stuck" people can find early success and begin to reverse their lives right away. And if you think one push-up a day is too small to matter, I've got one heck of a story for you!

Mini Habits is a strategy to create permanent healthy habits. Some categories include: exercise, writing, reading, thinking positively, meditating, drinking water, eating healthy foods, etc.

Mini Habits combines Stephen's life-changing experience above with science, logic, and humor. It rejects common self-help and habit formation advice in favor of smarter strategies that work with a modern, hectic lifestyle. Having mini habits enables you to move forward consistently, even on your worst days.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

坐看雲起時 : 一本香港人的教協史 = A People's History of the Hong Kong Professional Teachers' Union

陸鴻基
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香港電台第十屆 「香港書獎」獲獎書籍 

本書作者，前香港教育學院（二○一六年正名為「香港教育大學」）副校長陸鴻基教授花了五年時間搜集資料、閱讀文獻、訪談及編撰，奉獻了不少時間和心力，最後完成了三卷有關香港教育史的重要著作，以深度和廣度而言，仍屬首次。

全書共分三卷：

• 卷一戰後的香港與教協崛興的背景：從二戰說起，探討戰後香港的政治、社會、教育發展與變遷，闡述促使教協成立的因由；

• 卷二爭取教師權益與教育改進：詳述教協成立後，對香港教育界， 包括學校、教師、學生等所作出的貢獻；

• 卷三教協與公民社會的形成和互動：闡釋在社會、政治及教育的巨變下，教協多年來參與的社會活動，並推動公民社會的發展。

本書為香港的教育史填補空白及留下了客觀紀錄，特別適合對香港的歷史及政治轉變、社會運動與教育發展有認識和感興趣的讀者。

(摘錄自香港城市大學出版社網站)

Justice: What's the Right Thing to Do? (正義 : 一場思辨之旅)

Sandel, Michael J.
online access from EBSCOhost (audiobook)
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International Youth Day 2017 (12 August) is dedicated to celebrating young people’s contributions to conflict prevention and transformation as well as inclusion, social justice, and sustainable peace.

 "For Michael Sandel, justice is not a spectator sport," The Nation's reviewer of Justice remarked. In his acclaimed book―based on his legendary Harvard course―Sandel offers a rare education in thinking through the complicated issues and controversies we face in public life today. It has emerged as a most lucid and engaging guide for those who yearn for a more robust and thoughtful public discourse. "In terms we can all understand," wrote Jonathan Rauch in The New York Times, Justice "confronts us with the concepts that lurk . . . beneath our conflicts."

Affirmative action, same-sex marriage, physician-assisted suicide, abortion, national service, the moral limits of markets―Sandel relates the big questions of political philosophy to the most vexing issues of the day, and shows how a surer grasp of philosophy can help us make sense of politics, morality, and our own convictions as well.

Justice is lively, thought-provoking, and wise―an essential new addition to the small shelf of books that speak convincingly to the hard questions of our civic life.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

第3選擇 : 解決人生所有難題的關鍵思維 (The 3rd Alternative: Solving Life's Most Difficult Problems)

史蒂芬．柯維 (Stephen R. Covey)
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2017年國際青年日(8月12日)旨在慶祝青年人在阻止衝突、實現變革以及包容、社會正義、可持續發展中的貢獻。

「第3選擇」，解決人生所有難題的關鍵思維。即使在衝突不斷的年代，我們仍能瞥見美好的未來！

人生充滿難解、看似無解的問題。於是我們失望、決定放棄，或勉強接受一些最終還是會讓自己覺得很糟的妥協。

面對任何問題，大家慣用的第1選擇就是照「我」的方式，第2選擇就是照「你」的方式來進行。衝突點往往就在於，到底是你的選項比較好，還是我的。因此，不論選擇哪一方，都會有人覺得受傷或犧牲。柯維指出，這時不妨考慮第3選擇：超越你的或我的方式，設法找到更高明、更好的方法，讓雙方都能從衝突中找到一條出路，稱之為「第3選擇」（The 3rd Alternative），而這正是解決人類所有問題的鑰匙。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

SuperBetter: A Revolutionary Approach to Getting Stronger, Happier, Braver and More Resilient

Jane McGoniga
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A remarkable life plan based on the game the author herself and hundreds of thousands of others have used to leap from trauma and setbacks to recovery and personal growth

You are stronger than you know. You are surrounded by potential allies. You are a hero to others. These three qualities are all it takes to become more resilient in the face of any challenge. SuperBetter will show you that accessing this power is as easy as playing a game.

In 2009, game designer and author Jane McGonigal got a bad concussion that wouldn't heal. She became anxious and depressed, even suicidal--a common symptom for concussion sufferers. But rather than let herself sink further, she decided to get better by doing what she does best: she turned her recovery process into a game. The game became a blog. The blog became a digital game, then an online portal and a major research study, then a TED talk with 4.5 million views. Today more than 250,000 people have played SuperBetter.

But the ideas behind SuperBetter are much bigger than the game: we can cultivate the same powers of recovery and resilience simply by applying its core concepts in everyday life, by being "gameful" in the face of stress. Being gameful means bringing the psychological strengths you naturally display when you play games--such as optimism, creativity, courage, and determination--to real world situations.

SuperBetter the book integrates seven basic rules into challenges the reader can undertake while reading, and explains the science behind the benefits. Playing by the seven rules begins to yield life-changing benefits in a matter of days, and eventually they become an ingrained skillset.

As inspiring as it is down-to-earth, SuperBetter is self-help for the rest of us. Grounded in rigorous research and powered by game design, it is nothing less than an accessible, real-time guide to living a better life.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

宮崎駿動畫的「文法」：在動靜收放之間

游珮芸 著
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日本文化研究者酒井信曾說：「宮崎駿是當代日本唯一的「國民」作家……不論男女老幼，只要是以日文為母語的人，都認得出其作品，並且透過此人的作品，回溯其記憶的思路，就能回顧「時代」的氛圍」，一語道破了宮崎駿在日本人心目中的地位。

宮崎駿作品不只在日本受到喜愛，在西方、東亞世界中，也獲得一致的肯定。與日本僅僅一海之隔的台灣當然也不例外，「龍貓」、「魔女宅急便」……，是許多台灣人成長過程中不可或缺的回憶。但除了娛樂之外，台灣觀眾又是如何看待宮崎駿的作品呢？
　　
在本書中，作者以台灣研究者的觀點，探究宮崎駿動畫的獨特性和跨越文化疆界受到台灣觀眾喜愛的根源；從其創作精神與日本傳統文化的關連、動畫角色的設定與動畫演出及動畫類型的連動性切入，窺見宮崎駿動畫的「文法」。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

第19屆香港動漫電玩節由7月28日至8月1日在香港會議展覽中心舉行。

Tools of Titans: The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers

Tim Ferriss
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The latest groundbreaking tome from Tim Ferriss, the #1 New York Times best-selling author of The 4-Hour Workweek.

"Tools of Titans...is the perfect read for obsessives wanting to boost their new year productivity." —Financial Times

 "A Poor Richard's Almanack for the 21st century, Tools of Titans is a practical and inspiring guide to being your best." —BookPage

時間教會我們的事：給年輕的你，我們用30年歲月驗證的人生

丘美珍
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以時空膠囊的概念，書中每篇文章的啟始都源自於正值青春期的孩子對生命的疑問，再由99位自高中畢業已屆30年的大人們，以他們真切的人生故事，將自己的感悟與歷程化作文字。當中有得失與取捨、工作的意義、無限的夢想、面對挫折的勇氣，以及如何成為支持他人的無私力量。

期許正站在人生旅程起點的你，不論未來如何讓人不知所措，都不要遺失了造夢與感動的能力。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

Dear Life : Stories

Alice Munro
online access from EBSCOhost (audiobook)
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WINNER OF THE NOBEL PRIZE® IN LITERATURE 2013
A New York Times Notable Book 
A Washington Post Notable Work of Fiction 
A Best Book of the Year: The Atlantic, NPR, San Francisco Chronicle, Vogue, AV Club 

In story after story in this brilliant new collection, Alice Munro pinpoints the moment a person is forever altered by a chance encounter, an action not taken, or a simple twist of fate. Her characters are flawed and fully human: a soldier returning from war and avoiding his fiancée, a wealthy woman deciding whether to confront a blackmailer, an adulterous mother and her neglected children, a guilt-ridden father, a young teacher jilted by her employer. Illumined by Munro’s unflinching insight, these lives draw us in with their quiet depth and surprise us with unexpected turns. And while most are set in her signature territory around Lake Huron, some strike even closer to home: an astonishing suite of four autobiographical tales offers an unprecedented glimpse into Munro’s own childhood. Exalted by her clarity of vision and her unparalleled gift for storytelling, Dear Life shows how strange, perilous, and extraordinary ordinary life can be.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

生活在廢墟 : 你所不知道的考古學家與他們的一百種生活 (Lives in Ruins)

瑪莉蓮・強森 (Marilyn Johnson) 著
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本書作者是愛好考古學的業餘者，她前往祕魯、日本、澳大利亞、英國、德國、荷蘭、以色列和辛巴威，去見形形色色的考古學家。書中記述她與十四位考古學家上山下海，忍受炙熱的沙漠氣候、毒蛇肆虐的林地，與危機四伏的沼澤地，從加勒比海到印加帝國遺跡進行考古發掘，聽他們講述在中國發現五千年前的女神廟，美國獨立戰爭沉入海底的戰艦，印地安人的木乃伊，曼哈頓黑人墳場，以及一萬八千年前的印尼矮人族。考古學家在一堆廢墟中觀察到什麼？一件陶罐碎片或一顆古老牙齒如何拼湊過去？他們可以如何幫助我們保存歷史？

透過本書通俗又不失專業的記述，我們可以了解考古學的樂趣與使命，考古學家如何在廢墟中解開人類早年的生活與智慧。下一次看到考古隊在田野發掘時，不要以為他們是在挖寶，其實是在解讀深埋地洞的史書！

(摘錄自三民網路書店)

The Risk of Reading: How Literature Helps Us to Understand Ourselves and the World

Robert Waxler
online access from Bloomsbury
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The Risk of Reading is a defense of the idea that deep and close readings of literature can help us to understand ourselves and the world around us. It explores some of the meaning and implications of modern life through the deep reading of significant books. Waxler argues that we need "fiction" to give our so-called "real life" meaning and that reading narrative fiction remains crucial to the making of a humane and democratic society.

Beginning by exploring the implications of thinking about the importance of story in terms of "real life", The Risk of Reading focuses on the importance of human language, especially language shaped into narrative, and how that language is central to the human quest for identity. Waxler argues that we are "linguistic beings," and that reading literary narrative is a significant way to enrich and preserve the traditional sense of human identity and knowledge. This is especially true in the midst of a culture which too often celebrates visual images, spectacle, electronic devices, and celebrity. Reading narrative, in other words, should be considered a counter-cultural activity crucial on the quest to "know thyself." Reading literature is one of the best opportunities we have today to maintain a coherent human identity and remain self-reflective individuals in a world that seems particularly chaotic and confusing.

Each chapter takes up a well-known work of nineteenth- or twentieth-century literature in order to discuss more fully these issues, exploring, in particular, the notion of life as a journey or quest and the crucial relationship between language and our contingent everyday existence. Of particular interest along the way is the question of what literary narrative can teach us about our mortality and how stories offer opportunities to reflect on the ambivalent and profound meaning of mortal knowledge.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

香港的抒情史 (Hong Kong in Its History of Lyricism)

陳國球 著
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《第十屆香港書獎》獲獎圖書

香港就是文學：從海上孤島到世界都會，從帝國殖民地到社會主義特區，香港經驗比傳奇更傳奇。從駐節香港的殖民地大員，到心繫勞工大眾的左翼文學家；從求全責備的香港文學大系，到活潑精要的各式選本；從先鋒的現代詩、人間小說與話題電影，到蒼涼南音和悲情粵劇；從彌敦道上的詠嘆，到維多利亞港邊的回想……無數的香港故事，如何說？ 作者為我們述說文學香港的前世今生，揭示香港對整個華人文化圈的意義，思考香港的未來。地區、中國、政治、殖民、現代性等等這些看起來如「三尺青鋒」般冷硬的議題，經作者娓娓道來，化為寫給香港的一部抒情史。

 (摘錄自cp1897.com.hk)

The Abundance: Narrative Essays Old and New

Annie Dillard ; foreword by Geoff Dyer
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A landmark collection of prose from pulitzer prize winner Annie Dillard, including her most beloved pieces and some rarely seen work

The Abundance includes the best of Annie Dillard’s essays, delivered in her fierce and muscular prose. Intense, vivid, and fearless, her work endows the true and seemingly ordinary aspects of life with beauty and irony. These essays invite readers into sweeping landscapes, to join her in exploring the complexities of time and death, often with wry humor. On one page, an eagle falls from the sky with a weasel attached to its throat; on another, a man walks into a bar.

Marking the vigor of this powerful writer, The Abundance highlights Annie Dillard’s elegance of mind.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

古龍散文集

陳舜儀 編
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武俠小說家古龍身兼多種身份，一生宛如流星劃過天際，卻屢屢突破自我，以其西方文學素養，為武俠文學開創出新境界，最知名的作品是《楚留香》、《絕代雙驕》、《多情劍客無情劍》、《蕭十一郎》、《陸小鳳》和《流星．蝴蝶．劍》等等。

如同編者序中所言，昔日《女性》雜誌如此盛讚：「海外有很多讀者，看過古龍的雜文，就曾經說過，古龍的雜文第一，武俠小說第二。」就讓這部《古龍散文集》帶我們走進古龍眼中的江湖、創造的世界、舉過的酒杯、說過的與吃過的小吃！

 (摘錄自《亞洲週刊》)

Alternative Movie Posters II: More Film Art from the Underground

Matthew Chojnacki
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This second volume of cinematic eye candy further documents the quickly burgeoning underground film poster movement, a group of artists who challenge Hollywood's marketing machine by bringing clever artwork and design back to movie posters. 

Nearly 100 emerging artists, with a dozen returning favorites, present their newly produced images.  Cinematic visual masters Jason Edmiston, Gary Pullin, Akiko Stehrenberger, Randy Ortiz, Brandon Schaefer, Gabz, Dave Perillo, Chris Garofalo, Anthony Petrie, Godmachine, Tracie Ching, Clark Orr, Orlando Arocena, Steve Dressler, Paul Shipper, Tom Hodge, Luke Insect, and more additionally provide commentary and behind-the-scenes information. 

Movies illustrated include classics like Vertigo, Rosemary's Baby, and One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, more recent hits such as Her and Drive, cult favorites Dazed and Confused and Donnie Darko, and childhood staples Ghostbusters, Back to the Future, and Labyrinth.

(Excerpt from amazon.com)

“Chinese Cultural Artifacts Exhibition – Curated Items from the Library Special Collection” is being staged at Run Run Shaw Library of City University of Hong Kong until 30 July 2017. The exhibition showcases a selection of rare items from three categories: Chinese Shadow Puppets, Nuo Masks, and Movie Posters 1950s-1980s.

Film Posters
[Accessible on Campus Only]

中國文化傳統的六個面向 (Six Facets of Chinese Cultural Tradition)

李歐梵 著
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對於專業或非專業的讀者來說，李歐梵教授的這本新書都是了解中國文化不可錯過的精彩讀本。他選擇了心目中最能代表中國文化傳統的六個面向─英雄本色、政教道統、江河歲月、飲食男女、魑魅魍魎、魂兮歸來，並在每一面向中選取一二篇代表性的古今經典文本，從文學、音樂、電影、藝術等角度暢談他對中國文化理解與感受。

李教授在中外古今的廣闊視野之下講解中國經典，融匯數十年眼見學識，旁徵博引、不落窠臼，加上他性情中人的風趣痛快，使講稿豐富多元，趣味盎然。他還邀請香港中文大學的專家學者一同講授與對話，並在數講之後增寫「續論」，進一步闡發講稿中的精彩之處。

(摘錄自博客來網路書店)

香港城市大學邵逸夫圖書館現正舉行「中國傳統文化藝術品-圖書館精選館藏展覽」，展品共分三個專題，包括中國皮影戲戲偶、儺面具、及50至80年代電影海報，展期至7月30日。