Well known in the mainstream for her bestseller, The Jane Austen Book Club (Putnam, 2004), Karen Joy Fowler has taken a new turn with this collection of short stories. The Science of Herself is at once perceptive, entertaining, thought-provoking and often hilarious, and each story is told with a progressive and feminist edge. Also featured is PM Press's Outspoken Interview, in which Fowler gets personal, discussing what kind of car she drives, what she watches on TV and what it's like to hit the Times bestseller list.

This book proposes a new science of self-control based on the principles of behavioral psychology and economics. Claiming that insight and self-knowledge are insufficient for controlling one's behavior, Howard Rachlin argues that the only way to achieve such control--and ultimately happiness--is through the development of harmonious patterns of behavior. Most personal problems with self-control arise because people have difficulty delaying immediate gratification for a better future reward. The alcoholic prefers to drink now. If she is feeling good, a drink will make her feel better. If she is feeling bad, a drink will make her feel better. The problem is that drinking will eventually make her feel worse. This sequence--the consistent choice of a highly valued particular act (such as having a drink or a smoke) that leads to a low-valued pattern of acts--is called "the primrose path." To avoid it, the author presents a strategy of "soft commitment," consisting of the development of valuable patterns of behavior that bridge over individual temptations. He also proposes, from economics, the concept of the substitutability of "positive addictions," such as social activity or exercise, for "negative addictions," such as drug abuse or overeating. Self-control may be seen as the interaction with one's own future self. Howard Rachlin shows that indeed the value of the whole--of one's whole life--is far greater than the sum of the values of its individual parts.

Have you ever intended to get some work done but ended up on Instagram? Have you ever intended to stick to your diet but ended up microwaving a pizza? Have you ever intended to get to bed early but ended up seeing your laptop clock hit 02:00 AM? Then I have good news and bad news. The bad news is you lack self-control. The good news is you're human. My goal is to make you superhuman. In this book you'll learn how to take control of your body and mind by drawing on cognitive neurosciences and behavioral psychology. I've distilled the knowledge of 542 scientific references into 53 practical tips to improve your willpower. In 6 chapters I cover the essentials of how the human mind works, what willpower is, how to be more productive, how to stick to your diet, how to make your workouts less effortful and how to motivate yourself. After reading this book, you should experience higher work productivity, better diet adherence and ultimately more success in life.

Your best intentions are not enough. Learn to scientifically engineer a disciplined life, become relentless, and never give up. Whatever you want in your life, self-discipline is the missing piece. Goals will remain dreams if you make the mistake of relying on motivation and your best drawn plans. The Science of Self-Discipline is a deep look into what allows us to resist our worst impulses and simply execute, achieve, produce, and focus. Every principle is scientifically-driven and dissected to as be actionable and helpful as possible. You’ll learn how top performers consistently exercise self-discipline, as well as what drives us on an instinctual, psychological level to act. This isn’t just a book; it’s a roadmap to the human psyche and will allow you to accomplish exactly what you set out to do, every time. When you understand what drives your cravings and the true roots of self-discipline, you’ll be able to rise above your temporary discomfort and focus on what really matters. Discover every factor that impacts self-discipline for better or worse. Break free of excuses, distractions, laziness, and temptations. Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with dozens of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience. Beat instant gratification and create limitless motivation. •The biological basis of self-discipline - and why it’s beneficial to you. •Discipline tactics for high performers such as Navy SEALs. •Diagnosing what motivates you, what drains you, and what moves you emotionally. •Engineering an environment and social circle that boosts self-discipline. Form productive habits to increase your focus, strengthen your resolve, and stop giving up from boredom or frustration. •Why choosing two marshmallows over one matters. •Four questions for any potential lapse in willpower. •The interplay between habits, motivation, and self-discipline. Self-discipline and willpower will fundamentally change your life.

How to learn effectively when you have to be both the teacher and student. Work smarter and save yourself countless hours. Self-learning is not just about performing better in the classroom or the office. It's about being able to aim your life in whatever direction you choose and conquering the obstacles in front of you. Replicable methods and insights to build expertise from ground zero. The Science of Self-Learning focuses not only on learning, but what it means to direct your own learning. Anyone can read a book, but what about more? You will learn to deconstruct a topic and then construct your own syllabus and plan. Gathering information, initial research, having a dialogue with new information - unlock these skills and you will unlock your life. Make complex topics painless and less intimidating to approach and break down. Peter Hollins has studied psychology and peak human performance for over a dozen years and is a bestselling author. He has worked with a multitude of individuals to unlock their potential and path towards success. His writing draws on his academic, coaching, and research experience. Develop habits and skills to fulfill your career or hobby goals. -Understand the learning success pyramid and how self-regulation and confidence impact learning. -How to stay motivated in tedious and tiring learning. -The SQ3R Method and conversing with information. Science-based methods to help your brain absorb and retain more. -Speed reading and comprehension. -How to plan and schedule like Benjamin Franklin. -How to extract information like juice from an orange. Most people have multiple careers in their lives. Self-learning is how you keep up and adapt.

Self-organized criticality, the spontaneous development of systems to a critical state, is the first general theory of complex systems with a firm mathematical basis. This theory describes how many seemingly desperate aspects of the world, from stock market crashes to mass extinctions, avalanches to solar flares, all share a set of simple, easily described properties. "...a'must read'...Bak writes with such ease and lucidity, and his ideas are so intriguing...essential reading for those interested in complex systems...it will reward a sufficiently skeptical reader." -NATURE "...presents the theory (self-organized criticality) in a form easily absorbed by the non-mathematically inclined reader." -BOSTON BOOK REVIEW "I picture Bak as a kind of scientific musketeer; flamboyant, touchy, full of swagger and ready to join every fray... His book is written with panache. The style is brisk, the content stimulating. I recommend it as a bracing experience." -NEW SCIENTIST

A bold reimagining of Maslow's famous hierarchy of needs--and new insights for living your most authentic, fulfilled, and connected life. When positive psychologist Scott Barry Kaufman first discovered Maslow's unfinished theory of transcendence, sprinkled throughout a cache of unpublished journals, he felt a deep resonance with his own work and life. In this groundbreaking book, Kaufman picks up where Maslow left off, unraveling the mysteries of his unfinished theory, and integrating these ideas with the latest research on attachment, connection, exploration, love, purpose and other building blocks of a life well lived. Maslow's model provides a roadmap for finding purpose and fulfillment--not by striving for money, success, or "happiness," but by becoming the best version of ourselves, or what Maslow called self-actualization. Transcend reveals a level of human potential that's even higher, which Maslow termed "transcendence." Beyond individual fulfillment, this way of being--which taps into the whole person-- connects us not only to our best self, but also to one another. With never-before-published insights and new research findings, along with thought-provoking examples and personality tests, this empowering book is a manual for self-analysis and nurturing a deeper connection with our highest potential-- and beyond.