The end of our high-growth world was underway well before COVID-19 arrived. In this powerful and timely argument, Danny Dorling demonstrates the benefits of a larger, ongoing societal slowdown Drawing from an incredibly rich trove of global data, this groundbreaking book reveals that human progress has been slowing down since the early 1970s. Danny Dorling uses compelling visualizations to illustrate how fertility rates, growth in GDP per person, and even the frequency of new social movements have all steadily declined over the last few generations. Perhaps most surprising of all is the fact that even as new technologies frequently reshape our everyday lives and are widely believed to be propelling our civilization into new and uncharted waters, the rate of technological progress is also rapidly dropping. Rather than lament this turn of events, Dorling embraces it as a moment of promise and a move toward stability, and he notes that many of the older great strides in progress that have defined recent history also brought with them widespread warfare, divided societies, and massive inequality.

A Rolling Stone-Kirkus Best Music Book of 2020 The definitive account of pop music in the mid-eighties, from Prince and Madonna to the underground hip-hop, indie rock, and club scenes Everybody knows the hits of 1984 - pop music's greatest year. From "Thriller" to "Purple Rain," "Hello" to "Against All Odds," "What's Love Got to Do with It" to "Wake Me Up Before You Go-Go," these iconic songs continue to dominate advertising, karaoke nights, and the soundtracks for film classics (Boogie Nights) and TV hits (Stranger Things). But the story of that thrilling, turbulent time, an era when Top 40 radio was both the leading edge of popular culture and a moral battleground, has never been told with the full detail it deserves - until now. Can't Slow Down is the definitive portrait of the exploding world of mid-eighties pop and the time it defined, from Cold War anxiety to the home-computer revolution. Big acts like Michael Jackson (Thriller), Prince (Purple Rain), Madonna (Like a Virgin), Bruce Springsteen (Born in the U.S.A.), and George Michael (Wham!'s Make It Big) rubbed shoulders with the stars of the fermenting scenes of hip-hop, indie rock, and club music. Rigorously researched, mapping the entire terrain of American pop, with crucial side trips to the UK and Jamaica, from the biz to the stars to the upstarts and beyond, Can't Slow Down is a vivid journey to the very moment when pop was remaking itself, and the culture at large - one hit at a time.

Slow down to watch 50 nature stories that command calm and foster mindfulness All around us, nature is working wonders. Every day, hour by hour, magical transformations happen right in front of you. But it’s not always easy to see them . . . In this beautiful illustrated collection, 50 moments in nature are paused for you to watch them in detail. Then you should go outside, and explore, and see what you find when you take the time to slow down. Gorgeously illustrated, this charming collection celebrates the small wonders happening all around us every day.

The days are long, but the years are short. No matter if it’s your child’s first step, first day of school, or first night tucked away in a new dorm room away from home, there comes a moment when you realize just how quickly the years are flying by. Christian music artist Nichole Nordeman’s profound lyrics in her viral hit “Slow Down” struck a chord with moms everywhere, and now this beautiful four-color book will inspire you to celebrate the everyday moments of motherhood. Filled with thought-provoking writings from Nichole, as well as guest writings from friends including Shauna Niequist and Jen Hatmaker, practical tips, and journaling space for reflection, Slow Down will be a poignant gift for any mom, as well as a treasured keepsake. Take a few moments to reflect and celebrate the privilege of being a parent and getting to watch your little ones grow—and Slow Down. Nichole Nordeman has sold more than 1 million albums as a Christian music artist and has won 9 GMA Dove Awards, including two awards for Female Vocalist of the Year and Songwriter of the Year. Nichole released a lyric video for her song “Slow Down,” and it struck a chord with parents everywhere, amassing 14 million views in its first five days. She lives in Oklahoma with her two children.

Striker the cat is unstoppable! He thinks that there is too much fun to be had, and no matter what his mama tells him, he never slows down. One day, a bump to the head brings this busy cat to a standstill. Will Striker finally listen to his mama and learn to make time for a little calmness? This charmingly-illustrated picture book for ages 3-6 aims to teach busy children about the benefits of taking time to sit quietly and clear their mind. Touching on the principles of mindfulness, it provides the perfect introduction to the differing feelings of chaos and calm and encourages children to find balance in their increasingly busy lives.

Solve kid-sized dilemmas and mysteries with the Science Solves It! series. These fun books for kids ages 5–8 blend clever stories with real-life science. Why did the dog turn green? Can you control a hiccup? Is that a UFO? Find the answers to these questions and more as kid characters dive into physical, life, and earth sciences. Sara does everything fast - too fast. She builds a soapbox derby racer in one day and it falls apart. Then Sara discovers friction and not only wins the derby but has to slow down to do it! Books in this perfect STEM series will help kids think like scientists and get ahead in the classroom. Activities and experiments are included in every book! (Level Two; Science topic: Friction)

The book 2016 Annual Competitiveness Analysis and Growth Slowdown Analysis for ASEAN-10 begins by presenting the insights of Mr George Yeo, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, who provides a thoughtful reflection on identities and their continued relevance for policy-making. It then provides an update to the annual competitiveness analysis for ASEAN-10. Based on a rich dataset of 121 indicators, the study covers four environments of competitiveness: (1) Macroeconomic Stability, (2) Government and Institutional Setting, (3) Financial, Businesses and Manpower Conditions, and (4) Quality of Life and Infrastructure Development. It then presents each economy's strengths and weaknesses, and conducts "what-if" policy simulations to offer insights into the ASEAN economies. Furthermore, given prevailing worries about ASEAN economies falling into the "middle-income trap," growth slowdown analysis for the ASEAN economies is conducted. Through income-group specific econometric models, determinants of growth slowdown are identified and predictive probability of slowdown for each ASEAN economy is computed. Finally, progress of economic reforms in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam is evaluated, from which policy implications for these countries' future development are drawn. Contents: A Sense of Self in an Age of Globalisation and ASEAN's Respect for Diversity2016 Update on Annual Competitiveness Analysis for ASEAN-10Growth Slowdown Analysis by Income Thresholds for ASEAN EconomiesTransitional Economies in ASEAN: Reform Progress, Challenges and Policy OptionsPositioning Singapore for the Waves of Change: Building Deep Capabilities for the Future EconomyConcluding Remarks and Future Research Agenda Readership: Researchers and advance graduates studying ASEAN developmental economics. Keywords: Competitiveness;Economic Development;Public Policy;ASEAN;Southeast Asia;Growth Slowdown;Bayesian Model Averaging;Transitional Economies;Cambodia;Laos;Myanmar;Vietnam;CLMV;George Yeo;Asia Competitiveness Institute (ACI)Review: "I highly appreciate ACI's effort in conducting research on competitiveness improvement for Asian countries, especially the members of ASEAN over the past few years. We really look forward to deepening research cooperation between VCCI and ACI." Dr Vu Tien Loc Chairman and President Vietnam Chamber of Commerce and Industry (VCCI), Vietnam Key Features: Existing global competitiveness rankings such as the World Competitiveness Yearbook by the IMD World Competitiveness Centre and the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report are like beauty contests; they merely identify who are doing well and who are facing challenges, but stop short of giving more constructive advice on improving the rankings. The ACI's competitiveness framework goes one step further by tackling the "so what" question. What is the policy implication of a competitiveness ranking result for a particular economy? Under this overarching framework, ACI combines leading-edge research methodologies with extensive data collection efforts to evaluate and track economic competitiveness for the ASEAN-10 economies since 2000The book benefits from the insights of Mr George Yeo, Former Minister for Foreign Affairs of Singapore, who provides a thoughtful and timely reflections on the nature of human beings' identities and their continued relevance for policy-making. The shock election of Donald Trump to the Presidency of the United States (US) and the victory of the "Leave" campaign during the Brexit referendum in 2016 have served to underscore the fact that the development of human societies is not only driven by economic but also soci