Central Skagit Library District

"When asked simple questions about global trends--what percentage of the world's population live in poverty; why the world's population is increasing; how many girls finish school -- we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess teachers, journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers. Professor and TED presenter Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators,...

"This book addresses the major day-to-day challenges facing ex-offenders as they re-enter the free world. Eleven hard-hitting chapters outline a clear seven-step process for re-entry success."--Page [4] of cover.

Defenders of massive multinational chains like Wal-Mart and Fortune 500 big business argue that, like it or not, there is no alternative. Their huge scale and international reach, they claim, make them more efficient and profitable, better able to deliver value, and an uncontested boon for the job market. According to the big boys, locally owned small businesses are simply quaint remnants of the past, unable to compete in the global economy. But in...

"Every day we make choices--about food and other purchases, financial investments, our children's health and education, even the causes we champion or the planet itself. Unfortunately, we often choose poorly. Using dozens of eye-opening examples and drawing on decades of behavioral science research, Nudge shows how sensible "choice architecture" can help us to overcome the biases that lead to bad decisions and nudge us toward the best decisions for...

"LEAVE YOUR MARK isn't an advice book--it's a mentorship in 288 pages. Aliza Licht -- global fashion communications executive, AKA fashion's favorite "PR girl" and Twitter phenom -- is here to tell her story, complete with The Devil Wears Prada- like moments and insider secrets. Drawing invaluable lessons from her experience, Licht shares advice, inspiration, and a healthy dose of real talk in LEAVE YOUR MARK. She delivers personal and professional...

Homemade Shouldn't Be Hectic Do you wish you could slow down and create a home you and your family love and enjoy spending time in? Melissa K. Norris, author of The Made-from-Scratch Life and voice of the Pioneering Today podcast, offers down-to-earth tips and guidance to help you learn how to... • bake old-fashioned recipes (everything from biscuits to shepherd's pie) with quick, stress-free steps • grow, harvest, and preserve culinary and medicinal...

"The story of regional inequality in America as revealed by the rise of Amazon and its distribution network"-- MacGillis shows that Amazon's sprawling network of delivery hubs, data centers, and corporate campuses epitomizes a land where winner and loser cities and regions are drifting steadily apart, the civic fabric is unraveling, and work has become increasingly rudimentary and isolated. Ranging across the country, he tells the stories of those...

"From the authors of the #1 New York Times best-selling Half the Sky, a unique and essential narrative about making a difference in the world--a roadmap to becoming a conscientious global citizen. Equal in urgency and compassion to Half the Sky, this galvanizing new book from the acclaimed husband and wife team is even more ambitious in scale: nothing less than a deep examination of people who are making the world a better place, and the myriad ways...

The author uses several the key inventions--from electric power to large-scale farming and automobiles--to illustrate that the science improves human life, but also releases untenable amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. The author explains the current and projected consequences of greenhouse gases--from superstorms to rising sea levels--and shares the science-based tools that could help us fight back. "Hope Jahren is an award-winning scientist,...