Other books that might interest you

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  Most Famous Silent Film Actors...

  Editors Charles River

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  Only a select few actors become international stars in their time, but none had as unique a career as Charlie Chaplin. Chaplin was the first true film star, and he managed to do so even when films were still silent. He has been honored with too many awards to count, and the fact that his name remains instantly recognizable nearly a century after his first film is a testament to his influence. Chaplin is known for the singular blend of pathos and humor evinced by his films, and it is not uncommon for audiences to laugh and cry at alternate points of a Chaplin film, a trait that continues to endear audiences even to this day. 
  In the 1920s, the burgeoning movie industry was starting to come into its own, and alongside actor and director Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton was at the peak of Hollywood. It’s no surprise that Keaton was so effective in silent films, because he had been practicing comedy in his family’s vaudeville acts as “The Little Boy Who Can’t Be Damaged”, becoming a popular performer by the age of 5. Indeed, his physical form of comedy, which initially involved having his father throwing him around the stage, translated well onto the screen, and some of his slapstick and other comic gags remain legendary even today, in part because Keaton practiced his own stunts.  
  Everything about Rudolph Valentino, from his body to the characters he played, was exotic. His career may have been abbreviated by his premature death at the age of 31, but Valentino popularized the (somewhat racist) stereotype of the “Latin lover” in Hollywood, and even his name was markedly more out of the ordinary than those of other actors. In an era dominated by hyper-masculine actors like Douglas Fairbanks, or comedians such as Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton, Valentino had a more ethnic and mysterious appeal, and he was lusted after by women to a degree that remains unsurpassed in the industry.

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  Why Not Better and Cheaper? -...

  James B. Rebitzer, Robert S....

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  An engaging account of innovation in healthcare and why the results fall short for patients and society. 
   
   
   
  The evolution of the cell phones we carry in our pockets demonstrates that quality can increase while prices fall. Why doesn't healthcare also get better and cheaper? 
   
   
   
  In Why Not Better and Cheaper?, James B. Rebitzer and Robert S. Rebitzer offer an answer to this question. Bringing together research on incentives, social norms, and market competition, they argue that the healthcare system generates the wrong kinds of innovation. It is too easy to profit from low-value innovations and too hard to profit from innovations that reduce the costs of care. The result is a healthcare system that is profusely innovative yet remarkably ineffective in discovering ways to deliver increased value at lower cost. 
   
   
   
  Why Not Better and Cheaper? sheds new light on the trajectory of innovation in healthcare, and how to point innovation in a better direction.

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  The Iran Nuclear Deal -...

  Fredrich Hazelton

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  Iran's nuclear program has long been a subject of intense global scrutiny and diplomatic tension. Since the 1970s, the country has pursued the development of nuclear technology, initially for peaceful purposes, but concerns about its potential military ambitions escalated over time. As the international community grappled with Iran's nuclear ambitions, the central question was whether Tehran sought to develop nuclear weapons or maintain its program solely for civilian use. This uncertainty fueled widespread fear, particularly among Western powers and regional rivals like Israel, who viewed a nuclear-armed Iran as a direct threat to regional stability and global security. 
  The United States, along with its allies, pursued a variety of diplomatic efforts and imposed harsh economic sanctions in response to Iran’s nuclear activities. These sanctions targeted key sectors of Iran’s economy, including its oil exports and banking system, and were intended to pressure the Iranian government into compliance with international demands for greater transparency and restrictions on its nuclear program. Despite these measures, Iran's leadership remained defiant, and negotiations over the future of the nuclear program became increasingly complex. 
    
  The culmination of years of diplomatic maneuvering was the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), a landmark agreement reached in 2015 between Iran and six major world powers—the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia, China, and Germany. The deal promised to significantly limit Iran's nuclear activities in exchange for sanctions relief. The JCPOA was heralded as a major achievement in international diplomacy, seen as a model for how nations could come together to resolve contentious issues through negotiation rather than military confrontation.

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  Pragmatism - A New Name for Some...

  William James

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  In Pragmatism, William James introduces and defines the philosophical movement that judges ideas and beliefs based on their practical consequences and real-world application. Drawing from thinkers like Charles Peirce, James argues that truth is not fixed or abstract but emerges from experience and utility. Through accessible lectures, he explores how pragmatism bridges the gap between science and religion, idealism and materialism, offering a flexible approach to knowledge and belief. Rooted in American intellectual tradition, the book champions open-mindedness, pluralism, and the evolving nature of truth. James presents pragmatism as both a method of inquiry and a way of life, challenging rigid dogmas while affirming the value of human experience in shaping meaning. This groundbreaking work remains foundational in modern philosophy, influencing thought across disciplines.

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  Maladies of Empire - How...

  Jim Downs

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  Most stories of medical progress come with ready-made heroes. John Snow traced the origins of London's 1854 cholera outbreak to a water pump, leading to the birth of epidemiology. Florence Nightingale's contributions to the care of soldiers in the Crimean War transformed hospitals from crucibles of infection to sanctuaries of recuperation. Yet histories of individual innovators ignore many key sources of medical knowledge. 
   
   
   
  Reexamining the foundations of modern medicine, Jim Downs shows that the study of infectious disease depended crucially on the unrecognized contributions of nonconsenting subjects—conscripted soldiers, enslaved people, and subjects of empire. Plantations, slave ships, and battlefields were the laboratories in which physicians came to understand the spread of disease. Military doctors learned about the importance of air quality by monitoring Africans confined to the bottom of slave ships. Statisticians charted cholera outbreaks by surveilling Muslims in British-dominated territories returning from their annual pilgrimage. 
   
   
   
  The scientific knowledge derived from discarding and exploiting human life is now the basis of our ability to protect humanity from epidemics. Boldly argued and eye-opening, Maladies of Empire gives a full account of the true price of medical progress.

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  Imagine More - Do What You Love...

  Stephanie Nielson

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  Read by the author. 
  Discouraged that you will never fulfill your dreams? Stephanie Nelson, creator of the wildly successful Coupon Mom movement, shares an inspiring, motivating roadmap for achieving dreams, saving money, and giving generously with big faith. 
  If you feel stuck in life and unable to make progress toward your deepest hopes and dreams, let Stephanie Nelson share a practical path to reaching your full potential. The creator of the Coupon Mom and jump-starter of the coupon craze that started in 2008 with the recession, Stephanie can relate to holding on to dreams that seem bigger than abilities. She started the Coupon Mom website with a thirty-five dollar investment and never borrowed or spent more than the project earned. With no extra money or experience in technology, Stephanie grew a tiny website into a multimillion-dollar business that has helped millions of people save money and donate groceries to charities, all while using the free Coupon Mom program. 
  Sharing her story to unpack life lessons, Stephanie shares a path tobanish fear and embrace opportunity,develop a vision and pursue dreams,identify God's plan to use your abilities to help others, andbuild community by including others in your success. 
    
  It's never too late to imagine more, chase your dreams, and impact the world through your unique gifts and talents; Stephanie shows readers how to exchange their ordinary for God's extraordinary. Imagine More will encourage anyone who wants to use their passions and skills to benefit others and fulfill their most cherished dreams. 
  Imagine More Savings: Digital Hacks is included via QR code in the audiobook PDF companion download.

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