Other books that might interest you

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  Northeaster - A Story of Courage...

  Cathie Pelletier

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  For many, the past few years have been defined by climate disaster. Stories about once-in-a-lifetime hurricanes, floods, fires, droughts, and even snowstorms are now commonplace. But dramatic weather events are not new and Northeaster, Cathie Pelletier's breathtaking account of the 1952 snowstorm that blanketed New England, offers a valuable reminder about nature's capacity for destruction as well as insight into the human instinct for preservation. 
   
   
   
  Northeaster weaves together a rich cast of characters whose lives were uprooted and endangered by the storm. Housewives and lobstermen, loggers and soldiers were all trapped as snow piled in drifts twenty feet high. The storm smothered hundreds of travelers in their cars, covered entire towns, and broke ships in half. In the midst of the blizzard's chaos, there were remarkable acts of heroism and courageous generosities. Doctors braved the storm to help deliver babies. Ordinary people kept their wits while buried in their cars, and others made their way out of forests to find kindhearted strangers willing to take them in. 
   
   
   
  It's likely that none of us know how we would handle a confrontation with a blizzard or other natural disaster. But Northeaster shows that we have it inside to fight for survival in some of the harshest conditions that nature has to offer.

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  Psychology of Crowds

  Gustave Le Bon

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  Psychology of Crowds by Gustave Le Bon
  A foundational work in social psychology exploring crowd behavior. Le Bon examines how individuals lose personal identity in groups, becoming susceptible to irrationality and emotional influence, shedding light on mass movements, propaganda, and the dynamics of collective behavior.

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  Can Thought Stop? - Amsterdam...

  Jiddu Krishnamurti

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  "Can thought stop? - 28 May 1967  
  • When there is a process of recognition it is the projection of the past. The mind 
  is always functioning within the field of time, which is of memory. Can the 
  mind go beyond that? 
  • What is pleasure and what is desire? 
  • How is it possible, without control, subjugation or denying, for thought not to 
  allow itself to interfere? 
  • When all authority of every kind is put aside, denied, then you can find out for 
  yourself. 
  • When you are completely attentive, you see. It is only love that sees - not 
  thought, the mind or the intellect. One has to learn how to look, how to hear. 
  • Q: Could you distinguish between what you mean by the word ‘recognizing’ 
  and ‘being aware’? 
  • Q: How is one to break off a concept that one has carefully built?"

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  Fear Tactics - Using Fear to...

  Cito Harder

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  Fear is one of the most primal human emotions, deeply embedded in the survival instincts of individuals and societies. Throughout history, it has been harnessed as a tool of control, allowing those in positions of power to manipulate others for personal, political, or financial gain. Fear tactics involve the deliberate use of intimidation, threats, and uncertainty to shape perceptions, influence decisions, and suppress opposition. Whether used in personal relationships, corporate environments, or large-scale governance, these tactics exploit an individual’s natural aversion to danger and discomfort.  
  At its core, a fear tactic works by triggering the instinctive fight-or-flight response. When people perceive a threat—whether real or fabricated—they become more susceptible to external influence. Logical reasoning often takes a backseat to emotional reactions, making individuals more likely to comply with demands, accept misleading information, or make decisions that they otherwise would not consider. Fear-based influence operates on the principle that an individual will do whatever is necessary to avoid the perceived threat, even if it means relinquishing personal freedoms, adopting extreme beliefs, or placing trust in an unworthy authority.

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  The Secret Life of Special Advisers

  Peter Cardwell

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  "A cracking read by a great writer." – Chris Mason, BBC political editor
  "A rare, fascinating and funny look at life in the corridors of power." – Isabel Hardman, author of Why We Get the Wrong Politicians and Spectator assistant editor
  "It's the book we have long needed." – Michael Crick
  "A timely look at how some of the key relationships in Westminster work, and how they sometimes misfire." – Laura Kuenssberg, BBC presenter and former political editor
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  Shadowy geniuses whispering, Rasputin-like, into the ears of our elected politicians under a cloak of secrecy, or a crucial but undervalued cog in the machinery of government? … Or just a rag-tag band of weirdos and misfits?
  Despite the acres of speculation devoted to special advisers from Alastair Campbell to Dominic Cummings, their role is much misunderstood. Who are the people Piers Morgan once called 'these miserable little creatures' and just how much influence do they have?
  Peter Cardwell served as SpAd to four Cabinet ministers, acting as media adviser, political fixer, troubleshooter and occasional wardrobe consultant. In this candid, compelling and frequently hilarious insider account, he reveals what the job really involves, from dealing with counter-terror emergencies in Cobra to explaining to the Justice Secretary what a dental dam is, to having your inside leg measured in a government office.
  Packed with advice on navigating the perks and pitfalls of the job, The Secret Life of Special Advisers will inform and entertain anyone who has ever wondered what these mysterious figures really do all day.

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  Sundaland: The History of the...

  Editors Charles River

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  By the time the Pleistocene Epoch ended around 12,000 years ago, Homo sapiens had become one of the most significant species on the planet. 	It was also near the end of that period of time that modern humans began to gradually populate what would become Europe, Asia, and the Americas, eventually becoming the inheritors of the Paleolithic era and the only human species to make it into the Neolithic era. The process was long and difficult, and the survival of the species only happened through a combination of human tenacity and a fair amount of luck. As much as humans evolved during the Pleistocene, the topography, geography, and environment changed even more. 
  The cold Pleistocene temperatures lowered water levels across the planet, exposing land that was not there before or after the period. At the same time, significant regions of the planet were very different during the Pleistocene, including Southeast Asia, particularly the modern islands of Bali, Borneo, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula, roughly equivalent to parts of Indonesia, Malaysia, Myanmar, and Thailand. This region, which modern scholars refer to as Sunda or Sundaland, was unique because all of it was connected by land, meaning today’s islands were once part of a contiguous subcontinent, and in terms of the people, flora, and fauna, it was very different than it is today. If a modern traveler could somehow transport back to the Pleistocene, Sundaland would look nothing like modern Southeast Asia and would resemble as much of a lost world as something out of a science fiction novel.  
  Although much is still unknown about Sundaland, researchers have uncovered plenty of evidence bringing this lost world to life. As anthropologists and archaeologists developed new models and discovered ancient material culture, they learned that Sundaland played a significant role in the development of Neolithic Southeast Asia in many ways. 

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