Global Weirdness

Global Weirdness summarizes everything we know about the science of climate change, explains what is likely to happen to the climate in the future, and lays out, in practical terms, what we can do to avoid further shifts. In sixty easy-to-read entries, Climate Central tackles basic questions such as: -Is climate ever “normal”? -Why and how do fossil-fuel burning and other human practices produce greenhouse gases? -What natural forces have caused climate change in the past? -What risks does climate change pose for human health? -What accounts for the diminishment of mountain glaciers and small ice caps around the world since 1850? -What are the economic costs and benefits of reducing carbon emissions? Illustrated throughout with clarifying graphics, Global Weirdness enlarges our understanding of how climate change affects our daily lives, and arms us with the incontrovertible facts we need to make informed decisions about the future of the planet, and of humankind.

A New York Times Notable Book of 2020 A Bloomberg Best Non-Fiction Book of 2020 A Behavioral Scientist Notable Book of 2020 A Human Behavior & Evolution Society Must-Read Popular Evolution Book of 2020 A bold, epic account of how the co-evolution of psychology and culture created the peculiar Western mind that has profoundly shaped the modern world. Perhaps you are WEIRD: raised in a society that is Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic. If so, you’re rather psychologically peculiar. Unlike much of the world today, and most people who have ever lived, WEIRD people are highly individualistic, self-obsessed, control-oriented, nonconformist, and analytical. They focus on themselves—their attributes, accomplishments, and aspirations—over their relationships and social roles. How did WEIRD populations become so psychologically distinct? What role did these psychological differences play in the industrial revolution and the global expansion of Europe during the last few centuries? In The WEIRDest People in the World, Joseph Henrich draws on cutting-edge research in anthropology, psychology, economics, and evolutionary biology to explore these questions and more. He illuminates the origins and evolution of family structures, marriage, and religion, and the profound impact these cultural transformations had on human psychology. Mapping these shifts through ancient history and late antiquity, Henrich reveals that the most fundamental institutions of kinship and marriage changed dramatically under pressure from the Roman Catholic Church. It was these changes that gave rise to the WEIRD psychology that would coevolve with impersonal markets, occupational specialization, and free competition—laying the foundation for the modern world. Provocative and engaging in both its broad scope and its surprising details, The WEIRDest People in the World explores how culture, institutions, and psychology shape one another, and explains what this means for both our most personal sense of who we are as individuals and also the large-scale social, political, and economic forces that drive human history. Includes black-and-white illustrations.

An exploration of the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality in the work of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson. A study of the spiritual provocations to be found in the work of Philip K. Dick, Terence McKenna, and Robert Anton Wilson, High Weirdness charts the emergence of a new psychedelic spirituality that arose from the American counterculture of the 1970s. These three authors changed the way millions of readers thought, dreamed, and experienced reality—but how did their writings reflect, as well as shape, the seismic cultural shifts taking place in America? In High Weirdness, Erik Davis—America's leading scholar of high strangeness—examines the published and unpublished writings of these vital, iconoclastic thinkers, as well as their own life-changing mystical experiences. Davis explores the complex lattice of the strange that flowed through America's West Coast at a time of radical technological, political, and social upheaval to present a new theory of the weird as a viable mode for a renewed engagement with reality.

Literary fiction meets the otherworldly in this “wonderfully weird and entertaining” urban fantasy for Millennial fans of Victor LaValle (Esquire). “An utterly charming, silly, and heartily entertaining coming-of-age story about a man-boy who learns to believe in himself by reckoning with evil.” —Boston Globe What do you do when you wake up hung over and late for work only to find a stranger on your couch? And what if that stranger turns out to be an Adversarial Manifestation—like Satan, say—who has brewed you a fresh cup of fair-trade coffee? And what if he offers you your life’s goal of making the bestseller list if only you find his missing Lucky Cat and, you know, sign over your soul? If you’re Billy Ridgeway, you take the coffee.

An honest, sharp-witted, practical guide to help you get and keep the job you want—from an outsider whose been there and done it, a woman who went from being a broke, divorced, college dropout to running some of the biggest websites in the world. Jennifer Romolini started her career as an awkward twenty-seven-year-old misfit, navigated her way through New York media and became a boss—an editor-in-chief, an editorial director, and a vice president—all within little more than a decade. Her book, Weird In A World That’s Not, asserts that being outside-the-norm and achieving real, high-level success are not mutually exclusive, even if the perception of the business world often seems otherwise, even if it seems like only office-politicking extroverts are set up for reward. Part career memoir, part real-world guide, Weird in a World That’s Not offers relatable advice on how to achieve your dreams, even when the odds seem stacked against you. Romolini helps you face down your fears, find a career that’s right for you, and get and keep a job. She tackles practical issues and offers empathetic, clear-cut answers to important questions: How do I navigate the awkwardness of networking? How do I deal with intense office politics? How do I leave my crappy job? How do I learn how to be a boss not just a #boss? And, most importantly: How do I do all this and stay true to who I really am? Authentic, funny, and moving, Weird in a World That’s Not will help you tap into your inner tenacity and find your path, no matter how offbeat you are.

Vegan diets are generally viewed as just another diet trend touted by health freaks, PETA fanatics, and treehuggers. The truth is, changing to a plant-based diet is the best decision you can make for your own health, with the added bonus of saving billions of animals and protecting our planet. Eat Like You Give a Damn exposes America's biggest secrets about how our food is produced and why we are one of the sickest nations in the world. Once the secrets are revealed, the author shares the simple truths of how to eat in order to dismiss... and even reverse... common diseases and live a vibrant, healthy, compassionate life. Included are tasty and easy recipes that will trim your waistline and lighten your conscience.

A selection from the much-praised climate change primer Global Weirdness, written by Climate Central, the nonprofit, nonpartisan source for all things climate-related: a straightforward, unbiased, peer-reviewed, roll-up-your-sleeves practical account of what we can expect from climate change in the future. Over the last several decades, human greenhouse gas emissions have begun to change the global climate. We know this for a fact, as we know other facts like the existence of CO2 in the atmosphere caused by burning fossil fuels such as coal, oil and natural gas; the rising levels of that C02 in the atmosphere; the rising temperatures and sea levels across the globe. But what concrete facts do we know about the future of climate change? In “Where Climate is Heading,” Climate Central provides the best depiction we have of how our planet is likely to be affected by climate change over the coming years. This is a primer for the future, about what to expect in a changed world—the future of hurricanes, the movements of populations, the new normal for food supplies. Nuanced and careful, this is essential reading for every voter and citizen of Planet Earth, an unprecedented chance to peer into the future, accurately. An eBook short.

Witty, hard-hitting political satire about the shocking, almost unbelievable shenanigans since Tunnald “Tunny” Drump was elected Grand Poobah of Cameria in 2016. An insightful chronicle of life in the Beige Palace—utter incompetence, disastrous policies, and increasingly erratic behavior—from the insider perspective of Press Secretary Laira Succupy Ganders. Comic relief and aspirational thinking for readers who have had to put up with so much for so long.

A Crisis Like No Other: Understanding and Defeating Global Warming couples engaging and creative storytelling with accurate details to explain global warming. It covers both the technical and human issues of global warming by addressing what's causing global warming, and why people don’t believe it exists. The book tells readers how to convince others that global warming is not only real, but lifethreatening, and offers a clearly laid out path to solve it. The book is accurate and carefully researched, drawing on the author's thirty years studying the science of global warming, and the human psyche that surrounds it. The author breaks down the subject into four parts, which can be thought of as four minibooks in one. The first part covers the psychology of global warming denial, how to defend ourselves against its lies and fake news, and how to convince others of global warming’s grave harm. The second part describes exactly what global warming is. The third answers the question what makes us so sure? Finally, the last part provides a road map showing us how to defeat global warming. This book is comprehensive, fast paced, and easily accessible to readers from all walks of life. It provides an overview of everything one needs to know about global warming and, as such, is an excellent survey of global warming topics. In addition to being an easy and enjoyable read for the general public, A Crisis Like No Other: Understanding and Defeating Global Warming serves as a handy primer on climate change for environmental science classes.