Nonfiction
Roadmap to hell : sex, drugs and guns on the Mafia coast
Barbie Latza Nadeau
364.106 /Nadeau
Nonfiction, True Crime
From sex slaves to drug mules, The Daily Beast's Rome Bureau Chief uncovers a terrifying and intricate web of criminal activity right on Europe's doorstep. Caught between Camorra gunrunners selling to ISIS and Nigerian drug gangs along Italy's picturesque coast, each year thousands of refugees and migrants are lured into their criminal underworld, forced to become sex slaves, drug mules or weapon smugglers. In this powerful exposé, investigative journalist Barbie Latza Nadeau follows the weapons trail, meets the Nigerian hair braiders trafficked and trapped by black magic, the brave nuns who try to save them and the Italian police who turn a blind eye as the most urgent issues facing Europe play out in broad daylight.
The only street in Paris : life on the Rue des Martyrs
Elaine Sciolino
944.361 /Sciolino
Nonfiction, Memoir
Rue des Martyrs is more than just a street, it's an enchanting and bustling community in Paris. At just over half a mile long, spanning between the Ninth and 18th arrondissements, this street is filled with four- and five-story buildings of varying architectural designs, with picturesque wrought-iron balconies and shuttered windows and small businesses at street level. As the author (La Seduction), a former Paris bureau chief for the New York Times, explores her neighborhood, she describes its fascinating history, from ancient churches and the saints and martyrs the street may be named after to the 19th-century Cirque Medrano. The quaint cafés and shops remain locally owned, per Paris law, and their merchants and artisans are the leading characters of the book--and of the street. There's Roger Henri, who pushes a cart with a bell offering his knife-sharpening services; Michou, the owner and creator of the transvestite cabaret at No. 80; and Laurence Gillery, the woman who restores antique barometers, the last of her kind. The atmosphere on rue des Martyrs is refreshing and enticing in our modern world.
Elaine Sciolino's book is a lovely paean to the Rue des Martrys, a street that runs north-south through the 9th arrondisement of Paris, and into the village of Montmartre. She chronicles the lives and activities of the storefronts and shopkeepers who live and work there, as well as the life and changing nature of the street itself. The assortment of shops--many of them providing fresh foods and personal services--help to create a sense of community among the residents that seems uniquely Parisian, and possibly of a bygone era. -Candice
Bored and brilliant : how spacing out can unlock your most productive & creative self
Manoush Zomorodi
eAUDIO
Nonfiction
"Explains the connection between boredom and original thinking, exploring how we can harness boredom's hidden benefits to become our most productive and creative selves without totally abandoning our gadgets in the process. Grounding the book in the neuroscience and cognitive psychology of 'mind wandering' - what our brains do when we're doing nothing at all - Manoush includes practical steps you can take to ease the nonstop busyness and enhance your ability to dream wonder, and gain clarity in your work and life."--Dust jacket flap.
Added by Melody
The checklist manifesto : how to get things right
Atul Gawande
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Business
We live in a world of great and increasing complexity, where even the most expert professionals struggle to master the tasks they face. Longer training, ever more advanced technologies—neither seems to prevent grievous errors. But in a hopeful turn, acclaimed surgeon and writer Atul Gawande finds a remedy in the humblest and simplest of techniques: the checklist. First introduced decades ago by the U.S. Air Force, checklists have enabled pilots to fly aircraft of mindboggling sophistication. Now innovative checklists are being adopted in hospitals around the world, helping doctors and nurses respond to everything from flu epidemics to avalanches. Even in the immensely complex world of surgery, a simple ninety second variant has cut the rate of fatalities by more than a third. In riveting stories, Gawande takes us from Austria, where an emergency checklist saved a drowning victim who had spent half an hour underwater, to Michigan, where a cleanliness checklist in intensive care units virtually eliminated a type of deadly hospital infection. He explains how checklists actually work to prompt striking and immediate improvements. And he follows the checklist revolution into fields well beyond medicine, from disaster response to investment banking, skyscraper construction, and businesses of all kinds. An intellectual adventure in which lives are lost and saved and one simple idea makes a tremendous difference, The Checklist Manifesto is essential reading for anyone working to get things right.
Stories about the most universal of productivity tools: The Checklist. Listen for some inspiration! -Melody
Drive : the surprising truth about what motivates us
Daniel H Pink
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Business
Drawing on four decades of scientific research on human motivation, Pink exposes the mismatch between what science knows and what business does. He argues that the secret to high performance and satisfaction in today's world is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.
Added by Melody
Clean my space : the secret to cleaning better, faster--and loving your home every day
Melissa Maker
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Home
In her long-awaited debut book, she shares her revolutionary 3-step solution: • Identify the most important areas (MIAs) in your home that need attention • Select the proper products, tools, and techniques (PTT) for the job • Implement these new cleaning routines so that they stick Clean My Space takes the chore out of cleaning with Melissa's incredible tips and cleaning hacks (the power of pretreating!) her lightning fast 5-10 minute "express clean" routines for every room when time is tightest, and her techniques for cleaning even the most daunting places and spaces. And a big bonus: Melissa gives guidance on the best non-toxic, eco-conscious cleaning products and offers natural cleaning solution recipes you can make at home using essential oils to soothe and refresh. With Melissa's simple groundbreaking method you can truly live in a cleaner, more cheerful, and calming home all the time.
Added by Melody
Unf*ck your habitat : You're Better Than Your Mess
Rachel Hoffman
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Home
Whatever your habitat, you deserve one that brings you happiness, not stress. Interspersed with lists and challenges, this practical, no-nonsense housekeeping and organization guide will help listeners take control of the mess in their homes.
Added by Melody
The sweet spot : how to find your groove at home and work
Christine Carter
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Home
"Feel like you're on a treadmill that won't stop? Learn to step off and hit your stride. Not long ago Christine Carter, happiness expert at UC Berkeley's Greater Good Science Center, speaker, writer, and mother, found herself caught up in the busyness of modern life: too many conflicting obligations and not enough time, energy, or patience to get everything done. She tried all the standard techniques--prioritizing, multitasking, delegating--but found that she needed a new approach, one that would allow her to live more in that zone we've all glimpsed but can never seem to hold on to: the sweet spot of expertise, efficiency, and ease. Drawing on her vast knowledge of the latest psychological, neurological, and biological science related to happiness, productivity, and elite performance, Carter put herself through the practical paces. Her goal was not to live a stress-free life, but rather to build stress resilience and find a quicker path to calm and confidence. Her trials and errors are our reward. In The Sweet Spot, Carter shares what she calls "the sweet spot equation," a combination of strategies and practices for attaining happiness without giving up success, and for achieving success without compromising happiness. Using a simple formula, The Sweet Spot shows us how to take a brief recess, an inoculation against "The Overwhelm" and the key to converting stress into productive and creative energy institute daily micro-habits that free you up to focus on and enjoy more important things unplug from seemingly time-saving gadgets that can sap our strength, and use technology more strategically prioritize our relationships, making use of the hard science that points out how healthy connections help us thrive. cultivate tolerance for a little discomfort while we build mastery (the skills that make hard things feel easy) and develop the grit to bounce back from life's inevitable setbacks Complete with practical "easiest thing" tips for instant relief as well as stories from Carter's own experience of putting The Sweet Spot into action, this timely and inspiring book lets us in on the possibilities for joy and freedom that comes when we stop trying to do everything right--and start doing the right things"--
Added by Melody
Smarter faster better : the secrets of being productive in life and business
Charles Duhigg
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Business
At the core of Smarter Faster Better are eight key productivity concepts—from motivation and goal setting to focus and decision making—that explain why some people and companies get so much done. Drawing on the latest findings in neuroscience, psychology, and behavioral economics—as well as the experiences of CEOs, educational reformers, four-star generals, FBI agents, airplane pilots, and Broadway songwriters—this painstakingly researched book explains that the most productive people, companies, and organizations don't merely act differently. They view the world, and their choices, in profoundly different ways.
Added by Melody
Getting things done the art of stress-free productivity
David Allen
eAUDIO
Nonfiction, Business
David Allen reads an all-new edition of his popular self-help classic for managing work-life balance in the twenty-first century—now updated for the new challenges facing individuals and organizations in today's rapidly changing world. Since it was first published more than fifteen years ago, David Allen's Getting Things Done has become one of the most influential business books of its era, and the ultimate book on personal organization. "GTD" is now shorthand for an entire way of approaching professional and personal tasks, and has spawned an entire culture of websites, organizational tools, seminars, and offshoots. Allen has rewritten the book from start to finish, tweaking his classic text with important perspectives on the new workplace, and adding material that will make the book fresh and relevant for years to come. This new edition of Getting Things Done will be welcomed not only by its hundreds of thousands of existing fans but also by a whole new generation eager to adopt its proven principles.
Added by Melody
Holy moly! Imagine trying to migrate out of your gang lord-run country just to be picked up by a mafia and sex-trafficked in your new land. Harrowing and tragic, this is an under-the-radar humanitarian crisis that more people need to know is happening! -Melody