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I love to read books especially regarding self improvement, skill development, leadership, communication, human psychology and relationship.
This is the first time, I started to write a blog, before that I used write for my university magzine. My articles are mostly on the topic of human development , self improvement and personality development.
I live in Pakistan, I am a graduate with specialization in Social Sciences.
I have a profession experience of serving in Private organizations as well as government institutions for EIGHT YEARS. I served in Middle East especially in UAE for a period of more than 7 months.
I hope, this blog will help me to improve my writing skills, as well as it will also contribute to my self development as good human being. If you find my blog helpful for you, kindly please share with other so that we can help our brothers and sisters.
Thank You
MAHMOOD AHMED QAMAR
gharibkiawaz.
Break free from conformity and think beyond your time with Socrates quotes as your guide!
An amazing collection of Socrates quotes that will help you know yourself better.
Socrates was a Greek philosopher who’s renowned for his contribution to the field of ethics.
He is regarded as one of the most influential philosophers of the ancient era and is credited as one of the founders of Western philosophy.
Although he remains an enigmatic figure, he left no writings and most of his teachings are known from the writings of his students, particularly Plato and Xenophon.
Because he did not conform to the local traditions, many felt that his teachings threatened their way of life. He was sentenced to death and died after being forced to drink poison hemlock.
From one of the greatest philosophers of all time, we found these ancient wisdom quotes from Socrates on love, youth and philosophy – that can hopefully provide you with actionable insight. Enjoy!!
Here’s is our collection of inspirational, wise, and thought-provoking Socrates quotes and sayings, collected from a variety of sources over the years.
Famous Socrates quotes about life from his writings and overall philosophy
“The only true wisdom is in knowing you know nothing.” – Socrates
“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.” – Socrates
“To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.” – Socrates
“I know that I am intelligent because I know that I know nothing.” – Socrates
“By all means, marry. If you get a good wife, you’ll become happy; if you get a bad one, you’ll become a philosopher.” – Socrates
“Get out of your comfort zone. You can only grow if you are willing to feel awkward and uncomfortable when you try something new.”Brian Tracy
I am a big fan of doing the unusual things. Sometimes in big ways. Often in small and daily ways to mix things up. Why? Because this habit is a simple and relatively easy way to:
Get out of your comfort zone.
And if you change your perspective on yourself from someone who sticks to the old and comfortable all the time to someone who likes to mix things up then it will feel more natural and easier to break out of your comfort zone when comes to bigger things too.
Because this habit makes the inner resistance and the fear that may hold you back smaller.
Add a spark to your day and come alive.
It keeps you from getting stuck in the same old daily or weekly rut. And it adds more fun to your life.
Refuel your curiousness about the world and life.
When you do the unusual thing regularly you to discover a ton of new and exciting things.
And that will refuel your curiousness about what else is out there that you haven’t discovered just yet.
So how do you do the unusual thing and break out of your comfort zone in small and sometimes bigger ways?
20 Ways to Get Out of Your Comfort Zone
Eat the Unusual things. Instead of choosing the meat-based dish at lunch try the vegetarian alternative. Or try the fish if you usually go for the beef.
Smile towards everyone. Instead of just going along with your day in your normal social way try smiling more. Smile more towards your co-workers, the lady at the checkout at the supermarket, the people closest to you and smile to yourself when you encounter a mirror. See what happens.
Cook Something New. Each week we try cooking a new recipe. It is most often a tasty experiment and helps us to find, sometimes unexpected, new favorites. It has also certainly made me a better cook in the last few years.
Mix up your music. I mix things up by trying new music every month. I have a look at the best music on sites like Metacritic. Then I load a few of those albums on Spotify and listen.
Work in complete silence and stillness. Shut the door to your office, shut off your music, unplug the internet and just focus on doing the most important thing you can do today while enjoying the silence.
Read something that your friends wouldn’t guess that you are reading. Doing this has helped me to expand my horizons and learn new skills and many, often unexpected things about the world around me.
Do all your shopping for the week. Instead of doing grocery shopping when you feel like it or need to, sit down and plan what you will eat and need for a whole week. Go and get all of that at the store. Now you don’t have to go back there for a week and you’ll probably have a bunch of extra free time (and less stress) to enjoy this week.
Have a day of kindness. Instead of having the usual bursts of irony, sarcasm etc. during your day try to go for a day where you are just being kind and friendly to everyone including yourself.
Enjoy it all. All fluctuations during your normal day is a part of life and as life it’s a gift in some way or another. So on some days I just tell myself: “enjoy it all”. Then I try to enjoy my day no matter if the inbox is overfull, if I’m hungry and starting to get cranky. The things I usually don’t like so much I tell myself to enjoy as a part of life. And so my day actually becomes more enjoyable because much of how we see life is about how we choose to think about it.
Watch something odd. If you usually watch thrillers then try a romantic comedy. If you most often get stuck with documentaries try an animated movie from Japan (I recommend anything by Hayao Miyazaki). If you love Family Guy, try The Wire. Expand what you watch to get new ideas and impressions.
Listen to the sound of the world. Leave your portable music player/app at home or shut off and in your pocket. Just listen to sounds of the city, nature and people as you move about during your day.
Take a day to be offline. I tend to spend a day a week offline (usually Saturday or Sunday). It’s a wonderful change of pace and feels like I’m on a small, healthy and extra relaxing vacation. Plus, it makes it more fun to get back to work on Monday.
Take a news black out. Instead of reading the paper or watching the news as usual try to go without that for a day. See how it affects you and how much you miss the news.
Hide a note for a loved one. Hide a sweet note of affection for a partner, family member or a friend in his or her cookie jar, tea or coffee container, book on the nightstand, hat, shoes or somewhere else where they look each day. Make him or her happy in an unexpected and unusual way.
Take a different route. To work or to school. To your gym or home. See something new even when you are in transport mode.
Walk or take the bicycle to work. Instead of taking the car or riding the bus as usual. Get some exercise and fresh air before it is time to start working and on your way home.
Let it go just for today. If you often get into arguments or have trouble letting issues go and replay them over and over in your mind then just for today let it all go. Tomorrow you can take up your old habits just where you left them. But for today, instead of getting into an argument just let it go and walk away. If you replay something in your mind, let it go for today. If an old memory pops up today too, let it go instead of dwelling.
Go out. If you usually stay in during the weekdays, then call up a few friends and head down to the pub for a few hours even if it’s just a Wednesday. Or call up someone you haven’t met in ages and go for a cup of tea or coffee. Or pop down to the movie theater and catch a movie. If you usually do those things though, consider just staying in with PJs on and taking it easy.
Sit in a new place. If you have favorite chair or part of the sofa where you always sit then try another chair or place to sit today. It can give you a new perspective at work or at home. And I have found that it can even give me some new and fresh thoughts and perspectives on life.
Throw out the things you haven’t used in 1 year. Go through one part of your home – a closet, a drawer in your desk or bedroom cabinet – and see what’s in there. Go through the items one by one and ask yourself: Have I used this item in the past year? If not, give the item(s) away to charity or a friend or simply throw it out.
Have you ever been bitten by an elephant? How about a mosquito? It’s the little things in life that will bite you. For most of us, it’s the frequent, small and seemingly inconsequential choices that are of grave concern.
Following are some of the most common mistakes that most of us do in our daily life; consciously or unconsciously.
Mistake # 1: Social Media
If you are using Social Medias for excessive time. Believe me, it’s not useful at all. Stalking people profile(especially of your crush), messaging someone who is least bothered about you. Yes, it definitely takes a lot of courage to realize that it’s unnecessary. I did realize it so I have quitted Social Medias like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest for 8 months. Believe me, the result is really good. Quora can be good as I can learn over here.
Mistake # 2: Fairy Tales
Believing that Fairy Tales exists! No, my dear beautiful faces matter. Everyone is attracted to a beautiful girl or a handsome guy. I guess loving someone ugly exists only 0.99% in this only world. Now, I am sure you all guys are going to debate with me. But it’s the sad reality of life. So grow up and focus on yourself instead of waiting for a Fairy Tale to take place in your life. It only exists in movies and stories.
Mistake # 3: Engage with your Phone
To wake up early in the morning and instead of checking out any other things. Before brushing your teeth and even washing your face. Engaging in your Phone.
Mistake # 4: Irritating Others
If you have never danced in rain, went on trekking, done rock climbing, told your parent how much you value them, sang songs, dreamed to be a successful person, love yourself, irritate your cousin, siblings and loved ones. Because if you have not done this then you’re naturally unattractive. I have a long list so I just couldn’t include all of them.
Mistake # 5: Feeling Stress
You feel constantly irritated, joys surround you but not longer than a few minutes. Then, you obviously need to check out what’s wrong with you.
Mistake # 6: Waiting for Someone to Message You.
Waiting for someone to message you. Waiting for someone to care about you. Ask whether you’re fine or not. Believe me, only your family and yourself will really care about you.
Mistake # 7: Believing that a person will love you and Only YOU Forever
If you have ever believed that a person will love you and only you forever. They will be with you. Care about you. No, not at all! Everyone in life is replaceable. People will get down with another person if they’re more beautiful than you. Mark my words it so happens, though it’s sad, it’s also true at the same time.
Mistake # 8: Wondering the One who died returns back to your life.
If you have ever wondered the one who died returns back to your life. Believe me, I wasted my three years believing that. Yes, I was just fourteen back then, so as a child I believed it. The day you realize it, it hurts much more. But unfortunately, it will never become a reality. So, don’t waste your time in this.
Mistake # 9: Settling for Less
If you are settling for less. Please don’t do that push yourself up. I believe it. I started working in an IT company just after 1 month of my SEE examination(Grade 10). Obviously it’s hard. I can hardly manage 3 to 4 hours for my studies. But, I want to get independent. If I can help my family in a small way then why not? I will do that.
Mistake # 10: Seeking the Attention of Some Random Guys or Girls
If you’re seeking the attention of some random guys or girls. Please don’t do that. It will take you nowhere. It’s such a wastage of time.
Mistake # 11: Stuck with your Past.
Don’t get stuck with your past. It is a complete wastage of time. Pick yourself up. Believe that you deserve someone better. With time you will grow and glow. Keep your Chin up and never settle for the same mistake again.
Mistake # 12: Following the Crowd.
If you are following the crowd. You are mistaken, don’t ever do that. What if you fall? Get up again. Do something different. If things don’t work out and life gets tougher. Be more habitual to get more tuff. But Don’t give up! Nah! It shouldn’t be even one of your option.
Mistake # 13: Loved the Scars of Your Body
If you have never loved the scars of your body. What if you are ugly, what if you are short, what if you don’t get proposals from your crush, what if you are a Sunflower in the world of Rose. There isn’t anything bad in that. Everyone cannot be pretty. After all, you will definitely find someone one day who will love and appreciate all of our scars. So, don’t ever think that you’re ugly. You’re beautiful or handsome. No matter what you will always be special to those who loves and values you.
Mistake # 14: Five People Smile
If you never had fun and made at least Five People Smile a day. Do that, the world needs more of that. Everyone is so self-obsessed. In this world be Ketchup to someone’s Frech Fries.
Mistake # 15 Understand the Rule
If you haven’t understood the rule. To add friends, reduce enemies, multiply joys by celebrating them with others and dividing other sorrows by being a part of them.
Mistake # 16: Hate or Revenge
Don’t Hate or have time for Revenge. After all, everyone has to face their own Karma. Time is really precious, don’t kill it in stupid things.
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love.
When Leeds meets Layla, he’s convinced he’ll spend the rest of his life with her—until an unexpected attack leaves Layla fighting for her life. After weeks in the hospital, Layla recovers physically, but the emotional and mental scarring has altered the woman Leeds fell in love with. In order to put their relationship back on track, Leeds whisks Layla away to the bed-and-breakfast where they first met. Once they arrive, Layla’s behavior takes a bizarre turn. And that’s just one of many inexplicable occurrences.
Feeling distant from Layla, Leeds soon finds solace in Willow—another guest of the B&B with whom he forms a connection through their shared concerns. As his curiosity for Willow grows, his decision to help her find answers puts him in direct conflict with Layla’s well-being. Leeds soon realizes he has to make a choice because he can’t help both of them. But if he makes the wrong choice, it could be detrimental for all of them
Milly, Aubrey, and Jonah Story are cousins, but they barely know each another, and they’ve never even met their grandmother. Rich and reclusive, she disinherited their parents before they were born. So when they each receive a letter inviting them to work at her island resort for the summer, they’re surprised… and curious.
Their parents are all clear on one point—not going is not an option. This could be the opportunity to get back into Grandmother’s good graces. But when the cousins arrive on the island, it’s immediately clear that she has different plans for them. And the longer they stay, the more they realize how mysterious—and dark—their family’s past is.
The entire Story family has secrets. Whatever pulled them apart years ago isn’t over—and this summer, the cousins will learn everything.
#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying comes your next obsession. You’ll never feel the same about family again.
Debut author Darby Kane thrills with this twisty domestic suspense novel that asks one central question: shouldn’t a dead husband stay dead?
Lila Ridgefield lives in an idyllic college town, but not everything is what it seems. Lila isn’t what she seems. A student vanished months ago. Now, Lila’s husband, Aaron, is also missing. At first these cases are treated as horrible coincidences until it’s discovered the student is really the third of three unexplained disappearances over the last few years. The police are desperate to find the connection, if there even is one. Little do they know they might be stumbling over only part of the truth.
With the small town in an uproar, everyone is worried about the whereabouts of their beloved high school teacher. Everyone except Lila, his wife. She’s definitely confused about her missing husband but only because she was the last person to see his body, and now it’s gone
From the author of the instant New York Times bestseller The Wives comes another twisted psychological thriller guaranteed to turn your world upside down.
Have you ever been wrong about someone?
Juno was wrong about Winnie Crouch.
Before moving in with the Crouch family, Juno thought Winnie and her husband, Nigel, had the perfect marriage, the perfect son—the perfect life. Only now that she’s living in their beautiful house, she sees the cracks in the crumbling facade are too deep to ignore.
Still, she isn’t one to judge. After her grim diagnosis, the retired therapist simply wants a place to live out the rest of her days in peace. But that peace is shattered the day Juno overhears a chilling conversation between Winnie and Nigel.
From the wickedly dark mind of bestselling author Tarryn Fisher, The Wrong Family is a taut new thriller that’s riddled with twists in all the right places.
Welcome to the neighborhood. Watch your husband, watch your friends, and watch your back.
Cat Winthorpe has worked hard to get what she has: a gorgeous home; social standing; and William, her successful, handsome husband. Then a friendly new couple moves into the estate next door. While cautious, a good neighbor like Cat greets them with open arms and warm hospitality.
Neena Ryder isn’t a fellow lady of leisure. A life coach with off-the-rack dresses, personal issues, and a husband who hasn’t delivered, she’s anxious to move up in the world. This beautiful new town is a step in the right direction. It’s also making Neena aware of what she doesn’t have. Namely, William. When Neena’s infatuation escalates into obsession, it’s just a matter of eliminating a few obstacles to get the life she wants. The life next door.
As Neena’s secret fixation grows, so does her friendship with Cat. But beneath their cordial interactions is a wealth of temptations, secrets, and toxic jealousy. For both women, the desire for a perfect life can turn perfectly dangerous.
Marie Benedict, the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Only Woman in the Room, uncovers the untold story of Agatha Christie’s mysterious eleven day disappearance.
In December 1926, Agatha Christie goes missing. Investigators find her empty car on the edge of a deep, gloomy pond, the only clues some tire tracks nearby and a fur coat left in the car—strange for a frigid night. Her husband and daughter have no knowledge of her whereabouts, and England unleashes an unprecedented manhunt to find the up-and-coming mystery author. Eleven days later, she reappears, just as mysteriously as she disappeared, claiming amnesia and providing no explanations for her time away.
The puzzle of those missing eleven days has persisted. With her trademark exploration into the shadows of history, acclaimed author Marie Benedict brings us into the world of Agatha Christie, imagining why such a brilliant woman would find herself at the center of such a murky story.
What is real, and what is mystery? What role did her unfaithful husband play, and what was he not telling investigators?
A master storyteller whose clever mind may never be matched, Agatha Christie’s untold history offers perhaps her greatest mystery of all.
A missing young woman, ten years gone. A town still held in the grip of an unsolved mystery. A breathtaking novel of psychological suspense by the bestselling author of We Were Mothers.
A decade ago in upstate New York, art student Emma McCullough walked into the woods and was never seen again. It’s a mystery that still haunts her bucolic university town and her broken family, especially her sister Haley, whose need for closure has become an obsession. But now, finally, the first piece of evidence in the vanishing has been found: Emma’s bracelet, lodged in a frozen piece of earth at the bottom of a gorge. For Emma’s three best college friends, for a beloved former teacher, and for Haley, the chilling trinket is more than a clue in a resurrected cold case. It’s a trigger.
Then a woman is attacked during an open house, and the connections between the two crimes, ten winters apart, begin to surface. So do the secrets that run as deep and dark as the currents in this quiet river town.
From the bestselling author of A Tangled Mercy comes an enthralling novel of secrets, a tumultuous war of ideas, and murder as classes collide in the shadow of Biltmore House.
Biltmore House, a palatial mansion being built by the Vanderbilts, American “royalty,” is in its final stages of construction in North Carolina. The country’s grandest example of privilege, it symbolizes the aspirations of its owner and the dreams of a girl, just as driven, who lives in its shadow.
Kerry MacGregor’s future is derailed when, after two years in college in New York City, family obligations call her home to the beautiful Appalachians. She is determined to distance herself from the opulence she sees rising in the Blue Ridge Mountains, however close its reach. Her family’s land is among the last pieces required to complete the Biltmore Estate. But something more powerful than an ambitious Vanderbilt heir could change Kerry’s fate as, one by one, more outsiders descend on the changing landscape—a fugitive from Sicily, a reporter chasing a groundbreaking story, a debutante tainted by scandal, and a conservationist prepared to put anyone at risk to stoke the resentment of the locals.
As Kerry finds herself caught in a war between wealth and poverty, innocence and corruption, she must navigate not only her own pride and desperation to survive but also the temptations of fortune and the men who control it.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by aamadmikifaryad.wordpress. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We welcome your feedback. Email us at futureoftheworldin2050@gmail.com
To live is to learn and to peruse is to catch on quickly from the experience of others. Life changing books can be incredibly powerful and can definitely influence the way we think.
Following these life changing books just might change how you think about the world, work, other people, and yourself.
You will start the most important day of your life the day you pick up “Think and Grow Rich” by Napoleon Hill. As a self-help book this wonderful and simply written book is the acknowledged world heavyweight champion. In fact the story goes that Ken Norton – a little known US boxer – used the principles of the book to knock out Muhammad Ali then the reigning world heavyweight boxing champion. The book has helped people from many different walks of life to succeed in their chosen fields. The principles laid out are universally applicable and those who swear by the value of the advice hail from every country and almost every walk of life! This book uses extracted material from the 1937 edition of “Think and Grow Rich” and includes the Author’s prefers it ” is truly an `Amazing Read’.
The book is a response to the self-improvement industry and what Manson saw as a culture of careless energy that isn’t handy or supportive for most people.
Manson has approached life very differently from other people and hence presented his own school of thought in his book, the subtle art of not giving a F*uck in 2016, which quickly became a best seller.
Manson’s approach and composing style have been arranged by some as contrarian to the general self-improvement industry, utilizing gruff trustworthiness and irreverence to outline his thoughts.
This book is considered as one of the most life-changing book 2018 as well. One of the most famous saying from the book by Mark Manson;
“THE DESIRE FOR MORE POSITIVE EXPERIENCE IS ITSELF A NEGATIVE EXPERIENCE”
After conducting a good bit of research, incredibly famous Stanford University clinician Carol S. Dweck, Ph.D., discovered a basic yet extra-ordinary concept which she called the intensity of outlook.
In this splendid book, she demonstrates how achievement in school, work, sports, expressions of the human experience, and relatively every region of the human undertaking can be significantly affected by how we consider our gifts and capacities.
This is one of the top life changing books you will ever read. It is one of the best books about life.
It advocates the significance of monetary proficiency (budgetary training), money related autonomy and building riches by putting resources into resources, land contributing, starting and owning organizations.
It also focuses on expanding one’s budgetary knowledge (monetary IQ) to enhance one’s business.
It is one of the 100 must-read life-changing books.
A FAMOUS SAYING FROM THIS LIFE CHANGING BOOKS SELF HELP IS:
Santiago’s trip helps us understand the fundamental importance of tuning in to our souls, of perceiving opportunity and figuring out how to peruse the signs strewn along life’s way.
The best life changing book pdf is also available. This life changing books is a must read.
Dale Carnegie wrote about how to stop worrying and start living in 1948.
Ever asked why you can’t quit stressing over something? Regardless of how hard you try?
By characterizing the wellspring of your pressure, you can get over it for the last time. Carnegie has created something of an immortal equation that can help you to get over any amount of overthinking.
This book is considered as one of the most life changing books of all time, even today, in 2018.
While accomplishments can be fulfilling, maybe the reason why your feeling so down is because you’ve been dismissing your family and companions for work. This book, however, will help you maintain the balance you need in life.
It is one of the most life-changing books of all time.
Ken Robinson, knighted and given the title of Sir, is a British speaker, author, and educationist and provides advice to the British education board on arts education.
After a very successful life as an educationist, he wrote his very famous and significantly life-changing book “Finding your element.”
This Life Changing Books will show you perfectly why life is not reasonable and how it passes in a very non-linear way. The writer goes on to say that we severely underestimate the realm of possibilities when we make decisions, and thereby expose ourselves to risks.
This book brings forth a very fascinating blend of ideas and this quality merits it into our Life Changing Books list.
Being innovative, creative and imaginative are essential traits that help us in succeeding while likewise also increasing our personal well-being. Pink recognizes the 6 fundamental human abilities that he sees as essential for both professional achievement and personal satisfaction.
Robert I. Sutton is a Stanford engineering school professor who mules over the concept of creativity and so have written a book for people to understand how to promote, manage and practice creativity at a personal level and also at a commercial level.
This book will expound all your creativity and will offer approaches to bring more advancement to your business through building systems that will help you in managing both disappointment and achievement.
Disclosure: This post is brought to you by aamadmikifaryad.wordpress. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We welcome your feedback. Email us at futureoftheworldin2050@gmail.com
There’s not much you can say about 2020 that doesn’t include some curse words, but I will say this: It provided plenty of time for reading. It provided plenty of things that needed to be read about—from leadership to pandemics to civil rights to elections—this was one of those years that sends you to… well, I would say “the bookstore,” but that was hard, too.
Anyway, I read a lot. As I’m sure you did too.
Every year, I try to narrow down all the books I have recommended and read for this email list to just a handful of the best. The kind of books where if they were the only books I’d read that year, I’d still feel like it was an awesome year of reading.
My reading list is now increasing with every week, which means I hear pretty quickly when a recommendation has landed well. I promise you—–you can’t go wrong with any of these.
There is something surreal about reading a book published 15 years ago about an event 100 years ago that just happens to nail exactly what’s happening in this moment (his book Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How it Changed Americais also good and equally timeless.) Barry’s haunting book covers in definitive, gripping detail the Spanish flu: a global pandemic which staggered nations and cities and the brightest medical minds of the time. “It’s only the influenza,” confident officials repeated. “It’ll be over soon,” they reassured. And then the President of the United States caught it… (I’m talking about Woodrow Wilson, of course). Because the more things change, the more they stay the time. Because history is the same song happening on repeat. Anyway, reading this book at the beginning of the pandemic was not only educational, but it has helped shape my family and businesses’ responses to the crisis. Barry writes of the relief people felt when the Spanish flu seemed to be winding down. They thought it was over, but actually only the first wave was done. “For the virus had not disappeared. It had only gone underground, like a forest fire left burning in the roots, swarming and mutating, adapting, honing itself, watching and waiting, waiting to burst into flame.” You cannot relax yet. You cannot drop your shield, as the Spartans would say. You must continue to protect the line. The health of your neighbors depends on it. And I joked in February that I was deliberately not going to read The Road by Cormac McCarthy this book because of the pandemic. In truth, I got it down from my shelf and sat on my bedside table while I worked up the courage to read it again. My feelings were well-founded, because on the night I finished, all I could do was walk quietly into my son’s room and sob while he slept. The Road is just one of the most beautiful and profound depictions of struggle and sacrifice and love ever put down on the page. Worth reading again!
This is an absolutely incredible book. I think I marked up nearly every page. The book is a study of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, FDR and Lyndon Johnson, and it is so clearly the culmination of a lifetime of research… and yet somehow not overwhelming or boring. Distillation at its best! I have read extensively on each of those figures and I got a ton out of it. Even stuff I already knew, I benefited from Goodwin’s perspective. This is the perfect book to read right now—a timely reminder that leadership matters. Or as the Stoics say: character is fate. Or as I wrote about in this piece about leadership during the plague in ancient Rome: when things break down, good leaders have to stand up. After Goodwin, I picked up Leadership in War: Essential Lessons from Those Who Made History by Andrew Roberts, who I find to be funny, insightful and quite good at capturing the essence of unique historical figures. I also recommend Roberts’ biographies of Churchill and Napoleon. As I said, now is the time to get perspective and to learn from the past.
I’ve raved about some of my favorite epic biographies before: Robert Caro’s LBJ, William Manchester’s Churchill, Gibbon’s Decline and Fall, Well, add another to the list. Taylor Branch’s definitive series on Martin Luther King Jr. and the American civil rights movement has not only been riveting, eye-opening and humbling, it’s been the perfect vehicle to help me understand what’s happening in the world right now. I finished Parting the Watersand immediately picked up Volume II, Pillar of Fire. I’ve come to believe that one of the best ways to become an informed citizen in the present is not to watch the news, but to read history. The actor Hugh Jackman said in an interview a few months ago that he’s been getting his news by keeping his eye on the big picture—going through the Ken Burns catalog and reading books like Meditations. “That’s the way you should understand events and humanity,” he said, “with that sort of 30,000-foot view.” If you want to understand what’s happening in the United States right now as it pertains to race, get off Twitter and read these books. On that note, I re-read Invisible Man, first published in 1952, in light of the killings of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. There are many “anti-racist” reading lists floating around, but how many of the books on those lists will still be readable in 70 years? Do yourself a favor and read this. It’s not going anywhere because it is timeless—and sadly, very timely. I also learned so much from Edward Ball’s Life of a Klansman (and when I interviewed him) and just as much from Albion W. Tourgee’s A Fool’s Errand(Albion was one of the legal advisors in Plessy v. Ferguson). Strongly recommend one or both of these books to anyone who wants to become better informed instead of more partisan. My study of this history has been ongoing, but I feel I have learned far more these books than I have from the trendy white fragility books going around.
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President Richard Nixon and Vice President Spiro Agnew at the 1972 Republican convention. Federal prosecutors pursued a bribery case against Agnew but negotiated a plea deal
The principle that “no one is above the law” is supposed to be a foundational democratic creed, but political leaders, at least in recent decades, have rarely been held accountable for their malfeasance. In 1974, President Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon after his resignation in response to the Watergate scandal, and Nixon never faced a criminal trial. In the last days of his presidency in 1992, President George H.W. Bush pardoned six of his allies caught up in the Iran-contra scandal. Justice Department regulations formed during Watergate prohibited special counsel Robert Mueller from prosecuting President Trump on charges that he obstructed justice. Whether Trump will be tried in court after he leaves the White House remains in doubt.
In “Bag Man,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and journalist Michael Yarvitz have written a case study in how the democratic ideal of equal justice under the law collides with the squalid realities of America’s political system. Their book, which is based on their podcast of the same name, gives a brisk and engaging account of the effort to hold Vice President Spiro Agnew criminally accountable, and it sheds light on the challenges — legal, moral, political — of treating presidents and vice presidents like every other citizen.
In “Bag Man,” MSNBC’s Rachel Maddow and journalist Michael Yarvitz have written a case study in how the democratic ideal of equal justice under the law collides with the squalid realities of America’s political system. This book is based on their podcast with same name, gives a brisk and engaging account of the effort to hold Vice President criminally accountable, and it sheds light on the challenges, legal, moral, political and treating presidents and vice presidents like every other citizen.
crown
Media personalities tend to favor history built on baseless conspiracy theories, such as Bill O’Reilly’s “Killing Lincoln” (which falsely implicates Secretary of War Edwin Stanton in Lincoln’s assassination), or rooted in national celebration (think Tom Brokaw’s “The Greatest Generation”). In “Bag Man,” however, Maddow and Yarvitz adopt a more trenchant approach, basing their storytelling on archival research and oral histories that yield fresh details about the ordeal confronting prosecutors investigating Agnew’s abuses of power.
Based at a Justice Department office in Baltimore, U.S. Attorney George Beall, a Republican in his mid-30s, and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ron Liebman, Tim Baker and Barney Skolnik unearthed evidence that Agnew — as Baltimore County executive, as Maryland governor and as vice president — accepted envelopes full of cash from builders in exchange for steering them government construction contracts. The government lawyers found a welcome ally in Elliot Richardson, Nixon’s attorney general, who courageously urged his colleagues to pursue a case against the vice president.
If the case felt airtight to the lawyers, actually bringing it to trial was a different matter altogether. “The kids from Baltimore were pushing hard for the punishment they believed Agnew deserved,” Maddow and Yarvitz write. “People who do this s— go to jail,” Skolnik recalled thinking to himself. And “the message if he doesn’t go to jail is that if you’re big enough, if you’re powerful enough, you don’t get treated like everybody else.”
But the no-one-is-above-the-law principle bumped up against the power of Agnew’s position, partisan politics and the metastasizing Watergate scandal. Beall’s brother, a GOP senator from Maryland, along with Republican National Committee Chairman George Bush and other GOP luminaries, applied subtle pressure on the Justice Department to soft-pedal the investigation. The lawyers didn’t buckle.
Agnew complained in public that it was a witch hunt, part of a liberal-media plot to destroy a leader who had dared to take on the political establishment. Most concerning to Richardson, Watergate was imperiling Nixon’s presidency; if Nixon resigned or was impeached, letting Agnew become president while he was under investigation for bribery would plunge the country into another abyss.
Justice Department lawyers had conversations about the best thing “to do for the country.” What was the right way to achieve equal justice under the law? What outcome would advance “the national interest”? Richardson overruled his line attorneys and negotiated a deal with Agnew’s lawyers: In exchange for a no-contest plea to a single charge of tax evasion and his resignation from the vice presidency, Agnew would avoid criminal prosecution and jail time. Stopping Agnew from becoming president overrode the need to seek justice in a courtroom for his abuses of power.
In these pages, Agnew is depicted as an archetype of Trump’s hard-right slash-and-burn style of politics. Bashing liberal politicians as “radic-libs” and television news broadcasters as “hopeless, hysterical hypochondriacs of history,” Agnew used us-against-them cultural frames to enlist the die-hard backing of an emerging White working-class GOP base. The vice president’s oratory made him “a singularly divisive national figure,” the authors write.
At times, though, the Agnew-as-Trump analogy is overwrought. The authors give Agnew too much credit for innovating a brand of politics that owed as much, if not more, to the era’s grass-roots conservative mobilization, the growing influence of far-right media, and leaders even more influential than Agnew such as Joe McCarthy, Roy Cohn, George Wallace, Phyllis Schlafly and Newt Gingrich. (Also left unaddressed is whether Agnew might have survived in office had Fox News and Twitter existed to defend him in the early 1970s.)
Some of the writing tends toward the glib. The authors write that Beall, facing pressure to let Agnew go, “took the heat, all of it.” In summing up Frank Sinatra’s support for Agnew’s legal defense fund after the vice president defended Sinatra from allegations of mob ties, Maddow and Yarvitz observe that the singer “returned the favor, Ocean’s-11 style.”
“Bag Man” is also partial to a good-and-evil theme that crowds out nuance and reflects the limits of turning partisan cable television and podcasting into sober-minded historical analysis. The authors quote one of the prosecutors referring to Agnew as pure “evil,” a description that doesn’t really help explain how someone who could rise to the vice presidency would also engage in such a long-running criminal enterprise, or the sources that undergirded Agnew’s deep well of political support.
Nonetheless, this fast-paced and well-researched book underscores how the nation’s legal and political systems struggle to hold the most powerful elected leaders responsible for their crimes. In the end, Agnew resigned. Like Nixon, however, he never went to jail and never stood trial. He went on to poison the public sphere when he published a conspiracy-laden and anti-Semitic novel, and lived out his days without ever experiencing the full consequences that probably should have flowed from his years of abusing the public trust.
Bag Man
The Wild Crimes, Audacious Cover-up, and Spectacular Downfall of a Brazen Crook in the White House
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Essays from Joan Didion, George Saunders on why fiction matters and plenty more.
If your days are feeling monotonous, you might find entertainment and variety in this flurry of new books about subjects that span the globe. A Danish writer’s collected memoirs trace her effort to nurture artistic ambition in spite of a grim family life and, later, addiction. A biography revisits the lives of two pioneering sisters who paved the way for women to practice medicine in the United States. And a debut novel imagines a romance between two enslaved men in Civil War-era Mississippi. No matter what you’re seeking, you can find it in the pages of a book next month.
Owusu’s life has been a series of upheavals: She has lived across the world, thanks to her Ghanaian father’s work with the United Nations, and was all but abandoned by her Armenian-American mother. Eventually, settling in New York as an adult gives the author a chance to make sense of her identity. Images of earthquakes and their aftermaths recur throughout the narrative: As Owusu notes, aftershocks are the “earth’s delayed reaction to stress.”
Ditlevsen was well known in her native Denmark by the time she died, but few of her works have broken through in English. Her novel “The Faces,” perhaps her best-known work, details the unraveling of a children’s book author. Ditlevsen’s three memoirs, originally published in the late ’60s and 1971, are collected here in one volume. She writes about growing up in working-class Denmark on the precipice of World War II, nurturing her creative ambition and navigating her relationships, including a truly harrowing third marriage to a man who encouraged her addiction to Demerol. Fans of Rachel Cusk and “Borgen,” take note.
In 1849, Elizabeth Blackwell became the first woman in the United States to earn a medical degree, and encouraged her younger sister Emily to follow suit a few years later. Their interest in the field unnerved many, especially men — one male dean of a medical school wrote, “You cannot expect us to furnish you with a stick to break our heads with” — though neither sister was driven by a strong commitment to the women’s movement or suffrage. Emily’s accomplishments have often been eclipsed by those of her older sister, but Nimura tells both their stories in detail.
Using his own land purchase as a jumping-off point, Winchester explores the political, social and emotional meaning humans have attached to property over the centuries. His book takes readers across the world, touching on dispossession, boundary-drawing and humanity’s “frenetic appetite for territory.” (Winchester, whose previous books have taken up the eruption of Krakatoa, the origins of the Oxford English Dictionary, a history of the Atlantic Ocean and other capacious topics, is no stranger to sprawling subject matter.)
“Part of the remarkable character of Didion’s work has to do with her refusal to pretend that she doesn’t exist,” Hilton Als writes in the foreword to this collection, composed of essays first published between the late ’60s and 2000. The subjects on offer range from Ernest Hemingway to Nancy Reagan — though Didion’s own subjectivity is never far from the page, as usual.
For many Americans, the death penalty is an abstraction, but Chammah, a reporter at The Marshall Project, zeroes in on the people — lawyers, judges, families — whose lives have been profoundly shaped by the practice. His focus is Texas, which has become an epicenter of capital punishment since the first execution by injection in the United States was carried out there in 1982 — and a state, Chammah argues, whose cultural identity embraces its history of harsh justice.
The second and final volume of this biography traces Freud’s life as his artistic output and notoriety soared. Feaver, a British art critic, draws on his conversations with the famously private painter, interviews with Freud’s family and friends, and more for this examination of a mercurial, manipulative and brilliant artist.
Bush lived in Senegal while working in international development, and draws on those experiences in her first novel. Two cousins work in Dakar as talibé, boys who study the Quran at residential schools and are often forced to beg for money, food and other supplies. There’s plenty of cruelty depicted in these pages — physical and emotional abuse, family separations — but the moments of human kindness and hope keep the story afloat.
This debut novel centers on a romance between two enslaved men, Samuel and Isaiah, in Civil War-era Mississippi. After another enslaved man discovers their relationship, he attempts to turn the rest of the plantation against them, believing it puts everyone in danger.
In an earlier book, “The Still Point of the Turning World,” the author wrote about her first child, Ronan, who died of Tay-Sachs disease before he turned 3, and the impossibility of parenting a child without a future. After Ronan’s death, she remarried and had a healthy young daughter. The essays here confront a wrenching question: How can you be the mother of two children, one living and the other dead?
The former F.B.I. director divulged key details about his exchanges with President Trump in a previous memoir, “A Higher Loyalty.” Now, he broadens his focus and registers alarm about the erosion of truth and trust in the United States — and the ramifications for democracy.
Saunders has been a stalwart of the M.F.A. program at Syracuse for years, and here he adapts one of his courses into a book. His essays — paired with fiction from Chekhov, Turgenev, Tolstoy and Gogol — make a case for why literature is essential, even in unsteady times.
The author, a former New York Times staffer, began collecting material for this book as a teenager, when he was sent to three different therapeutic programs for wayward adolescents. His narrative — anchored by four young adults sent to similar “tough love” environments — shows that many programs inflict lasting damage on the people they claim to help. Ultimately, the book makes a strong case for reforming the practice. “For me, as for many others,” Rosen writes, “the programs were the start of a life spent circulating through countless institutions and lockups.”
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Despite being something most humans have a vested interest in, skincare is one mystery we haven’t cracked satisfactorily. Like calorie-free pasta, we can’t seem to wish universally beautiful, hydrated, blemish-free skin into existence.
In our very earnest attempts, though, we have created a whole lot of products to wade through that promise perfection. It can feel like with all the variables (your nitpicky skin and the overwhelming amount of options available) that finding a routine that works for you is, at best, up to random chance.
But recommendations from experts and friends let us cheat a little. They slim the pack and give us a truncated, smarter shopping guide. What do other people swear by? What do they spend their hard-earned money on? What diamonds are hidden in the rough of miles and miles of sterile-colored plastic bottles?
To make your skincare search more efficient, we’ve compiled a list of bestselling skincare items on Amazon (which, as you can imagine, sees a whole lot of sales — and thereby has a ton of data to draw from).
If you’re interested in things that we’ve personally tried, we recommend the sensational $11 Aztec Clay Mask, under-the-radar but truly incredible Hydrocolloid Mighty Patches, and of course our entire team’s cheap go-to skincare favorites and our justifiable splurges.
This Vitamin A formulation delivers the noticeable results of Retinol cream without the irritation, redness, dryness, or greasy residue. The scent is derived from Aloe Vera and Green Tea, it’s only made in small batches of 5-gallon buckets, and LilyAna has a 100% satisfaction guarantee. If you’re not totally satisfied, they’ll give you a full refund with no questions asked.
COSRX acne patches are thin, clear hydrocolloid patches that heal acne by drawing impurities to the surface and protecting the blemish from bacteria and infection. Patches stick to the skin and absorb pus from whiteheads, helping the acne flatten and reduce inflammation.
Previously only available by prescription, this once-daily topical retinoid works to clear breakouts when they start and prevent new acne from forming. It promotes skin cell turnover and targets clogged pores and inflammation. According to the company, Differin Gel Provided up to 87% reduction in acne lesions after 12 weeks in a clinical study.
Thayers’ rose petal alcohol-free witch hazel toner has proprietary witch hazel extract, rose petal water, and vitamin e to soothe and clear your skin without moisture-stripping alcohol.
This lightweight lotion provides 24-hour hydration without a greasy film and helps restore the skin’s own protective barrier with three essential ceramides. It’s oil- and fragrance-free, as well as hypoallergenic, non-comedogenic, and non-irritating.
This dermatology-friendly sunscreen comes with broad spectrum SPF 45 to prevent sunburn and Helioplex Broad Spectrum UVA/UVB protection. Like many Neutrogena products, it’s meant to sink in and feel dry to the touch for an ultra-light, shine-free finish.
Like other CeraVe products, this face wash uses three essential ceramides that cleanse, hydrate, and help your skin restore its protective skin barrier (and retain its moisture). This formula, though, is particularly good for dry skin, with its areas of concern being Psoriasis prone skincare. It’s fragrance-free, non-comedogenic, non-drying, and non-irritating.
Vanicream is another option for skin problems like atopic dermatitis (eczema), psoriasis, ichthyosis, and/or winter itch. It’s supposedly gentle on even very delicate skin and is free of dyes, fragrance, lanolin, parabens, and formaldehyde. According to the company, this moisturizer was awarded a seal of acceptance from the National Eczema Association with a rating of 5 out of 5 stars.
With claims of being the strongest non-prescription anti-aging blend, the Purebiology moisturizer aims to seriously target wrinkles. You’ll find 2.5% active retinol, hyaluronic acid, and a proprietary anti-wrinkle ingredient, Fision Wrinkle Fix, that Purebiology claims has clinically shown to deliver the most potent anti-aging benefits among non-RX grade cosmetics by promoting more hyaluronic acid production from the body.
Purebiology’s formula is free of harmful additives, parabens, GMO’s and is cruelty-free. If you’re not 100% satisfied, the company offers a no-questions-asked refund.
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When you’re shopping online, there’s no doubt that reading the reviews is important. It doesn’t matter if you’re buying a mattress or an Instant Pot, you’ll probably scroll through the reviews—or at least check out its star rating—before you actually make your purchase, right? And if you’re shopping on Amazon, you’re likely no stranger to the vast selection of products and the sheer number of reviews some popular picks rack up. Every product on this list is one of Amazon’s bestsellers from the home and kitchen department, and each one has 5-star reviews numbering in the thousands (some even in the tens of thousands!) from happy shoppers all over. Maybe you’re in need of a new shower curtain liner, want to test out some new sheets, or have always wanted to try out an air fryer—in any case, these are the products Amazon customers swear by.
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Instant Pot Duo Mini 7-in-1 Electric Pressure Cooker
The Instant Pot only continues to get more and more popular, and it has amassed more than 125,000 5-star reviews on Amazon as a result. It works as a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, warmer, and yogurt maker, and it sautés, too.
With more than 180,000 5-star reviews, these microfiber sheets are easily the most popular sheets on Amazon—and they’re a budget find, too, at around $30 for a queen-size set.
Nothing compares to freshly made waffles on a cozy morning, and this super-affordable waffle maker is just the thing you need to make it happen. It has more than 104,994 5-star reviews and comes in more than a dozen colors to match your kitchen.
In the market for a new mattress protector? This waterproof cotton option has more than 76,000 5-star reviews, and it works great for extra-thick mattresses (up to 18-inches deep.)
Amazon’s most popular, considering it has more than 74,000 5-star reviews. It boasts mildew resistance, antimicrobial properties, and rust-proof metal grommets.
Silk and Satin Pillowcase Set can have major benefits for your hair and skin, plus, they make bedtime feel totally luxe. This set of two sells for $10, comes in multiple colors, and has more than 70,000 5-star reviews on Amazon.
If you’re on the search for an inexpensive mattress, Linenspa’s hybrid mattress is an Amazon favorite. It’s only $160 for a twin, and it has more than 48,000 5-star ratings from reviewers.
CONTIGO BUY NOW This No. 1 best-seller in travel mugs and tumblers has racked up more than 48,000 5-star ratings. It comes in three sizes and more than two dozen colors.
This duvet insert is a major customer favorite on Amazon (just ask the 47,000 reviewers who gave it 5 stars!) and at just $30 for a queen-size comforter, it’s a steal.
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