Knowledge = Power

Whatever has happened to you, it is not who you are. The  world may know Chris Duffin as the "mad scientist of strength", but you  wouldn't have ever guessed that if you saw the scrawny kid skinning  rattlesnakes and chasing dragonflies in the early '80s. The story of his  unconventional life will take you from gripping tales of murder,  trauma, heartbreak, and survival deep in the Pacific Northwest  wilderness all the way to an idealization of the self-made man - still  flawed, but never broken. In The Eagle and the Dragon,  you'll follow one man's journey into the darkness of his own heart and  witness the transformation of alcoholism, pain, and defeat into vision,  character, and victory. Through Chris's powerful self-realization,  you'll see how the human spirit can be either shackled by circumstance  or freed from it. Are you ready to walk through the fire and make your vision a reality?  This audiobook will show you how.

This fascinating history tells the story of the people of Japan, from  ancient teenage priest-queens to teeming hordes of salarymen, a nation  that once sought to conquer China, yet also shut itself away for two  centuries in self-imposed seclusion. First revealed to  Westerners in the chronicles of Marco Polo, Japan was a legendary  faraway land defended by a fearsome Kamikaze storm and ruled by a divine  sovereign. It was the terminus of the Silk Road, the furthest end of  the known world, a fertile source of inspiration for European artists,  and an enduring symbol of the mysterious East. In recent times, it has  become a powerhouse of global industry, a nexus of popular culture, and a  harbinger of post-industrial decline. With intelligence and  wit, author Jonathan Clements blends documentary and storytelling styles  to connect the past, present and future of Japan, and in broad yet  detailed strokes reveals a country of paradoxes: a modern nation steeped  in ancient traditions; a democracy with an emperor as head of state; a  famously safe society built on 108 volcanoes resting on the world's most  active earthquake zone; a fast-paced urban and technologically advanced  country whose land consists predominantly of mountains and forests.

From a leading expert in Japanese history, this is one of the first full  histories of the art and culture of the Samurai warrior. The Samurai  emerged as a warrior caste in Medieval Japan and would have a powerful  influence on the history and culture of the country from the next 500  years. Clements also looks at the Samurai wars that tore Japan apart in  the 17th and 18th centuries and how the caste was finally demolished in  the advent of the mechanized world.

The Romanovs were the most  successful dynasty of modern times, ruling a sixth of the world's  surface for three centuries. How did one family turn a war-ruined  principality into the world's greatest empire? And how did they lose it  all? This is the intimate story of 20 tsars and tsarinas,  some touched by genius, some by madness, but all inspired by holy  autocracy and imperial ambition. Simon Sebag Montefiore's gripping  chronicle reveals their secret world of unlimited power and ruthless  empire building, overshadowed by palace conspiracy, family rivalries,  sexual decadence, and wild extravagance, with a global cast of  adventurers, courtesans, revolutionaries, and poets, from Ivan the  Terrible to Tolstoy and Pushkin to Bismarck, Lincoln, Queen Victoria,  and Lenin. To rule Russia was both imperial-sacred mission and  poisoned chalice: Six of the last 12 tsars were murdered. Peter the  Great tortured his own son to death while making Russia an empire and  dominated his court with a dining club notable for compulsory  drunkenness, naked dwarfs, and fancy dress. Catherine the Great  overthrew her own husband (who was murdered soon afterward), enjoyed  affairs with a series of young male favorites, conquered Ukraine, and  fascinated Europe. Paul I was strangled by courtiers backed by his own  son, Alexander I, who in turn faced Napoleon's invasion and the burning  of Moscow, then went on to take Paris. Alexander II liberated the serfs,  survived five assassination attempts, and wrote perhaps the most  explicit love letters ever composed by a ruler. The Romanovs  climaxes with a fresh, unforgettable portrayal of Nicholas II and  Alexandra, the rise and murder of Rasputin, war, and revolution - and  the harrowing massacre of the entire family. Dazzlingly entertaining and beautifully written from start to finish, The Romanovs brings these monarchs - male and female, great and flawed, their  families and courts - blazingly to life. Drawing on new archival  research, Montefiore delivers an enthralling epic of triumph and  tragedy, love and murder, encompassing the seminal years 1812, 1914, and  1917, that is both a universal study of power and a portrait of an  empire that helps define Russia today.

In this instant and tenacious New York Times bestseller, Nike founder and board chairman Phil Knight “offers a rare and revealing look at the notoriously media-shy man behind the swoosh” (Booklist, starred review), illuminating his company’s early days as an intrepid start-up and its evolution into one of the world’s most iconic, game-changing, and profitable brands. Bill Gates named Shoe Dog one of his five favorite books of 2016 and called it “an amazing tale, a refreshingly honest reminder of what the path to business success really looks like. It’s a messy, perilous, and chaotic journey, riddled with mistakes, endless struggles, and sacrifice. Phil Knight opens up in ways few CEOs are willing to do.” Fresh out of business school, Phil Knight borrowed fifty dollars from his father and launched a company with one simple mission: import high-quality, low-cost running shoes from Japan. Selling the shoes from the trunk of his car in 1963, Knight grossed eight thousand dollars that first year. Today, Nike’s annual sales top $30 billion. In this age of start-ups, Knight’s Nike is the gold standard, and its swoosh is one of the few icons instantly recognized in every corner of the world. But Knight, the man behind the swoosh, has always been a mystery. In Shoe Dog, he tells his story at last. At twenty-four, Knight decides that rather than work for a big corporation, he will create something all his own, new, dynamic, different. He details the many risks he encountered, the crushing setbacks, the ruthless competitors and hostile bankers—as well as his many thrilling triumphs. Above all, he recalls the relationships that formed the heart and soul of Nike, with his former track coach, the irascible and charismatic Bill Bowerman, and with his first employees, a ragtag group of misfits and savants who quickly became a band of swoosh-crazed brothers. Together, harnessing the electrifying power of a bold vision and a shared belief in the transformative power of sports, they created a brand—and a culture—that changed everything.

A dazzling new history of the world told through the ten major empires of human civilization. Eminent historian Paul Strathern opens the story of Empire with the Akkadian civilization, which ruled over a vast expanse of the region of ancient Mesopotamia, then turns to the immense Roman Empire, where we trace back our Western and Eastern roots. Next the narrative describes how a great deal of Western Classical culture was developed in the Abbasid and Umayyad Caliphates. Then, while Europe was beginning to emerge from a period of cultural stagnation, it almost fell to a whirlwind invasion from the East, at which point we meet the Emperors of the Mongol Empire . . . Combining breathtaking scope with masterful narrative control, Paul Strathern traces these connections across four millennia and sheds new light on these major civilizations—from the Mongol Empire and the Yuan Dynasty to the Aztec and Ottoman, through to the most recent and biggest empires: the British, Russo-Soviet, and American. Charting five thousand years of global history in ten lucid chapters, Empire makes comprehensive and inspiring reading to anyone fascinated by the history of the world.

Jason L. Riley - Maverick; A Biography of Thomas Sowell

Companies small and large are initiating AI projects, investing vast sums of money on software, developers, and data scientists. Too often, these AI projects focus on technology at the expense of actionable or tangible business results, resulting in scattershot results and wasted investment. Succeeding with AI sets out a blueprint for AI projects to ensure they are predictable, successful, and profitable. It’s filled with practical techniques for running data science programs that are cost effective and focused on the right business goals. About the technology Succeeding with AI requires talent, tools, and money. So why do many well-funded, state-of-the-art projects fail to deliver meaningful business value? Because talent, tools, and money aren’t enough: You also need to know how to ask the right questions. In this unique book, AI consultant Veljko Krunic reveals a tested process to start AI projects right, so you’ll get the results you want. About the book It sets out a framework for planning and running cost-effective, reliable AI projects that produce real business results. This practical guide reveals secrets forged during the author’s experience with dozens of startups, established businesses, and Fortune 500 giants that will help you establish meaningful, achievable goals. In it, you’ll master a repeatable process to maximize the return on data-scientist hours and learn to implement effectiveness metrics for keeping projects on track and resistant to calcification. What's inside Where to invest for maximum payoff How AI projects are different from other software projects Catching early warnings in time to correct course Exercises and examples based on real-world business dilemmas About the listener For project and business leadership, result-focused data scientists, and engineering teams. No AI knowledge required. about the author Veljko Krunic is a data science consultant, has a computer science PhD, and is a certified Six Sigma Master Black Belt.

"Jonah Berger is one of those rare thinkers who blends research-based insights with immensely practical guidance. I am grateful to be one of the many who have learned from this master teacher." (Jim Collins, author Good to Great, coauthor Built to Last) From the author of New York Times best sellers Contagious and Invisible Influence comes a revolutionary approach to changing anyone's mind. Everyone has something they want to change. Marketers want to change their customers' minds and leaders want to change organizations. Start-ups want to change industries and nonprofits want to change the world. But change is hard. Often, we persuade and pressure and push, but nothing moves. Could there be a better way? This book takes a different approach. Successful change agents know it's not about pushing harder, or providing more information, it's about being a catalyst. Catalysts remove roadblocks and reduce the barriers to change. Instead of asking, "How could I change someone's mind?" they ask a different question: "Why haven’t they changed already? What’s stopping them?" The Catalyst identifies the key barriers to change and how to mitigate them. You'll learn how catalysts change minds in the toughest of situations: how hostage negotiators get people to come out with their hands up and how marketers get new products to catch on, how leaders transform organizational culture and how activists ignite social movements, how substance abuse counselors get addicts to realize they have a problem, and how political canvassers change deeply rooted political beliefs. This book is designed for anyone who wants to catalyze change. It provides a powerful way of thinking and a range of techniques that can lead to extraordinary results. Whether you're trying to change one person, transform an organization, or shift the way an entire industry does business, this book will teach you how to become a catalyst.

Hook Point: How to Stand Out in a 3-Second World by out-of-the-box thinker Brendan Kane breaks down the most effective strategies to generate new opportunities, innovate and scale your business, and create a compelling brand - both online and off - so you can thrive in the new micro-attention world in which we live. A lot of people know who they are, what they do, and a few even know why they do it - but even when brands or individuals have clarity in these areas, they often struggle to grab a potential audience’s attention for long enough to get them to learn about their attributes. Others have amazing products or services that fail to achieve great success because they don’t know how to talk about what they do effectively. This is because digital and social media have reshaped our world into one of micro-attention. There are more than 60 billion messages shared on digital platforms each day, and the average person is exposed to between 4,000 to 10,000 ads a day. This bombardment of stimuli has changed the way we communicate and market content both online and off. In fact, research shows that you have less than three seconds to capture a person’s attention. With such a short window of time, we need to hook audiences quickly, efficiently, and consistently if we want to successfully fuel brand awareness and growth. Luckily, Brendan Kane, a thinker and strategist who’s built platforms for celebrities like Taylor Swift and Rhianna and worked with Fortune 500 companies like Paramount, Viacom, and MTV, has mastered the art of standing out. In Hook Point: How to Stand Out in a 3-Second World, he reveals the power of hook points - a communication tool that helps marketers package their messages in a succinct, attention-grabbing way that leads to better opportunities both online and off. Whether you’re promoting a brand, product, or service, this book is the essential guide for making it in our three-second world.