New Releases by Barry Schwartz

Life often feels so off Unplanned as a cough But the structure fits the stream The nightmare and the dream For years these questions gathered You''ve heard them And we''ve blathered So here is one approach Another attempt to coach Enjoy this contemplative curse

Cameron Simmons has always been haunted. It begins as a child, when Cam’s father bestows upon him an insult that will take a lifetime to outlive, blaming his slow development on a fictitious tortoise in his hair. From there, Cam’s hauntings multiply: The constant threat of the Vietnam War draft. Failed relationships—and chemical dependencies—that stack up like empty pill bottles. Unfulfilling career moves. And the nagging feeling that his life is just destined to mean . . . something, anything at all. Something—a powerful word. But these things form a pattern Cam can’t see—yet. It’s not until the earth-shattering discovery of his greatest haunting of all—the true identity of his guardian angel—that he can understand the purpose behind each heartache on his unwitting journey to spirit. Capturing each moment of anguish or hilarity with painstaking detail, Calvin Barry Schwartz’s There’s a Tortoise in My Hair is more than a life story; it’s a legacy of love—for the world, for humanity, and for the pains of life that shape our ability to love in the first place.

„Többségünk számára a munka keveset ad – nagyon keveset. A kérdés, hogy vajon miért.” Miért dolgozunk? Egyszerű kérdés, a válasz azonban meglepő és összetett. Társadalmunk meggyőződése szerint a fizetésért. De akkor vajon miért elégedetlenek a munkájukkal olyan sokan a tisztes javadalmazás ellenére is? És miért tölt el másokat hihetetlen elégedettséggel rosszul fizető munkájuk? Barry Schwartz pszichológus az ipar és az üzleti élet történetét áttekintve feltárja a háttérben álló trendeket és mintázatokat. Bemutatja, miért veszítette el az értelmét a munka és hol találhatunk rá újra. Gondolatébresztő olvasmány mindenkinek, aki szeretné, hogy tartalmasabb legyen a munkája.

Powerful, timely messages collected in one convenient boxed set, an illuminating must-read from three of the leading business minds of our time and renowned TED speakers—Dan Ariely, Margaret Heffernan, and Barry Schwartz—that offers expert insight into our current economic times. Payoff: The Hidden Logic That Shapes Our Motivations investigates the true nature of motivation, our partial blindness to the way it works, and a journey to try and bridge this gap. From the Zappos boardroom to a child’s allowance, Dan Ariely digs to the root of money motivation—how it works and how we can use this knowledge to approach disparate choices in our own lives. Along the way Ariely explores complex questions like why are we willing to part with money in some occasions and not others? Is it a good idea to try to motivate children by giving them money to do chores? When are bonuses most effective at work? In Beyond Measure: The Big Impact of Small Changes, business leader Margaret Heffernan looks back over decades spent overseeing different organizations and comes to a counterintuitive conclusion: it’s the small shifts that have the greatest impact. From the CIA revolutionizing their intelligence gathering with one simple question, to an organization increasing their revenue by 15 million by instituting a short coffee break, Heffernan investigates all these scenarios and comes to the same conclusion: big improvements can come from simply making small changes. If the reason we work is primarily for a paycheck, why are so many people dissatisfied with their work, despite healthy compensation? And why do so many people find immense fulfillment and satisfaction through “menial” jobs? In Why We Work, Barry Schwartz takes us through hospitals and hair salons, auto plants and boardrooms, showing workers in all walks of life, highlighting the trends and patterns that lead to happiness in the workplace. Ultimately, Schwartz empowers us all to find great work by proving that the root of what drives us to good work can rarely be incentivized, and the cause of bad work is often an attempt to do just that.

Por que trabajamos? La pregunta parece muy simple, pero la respuesta es compleja. Nos han ensenado que la razon por la cual trabajamos es primordialmente por la paga a fin de mes, y la sociedad se ha estructurado conforme a esa creencia. Sin embargo algo no encaja por que hay gente tan infeliz a pesar de cobrar bien? O por que hay gente tan feliz con su trabajo a pesar de cobrar relativamente poco. Despues de analizar el tema, Schwartz prueba que la razon por la cual trabajamos solo puedes ser incentivada en raras ocasiones y que la razon por la cual se trabaja mal es justamente por intentar incentivarlo. Este libro es un primer intento para ayudar a todos a encontrar un gran trabajo.

Der Psychologieprofessor Barry Schwartz findet in seinem TED-Book ›Warum wir arbeiten‹ eine ganz überraschende, komplexe und eindringliche Antwort auf diese auf den ersten Blick so simple Frage. Er zerstört den Mythos, dass es bei der Arbeit nur ums Geldverdienen gehe und fordert – unterstützt durch zahlreiche Studien und Anekdoten –, dass wir neue Wege finden müssen, um unser Verhältnis zur Arbeit neu zu definieren. Schwartz nimmt uns mit in Krankenhäuser und Friseursalons, Fabriken und Vorstandsetagen und zeigt, welche unterschiedlichen Formen die Arbeit annehmen kann, welche Funktion sie für unsere Kultur innehat und wie jeder von uns seinen eigenen Weg zum Glück am Arbeitsplatz findet.

In the process of admissions to selective colleges and universities, both the institutions and the applicants are trying to maximize. Applicants want to get into the “best” college and colleges want the “best” applicants. This paper argues that in this context, as in many others, maximizing is a fool''s errand, partly because no one knows what the best college (or student) is, and partly because differences among applicants are smaller than the error in the instruments used to assess them. Moreover, it is a fool''s errand with grave consequences, since it puts enormous pressure on students throughout their pre-college education and induces them to do what will impress rather than what they are actually passionate about. I propose, instead, a system in which all applicants who cross an acceptability threshold are entered into a lottery, with the winners (admitted students) chosen at random from that pool. Such a system might produce better, more engaged college students because they will be freer to pursue their passions and develop their intellects in high school. It might also teach students about the role of luck in many of life''s outcomes, making them more empathic when they encounter people who may be just as deserving as they are, but less lucky. Finally, I suggest that maximizing in general may be a fool''s errand, and that satisficing may produce better decisions, and greater satisfaction.

Non ce n''est pas que pour la fiche de paie ! On peut tout à fait être malheureux avec un salaire de ministre ou tirer de profondes gratifications d''une profession sous-estimée ou sous-payée. Des hôpitaux aux salons de coiffure, des chaînes de montage automobile aux conseils d''administrations, une enquête passionnante sur les secrets du bonheur au travail

本书是一本旨在指导企事业单位员工如何端正工作态度的图书.共分五章,分别为:工作动力的来源,带着使命感工作,赋予工作额外的价值,创造需求还是迎合需求,不忘初心.

This wide-ranging boxed set of ten TED Books titles covers everything from architecture to business, space travel to love: The Terrorist’s Son, The Mathematics of Love, The Art of Stillness, The Future of Architecture in 100 Buildings, Beyond Measure, Judge This, How We’ll Live on Mars, Why We Work, The Laws of Medicine, and Follow Your Gut. Provocative, intelligent, and forward-thinking, the first ten TED Books is perfect for any curious reader interested in technology, design, and creative thinking. The Terrorist’s Son is the story of the man who planned the 1993 World Trade Center bombing—and the son who chose a different path. The Mathematics of Love is a must-have for anyone who wants to better understand the patterns of their love life. In The Art of Stillness, travel writer Pico Iyer reveals a counterintuitive truth: The more ways we have to connect, the more we seem desperate to unplug. The Future of Architecture in 100 Buildings captures the thoughtful intelligence and the sheer whimsy of the world’s most inspired and future-looking buildings. Beyond Measure reveals how organizations can make huge changes with surprisingly small steps and ultimately transform their company culture. Chip Kidd’s Judge This is a playful look at the importance of first impressions—in design and in life—exposing the often invisible beauty and betrayal in simple design choices ones most of us never even think to notice. In How We’ll Live on Mars award-winning journalist Stephen Petranek makes the case that living on Mars is an essential back-up plan for humanity and will happen far sooner than we imagine. In the groundbreaking Why We Work Barry Schwartz dispels a deeply ingrained myth: The reason we work is primarily to get a paycheck. Pulitzer Prize–winning author Siddhartha Mukherjee reveals an urgent philosophy in The Laws of Medicine on the little-known principles that govern medicine. In Follow Your Gut scientist Rob Knight and journalist Brendan Buhler explain why the microscopic life inside us matters to everyone.

An eye-opening, groundbreaking tour of the purpose of work in our lives, showing how work operates in our culture and how you can find your own path to happiness in the workplace. Why do we work? The question seems so simple. But Professor Barry Schwartz proves that the answer is surprising, complex, and urgent. We’ve long been taught that the reason we work is primarily for a paycheck. In fact, we’ve shaped much of the infrastructure of our society to accommodate this belief. Then why are so many people dissatisfied with their work, despite healthy compensation? And why do so many people find immense fulfillment and satisfaction through “menial” jobs? Schwartz explores why so many believe that the goal for working should be to earn money, how we arrived to believe that paying workers more leads to better work, and why this has made our society confused, unhappy, and has established a dangerously misguided system. Through fascinating studies and compelling anecdotes, this book dispels this myth. Schwartz takes us through hospitals and hair salons, auto plants and boardrooms, showing workers in all walks of life, showcasing the trends and patterns that lead to happiness in the workplace. Ultimately, Schwartz proves that the root of what drives us to do good work can rarely be incentivized, and that the cause of bad work is often an attempt to do just that. How did we get to this tangled place? How do we change the way we work? With great insight and wisdom, Schwartz shows us how to take our first steps toward understanding, and empowering us all to find great work.

We conducted an analysis of the 13-item Maximization Scale (Schwartz et al., 2002) with the goal of establishing its factor structure, reliability and validity. We also investigated the psychometric properties of several proposed refined versions of the scale. Four sets of analyses are reported. The first analysis confirms the 3-part factor structure of the scale and assesses its reliability. The second analysis identifies those items that do not perform well on the basis of internal, external, and judgmental criteria, and develops three shorter versions of the scale. In the third analysis, the three refined versions of the scale are cross-validated to confirm dimensionality, reliability, and validity. The fourth analysis uses an experiment in an investment decision making context to assess the reliability and nomological validity of the refined scales. These analyses lead us to conclude that a shorter, 6-item Maximization Scale performs best and should be used by future researchers. It is hoped that clarification of the conceptual underpinnings of the maximization construct and development of a refined scale will enhance its use among researchers across several of the social science disciplines.

Essay over de invloed die ideeën, zowel juiste als onjuiste, uitoefenen op het menselijk gedrag.

A reasoned and urgent call to embrace and protect the essential human quality that has been drummed out of our lives: wisdom. In their provocative new book, Barry Schwartz and Kenneth Sharpe explore the insights essential to leading satisfying lives. Encouraging individuals to focus on their own personal intelligence and integrity rather than simply navigating the rules and incentives established by others, Practical Wisdom outlines how to identify and cultivate our own innate wisdom in our daily lives.

This novel tells of Cameron Simmons'' journey from the delivery room through the precipices of life and relationship, metaphorically with a tortoise in his hair, which makes for slow arrival educationally, socially, spiritually, and creatively.By college, realization that there''s something in his life, wrapped in a few seconds, that determines life''s course. "Something" becomes synchronistic, haunting, spellbinding, and inexplicable. Cameron travels through careers in pharmacy, eyewear sales to novelist, journalist, broadcaster, professor, and podcaster; all orchestrated by a unique angelic intervention presented with graphically stark evidence.His journey is replete with humor, sadness, realities, exigencies, and a special love of a university. Cameron is built to love, be loved and perhaps role modeled. His passion for tolerance, racial justice, diversity, equity, living to 150, climate awareness, and film noir is executed under special eyes of his mother, wife, son, and a "gang" of chosen spirits.At novel''s end, Cameron confronts a first wife and a life journey at yet another precipice while listening to "Scarborough Fair" on headphones which transmit sounds through the bones of his ear.

By the 1920s, Abraham Lincoln had transcended the lingering controversies of the Civil War to become a secular saint, honored in North and South alike for his steadfast leadership in crisis. Throughout the Great Depression and World War II, Lincoln was invoked countless times as a reminder of America’s strength and wisdom, a commanding ideal against which weary citizens could see their own hardships in perspective. But as Barry Schwartz reveals in Abraham Lincoln in the Post-Heroic Era, those years represent the apogee of Lincoln’s prestige. The decades following World War II brought radical changes to American culture, changes that led to the diminishing of all heroes—Lincoln not least among them. As Schwartz explains, growing sympathy for the plight of racial minorities, disenchantment with the American state, the lessening of patriotism in the wake of the Vietnam War, and an intensifying celebration of diversity, all contributed to a culture in which neither Lincoln nor any single person could be a heroic symbol for all Americans. Paradoxically, however, the very culture that made Lincoln an object of indifference, questioning, criticism, and even ridicule was a culture of unprecedented beneficence and inclusion, where racial, ethnic, and religious groups treated one another more fairly and justly than ever before. Thus, as the prestige of the Great Emancipator shrank, his legacy of equality continued to flourish. Drawing on a stunning range of sources—including films, cartoons, advertisements, surveys, shrine visitations, public commemorations, and more—Schwartz documents the decline of Lincoln’s public standing, asking throughout whether there is any path back from this post-heroic era. Can a new generation of Americans embrace again their epic past, including great leaders whom they know to be flawed? As the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial approaches, readers will discover here a stirring reminder that Lincoln, as a man, still has much to say to us—about our past, our present, and our possible futures.

On s''imagine qu''avoir l''embarras du choix est une garantie de liberté individuelle, donc de satisfaction. Or qu''il s''agisse de s''offrir un nouveau jean, de s''abonner à un opérateur téléphonique, de désigner son médecin traitant ou de placer ses économies, toute décision est devenue affreusement compliquée dans les sociétés occidentales. Analysant ce phénomène moderne, Barry Schwartz dresse ici un constat surprenant : le " trop de choix " se révèle néfaste pour notre bien-être - et, bien sûr, pour notre porte-monnaie. Mais on peut y remédier. Pourquoi faire le bon choix est-il un exercice périlleux ? Peut-on encore résister aux sirènes de la consommation ? Comment déjouer les pièges des marques, des industriels et des médias ? Faut-il, en définitive, réduire l''éventail des possibles pour être heureux ? Un ouvrage militant, qui nous invite à exercer notre libre arbitre avec plus de discernement.