Best Selling Books by David Niven

Takes readers back to David Niven''s childhood days, his humiliating expulsion from school and to his army years and wartime service. After the war, he returned to America and there came his Hollywood success in films such as "Wuthering Heights" and "Around the World in 80 Days".

The second part of David Niven''s autobiography, ''Bring on the Empty Horses'' recalls Hollywood''s heyday and the life of the quintessential British gent.

David Niven is remembered as one of Britain''s best-loved actors. The archetypal English gentleman, he starred in over ninety films. He is equally remembered as the author of this classic autobiography.In his first volume, he remembers his childhood and school days, his time at Sandhurst and his early army service. He recalls America during the prohibition era and days in Hollywood before the Second World War. Of the war itself, he tells of family life back in Britain and his time on the front line in France and Germany.THE MOON''S A BALLOON is a wonderful record of a truly remarkable and warm-hearted man, told in his inimitable style.

In the spirit of The Tipping Point and Freakonomics, David Niven presents a new way of decoding the riddles of the everyday choices we make. It''s Not About the Shark opens the door to the groundbreaking science of solutions by turning problems—and how we solve them—upside down. When we have a problem, most of us zero in, take it apart, and focus until we have it solved. David Niven shows us that focusing on the problem is exactly the wrong way to find an answer. Putting problems at the center of our thoughts shuts down our creative abilities, depletes stamina, and feeds insecurities. It''s Not About the Shark shows us how to transform our daily lives, our work lives, and our family lives with a simple, but rock-solid principle: If you start by thinking about your problems, you''ll never make it to a solution. If you start by thinking about a solution, you''ll never worry about your problems again. Through real-life examples and psychology research, Niven shows us why: *Focusing on the problem first makes us 17 times less likely to find an answer *Being afraid of a problem is natural: we''re biologically primed to be afraid *Finding a problem creates power – which keeps you from finding a solution *Working harder actually hides answers *Absolute confidence makes you less likely to find the answer *Looking away from a problem helps to see a solution *Listening only to yourself is one of the best ways to find an answer Combining hard facts, good sense, and a strong dose of encouragement, Niven provides fresh and positive ways to think about problem solving.

Briefly explains one hundred ways to improve one''s daily satisfaction with life, presenting simplified information learned in scientific studies on happiness.

From the author of the bestselling "The 100 Simple Secrets of Happy People" comes the most important research to date on success, distilled into accessible and valuable advice.

The Simple Science of a Healthy Life From fitness to diets to emotional health and longevity, what do people who feel and look healthy do differently than those who are overtired, depressed, or out of shape? Every day we face an avalanche of studies and statistics that tell us what we should or shouldn''t eat, how long we need to exercise, or how to protect ourselves from secondhand smoke and the harmful rays from the sun. Not only are these studies often contradictory, but the actual scientific information is usually inaccessible. Moving beyond the myths and misinformation, the advice in these pages is not based on one person''s opinions or one expert''s study. For the first time the research available on the health of average Americans has been distilled into one hundred essential ways that we can become healthier and happier. Each of the core findings is accompanied by a real life example showing these results in action. Eat more often. Oxford University researchers found that people who ate five or six times a day had a 5 percent lower total cholesterol than average and were 45 percent more likely to be able to sustain their target weight than people who ate once or twice a day. Who says caffeine is bad for you? The majority of scientific evidence shows that, for a healthy adult, moderate quantities of caffeine (about three cups of coffee per day) pose no significant health risks. Home sweet home. People who described their home lives as satisfying were 24 percent more likely to live beyond normal life expectancy, according to a UCLA study.

The Simple Science of a Happy Family From raising children to getting along with in-laws, what do people with close and loving families do differently than those with strained or unfulfilling relationships? Sociologists, therapists, and psychiatrists have spent entire careers investigating the ins and outs of family dynamics, yet their findings are inaccessible to ordinary people, hidden in obscure journals to be shared with other experts. Now, David Niven, the international bestselling author of The 100 Simple Secret series has collected the most current and significant data from more than a thousand of the best scientific studies on families and then spelled out the findings in plain English. The advice is based not on one person''s unique experiences or opinions, but offers for the first time the research of noted scientists studying average American families. These findings have been boiled down to one hundred essential ways to find and maintain love, joy, and satisfaction in all family relationships. Each statistic is accompanied by a true story about a real family showing the results in action. Don''t Forget the Past: Parents who share stories of family history with their children create higher levels of concern for family members and increase the likelihood of their children''s happiness. No Price Tag: Once basic necessities are met, the increasing economic status of one''s family has zero effect on the likelihood of feeling satisfied with life. Let Every Opinion Be Heard: Senior citizens having trouble living in their own homes are 84 percent more likely to be satisfied with their housing situation if they feel as if their concerns are an important part of selecting a new home or facility. The Greatest Gift: Life satisfaction is 72 percent more likely among those who feel content with their family life.

Insufficient healthcare coverage, a weakened economy, the fragile environment—most people would be hard pressed to find even one example of how things are better today than they were yesterday. How about one for each day of the year? In his engaging and informative new book, Up!, David Niven, the best-selling author of the 100 Simple Secrets series (more than a million copies sold in the U.S. alone), gives us 365 examples of how life is better now than ever before. We think we’re running out of time—but we actually live twice as long as our great-grandparents did. We think our culture is in decline—but worldwide IQ scores are higher today than ever before. We think life keeps getting harder—but the percentage of people who feel happy is growing every year. Well researched and full of insight, Up! not only proves that life today is a vast improvement from the past but also that it continues to get better with each passing day. For those who need convincing or for those who need reminding, Up! is a great resource for appreciating how far we’ve come and realizing that, in all ways, things are truly looking Up!

"Niven explores how the Freedom Rides set a pattern for JFK''s reaction to the civil rights movement, and how the president tried to make a half-hearted stand for civil rights while shoring up his support among segregationist white southern Democrats.

What are the essential qualities of a great relationship? What do people in healthy and happy relationships do differently? Scientists and academics have spent entire careers investigating the nature of relationships, dating, and marriage, yet their findings are inaccessible to ordinary people, hidden in obscure journals read only by other academics. Now the bestselling author of the 100 Simple Secrets series has collected the most current and significant data from more than a thousand studies on relationships and spells out the key findings in plain English. The advice is not based on one person''s unique experiences or opinions, but offers for the first time the research of noted scientists studying the lives and loves of average Americans. Each of the findings is accompanied by a true story that shows the results in action. Love is hard to calculate: Researchers have proven that a partner''s age, income, education, and religion are unrelated factors in the likelihood of relationship satisfaction. Always trying to win can lead to a major loss: People who feel a sense of competition with their partner are 37 percent less likely to feel that their relationship is satisfying. leave the past in the past: More than 40 percent of people report that jealousy over a previous relationship is a source of conflict in their current relationship.

Sociologists, therapists, and psychiatrists have spent entire careers investigating the ins and outs of health, success, and happiness, but their findings are inaccessible to ordinary people, hidden in obscure journals seen only by other experts. Now David Niven, the international bestselling author of the Simple Secrets series, has collected the most current and significant data from more than a thousand of the best scientific studies on three of the most important aspects of our daily lives. Niven has boiled these findings down to sound, succinct advice for each day of the year, presenting 365 essential ways to find and maintain health, wealth, and wisdom. Each entry is accompanied by a true story showing the results in action. Whether you want to enhance your body, your bank account, your IQ, or all three, this bestselling series offers 365 essential ways to let science help you.

Why do people who have dogs live happier, longer, and more fulfulling lives? Sociologists and veterinarians have spent years investigating the positive effects that dogs have on people''s health and happiness yet their findings are inaccessible to ordinary people, hidden in obscure journals to be shared with other experts. Now the international bestselling author of the 100 Simple Secrets series has collected the most current and significant data from more than a thousand of the best scientific studies on the profound relationship between humans and our canine companions. These findings have been boiled down to the one hundred essential ways dogs positively impact our lives. Each fact is accompanied by a inspiring true story. If you love your dog, and science tells us that you do, this book will inspire and entertain. Communicate Better: It sounds odd to say a creature that communicates with barking and body language can have such a profound effect on human communication. But by providing a common point of reference and concern, dogs help us to feel a connection to other humans. That connection makes us feel more comfortable communicating with each other. When meeting a new person, the presence of a dog reduces the time before people feel comfortable while talking with each other by 45 percent. Live Longer: There is perhaps no better gift that dogs offer us humans than this simple fact. People who care for a dog live longer, healthier lives than those who do not. On average, people who cared for dogs during their lives lived 3 years longer than people who never had a dog. No Monkey Business: Primates are genetically more similar to humans than any other creature. But try to tell a chimpanzee something and you will be hard pressed to get your message across. Dogs are uniquely attuned to the messages we send. Dogs study humans and have evolved to build social skills that help them to function around us. Dogs are 52 percent more likely to follow human cues such as pointing toward a source of food than are primates. Around the Block: Good habits are often misunderstood as difficult or unpleasant chores. But there is tremendous value in the simple act of taking a walk. Walking not only burns calories, it also decreases stress. Having a dog means regularly talking walks – it''s something you do for your dog but in truth your dog is doing for you. Dog owners walk 79 percent farther in an average week than non–dog owners.

Nine in ten Americans believe the media are biased. Trust in journalists ranks beneath that in lawyers, and even the media themselves regularly portray their own industry as slanted toward Democrats and liberals. These perceptions, however, do not coincide with reality, as David Niven reveals in his bold new take on an often-debated subject. Tilt? The Search for Media Bias presents the first comprehensive review of the charges, the evidence, and the effects, beginning with a simple but altogether overlooked premise: to measure media bias or fairness, one has to have a fair baseline with which to compare coverage. Using situations in which presidents, governors, mayors, and members of Congress from different political parties have produced the same results in office, Tilt? compares media coverage of Democrats and Republicans in situations in which they clearly deserved equal treatment. The lack of evidence for partisan media bias is only part of the story. The media cover allegations of bias as if their industry has already been tried and convicted, while the American people readily accepted the premise that their main sources of information are selfishly slanted toward reporters'' personal political agendas. Niven''s findings, unmistakable and consistent, reveal that when the output of politicians is the same, media coverage follows—a conclusion that is as provocative as it is timely and necessary.

The Simple Science of Happiness Scientists and academics have spent entire careers investigating what makes people happy. But hidden in obscure scholarly journals and reports, their research is all too often inaccessible to ordinary people. At last, social scientist and psychologist David Niven, Ph.D., distills the scientific gobbledygook of over a thousand of the most compelling and important studies on happiness into easy-to-digest nuggets of advice. Each of the hundred practices, attitudes, and habits for happiness is illustrated with a clear example and illuminated by a straightforward explanation of the science behind it to show you how to transform a ho-hum existence into a full and happy life. Believe In Yourself: Across all ages and all groups, a solid belief in one''s own abilities increases life satisfaction by about 40 percent, and makes us happier both in our home lives and in our work lives. Turn Off The TV: Watching too much TV can triple our hunger for more possessions, while reducing our personal contentment by about 5 percent for every hour a day we watch. Enjoy What You Have: People who have the most are only as likely to be happy as those who have the least. People who like what they have, however, are twice as likely to be happy as those who actually have the most. Don''t Forget To Have Fun: Having fun is one of the five central factors in leading a satisfied life. Individuals who spend time just having fun are 20 percent more likely to feel happy on a daily basis and 36 percent more likely to feel comfortable with their age and stage in life.

"Death Justice" argues that one fallacy that passes for truth is the widely held notion that Justices Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas apply a fixed standard to death penalty cases. Thanks in part to the trio, the U.S. stands far apart from its allies and quite close to its enemies with regard to the death penalty.

Practical advice on how to thrive in the second half of your life, based on scientific studies. The sixth book in the bestselling 100 Simple Secrets series. What do people who relish the second half of their lives do differently than those who dread getting older? Sociologists, therapists and psychiatrists have spent entire careers investigating the ins and outs of successful aging, yet their findings are inaccessible to ordinary people, hidden in obscure journals to be shared with other experts. Now the international bestselling author of The 100 Simple Secrets series has collected the most current and significant data from more than a thousand of the best scientific studies on the second half of life. These findings have been boiled down to one hundred essential ways to find and maintain joy, health, and satisfaction every day of your life. Each one is accompanied by a true story showing the results in action. The Baby Boomers are hitting retirement age. This upbeat, light approach will appeal to the enormous market of citizens grappling with the effects of becoming ''senior'', looking to discover the positive benefits of aging beyond discount tickets at the movie theatre. Books about aging well continue to sell year in and year out. The Simple Secrets approach will stand out among the heavier self-help/psychology titles and will without a doubt become an affordable impulse and gifty mainstay in this category. A good inexpensive gift for parents and grandparents.

This examination of the causes, severity, and implications of racially stereotyped media coverage of Congress incorporates original analysis of congressional media coverage and interviews with congressional press staff. The news media often portray African-American members as being primarily interested in race, overly concerned with local matters, and wielding little legislative influence. By contrast, the images African-American members attempt to project of themselves are more complex and comprehensive than the images the media communicate. The authors offer a psychological explanation for this phenomenon, the Distribution Effect, in which those who are numerically rare in an occupation tend to be lumped together rather than treated as individuals. Their findings suggest that it is the media, rather than members of Congress, who are responsible for the racialized images that appear regularly in the press. This results in an advantage for white incumbents trying to attract votes but presents an obstacle to be overcome for African-American politicians. This study will appeal to political science, media studies, and racial studies scholars. It incorporates content analysis of the newest forum of communication, congressional Internet web sites, to disclose how white and African-American representatives in fact have similar media priorities.

" Peut-être bien le meilleur livre jamais écrit sur Hollywood. " (The New York Times Book Review) S''il fallait décerner un prix d''élégance aux acteurs, alors David Niven recueillerait tous les suffrages. Rarement le complet rayé et le trait de moustache auront été si bien portés à Hollywood, et l''on ne s''étonnera pas que Ian Fleming pût l''imaginer dans le rôle de James Bond. Est-il annoncé au casting d''un film qu''on s''attend à le voir dîner en chemise à plastron, nœud papillon et slippers aux pieds ; avec lui, on pressent surtout les dialogues ironiques et toute la panoplie de l''humour " so british " – ce tranchant de l''intelligence. Mais avant la célébrité, Niven aura connu une véritable vie d''aventures. Renvoyé pour indiscipline de plusieurs écoles britanniques, insolent à l''armée, mis aux arrêts pour insubordination, il se gagne la sympathie du geôlier en partageant une bouteille de whisky puis s''échappe par la fenêtre. On le retrouve quelques mois plus tard aux États-Unis, versé dans le plagiat littéraire, le commerce de spiritueux, la danse professionnelle et même la course de poneys, avant que le destin se ressaisisse et le pousse vers les caméras des grands studios. Ainsi débute une carrière de près de cent films avec, très vite, des rôles principaux. Niven révèle surtout une disposition pour les comédies romantiques où sa souriante désinvolture fait merveille ; il rencontre ensuite le succès international, d''abord grâce à son rôle de Phileas Fogg dans Le Tour du monde en quatre-vingts jours de Michael Anderson (1956), puis avec Les Canons de Navarone (1961) de John Lee Thompson et Les Cinquante-Cinq Jours de Pékin (1963) de Nicholas Ray. Parus et traduits en deux volumes dans les années 1970, introuvables en français depuis, ses souvenirs sont ici republiés pour la première fois. Tout refroidit vite, la gloire d''un acteur en particulier. Mais que l''on se rassure dans les librairies : peu de choses sont aussi vivantes qu''une page écrite par David Niven. " Peut-être bien le meilleur livre jamais écrit sur Hollywood. " –; The New York Times Book Review " Désopilant. " –; The Dailymail " Une lecture hilarante. " –; The Sunday Telegraph

La Ciencia de una Vida Saludable Cu l es la diferencia entre las personas que se sienten y se ven saludables, y las que est n cansadas o deprimidas y jam s est n en forma? A diario enfrentamos una cantidad alarmante de estudios y estad sticas que nos dicen qu debemos y no debemos comer, cu nto tiempo tenemos que hacer ejercicio o c mo protegernos del humo de segunda mano y los da inos rayos del sol. Pero estos estudios, adem s de ser contradictorios, suelen tener informaci n cient fica literalmente incomprensible para el lector com n. En este libro, David Niven nos hace el favor de resumir los millones de estudios que se han hecho acerca de la salud del ser humano, y de convertirlos en cien f ciles puntos que nos ayudar n a vivir m s saludables y felices. Desmontando mitos comunes con consejos reales y aplicables, Niven nos explica la importancia de estos descubrimientos. Coma con frecuencia. Los investigadores de la universidad Oxford hallaron que las personas que comen cinco o seis veces al d a tienen un 5 por ciento menos de colesterol que la persona media, y tienen un 45 por ciento m s de posibilidades de mantener su peso ideal que las personas que s lo comen una o dos veces al d a. Qui n dice que la cafe na es mala para la salud? La mayor a de los resultados cient ficos prueban que, para un adulto saludable, cantidades moderadas de cafe na (aproximadamente tres tazas de caf al d a) no presentan ning n riesgo a la salud. Hogar, dulce hogar. Seg n un estudio de la Universidad de California en Los ngeles, aquellas personas que dicen tener una vida de hogar satisfactoria tienen un 24 por ciento m s de posibilidades de vivir m s que la expectativa normal de vida.

La Ciencia de una Familia Feliz ¿Cuál es la diferencia entre las personas que tienen relaciones íntimas y cariñosas con sus familias, y aquellas que tienen relaciones tensas y frustrantes? Sociólogos, terapeutas y siquiatras se han pasado toda una vida investigando los pormenores de la dinámica familiar, pero sus hallazgos tienden a quedar ocultos en publicaciones académicas que sólo leen otros expertos. Ahora, David Niven, autor bestseller a nivel internacional de la serie Los 100 Secretos ha reunido la información más reciente e importante de más de mil estudios científicos que se han hecho acerca de familias. Niven nos explica estos descubrimientos en un lenguaje sencillo y fácil de comprender, resumiéndolo todo en cien consejos claves que nos ayudarán a encontrar y mantener el amor, la felicidad y la satisfacción en nuestras relaciones familiares. No olvide el pasado: Los padres que comparten la historia de su familia con sus hijos generan en ellos un alto nivel de interés por otros miembros de la familia y aumentan la probabilidad de que sus hijos sean felices. Sin precio: Una vez suplidas todas las necesidades básicas, la situación económica de su familia no tendrá ningún impacto sobre qué tan satisfechos se sienten con sus vidas. Escuche la opinión de todos: Las personas de edad que tienen dificultad viviendo solas tienen un 84 por ciento más de probabilidades de estar satisfechas con su situación de vivienda si sienten que su opinión es esencial a la hora de elegir un nuevo hogar. El mejor regalo: La gente que está contenta con su vida familiar tiene un 72 por ciento más de probabilidades de estar satisfecha con su vida en general.