In every tragic story, men are expected to be the killers. There are countless studies and works of art made about male violence. However, when women are featured in stories about murder, they are rarely portrayed as predators. They're the prey. This common dynamic is one of the reasons that women are so enthralled by female murderers. They do the things that women aren't supposed to do and live the lives that women aren't supposed to want: lives...

This touching documentary chronicles the long and colorful life of Lily Yeh, an artist who has committed herself to creating community-based art projects in some of the world's most troubled areas.. Beginning with the creation of an unprecedented sculpture garden in the projects of North Philly that became known as "The Village of Arts and Humanities," THE BAREFOOT ARTIST also shows Yeh working in various far-flung locations, such as Kenya and Rwanda,...

If humankind can be said to have a single greatest creation, it would be those places that represent the most eloquent expression of our species’s ingenuity, beliefs, and ideals: the city. In this authoritative and engagingly written account, the acclaimed urbanist and bestselling author examines the evolution of urban life over the millennia and, in doing so, attempts to answer the age-old question: What makes a city great?
Despite their...

A powerful testament to one man's commitment to his family, and his endurance in working to provide them with a brighter future. Kasongo, a 28-year-old man living in Congo with his wife and daughters, dreams of purchasing a plot of land on which to build his family a home. He sees his opportunity to earn money by selling charcoal, culled from the ashes of a mighty hardwood tree that he has felled and baked in an earthen oven. Loading up the bags of...

"We often think of our capacity to experience the suffering of others as the ultimate source of goodness. Many of our wisest policy-makers, activists, scientists, and philosophers agree that the only problem with empathy is that we don't have enough of it. Nothing could be farther from the truth, argues Yale researcher Paul Bloom. In [this book], Bloom [posits that] empathy [is] one of the leading motivators of inequality and immorality in society....

The Study of Sociology, originally published in 1873, was Herbert Spencer's groundbreaking overview of the nascent science of social systems. His basic assertion was that societies were not the creations of a few 'great men,' as Nietzsche asserted, but that they resulted from the interplay of different institutions (such as government, religion, academia, media, economic models, and so forth). Taking a cue from biology, and the emerging theory of...

"In this timely and necessary book, New York Times opinion writer Jessica Grose dismantles two hundred years of unrealistic parenting expectations and empowers today's mothers to make choices that actually serve themselves, their children, and their communities"--

"Within these stories is Adrian Shirk's own practical and moral inquiry: how can she live a life "in community" in America today, a life which is not organized around private property, automation, and the acquisition of personal wealth? When Shirk's father-in-law has a stroke and loses his ability to speak and walk, her husband becomes his primary caretaker. Navigating the broken American health care system to advocate for his father is practically...

In this book, David Brooks explores the four commitments that define a life of meaning and purpose: to a spouse and family, to a vocation, to a philosophy or faith, and to a community. Our personal fulfillment depends on how well we choose and execute these commitments. Brooks looks at a range of people who have lived joyous, committed lives, and who have embraced the necessity and beauty of dependence. He gathers their wisdom on how to choose a partner,...

"How did rescue dogs become status symbols? Why are luxury brands losing their cachet? What's made F. Scott Fitzgerald's most famous observations obsolete? The answers are part of a new revolution that's radically reorganizing the way we view ourselves and others. Status was once easy to identify-fast cars, fancy shoes, sprawling estates, elite brands. But in place of Louboutins and Lamborghinis, the relevance of the rich, famous, and gauche is waning...