Bücher veröffentlicht von Basic Books

"Provocative... a clear-eyed, sharp-tongued assessment of this hinge moment in time, when the world's centre of gravity is shifting'from the West to the East.'"-Michiko Kakutani, New York Times

An international security expert shows how competitive organizations can get-and stay-ahead by thinking like their adversaries

Despite the billions of dollars we've poured into foreign wars, homeland security, and disaster response, we are fundamentally no better prepared for the next terrorist attack or unprecedented flood than we were in 2001. Our response to catastrophe remains unchanged: add another step to airport security, another meter to the levee wall. This approach has proved totally ineffective: reacting to past threats and trying to predict future risks will only waste resources in our increasingly unpredictable world.In Learning from the Octopus, ecologist and security expert Rafe Sagarin rethinks the seemingly intractable problem of security by drawing inspiration from a surprising source: nature. Biological organisms have been livingand thrivingon a risk-filled planet for billions of years. Remarkably, they have done it without planning, predicting, or trying to perfect their responses to complex threats. Rather, they simply adapt to solve the challenges they continually face.Military leaders, public health officials, and business professionals would all like to be more adaptable, but few have figured out how. Sagarinargues that we can learn from observing how nature is organized, how organisms learn, how they create partnerships, and how life continually diversifies on this unpredictable planet.As soon as we dip our toes into a cold Pacific tidepool and watch what we thought was a rock turn into an octopus, jetting away in a cloud of ink, we can begin to see the how human adaptability can mimic natural adaptation. The same mechanisms that enabled the octopus's escape also allow our immune system to ward off new infectious diseases, helped soldiers in Iraq to recognize the threat of IEDs, and aided Google in developing faster ways to detect flu outbreaks. While we will never be able to predict the next earthquake, terrorist attack, or market fluctuation, nature can guide us in developing security systems that are not purely reactive but proactive, holistic, and adaptable. From the tidepools of Monterey to the mountains of Kazakhstan, Sagarin takes us on an eye-opening tour of the security challenges we face, and shows us how we might learn to respond more effectively to the unknown threats lurking in our future.

"A collection of important, well-told stories about the contradictions, inequities and possibilities of American capitalism."--New York Times

A leading voice in global affairs calls us back to America's founding principles--and shows how they can guide us forward into the twenty-first century

A stirring reconstruction of one of history's great--and least known --naval battles... Fascinating stuff. A boon for students of military history and naval warfare.--Kirkus Reviews (starred review).

A colourful biography that brings to life the seedy underworld denizens of jazz-age New York City and its unrivaled kingpin, the model for Damon Runyon's Nathan DetroitProves Arnold Rothstein- perhaps the most influential of American criminals- was the mastermind behind the 1919 Black Sox scandal, despite his small role in EIGHT MEN OUT

"A gripping, controversial, informative and at times infuriating look at FDR's leadership as the nation entered and fought World War II...Both revisionist and controversial." Washington Post

Monstering is a gripping and important expose that reaches well beyond the frame of the notorious photos to provide a vital examination of the under-investigated crimes of Abu Ghraib

This is an ambitious, sweeping book that argues how rights are vital to the continuing security of our nation.

Explains to American Jews the core religious beliefs of Christianity and assesses the threats and promises of the Jewish--Christian encounter from a Jewish perspective.

An edgy and revealing examination of the lives, dreams, and goals of teenage boys today

The shocking story of an impending nuclear devastation and the brave people who fought against it

The distinguished author of Mine Eyes Have Seen the Glory returns with a searing examination of a new generation of evangelical leaders who have hijacked the Christian faith on behalf of the Republican Party

Personal fabricators are about to revolutionize the world just as personal computers did a generation ago, and Fab shows us how

The things we think we know about energy are mostly myths. A better understanding will radically change our views and policies on a number of very controversial issues.

Jennifer Washburn, a scholar and journalist, reveals how the growing influence of corporations over universities compromises the future of all those whose careers depend on a university education, and all those who will be employed, governed, or taught by the products of American universities.

The best-selling enfant terrible of the Reagan revolution offers advice to today's budding conservatives--the very people he sees as the true "radicals" of tomorrow

A fitting testament to [Lincoln's] literary skill. It evokes vividly the unconscionable gulf between the life of the city's aristocratic patrons and the misery of the masses.--New York Times

In this brilliantly conceived and clearly argued discussion of the relationship between high and popular culture, Herbert Gans, outspoken advocate of cultural pluralism, questions the universality of high culture standards.

From a veteran creator of children's entertainment, an insider's view of how even the most violent games and TV shows can help children conquer fears and develop a bold sense of self.

One of our most original thinkers addresses the scientific world's premier question: What is the nature of consciousness?

Since its introduction as a brief, empirically validated treatment for depression, "Interpersonal Psychotherapy" has broadened its scope to include disorders of behaviour, personality and mood. This reference revises the 1984 manual and includes new material.

The parallel lives of two compelling and competitive artists and their recurrent engagements with desire and mortality

In The Witch Must Die, Sheldon Cashdan explores how fairy tales help children deal with psychological conflicts by projecting their own internal struggles between good and evil onto the battles enacted by the characters in the stories. Not since Bettelheim's The Uses of Enchantment has the underlying significance of fantasy and fairy tales been so insightfully and entertainingly mined.

Walk the Silk Road with the Buddhist monk who crisscrossed the Asian continent and prompted a great cultural exchange between India and China

A tale of science, adventure, and personality that evolves into a complete review of the history and knowledge of Beringia... I recommend it to everyone. -The Times (London)

From the bestselling author of First Ladies, Inside the White House, and America's First Ladies comes the first look at the women of one of the most influential families in American history: The Roosevelts.

"Boys will be boys," the saying goes -- but what does that actually mean? A leading anthropologist investigates