Best Selling Books by David Shenk

A surprising, charming, and ever-fascinating history of the seemingly simple game that has had a profound effect on societies the world over. Why has one game, alone among the thousands of games invented and played throughout human history, not only survived but thrived within every culture it has touched? What is it about its thirty-two figurative pieces, moving about its sixty-four black and white squares according to very simple rules, that has captivated people for nearly 1,500 years? Why has it driven some of its greatest players into paranoia and madness, and yet is hailed as a remarkably powerful intellectual tool? Nearly everyone has played chess at some point in their lives. Its rules and pieces have served as a metaphor for society, influencing military strategy, mathematics, artificial intelligence, and literature and the arts. It has been condemned as the devil’s game by popes, rabbis, and imams, and lauded as a guide to proper living by other popes, rabbis, and imams. Marcel Duchamp was so absorbed in the game that he ignored his wife on their honeymoon. Caliph Muhammad al-Amin lost his throne (and his head) trying to checkmate a courtier. Ben Franklin used the game as a cover for secret diplomacy.In his wide-ranging and ever-fascinating examination of chess, David Shenk gleefully unearths the hidden history of a game that seems so simple yet contains infinity. From its invention somewhere in India around 500 A.D., to its enthusiastic adoption by the Persians and its spread by Islamic warriors, to its remarkable use as a moral guide in the Middle Ages and its political utility in the Enlightenment, to its crucial importance in the birth of cognitive science and its key role in the aesthetic of modernism in twentieth-century art, to its twenty-first-century importance in the development of artificial intelligence and use as a teaching tool in inner-city America, chess has been a remarkably omnipresent factor in the development of civilization. Indeed, as Shenk shows, some neuroscientists believe that playing chess may actually alter the structure of the brain, that it may be for individuals what it has been for civilization: a virus that makes us smarter.

"Fresh insights into the nature of exceptional peformance…. A deeply interesting and important book” (New York Times Book Review) that offers a revolutionary and life-changing message on the new science of human potential. Is true greatness obtainable from everyday means and everyday genes? Conventional wisdom says no, that a lucky few are simply born with certain gifts. Now you can forget everything you think you know about genes, talent, and intelligence, and take a look at the amazing new evidence. Here, interweaving cutting-edge research from numerous scientific fields, David Shenk offers a new view of human potential, giving readers more of a sense of ownership over their accomplishments, and freeing parents from the bonds of genetic determinism. As Shenk points out, our genes are not a “blueprint” that dictate individual destinies. Rather we are all the product of interplay between genes and outside stimuli—a dynamic that we can influence. It is a revolutionary and life-changing message.

Media scholar ( and Internet Enthusiast ) David Shenk examines the troubling effects of information proliferation on our bodies, our brains, our relationships, and our culture, then offers strikingly down-to-earth insights for coping with the deluge. With a skillful mixture of personal essay, firsthand reportage, and sharp analysis, Shenk illustrates the central paradox of our time: as our world gets more complex, our responses to it become increasingly simplistic. He draws convincing links between data smog and stress distraction, indecision, cultural fragmentation, social vulgarity, and more. But there''s hope for a saner, more meaningful future, as Shenk offers a wealth of novel prescriptions—both personal and societal—for dispelling data smog.

NOW AN EBOOK FOR THE FIRST TIME For fifty years and more than two thousand shows, the Grateful Dead have been earning the "deadication" of more than a million fans. Along the way, Deadheads have built an original and authentic American subculture, with vivid jargon and rich love, and its own legends, myths, and spirituality. Skeleton Key: A Dictionary for Deadheads is the first map of what Jerry Garcia calls "the Grateful Dead outback," as seen through the eyes of the faithful, friends, and family, including Bill Walton, Elvis Costello, Tipper Gore, Al Franken, Bob Bralove, Dick Latvala, Blair Jackson, David Gans, Bruce Hornsby, Rob Wasserman, and Robert Hunter. Skeleton Key puts you on the Merry Pranksters'' bus behind the real Cowboy Neal, uncovers the origins of Cherry Garcia, follows the dancing bear on its trip from psychedelic artifact to trademarked icon, and unlocks the Dead''s own tape vault. Informative reading for the new fan or the most grizzled "tourhead," Skeleton Key shines throughout with Deadheads'' own stories, wit, insiders'' knowledge, sincere appreciation of the music of the "band beyond description," and the diverse and soulful culture it inspires.

In this provocative new collection of essays, David Shenk expands his enlightened skepticism to include thoughts on the dangers of online journalism, the ethical implications of digital photography, and the misguided hopes for computers in the classroom. Shock-jocks, computerized toys, Microsoft-bashing, and genetic testing are all subject to his incisive and discerning criticism.

Dva hráči, třicet dva figurek, šedesát čtyři polí. A stovky let historie, myšlení a fascinace. Šachy jsou všude kolem nás. Ať už je to šachovnicový vzor, spousta jazykových obratů jako „myslet pár tahů dopředu“ či „patová situace“, samozřejmé spojování šachů a inteligence, nebo rostoucí popularita hry samé — šachy zkrátka představují neoddělitelnou součást západní kultury a společnosti. Během své dlouhé a spletité historie tato ve svých pravidlech jednoduchá, ale o to komplexnější hra stačila ovlivnit filozofii, umění i politiku a dodnes nepřestává fascinovat miliony hráčů po celém světě. Kniha Nesmrtelná hra vypráví její dějiny od počátků ve starověké Persii přes pozoruhodnou cestu středověkou Evropou až po dnešní velmistry zápolící s umělou inteligencí. Je však i příběhem jedné legendární partie z devatenáctého století, označované právě jako Nesmrtelná hra, či destruktivní závislosti, kterou šachy mohou v lidech vyvolat. Nesmrtelná hra je milostným dopisem této hře her i vstupenkou do barvitého a nečekaného světa, který se ukrývá za čtyřiašedesáti políčky. ––– Elegantní, čtivá a výjimečná pozvánka do světa šachů. — The Wall Street Journal Shenkova kniha má oproti jiným publikacím o šachách nespornou výhodu. Můžete být nováček, prostý posunovač figurek, a přesto si autorův vtahující text, upřímnou sebeironii (sám je mizerný hráč) a kouzlo jeho vztahu ke hře vychutnáte. — The Washington Post

En este libro, un musulmn y un cristiano intentarn testificar y escuchar el uno al otro. Los temas que abordarn son profundos. Los autores darn inicio a la conversacin plantendose preguntas bsicas de la condicin humana y confrontarn las similitudes y diferencias en sus respuestas musulmanas y cristianas. In this book a Muslim and a Christian attempt to witness and listen. The issues they deal with are profound. The authors open up the basic questions of the human situation and confront similarities and differences in the Muslim and Christian responses.

Afflicting nearly half of all people over the age of 85, Alzheimer''s disease kills nearly 100,000 Americans a year as it robs them of their memory & wreaks havoc on the lives of their loved ones. This is a scrupulously researched, multilayered analysis of Alzheimer''s & its social, med., & spiritual implications. Presents much more than a detailed explanation of its causes & effects & the search for a cure. Captures the disease''s impact on its victims & their families, & looks back through history, explaining how Alzheimer''s most likely afflicted such figures as Jonathan Swift, Ralph Waldo Emerson, & Willem de Kooning. The result is a searing, powerfully engaging account of Alzheimer''s disease, offering a grim but sympathetic & ultimately encouraging portrait.

Neste livro, David Shenk pretende desenvolver um argumento a favor da capacidade humana de moldar e desenvolver suas próprias habilidades, visando desmistificar a ideia que as pessoas têm acerca de genética, talento e QI. O autor apresenta um apanhado de estudos científicos com o objetivo de mostrar como a habilidade humana é desenvolvida e como os genes interagem com o ambiente para tornar os indivíduos o que são, estando na mão de cada um transformar, por meio do esforço, seu potencial em possíveis realizações.

The lessons in the Bible study course are taken from the book of Exodus and the Psalms.

The lessons in this Bible study course come from the book of Acts.

Many Muslims claim that Christians have changed the Bible. In this book, David Shenk explains, as if speaking to a Muslim, what the Scriptures are and how we can know historically and scientifically that they are the same as originally written.

O xadrez existe há quase 1.500 anos e exerceu um efeito profundo sobre culturas de todo o mundo. O autor mostra nesse livro como o xadrez contribui com as mais diversas áreas – a arte, a guerra, a ciência e até o desenvolvimento do cérebro. Apresenta ainda deliciosas histórias sobre grandes personalidades, como Marcel Duchamp e Benjamin Franklin, e as suas partidas memoráveis. O livro mostra ainda como o jogo ajudou a solucionar conflitos de forma não-violenta e como contribuiu para o desenvolvimento da ciência cognitiva e para o aperfeiçoamento da inteligência artificial.

The Bible study lessons in this book are taken from the Gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.

This Bible study course has six lessons take from the book of Genesis.