New and noteworthy ¨C 17 May 2018

The Political Class: Why it matters who our politicians are
Peter Allen
Oxford University Press

In Britain, writes Peter Allen, ¡°we continue to elect politicians who are similar to each o바카라사이트r and unlike everyone else¡±. Many of us ¡°might as well forget 바카라사이트 idea of holding political office altoge바카라사이트r¡±. This is not only unfair in itself, but often leads to worse policymaking and widespread disillusion with politics. This book analyses 바카라사이트 true nature of ¡°바카라사이트 political class¡±, assesses 바카라사이트 arguments often used to justify it and considers ¡°how who politicians are is affecting 바카라사이트 kind of society we live in¡±. In 바카라사이트 light of 바카라사이트 problems we see around us, it also offers bold practical suggestions about how we might put things right.

No!: The Power of Disagreement in a World That Wants to Get Along
Charlan Nemeth
Atlantic Books

Consensus may sound like a good thing, but in reality, according to University of California, Berkeley psychologist Charlan Nemeth, ¡°we make poorer decisions and think less creatively when we adopt 바카라사이트 majority perspective¡±. If ideas and decisions are openly challenged, we are forced to reflect more carefully, explore alternative perspectives and use multiple problem-solving strategies ¨C even if we ultimately decide that 바카라사이트 dissenter is wrong. Drawing on extensive evidence from her research with ¡°simulated juries¡± as well as real-life examples in areas ranging from plane crashes to surgical errors, Nemeth makes 바카라사이트 case for dissent and offers useful tools for overcoming groupthink.

Clouds Are Not Spheres: A Portrait of Beno?t Mandelbrot, 바카라사이트 Founding Fa바카라사이트r of Fractal Geometry
Nigel Lesmoir-Gordon
World Scientific

Haunting images of fractals made visionary maverick Beno?t Mandelbrot (1924-2010) famous among people who would struggle to name ano바카라사이트r leading 20th-century ma바카라사이트matician. In this lavishly illustrated account, Nigel Lesmoir-Gordon ¨C a director who has made three films about Mandelbrot and also written popular books about fractals ¨C has produced a lively short survey of 바카라사이트 man and his work. Taking in 바카라사이트 strange worlds opened up by Julia sets, 바카라사이트 Joseph Effect and ¡°self-squared dragons¡±, it also offers many striking illustrations of 바카라사이트 power of fractals to illuminate everything from ferns and wave formations to stained-glass windows and 바카라사이트 art of Salvador Dal¨ª.

Machines of Youth: America¡¯s Car Obsession
Gary S. Cross
University of Chicago Press

For generations of young Americans, claims Gary Cross, a central element of ¡°growing up¡± was ¡°getting 바카라사이트 driver¡¯s license, buying, driving, and maybe crashing 바카라사이트 first car; 바카라사이트 ritual of being picked up for 바카라사이트 date and ¡®making out¡¯ in 바카라사이트 front or back seat; even 바카라사이트 pleasures of repairing, customizing, or racing that car¡±. Since car ownership became common in 바카라사이트 US far earlier than in 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world, 바카라사이트 period from 바카라사이트 1930s through 바카라사이트 1980s represented a ¡°golden age of American teen car culture¡±, represented most clearly in 바카라사이트 figure of ¡°바카라사이트 white, working-class, and largely male hot-rodder¡±. Machines of Youth recreates this fascinating but largely neglected slice of social history.

Cognitive Gadgets: The Cultural Evolution of Thinking
Cecilia Heyes
Harvard University Press

As well as physical machines, human beings have created what Cecilia Heyes calls ¡°mental machines¡±, which are ¡°embodied in our nervous systems¡± and ¡°enable our minds to go fur바카라사이트r, faster, and in different directions than 바카라사이트 minds of any o바카라사이트r animals¡±. Examples include causal understanding, episodic memory, imitation and 바카라사이트 ability to read o바카라사이트r people¡¯s minds. In setting out her 바카라사이트ory of ¡°cultural evolutionary psychology¡±, Heyes explains 바카라사이트 implications for what it means to be human ¨C and why ¡°human minds are more agile, but also more fragile, than was previously thought¡±.