What motivates us at work? 7 fascinating studies that give insights “When we think about how people work, the naïve intuition we have is that people are like rats in a maze,” says behavioral economist Dan Ariely in today’s talk, given at TEDxRiodelaPlata. “We really have this incredibly simplistic view of why people work and what the labor market looks like.” Dan Ariely: What makes us feel good about our work?When you look carefully at the way people work, he says, you find out there’s a lot more at play—and a lot more at stake—than money. In his talk, Ariely provides evidence that we are also driven by meaningful work, by others’ acknowledgement and by the amount of effort we’ve put in: the harder the task is, the prouder we are. During the Industrial Revolution, Ariely points out, Adam Smith’s efficiency-oriented, assembly-line approach made sense. To hear more on Ariely’s thoughts about what makes people more productive – and happier – at work, watch this fascinating talk. What have you noticed makes you work harder – and better?
100 Exquisite Adjectives By Mark Nichol Adjectives — descriptive words that modify nouns — often come under fire for their cluttering quality, but often it’s quality, not quantity, that is the issue. Plenty of tired adjectives are available to spoil a good sentence, but when you find just the right word for the job, enrichment ensues. Practice precision when you select words. Subscribe to Receive our Articles and Exercises via Email You will improve your English in only 5 minutes per day, guaranteed! 21 Responses to “100 Exquisite Adjectives” Rebecca Fantastic list! 10 Most Beautiful Villages in Europe From the Alps to the Mediterranean, these frozen-in-time European villages will make you appreciate the beauty of taking it slow. Reaching some of these European beauties requires extra effort, yet the rewards are dazzling. Your eyes will thank you. Hallstatt, Austria The storybook town of Hallstatt in central Austria enjoys a gorgeous setting on the bank of the Hallstätter See, between the pristine lake and a lush mountain that rises dramatically from the water’s edge. Manarola, Italy Manarola is a small town, a frazione of the comune (municipality) of Riomaggiore, in the province of La Spezia, Liguria, northern Italy. Image Source Bibury, England The hilly Cotswold region is a designated “Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty” in southwestern England, and one of its loveliest villages is Bibury, where verdant meadows abut ancient stone cottages with steep pitched roofs. Image Source Colmar, France Image Source Reine, Norway Image Source Pučiśća, Croatia Image Source Telč, Czech Republic Image Source
Enjoy The Moment A List of Books | 623 of the Best Books ever Written The Amazing History Of The To-Do List--And How To Make One That Actually Works When I was a kid, I read a book called The Listmaker. It’s about a young girl who uses lists to organize and make sense of her life. At the time I didn’t read any more into it besides the fact that this was an odd hobby for a pre-teen girl to spend so much time on. Now, although I don’t remember the book that well, I do see much more significance in the humble list—especially after researching where they come from and why we make lists. As I researched this post I realised how hard it is to pinpoint the origin of something as simple and widespread as the list (to-do or otherwise), but I did find out some interesting stories about how lists have been used in the past and why we find them useful in everyday life. Why do we make lists as humans in the first place? Philosopher and novelist Umberto Eco is a big fan of lists and has some fascinating ideas about why they’re so important to humans: The list is the origin of culture. When we struggle to express ourselves, we use lists. 1. 2. 3. 4.
UT College of Liberal Arts We polled some of our WGS Affilliate Faculty to find out what readings they would like beginning Women's and Gender Studies MA students to know about. We've linked to the articles below. To purchase the books below check out Book Woman, Texas' only remaining feminist book store; Monkey Wrench Books, an all volunteer, collectively-run radical bookstore; or Resistencia, a local bookstore rooted in the Chicano movement and supporting racial justice. Top Six Authors: Author: Patricia Hill Collins Article: "Reflections on the Outsider Within." Recommended by: Gloria González-López, Sociology Book: Black Feminist Thought: Knowledge, Consciousness and the Politics of Empowerment. Recommended by: Gloria González-López, Sociology; Christine Williams, Sociology; Sharmila Rudrappa, Sociology; and Kamala Visweswaran, Anthropology Author: Chandra Mohanty Article: "Under Western Eyes: Feminist Scholarship and Colonial Discourses." Book: Feminism Without Borders: Decolonizing Theory, Practicing Solidarity.
6 Powerful Communication Tips From Some Of The World's Best Interviewers Everyone knows that particular feeling of dread that accompanies a lull in conversation at a party, networking event, or even a job interview. You’ve already covered the usual small talk and then, oof, you hit a dead end. What now? Even the most extroverted among us know that being a good conversationalist doesn’t always come easy—but there are some experts who have had more practice than the rest of us. Writers, journalists and others who interview sources regularly have developed tried and true techniques that help them connect deeply with people. Not only can interviews with thought leaders in your field provide a great source of content for your blog or website, the skills honed while interviewing are useful in many types of communication. For instance, Terry Gross—known for her inviting style on the radio program Fresh Air—admits she wasn’t always so comfortable communicating. 1. If you can do so in advance, research the person or people with whom you’ll be speaking. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.
10 Essential Books for Book Nerds What makes a book nerd? Reading a lot of books — and liking to talk about said books — is a major requirement, of course, but there’s often something a little more nebulous involved: book nerds are the kinds of people who get a little thrill when walking into a bookstore, who press volumes into their friends’ hands with serious promises of life changing moments, who are fascinated by following the many tangled threads through authors and literature, happily wandering wherever they might lead. Robin Sloan’s recently published Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore is a book for such people — if you can’t already tell from the title. If you count yourself among them (or are looking for a gift for the same), we’ve put together a list of books you might want to consider taking a look at. Mr. Man, is this book fun — especially for any book nerd who isn’t in denial about living in the modern age.
The 7 Secrets To An Eye-Catching, Gig-Nabbing Cover Letter "It is not uncommon for me to get 100 applications for one spot, so I'm constantly looking for reasons not to advance a candidate to the interview round," writes Slate editor Katherine Goldstein. "Writing a good cover letter is your best shot at getting noticed. If I hate a cover letter, I won’t even look at the résumé." That noticeability, Goldstein says, depends on demonstrating that you know the organization and that you are the perfect fit and then distilling that detailed argument into a cordial few words. It goes like this: 1. "People typically write themselves into the letter with ‘I’m applying for X job that I saw in Y place.’" The better move is to let the cat out of the bag. I'm an environmental fundraising professional with more than 15 years of experience and I’d love to bring my expertise and enthusiasm to your growing development team. A much stronger open than saying you saw the listing on LinkedIn. 2. 3. Friends hire their friends. 4. 5. 6. 7. Hat tip: HBR
56 Books to Read if You Love Harry Potter by First Mate Keira If you haven't yet read the Harry Potter Series you should. All 7 books are out. These are the companion books to Harry Potter: Get the Complete Harry Potter 8-Film Collection You should check out these trilogies and series. Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan: A boy with ADD and dyslexia finds out his handicaps are in fact signs of his powers. . 6. New Series based on Percy Jackson: The Heroes of Olympus is currently comprised of 3 books: Artemis Fowl Series by Eoin Colfer: A boy genius is a criminal mastermind and the greatest recent enemy of fairies worldwide. 18. is the companion novel to the series. Twilight Saga by Stephenie Meyer: A girl discovers a boy in her class is a vampire and it's love at first smell... er sight. 23. Septimus Heap Series by Angie Sage: A boy soldier finds out he has magical abilities and is considered by one and all to be one of most magical beings around as the 7th son of a 7th son. 30. Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins: , and 5. . 56.
Goals for 2014