Engineers of the Soul

Author: Frank Westerman
Publisher: Abrams
ISBN: 1468305336
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 219

Book Description
A “fascinating” account of how Gorky, Pasternak, and other great writers were coerced to create propaganda for Stalin (Cleveland Plain Dealer). Sunday Times Best Travel Book of the Year In the Soviet Union, writers of renown, described by Stalin as “engineers of the soul,” were encouraged to sing the praises of canal and dam construction under titles such as Energy: The Hydraulic Power Station and Onward, Time! But their enthusiasm—spontaneous and idealistic at first—soon became obligatory, and as these colossal waterworks led to slavery and destruction, Soviet writers such as Maxim Gorky, Isaak Babel, Konstantin Paustovsky, and Boris Pasternak were forced to labor on in the service of a deluded totalitarian society. Combining investigative journalism with literary history, Engineers of the Soul is a journey through contemporary Russia and Soviet-era literature. Frank Westerman, a correspondent living in post-Communist Moscow, examines both the culture landscape under Stalin’s rule and the books—and lives—of writers caught in the wheels of the Soviet system as art and reality were bent to radically new purposes. “Engagingly written and extensively researched, the book covers compelling historical and literary ground.” —Financial Times “A detailed and enthralling account of his journey through Soviet literature including discovering the revolution’s best kept secrets while trying to appreciate the talented writers who created a web of deceit in the name of success.” —Publishers Weekly “A literary travelogue revealing a remarkable geography and a strange, fraught alliance when the pen was not as mighty as the hammer and sickle of the Soviet Union . . . insightful.” —Kirkus Reviews

The Engineer of Human Souls

Author: Josef Škvorecký
Publisher: Dalkey Archive Press
ISBN: 9781564781994
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 596

Book Description
"So entertaining that it would be dangerous to read it without laughing aloud." Los Angeles Times Book Review

The Soul of A New Machine

Author: Tracy Kidder
Publisher: Back Bay Books
ISBN: 0316204552
Category : Computers
Languages : en
Pages : 222

Book Description
Tracy Kidder's "riveting" (Washington Post) story of one company's efforts to bring a new microcomputer to market won both the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award and has become essential reading for understanding the history of the American tech industry. Computers have changed since 1981, when The Soul of a New Machine first examined the culture of the computer revolution. What has not changed is the feverish pace of the high-tech industry, the go-for-broke approach to business that has caused so many computer companies to win big (or go belly up), and the cult of pursuing mind-bending technological innovations. The Soul of a New Machine is an essential chapter in the history of the machine that revolutionized the world in the twentieth century. "Fascinating...A surprisingly gripping account of people at work." --Wall Street Journal

Solve for Happy

Author: Mo Gawdat
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1501157590
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 368

Book Description
In this “powerful personal story woven with a rich analysis of what we all seek” (Sergey Brin, cofounder of Google), Mo Gawdat, Chief Business Officer at Google’s [X], applies his superior logic and problem solving skills to understand how the brain processes joy and sadness—and then he solves for happy. In 2001 Mo Gawdat realized that despite his incredible success, he was desperately unhappy. A lifelong learner, he attacked the problem as an engineer would: examining all the provable facts and scrupulously applying logic. Eventually, his countless hours of research and science proved successful, and he discovered the equation for permanent happiness. Thirteen years later, Mo’s algorithm would be put to the ultimate test. After the sudden death of his son, Ali, Mo and his family turned to his equation—and it saved them from despair. In dealing with the horrible loss, Mo found his mission: he would pull off the type of “moonshot” goal that he and his colleagues were always aiming for—he would share his equation with the world and help as many people as possible become happier. In Solve for Happy Mo questions some of the most fundamental aspects of our existence, shares the underlying reasons for suffering, and plots out a step-by-step process for achieving lifelong happiness and enduring contentment. He shows us how to view life through a clear lens, teaching us how to dispel the illusions that cloud our thinking; overcome the brain’s blind spots; and embrace five ultimate truths. No matter what obstacles we face, what burdens we bear, what trials we’ve experienced, we can all be content with our present situation and optimistic about the future.

Out of Mao's Shadow

Author: Philip P. Pan
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1416537058
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 371

Book Description
An inside analysis of modern cultural and political upheavals in China by a fluent Beijing correspondent describes the power struggles currently taking place between the party elite and supporters of democracy, the outcome of which the author predicts will significantly affect China's rise to a world super-power. 125,000 first printing.

Quarterly Essay 39 Power Shift

Author: Hugh White
Publisher: Black Inc.
ISBN: 1921825669
Category : Political Science
Languages : en
Pages : 110

Book Description
In Power Shift, Hugh White considers Australia’s future between Beijing and Washington. As the power balance shifts, and China’s infl uence grows, what might this mean for our nation? Throughout our history, we have counted fi rst on British then on American primacy in Asia. Now the rise of China as an economic powerhouse challenges US dominance and raises questions for Australia that go well beyond diplomacy and trade – questions about our place in the world, our loyalties and our long-term security. Will China replace the US as regional leader? If so, we will be dealing with an undemocratic and vastly more powerful nation. Will China wield its power differently from the US? If so, should we continue to support America and so divide Asia between our biggest ally and our biggest trading partner? How to defi ne the national interest in the Asian century? This visionary essay considers the shape of the world to come and the implications for Australia as it seeks to carve out a place in the new world order. “This year China overtook Japan to become the world’s second-biggest economy. It is already bigger, relative to the US, than the Soviet Union ever was during the Cold War. A Chinese challenge to American power in Asia is no longer a future possibility but a current reality. Few issues are more important to Australia’s future than how this plays out. You would not know it to listen to our leaders.” —Hugh White, Power Shift

China's Civilian Army

Author: Peter Martin
Publisher: Oxford University Press
ISBN: 0197513700
Category : HISTORY
Languages : en
Pages : 321

Book Description
The founder -- Shadow diplomacy -- War by other means -- Chasing respectability -- Between truth and lies -- Diplomacy in retreat -- Selective integration -- Rethinking capitalism -- The fightback -- Ambition realized -- Overreach.

An American Engineer in Stalin's Russia

Author: Zara Witkin
Publisher: Univ of California Press
ISBN: 0520351088
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 444

Book Description
In 1932 Zara Witkin, a prominent American engineer, set off for the Soviet Union with two goals: to help build a society more just and rational than the bankrupt capitalist system at home, and to seek out the beautiful film star Emma Tsesarskaia. His memoirs offer a detailed view of Stalin's bureaucracy—entrenched planners who snubbed new methods; construction bosses whose cover-ups led to terrible disasters; engineers who plagiarized Witkin's work; workers whose pride was defeated. Punctuating this document is the tale of Witkin's passion for Tsesarskaia and the record of his friendships with journalist Eugene Lyons, planner Ernst May, and others. Witkin felt beaten in the end by the lethargy and corruption choking the greatest social experiment in history, and by a pervasive evil—the suppression of human rights and dignity by a relentless dictatorship. Finally breaking his spirit was the dissolution of his romance with Emma, his "Dark Goddess." In his lively introduction, Michael Gelb provides the historical context of Witkin's experience, details of his personal life, and insights offered by Emma Tsesarskaia in an interview in 1989.

An Engineer's Guide to the Spirit World

Author: John Roncz
Publisher: CreateSpace
ISBN: 9781478221944
Category :
Languages : en
Pages : 196

Book Description
Nobody knows how the universe works, but that's what intrigues John Roncz. He's a medium. But he's also an aeronautical engineer. While communicating with someone who no longer has a physical body, he's analyzing how he's getting the information. With every reading, he learns more about the spirit world. In this book, he shares what he learned.

Spiritual Engineering

Author: Thomas J. Strawser
Publisher: Tate Publishing & Enterprises
ISBN: 9781630632762
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Book Description
I had hurt long enough. I picked up the .357 and jammed the barrel deep in my mouth, feeling the front sight digging into flesh and drawing blood. I knew that this would make an exit hole the size of my fist. I pulled slack out of the trigger. Then, just before the hammer fell, a thought flashed through the alcohol haze and pain like a laser piercing smoke: "Wait a minute. You can always do this later if things don't get better. You can use science to find answers on how to be happy." From that despair, the author now enjoys a fantastic life with solutions that work for all problems life presents. The transformation is due to Spiritual Engineering, a simple process that gives anyone the opportunity to: Achieve self acceptance and healthy self-love Release the past Build extraordinary relationships Avoid anger, worry, anxiety and resentments Live with peace and happiness