Fully Functioning Human (Almost)

Author: Melanie Murphy
Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland
ISBN: 1473639174
Category : Biography & Autobiography
Languages : en
Pages : 232

Book Description
'I'm just a nitwit girl who's sort of stumbling through life learning that we all have our own roads to walk - but that it's still valuable, and rather lovely, to hear about other people's journeys...' Filled with honesty, wit and wisdom, Fully Functioning Human (Almost) - part memoir, part life guide - will show you the real Melanie Murphy: warm, fun, positive, honest, a girl who's got this whole adult thing down. Almost. Irish YouTuber Melanie Murphy regularly chronicles the ups and downs of her life on her popular channel, discussing topics such as sexuality, skincare, social media and self-esteem. Now, in her first book, she looks with her trademark humour and down-to-earth honesty at the experiences that have shaped her. From learning how to manage her online life, to giving up on the idea of perfection, living with anxiety and the lessons she has learned about relationships, Mel shows us that difficult times can teach us the most about who we are, and by learning to value ourselves, we can overcome whatever life throws at us.

If Only

Author: Melanie Murphy
Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland
ISBN: 1473691788
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 235

Book Description
Erin wants a fresh start. With her thirtieth birthday coming up, she's taken a long hard look at her life (the job she hates, the wedding she just cancelled) and concluded that it's basically a mess. If only she knew where to begin. A trip to her hometown in Ireland to visit her beloved grandmother is a welcome escape from her disappointments. But, there, Erin also finds an unexpected solution to her problems, in the form of a magical family heirloom. No more of the 'what ifs' she's been tormenting herself with -- now all she needs to do is whisper two little words and she'll be able to see for herself what might have been, had she chosen a different path. But as Erin gets caught up in one 'if only' after another, changing her life proves more complicated than expected. And she starts to realise that, by chasing dreams and searching for an easy fix, she might be missing out on what's right in front of her...

The Singularity Is Near

Author: Ray Kurzweil
Publisher: Penguin
ISBN: 1101218886
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 992

Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Celebrated futurist Ray Kurzweil, hailed by Bill Gates as “the best person I know at predicting the future of artificial intelligence,” presents an “elaborate, smart, and persuasive” (The Boston Globe) view of the future course of human development. “Artfully envisions a breathtakingly better world.”—Los Angeles Times “Startling in scope and bravado.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times “An important book.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer At the onset of the twenty-first century, humanity stands on the verge of the most transforming and thrilling period in its history. It will be an era in which the very nature of what it means to be human will be both enriched and challenged as our species breaks the shackles of its genetic legacy and achieves inconceivable heights of intelligence, material progress, and longevity. While the social and philosophical ramifications of these changes will be profound, and the threats they pose considerable, The Singularity Is Near presents a radical and optimistic view of the coming age that is both a dramatic culmination of centuries of technological ingenuity and a genuinely inspiring vision of our ultimate destiny.

Glass Houses

Author: Melanie Murphy
Publisher: Hachette Books Ireland
ISBN: 147369180X
Category : Fiction
Languages : en
Pages : 345

Book Description
'A wonderfully empathetic exploration of human frailties and our capacity to heal ... brutally truthful and beautifully uplifting' Sophie White 'Moving, unexpected and compassionate' Louise O'Neill 'A heartfelt reminder of the importance of connection - to nature, to others, to ourselves' Calum McSwiggan Jenna Walker has suddenly found herself with no job, no boyfriend, nowhere to live - and she's been wondering for a while now if, apart from her beloved cat Bertie, she has anything to live for. The last thing she wants is to turn up on her sister's doorstep, but that feels like her only option... Rosie Walker spends a lot of her time thinking about the life she used to have. These days she's stretched too thin, and she's not sure she can cope with taking care of another person. If only one thing in her life would work out the way she wants it to... David is Rosie's next-door neighbour. A retired doctor, he has had a big idea, one inspired by his late wife June: a community garden project for those who are struggling. The sisters reluctantly agree to take part, even though they're sure it'll be a waste of time. How could fixing up an overgrown plot of land make anyone's life better? But as the group works together to bring the garden back to life, new friendships blossom and old wounds start to heal. And Jenna and Rosie come to realise that the world around them might have more to offer than they had once believed. From the author of bestseller If Only, Glass Houses is a heartfelt, uplifting novel about family, growth, friendship and hope. 'Evocative, emotional and visceral' Briana Morgan

The Body

Author: Bill Bryson
Publisher: Anchor
ISBN: 0385539312
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 490

Book Description
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • A must-read owner’s manual for every body. Take a head-to-toe tour of the marvel that is the human body in this “delightful, anecdote-propelled read” (The Boston Globe) from the author of A Short History of Nearly Everything. With a new Afterword. “You will marvel at the brilliance and vast weirdness of your design." —The Washington Post Bill Bryson once again proves himself to be an incomparable companion as he guides us through the human body—how it functions, its remarkable ability to heal itself, and (unfortunately) the ways it can fail. Full of extraordinary facts (your body made a million red blood cells since you started reading this) and irresistible Brysonesque anecdotes, The Body will lead you to a deeper understanding of the miracle that is life in general and you in particular. As Bill Bryson writes, “We pass our existence within this wobble of flesh and yet take it almost entirely for granted.” The Body will cure that indifference with generous doses of wondrous, compulsively readable facts and information. As addictive as it is comprehensive, this is Bryson at his very best.

The Key to (Almost) Everything

Author: James Wright
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
ISBN: 1538124599
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 353

Book Description
The Key to (Almost) Everything is an engaging, contemporary and concise approach to sociology written for adults, students and just about anybody who could profit from knowing about the discipline of sociology. It is expertly written by an author drawing on 40 years of teaching on the fundamental social structures and processes characteristic of human societies. Each of the book’s chapters is modeled on the courses found in the sociology curriculum. These chapters are not course or lecture notes, rather they are engaging lessons on topics such as political sociology, urban sociology, religion in sociology, crime and guns, poverty, the American family, public opinion, wealth and power.

Consciousness Beyond Life

Author: Pim van Lommel
Publisher: Harper Collins
ISBN: 0061777269
Category : Body, Mind & Spirit
Languages : en
Pages : 450

Book Description
As a cardiologist, Pim van Lommel was struck by the number of his patients who claimed to have near-death experiences as a result of their heart attacks. As a scientist, this was difficult for him to accept: Wouldn't it be scientifically irresponsible of him to ignore the evidence of these stories? Faced with this dilemma, van Lommel decided to design a research study to investigate the phenomenon under the controlled environment of a cluster of hospitals with a medically trained staff. For more than twenty years van Lommel systematically studied such near-death experiences in a wide variety of hospital patients who survived a cardiac arrest. In 2001, he and his fellow researchers published his study on near-death experiences in the renowned medical journal The Lancet. The article caused an international sensation as it was the first scientifically rigorous study of this phenomenon. Now available for the first time in English, van Lommel offers an in-depth presentation of his results and theories in this book that has already sold over 125,000 copies in Europe. Van Lommel provides scientific evidence that the near-death phenomenon is an authentic experience that cannot be attributed to imagination, psychosis, or oxygen deprivation. He further reveals that after such a profound experience, most patients' personalities undergo a permanent change. In van Lommel's opinion, the current views on the relationship between the brain and consciousness held by most physicians, philosophers, and psychologists are too narrow for a proper understanding of the phenomenon. In Consciousness Beyond Life, van Lommel shows that our consciousness does not always coincide with brain functions and that, remarkably and significantly, consciousness can even be experienced separate from the body.

Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (NIRS) in Functional Research of Prefrontal Cortex

Author: Nobuo Masataka
Publisher: Frontiers Media SA
ISBN: 2889199444
Category : Neurosciences. Biological psychiatry. Neuropsychiatry
Languages : en
Pages : 195

Book Description
This e-book includes the latest outcomes produced by a broad range of fNIRS research with activation of prefrontal cortex, from methodological one to clinical one, providing a forum for scientists planning functional studies of prefrontal brain activation. Reading this book, one will find the possibility that fNIRS could replace fMRI in the near future, and realize that even our aesthetic feeling is measurable. This will serve as a reference repository of knowledge from these fields as well as a conduit of information from leading researchers. In addition it offers an extensive cross-referencing system that will facilitate search and retrieval of information about NIRS measurements in activation studies. Researchers interested in fNIRS would benefit from an overview about its potential utilities for future research directions.

Discovering the Brain

Author: National Academy of Sciences
Publisher: National Academies Press
ISBN: 0309045290
Category : Medical
Languages : en
Pages : 195

Book Description
The brain ... There is no other part of the human anatomy that is so intriguing. How does it develop and function and why does it sometimes, tragically, degenerate? The answers are complex. In Discovering the Brain, science writer Sandra Ackerman cuts through the complexity to bring this vital topic to the public. The 1990s were declared the "Decade of the Brain" by former President Bush, and the neuroscience community responded with a host of new investigations and conferences. Discovering the Brain is based on the Institute of Medicine conference, Decade of the Brain: Frontiers in Neuroscience and Brain Research. Discovering the Brain is a "field guide" to the brainâ€"an easy-to-read discussion of the brain's physical structure and where functions such as language and music appreciation lie. Ackerman examines: How electrical and chemical signals are conveyed in the brain. The mechanisms by which we see, hear, think, and pay attentionâ€"and how a "gut feeling" actually originates in the brain. Learning and memory retention, including parallels to computer memory and what they might tell us about our own mental capacity. Development of the brain throughout the life span, with a look at the aging brain. Ackerman provides an enlightening chapter on the connection between the brain's physical condition and various mental disorders and notes what progress can realistically be made toward the prevention and treatment of stroke and other ailments. Finally, she explores the potential for major advances during the "Decade of the Brain," with a look at medical imaging techniquesâ€"what various technologies can and cannot tell usâ€"and how the public and private sectors can contribute to continued advances in neuroscience. This highly readable volume will provide the public and policymakersâ€"and many scientists as wellâ€"with a helpful guide to understanding the many discoveries that are sure to be announced throughout the "Decade of the Brain."

I'm With The Band: Meet Me Halfway

Author: Corri Lee
Publisher: Lulu.com
ISBN: 1291214801
Category : Self-Help
Languages : en
Pages : 204

Book Description
'No boyfriends, no groupies'- that is the standing NBNG rule for Amelia Marsh, the hostile and insular front-man of the internationally renowned alternative rock band 'The Bystander Effect'. Four simple coping strategies have pulled her through five years of tours and eight years of life without having to let her stage face slip and in her mind, she is happy. But like any tightly wound twenty-two year old, you can count on a man to screw it up. Their eyes meet over the university library at an opportune moment and he sees past the arctic cold front to the fragile child that she seeks so desperately to protect. Truths are told in a scorching hot tale of trust sought through lust and love won through tolerance and blissful ignorance. What man wouldn't salivate at the notion of spending weeks in the close company of the band he idolises and his 'dream woman'? Oh, that would be CJ. He has no idea who they are. What a moron.