"Can reading a book make you more rational? Can it explain why there seems to be so much irrationality in the world, including, let's be honest, in each of us? These are the goals of Steven Pinker's follow-up to Enlightenment Now (Bill Gates's "new favorite book of all time"). Humans today are often portrayed as cavemen out of time, poised to react to a lion in the grass with a suite of biases, blind spots, fallacies, and illusions. But this, Pinker a cognitive scientist and rational optimist argues, cannot be the whole picture. Hunter-gatherers--our ancestors and contemporaries--are not nervous rabbits but cerebral problem-solvers. A list of the ways in which we are stupid cannot explain how we're so smart: how we discovered the laws of nature, transformed the planet, and lengthened and enriched our lives. Indeed, if humans were fundamentally irrational, how did they discover the benchmarks for rationality against which humans fall short? The topic could not be more timely. In the 21st century, humanity is reaching new heights of scientific understanding--and at the same time appears to be losing its mind. How can a species that sequenced the genome and detected the Big Bang produce so much fake news, quack cures, conspiracy theories, and "post-truth" rhetoric? A big part of Rationality is to explain these tools--to inspire an intuitive understanding of the benchmarks of rationality, so you can understand the basics of logic, critical thinking, probability, correlation and causation, the optimal ways to adjust our beliefs and commit to decisions with uncertain evidence, and the yardsticks for making rational choices alone and with others. Rationality matters. As the world reels from foolish choices made in the past and dreads a future that may be shaped by senseless choices in the present, rationality may be the most important asset that citizens and influencers command. Steven Pinker, the great defender of human progress, having documented how the world is not falling apart, now shows how we can enhance rationality in our lives and in the public sphere. Rationality is the perfect toolkit to seize our own fates"--

"Everyone has an inner nerd just waiting to be awakened by the right passion. In Everything All at Once, Bill Nye will help you find yours. With his call to arms, he wants you to examine every detail of the most difficult problems that look unsolvable--that is, until you find the solution. Bill shows you how to develop critical thinking skills and create change, using his "everything all at once" approach that leaves no stone unturned"--www.amazon.com

Presents articles for both sides of the questions: Why is the Middle East a conflict area? Are Palestinians treated justly? What role should the U.S. play in the Middle East? How does religion affect the Middle East?

"When asked simple questions about global trends--what percentage of the world's population live in poverty; why the world's population is increasing; how many girls finish school -- we systematically get the answers wrong. So wrong that a chimpanzee choosing answers at random will consistently outguess teachers, journalists, Nobel laureates, and investment bankers. Professor and TED presenter Hans Rosling, together with his two long-time collaborators, Anna and Ola, offers a radical explanation of why this happens. They reveal the ten instincts that distort our perspective, from our tendency to divide the world into two camps (usually some version of us and them) to the way we consume media (where fear rules) to how we perceive progress (believing that most things are getting worse). Our problem is that we don't know what we don't know, and even our guesses are informed by unconscious and predictable biases. It turns out that the world, for all its imperfections, is in a much better state than we might think. That doesn't mean there aren't real concerns. But when we worry about everything all the time instead of embracing a worldview based on facts, we can lose our ability to focus on the things that threaten us most."--

"What would you say if I told you that looking at abstract paintings could give you the confidence you need to speak up in class? Or that learning the history of donuts could help you think like a super spy and train like the CIA? smART teaches readers how to think critically and creatively, a skill that only requires you to open your eyes and actively engage your brain. This young reader's adaptation is based on VISUAL INTELLIGENCE by Amy E. Herman"--

"A guide for parents to help children of all ages process the onslaught of unfiltered information in the digital age". Education is not solely about acquiring information and skills across subject areas, but also about understanding how and why we believe what we do. At a time when online media has created a virtual firehose of information and opinions, parents and teachers worry how students will interpret what they read and see. Amid the noise, it has become increasingly important to examine different perspectives with both curiosity and discernment. But how do parents teach these skills to their children? Drawing on more than twenty years' experience homeschooling and developing curricula, Julie Bogart offers practical tools to help children at every stage of development to grow in their ability to explore the world around them, examine how their loyalties and biases affect their beliefs, and generate fresh insight rather than simply recycling what they've been taught. Full of accessible stories and activities for children of all ages, Raising Critical Thinkers helps parents to nurture passionate learners with thoughtful minds and empathetic hearts.

"A world of adventure opens up for kids as they travel back in time to discover and learn with prehistoric friends. Learn about dinosaurs and prehistoric times; Improve hand-eye coordination; Strengthen critical thinking and memory skills; Read along with interactive stories."--

"Kids will learn about the world through science, technology, engineering, art, and math. This pack includes apps that have won industry awards including Children's Technology Review: Editor's Choice, National STEM Video Game Design Competition, and Parents' Choice."--

"Kids will build, create, and be amazed with puzzles and games that strengthen critical thinking, math, engineering, and creativity. Perfect for keeping kids learning all summer long"--

"Kids will develop an understanding of biology, history, robotics, and more as they work through these learning games, puzzles, and challenges focused on science, technology, engineering, art and math. This SuperPack contains 2X as many apps as the standard Launchpad; Explore living species from bugs to elephants; Discover the prehistoric world of dinosaurs; Develop creativity."--

"Reinforces both subtraction and reading skills, stimulates critical thinking, and provides students with an understanding of math in the real world"--Provided by publisher.