Examines the role of the unexpected, discussing why improbable events are not anticipated or understood properly, and how humans rationalize the black swan phenomenon to make it appear less random.

"Over the past century humankind has managed to do the impossible and rein in famine, plague, and war. This may seem hard to accept, but, as Harari explains in his trademark style--thorough, yet riveting--famine, plague and war have been transformed from incomprehensible and uncontrollable forces of nature into manageable challenges. For the first time ever, more people die from eating too much than from eating too little; more people die from old...

It's 1996, and less than half of all American high school students have ever used the Internet. Emma just got her first computer and Josh is her best friend. They power up and log on--and discover themselves on Facebook, fifteen years in the future. Everybody wonders what their destiny will be. Josh and Emma are about to find out.

A brilliant new reading of the economic crisis—and a plan for dealing with the challenge of its aftermath—by one of our most trenchant and informed experts.
When the nation’s economy foundered in 2008, blame was directed almost universally at Wall Street. But Robert B. Reich suggests a different reason for the meltdown, and for a perilous road ahead. He argues that the real problem is structural: it lies in the increasing concentration...

"From a top scientist and the creator of the hugely popular web comic Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal, a hilariously illustrated investigation into future technologies--from how to fling a ship into deep space on the cheap to 3D organ printing. What will the world of tomorrow be like? How does progress happen? And why do we not have a lunar colony already? What is the holdup? In this smart and funny book, celebrated cartoonist Zach Weinersmith and...

"What jobs should be automated? How should our legal systems handle autonomous systems? How likely is the emergence of suprahuman intelligence? A.I. is the future of science, technology, and business--and there is no person better qualified or situated to explore that future than Max Tegmark. What has A.I. brought us? Where will it lead us? The story of A.I. is the story of intelligence--of life processes as they evolve from bacteria (1.0) to humans...

A thriller set in the urban inferno of 1999 Los Angeles. Lenny Nero sells dreams and hustles nightmares available on small disks that are viewable via a compact headpiece that makes every sensation immediate. Nero replays scenes of happier days with Faith Justin, who has run off with sadistic Philo Gant. As he attempts to win Faith back, he hooks up with an old friend, Lornette "Mace" Mason, and the two of them are caught in a deadly fantasy of conspiracy,...

As a deadly storm descends upon Earth, officials scramble to pinpoint the cause. Though global warming is the suspect, scientist Faith Clavell realizes that something else is triggering the extreme weather. She must enter the storm itself to stop it.

"Meet Poco Loco. He's a very unusual ratón. He likes to invent wacky things. When Poco Loco's Waffle Iron-Weather Forecaster predicts mal tiempo, Poco Loco runs to tell his barnyard friends. But it's still sunny out, and the other animals don't believe him. Then a roar of wind whips through their picnic, and Poco Loco and his friends fly up, up, and away. But never fear! Poco Loco will use his wits (and one crazy invention) to save the day!"--P....