Books about Rational from Amazon.com

Ron Paul has always believed that foreign and domestic policy should be conducted according to the same principles Government should be restrained from intervening at home or abroad because its actions fail to achieve their stated aims, create more harm than good, shrink the liberty of the people, and violate rights.Does that proposition seem radical? Outlandish or farflung? Once you hear it stated, it makes perfect sense that there is no sharp distinction between the principles of domestic and foreign policy. They are part of the same analytical fabric. What would be inconsistent would be to favor activist government at home but restraint abroad, or the reverse: restraint at home and activism abroad. Government unleashed behaves in its own interests, and will not restrict itself in any area of life. It must be curbed in all areas of life lest freedom suffer.Ron Paul's singular voice on foreign affairs has done so much to keep the flame of a consistent liberty burning in times when it might otherwise have been extinguished. He has drawn public attention to the ideas of the Founders. He has alerted people to the dangers of empire. He has linked domestic and foreign affairs through libertarian analytics, even when others have been bamboozled by the lies or too intimidated to contradict them.He has told the truth, always. For this, every American, every citizen of the world, is deeply in his debt. We can't but be deeply grateful that Ron Paul's prophetic words have been collected in this book. May it be widely distributed. May its lessons be absorbed by this and future generations.-- Foreword to "A Foreign Policy of Freedom" by Llewellyn H. Rockwell, Jr..
Price: $12.39 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Life sometimes seems illogical Individuals do strange things: take drugs, have unprotected sex, mug each other. Love seems irrational, and so does divorce On a larger scale, life seems no fairer or easier to fathom: Why do some neighborhoods thrive and others become ghettos? Why is racism so persistent? Why is your idiot boss paid a fortune for sitting behind a mahogany altar? Thorny questions–and you might be surprised to hear the answers coming from an economist.

But Tim Harford, award-winning journalist and author of the bestseller The Undercover Economist, likes to spring surprises. In this deftly reasoned book, Harford argues that life is logical after all. Under the surface of everyday insanity, hidden incentives are at work, and Harford shows these incentives emerging in the most unlikely places.

Using tools ranging from animal experiments to supercomputer simulations, an ambitious new breed of economist is trying to unlock the secrets of society. The Logic of Lifeis the first book to map out the astonishing insights and frustrating blind spots of this new economics in a way that anyone can enjoy.

The Logic of Lifepresents an X-ray image of human life, stripping away the surface to show us a picture that is revealing, enthralling, and sometimes disturbing. The stories that emerge are not about data or equations but about people: the athlete who survived a shocking murder attempt, the computer geek who beat the hard-bitten poker pros, the economist who defied Henry Kissinger and faked an invasion of Berlin, the king who tried to buy off a revolution.
Once you’ve read this quotable and addictive book, life will never look the same again.
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Price: $12.75 [Notify me when price goes down.]

The greatest obstacle to sound economic policy is not entrenched special interests or rampant lobbying, but the popular misconceptions, irrational beliefs, and personal biases held by ordinary voters. This is economist Bryan Caplan's sobering assessment in this provocative and eye-opening book. Caplan argues that voters continually elect politicians who either share their biases or else pretend to, resulting in bad policies winning again and again by popular demand.

Boldly calling into question our most basic assumptions about American politics, Caplan contends that democracy fails precisely because it does what voters want. Through an analysis of Americans' voting behavior and opinions on a range of economic issues, he makes the convincing case that noneconomists suffer from four prevailing biases: they underestimate the wisdom of the market mechanism, distrust foreigners, undervalue the benefits of conserving labor, and pessimistically believe the economy is going from bad to worse. Caplan lays out several bold ways to make democratic government work better--for example, urging economic educators to focus on correcting popular misconceptions and recommending that democracies do less and let markets take up the slack.

The Myth of the Rational Voter takes an unflinching look at how people who vote under the influence of false beliefs ultimately end up with government that delivers lousy results. With the upcoming presidential election season drawing nearer, this thought-provoking book is sure to spark a long-overdue reappraisal of our elective system.

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Price: $10.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

More than a philosophy or therapy - and not dependent on spiritual beliefs or psychology - Rational Recovery offers an unprecedented approach to alcoholism, problem drinking, and drug addiction known as the Addictive Voice Recognition Technique, or AVRT. Now, for the first time, the keys to this proven recovery process are available in a practical, user-friendly instructional guide. AVRT is an aggressive self-recovery program that shows you exactly how to take control of your addictive behavior now - and how to recover totally through planned abstinence. Rational Recovery refutes the concept of alcoholism as a disease and brings new hope to those who have been discouraged by traditional approaches to addiction. You will learn that within each substance abuser hides a "Beast" that craves its addiction. By following the simple logic of AVRT and putting into practice what you learn, you can defeat your Beast and remain sober - effortlessly - for the rest of your life..
Price: $3.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

First developed in 1955, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) is the original form of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and one of the most successful psychotherapeutic techniques in the world. Its founder, world-renowned psychologist Albert Ellis, now offers an up-to-date description of the main principles and practices of this innovative and influential therapy. This fascinating look at REBT by its internationally recognised creator will be of inestimable value to professionals and laypersons alike..
Price: $16.30 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Cardinal Christoph Schoenborn's article on evolution and creation in The New York Times launched an international controversy. Critics charged him with biblical literalism and "creationism".

In this book, Cardinal Schoenborn responds to his critics by tackling the hard questions with a carefully reasoned the "theology of creation". Can we still speak intelligently of the world as "creation" and affirm the existence of the Creator, or is God a "delusion"? How should an informed believer read Genesis? If God exists, why is there so much injustice and suffering? Are human beings a part of nature or elevated above it? What is man's destiny? Is everything a matter of chance or can we discern purpose in human existence? In his treatment of evolution, Cardinal Schoenborn distinguishes the biological theory from "evolutionism", the ideology that tries to reduce all of reality to mindless, meaningless processes.

He argues that science and a rationally grounded faith are not at odds and that what many people represent as "science" is really a set of philosophical positions that will not withstand critical scrutiny.

Chance or Purpose? directly raises the philosophical and theological issues many scientists today overlook or ignore. The result is a vigorous, frank dialogue that acknowledges the respective insights of the philosopher, the theologian and the scientist, but which calls on them to listen and to learn from each another..
Price: $10.99 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Don't worry. This is not that book.

Travis Stork, the handsome and charismatic star of The Bachelor: Paris, has chalked up more dating experience than most men could claim in a lifetime As an ER doctor, he's also an expert on the psychological and physiological factors involved in mental and emotional well-being. In Don't Be That Girl, he combines his personal experience and professional expertise to help you demystify the self-defeating behaviors that characterize that girl -- behaviors that unfortunately, even if unintentionally, prevent many women from getting the most from their lives and relationships.

Don't Be That Girl cuts to the heart of what makes a woman cross into that girl territory and the red flags that tip guys off to the possibility that, yikes, they may be dating that girl. So who is that girl, exactly? She defies a simple definition. She may be the chameleon who turns into a completely different person the second a guy walks into the room. She could be the girl with the ironclad agenda that she's held to dearly since her first encounter with Modern Bride (and she'll do anything to make sure her plan materializes). Or she's the consummate "yes" girl who is always going along with his every wish. If she's not saying yes, she might very well be a drama queen who is always saying no because she can't seem to live without conflict. Then again, she might not be dramatic at all, just miserable inside, wearing her anger and bitterness as a badge of honor. In short, she's the girl who's trying fruitlessly to be someone she's not -- who's falling victim to the common pitfalls and patterns that lead to that girl behavior -- rather than believing in herself, following her passions, and maintaining healthy priorities.

But Don't Be That Girl isn't all cautionary tales and bad news. Often, the same traits that make a woman that girl are the traits that, at their core, are her biggest strengths -- if she only knew how to refocus them. By drawing attention to and celebrating these positive attributes, Dr. Stork reveals how to cultivate and take advantage of them in ways that will lead you to the confidence and happiness that you deserve. Whether you are in a relationship, hopelessly searching, or somewhere in between, this book will arm you with practical insights so you will never again have to ask yourself, Is it me or is it him?.
Price: $7.67 [Notify me when price goes down.]

Dr. Geoffrey Simmons focuses on the millions of structures and systems on the Earth that came about all at once, entire...with no preceding links, no subsequent links, no “sideways” links.

To illustrate, he surveys examples like...

• the hummingbird and its circulatory system
• insects and insect–eating plants
• the role of the thousands of species of viruses
• chemical signals and the sensory apparatus that detects them
• the self–regulating capacity of the Earth’s ocean/air/soil system

It’s clear: Nature containsonly leaps, not links. Only the intelligence and purpose of an all–powerful Designer can explain the intricate creatures, connections, and “coincidences” everywhere.

Excellent for students and parents, especially homeschoolers, and for educators who want to present the “full picture.”

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Price: $5.95 [Notify me when price goes down.]