Heuristics: The Foundations of Adaptive Behavior

Andy J. Merolla (Author)

The Social Biome: How Everyday Communication Connects and Shapes Us

9, A deep dive into the importance of daily communication and how we can harness its power to create a better life We spend much of our waking lives communicating with others. How does each moment of interaction shape not only our relationships but also our worldviews? And how can we create moments of connection that improve our health and well-being, particularly in a world in which people are feeling increasingly isolated? Drawing from their extensive research, Andy J. Merolla and Jeffrey A. Hall establish a new way to think about our relational life: as existing within "social biomes"--complex ecosystems of moments of interaction with others. Each interaction we have, no matter how unimportant or mundane it might seem, is a building block of our identities and beliefs. Consequently, the choices we make about how we interact and who we interact with--and whether we interact at all--matter more than we might know. Merolla and Hall offer a sympathetic, practical guide to our vital yet complicated social lives and propose realistic ways to embrace and enhance connection and hope.

Ellen Vora (Author)

The Anatomy of Anxiety: Understanding and Overcoming the Body's Fear Response

5,From acclaimed psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Vora comes a groundbreaking understanding of how anxiety manifests in the body and mind--and what we can do to overcome it.Anxiety affects more than forty million Americans--a number that continues to climb in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. While conventional medicine tends to view anxiety as a "neck-up" problem--that is, one of brain chemistry and psychology--the truth is that the origins of anxiety are rooted in the body.In The Anatomy of Anxiety, holistic psychiatrist Dr. Ellen Vora offers nothing less than a paradigm shift in our understanding of anxiety and mental health, suggesting that anxiety is not simply a brain disorder but a whole-body condition. In her clinical work, Dr. Vora has found time and again that the symptoms of anxiety can often be traced to imbalances in the body. The emotional and physical discomfort we experience--sleeplessness, brain fog, stomach pain, jitters--is a result of the body's stress response. This physiological state can be triggered by challenging experiences as well as seemingly innocuous factors, such as diet and use of technology.The good news is that this body-based anxiety, or, as Dr. Vora terms ...

Crystal C. Hall (Author)

Antiracist by Design: Reimagining Applied Behavioral Science

6,How to confront the challenge of creating antiracist behavioral design--and how to successfully implement the solutions. Behavioral science has been celebrated as a field whose insights can design a better world, but its color-blind approach has perpetuated unjust systems. With over three decades of collective experience at the forefront of applied behavioral science, authors Hall and Hernandez expose the consequences of this failure and the dangers of inaction. While our hesitancy is understandable--applied behavioral science alone won't dismantle structural racism--we've confused limitations with powerlessness. This book provides a call to action. Antiracist By Design provides the tools and a roadmap to an antiracist approach to applied behavioral science, including a step-by-step guide to reimagined behavioral design processes, "fan fiction" with antiracist makeovers to classic studies, and a revised behavioral map template that prompts users to consider systemic barriers. Written for anyone who wants to make the world a more just place, Hall and Hernandez use scholarly research alongside accessible stories (from Mozart and Chris Rock to the TV show Insecure) to illuminate ...