TED – serie

Part of the TED series: Judge This!First impressions are everything. They dictate whether something stands out, how we engage with it, whether we buy it, and how strongly we feel. This is especially true when it comes to design. And design is all around us, secretly shaping our world in ways we rarely recognise. Except if you yourself are a designer, like Chip Kidd. In Judge This, the reader travels through a day in the life of renowned designer Chip Kidd as he takes in first impressions of all kinds. We follow this visual journey with Kidd as he encounters and engages with everyday design, breaking down the good, the bad, the absurd and the brilliant as only a designer can. From the design of the paper you read in the morning to the subway ticket machine to the books you browse to the smartphone you use to the packaging for the chocolate bar you buy as an afternoon treat, Kidd will reveal the hidden secrets behind each of the design choices, with a healthy dose of humour, expertise and, of course, judgment as he goes.Kidd's observations on the power of first impressions resonate well beyond the objects he's examining. The simple (and often hilarious) wisdom he offers holds meaning for anyone in business, who needs to make a first impression on colleagues or customers. His visual tour of the world around him will hold and interest anyone with a sense of curiosity about popular culture, design and New York.

Part of the TED series: The Boiling River This fantastical tale - which sent scores of Spanish conquistadores to their death during the great age of discovery - paints an intoxicating image of shamans and spells, forest-dwelling creatures and a river so hot it can boil your tea - or cook you alive. Ruzo relays the thrill of scientific discovery, the challenge of ecological conservation and the exuberant knowledge that natural wonders still holds many secrets. Ruzo's underlying message is one that will resonate deeply with readers around the world. He makes the compelling case that there are still extraordinary natural wonders to be discovered, but the chance of finding them is in jeopardy if we don't actively protect the environment. A National Geographic Young Explorer, Ruzo's fresh and exciting voice brings to life the Peruvian legend of the river, deep in the Amazon, that boils as if a fire burns below. The story haunted Ruzo throughout his childhood; until twenty years on, Ruzo - now a geologist - heard his aunt mention visiting this strange and mysterious river. Determined to prove it a legend, Ruzo set out on a journey deep, the results of which would astound him and lead him to a new obsession, discovering the secret behind this boiling river. Ultimately, The Boiling River is more than a quest for scientific discovery - it's the journey of a young man trying to understand his moral obligation to protect a sacred site from misuse, neglect, and even from his own discovery.

Part of the TED series: When Strangers MeetOur lives are increasingly insular. We are in a hurry, our heads are down, minds elsewhere, we hear only the voices we already recognize and rarely take the effort to experience something or someone new. When Strangers Meet argues for the pleasures and transformative possibilities of talking to people you don’t know. Talking to a stranger pulls you into a shared humanity, it’s a source of creative energy, it opens your world, it cements your relationship to the places you live and work and play, it’s a beautiful interruption in the steady routines of our lives. Talking to strangers wakes you up.But who is a stranger? Many of us have a deep-seated belief that strangers are dangerous. That idea cripples us and prevents us from connecting with the wider world. Exploring the rich meanings that are conjured up in these experiences of fleeting intimacy, Stark renders visible the hidden processes by which we decide who to trust in passing, and the unwritten rules by which these encounters operate. When Strangers Meet teaches readers how to start talking to strangers, and includes adventurous challenges for those who dare.

Part of the TED series: The Art of Stillness In this age of constant movement and connectedness, when so many of us are all over the place, perhaps staying in one place - and locating everything we need for peace and happiness there - is a more exciting prospect, and a greater necessity than ever before.Through his extensive interviews with creative geniuses of our day, as well as historical records and his own life experience, acclaimed author Pico Iyer paints a picture of why so many have found such richness in stillness and how - from Marcel Proust to Blaise Pascal to Phillipe Starck - they've gathered such rare and exhilarating fruits there. He explores the counter-intuitive truth: the more ways we have to connect, the more many of us seem desperate to unplug.In both The Art of Stillnessand his captivating TEDTALK Where is Home?, Iyer reflects that this is perhaps the reason why more and more people - even those with no religious commitment - seem to be turning to yoga, or meditation, or tai chi. These aren't New Age fads so much as ways to connect with what could be called the wisdom of an earlier age. There is even a growing trend toward observing an "Internet sabbath" every week, turning off online connections from Friday night to Monday morning, so as to try to revive those ancient customs known as family meals and conversation.

Part of the TED series: How We'll Live on MarsIt sounds like science fiction, but award-winning journalist Stephen Petranek considers it fact: within 20 years, humans will live on Mars. We'll need to. In this sweeping, provocative book that mixes business, science and human reporting, Petranek makes the case that living on Mars is an essential back-up plan for humanity, and explains in fascinating detail just how it will happen.It's clear that the race is on. Private companies (driven by iconoclastic entrepreneurs like Elon Musk and Sir Richard Branson); Dutch reality show/space mission Mars One; NASA and the Chinese government are among the many groups competing to plant the first stake on Mars and open the door for human habitation. For Elon Musk, it's the "ultimate awesome thing." For other entrepreneurs, it's about competition and opportunity. For NASA, the Chinese government and the leagues of other private companies and foreign nationals racing to get to Mars, there are more urgent reasons as well: life on Mars has potential life-saving possibilities for us on earth. Depleting water supplies, overwhelming climate change and a host of other disasters - from terrorist attacks to meteor strikes - all loom large. We must become a space-faring species to survive.In this close-up narrative chronicle, Petranek introduces the circus of lively characters all engaged in a big-money, big-drama effort to expand the limits of human knowledge - and life - by being the first to settle on the Red Planet.How We'll Live on Marsbrings first-hand reporting, interviews with key players and extensive research to bear on the question of how we can best, and most plausibly, expect to see life on Mars - within the next 20 years. Petranek can also be seen discussing his fascinating ideas in his TEDTalk 10 Ways The World Could End.

Part of the TED series: The Future of Architecture in 100 BuildingsA pavilion made from paper.An inflatable concert hall. A building that eats smog. A bridge that grows grapes. The Future of Architecture in 100 Buildings captures the soaring confidence, the thoughtful intelligence, the futuristic wonder, and at times the sheer whimsy of the world's most inspired and future-looking buildings. As author Marc Kushner explains, 'The future of architecture is not one of any dominant style, but rather a world of constant innovation and experimentation.' Like an architectural cabinet of wonders, the book captures this glorious global diversity. From soaring steel towers to bamboo bungalows; from iconic monuments to ingenious children's playgrounds, each page offers an unexpected glimpse of architecture's potential. Through his book and TEDTalk, Kushner suggests that in the age of social media, buildings speak louder than ever. Everyone with a smartphone has become an architectural photographer, snapping selfies with the world's most photogenic buildings. And this constant stream of photos ensures that architecture is now in conversation with the world. Its future matters more - and to more of us - than ever. Aimed at this new, broad audience for architecture, this is an essential and delightful guide to the future being built around us.

Part of the TED series: The Mathematics of LoveThere is no topic that attracts more attention-more energy and time and devotion- than love. Love, like most things in life, is full of patterns. And mathematics is ultimately the study of patterns. In her book The Mathematics of Love - and TEDxTalk of the same name -Dr. Hannah Fry takes the audience on a fascinating journey through the patterns that define our love lives, tackling some of the most common yet complex questions pertaining to love: What's the chance of us finding love? What's the chance that it will last? How does online dating work, exactly? When should you settle down? How can you avoid divorce? When is it right to compromise? Can game theory help us decide whether or not to call? From evaluating the best strategies for online dating to defining the nebulous concept of beauty, Dr. Fry proves-with great insight, wit and fun- that maths is a surprisingly useful tool to negotiate the complicated, often baffling, sometimes infuriating, always interesting, patterns of love.

Part of the TED series: Why We WorkWhy do we work? The question seems so simple. But Professor Barry Schwartz proves that the answer is surprising, complex and urgent. We've long been taught that the reason we work is primarily for a paycheck. In fact, we've shaped much of the infrastructure of our society to accommodate this belief. Then why are so many people dissatisfied with their work, despite healthy compensation? And why do so many people find immense fulfillment and satisfaction through "menial" jobs? Schwartz reveals exactly how the false idea that the goal for work should be pay came to be, how we came to believe that paying workers more leads to better work, and why this has made our society confused, unhappy and has established a dangerously misguided system. Ultimately, Schwartz proves that the root of what drives us to good work can rarely be incentivized, and that the cause of bad work is often an attempt to do just that. With great insight and wisdom, Schwartz illuminates the path for readers to take their first steps toward understanding, empowering us all to find great work. Schwartz is also the author of The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less, which has been translated into twenty languages. He can be seen discussing his ideas in his TEDTalks The Paradox of Choiceand Using Our Practical Wisdom.