Program: RidgeCon: Darth Vader

What is the nature of space and time? How do we fit within the universe? How does the universe fit within us? There's no better guide through these mind-expanding questions than acclaimed astrophysicist and bestselling author Neil deGrasse Tyson. But today, few of us have time to contemplate the cosmos. So Tyson brings the universe down to Earth succinctly and clearly, with sparkling wit, in digestible chapters consumable anytime and anywhere in your busy day. While waiting for your morning coffee to brew, or while waiting for the bus, the train, or the plane to arrive, Astrophysics for People in a Hurry will reveal just what you need to be fluent and ready for the next cosmic headlines: from the Big Bang to black holes, from quarks to quantum mechanics, and from the search for planets to the search for life in the universe.

A stunning, personal memoir from the astronaut and modern-day hero who spent a record-breaking year aboard the International Space Station--a message of hope for the future that will inspire for generations to come. The veteran of four spaceflights and the American record holder for consecutive days spent in space, Scott Kelly has experienced things very few have. Now, he takes us inside a sphere utterly hostile to human life. He describes navigating the extreme challenge of long-term spaceflight, both life-threatening and mundane: the devastating effects on the body; the isolation from everyone he loves and the comforts of Earth; the catastrophic risks of colliding with space junk; and the still more haunting threat of being unable to help should tragedy strike at home--an agonizing situation Kelly faced when, on a previous mission, his twin brother's wife, American Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords, was shot while he still had two months in space. Kelly's humanity, compassion, humor, and determination resonate throughout, as he recalls his rough-and-tumble New Jersey childhood and the youthful inspiration that sparked his astounding career, and as he makes clear his belief that Mars will be the next, ultimately challenging, step in spaceflight. In Endurance, we see the triumph of the human imagination, the strength of the human will, and the infinite wonder of the galaxy.

From the acclaimed author of The Information and Chaos, here is a mind-bending exploration of time travel: its subversive origins, its evolution in literature and science, and its influence on our understanding of time itself. The story begins at the turn of the previous century, with the young H. G. Wells writing and rewriting the fantastic tale that became his first book and an international sensation: The Time Machine. It was an era when a host of forces was converging to transmute the human understanding of time, some philosophical and some technological: the electric telegraph, the steam railroad, the discovery of buried civilizations, and the perfection of clocks. James Gleick tracks the evolution of time travel as an idea that becomes part of contemporary culture--from Marcel Proust to Doctor Who, from Jorge Luis Borges to Woody Allen. He investigates the inevitable looping paradoxes and examines the porous boundary between pulp fiction and modern physics. Finally, he delves into a temporal shift that is unsettling our own moment: the instantaneous wired world, with its all-consuming present and vanishing future. (With a color frontispiece and black-and-white illustrations throughout)

Ryland Grace is the sole survivor on a last-chance mission. If he fails, humanity will perish. But he doesn't know that. Ryland can't remember his own name, let alone the nature of his assignment.

The Golden Couple is the next electrifying novel from Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen, the #1 New York Times bestselling author duo behind You Are Not Alone, An Anonymous Girl, and The Wife Between Us. If Avery Chambers can't fix you in 10 sessions, she won't take you on as a client. Her successes are phenomenal--she helps people overcome everything from domineering parents to assault--and almost absorbs the emptiness she sometimes feels since her husband's death. Marissa and Mathew Bishop seem like the golden couple--until Marissa cheats. She wants to repair things, both because she loves her husband and for the sake of their eight-year-old son. After a friend forwards an article about Avery, Marissa takes a chance on this maverick therapist, who lost her license due to controversial methods. When the Bishops glide through Avery's door and Marissa reveals her infidelity, all three are set on a collision course. Because the biggest secrets in the room are still hidden, and it's no longer simply a marriage that's in danger. A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press My favorite kind of thriller: a guessing game filled with characters you care about and twists you don't see coming. The Golden Couple takes a deep dive into a marriage, where what you see on the surface is not necessarily the truth, and the results are mesmerizing. Add to this a therapist who doesn't play by the rules and you have an utterly compelling, spellbinding read.--Lisa Jewell, author of Then She Was Gone and Invisible Girl A propulsive, twisty, unputdownable thriller--with two heroines you won't be able to get enough of...and a twist you'll never see coming. Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen have outdone themselves!--Laura Dave, author of The Last Thing He Told Me Propulsive and thrilling. It grabbed me from the first page and didn't let go. A page-turner that will keep you keep you guessing until the very end.--Taylor Jenkins Reid, author of Malibu Rising and Daisy Jones and the Six Narrators Marin Ireland and Karissa Vacker dazzle as they deliver this twisted domestic thriller.--AudioFile

Michael C. Reichert draws on his thirty years of experience researching the process by which boys become men to provide a roadmap for parents and educators who hope to help the boys they love and care about grow into strong, emotionally intelligent, and compassionate men. In this groundbreaking book, a leading psychologist and researcher of the journey from boyhood to manhood reveals the vital role that parents, teachers, coaches and other adult role models can play in creating a "safety net" for boys so that they can develop in positive ways, both emotionally and socially. With the groundbreaking Real Boys in 1998, William Pollack inaugurated a wave of books that challenged age-old conventions about how boys become men. Over the last twenty years, an explosion of new studies has expanded our knowledge about how boys think and feel. Yet parents express more anxiety than ever about raising sons. In recent studies, expecting parents say they prefer having a girl by more than two to one. Parents' angst reflects both the shifting sands of the female world and the understanding that old paradigms, however they are repackaged or updated, alone will not lead to their sons' success. A new boyhood is called for--and parents, teachers and others are desperately looking for direction. The New Boyhood provides those who care for young men ages 10-18 with the latest insights from psychology and neuroscience to give us the tools to help build good men.

Dr. Bren Brown's Ten Guideposts to Wholehearted Families We all know that perfect parenting does not exist, yet we still struggle with the social expectations that teach us that being imperfect is synonymous with being inadequate. These messages are powerful and we end up spending precious time and energy managing perception and the carefully edited versions of the families we show to the world. On The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting, Dr. Bren Brown invites us on a journey to transform the lives of parents and children alike. Drawing on her 12 years of research on vulnerability, courage, worthiness, and shame, she presents 10 guideposts to creating what she describes as "wholehearted" families where each of us can continually learn and grow as we reach our full potential, including: Cultivating worthiness in families--the knowledge that we are each always worthy of love and belonging - Vulnerability--the key to true connection - Engaging in creativity and play as a family - Practicing gratitude and joy in the home - Respect and hard work in a culture of "fun, fast, and easy" "It's actually our ability to embrace imperfection that will help us teach our children to have the courage to be authentic, the compassion to love themselves and others, and the sense of connection that gives true purpose and meaning to life," states Dr. Brown. The Gifts of Imperfect Parenting is a practical and hopeful program for raising children who know that they are worthy of love, belonging, and joy. Course objectives: Discuss how to cultivate worthiness in families-the knowledge that we are each always worthy of love and belonging - Explain how to engage in creativity and play as a family - Discuss how to cultivate a practice of gratitude and joy in the home - Explain the value of respect and hard work within a culture of "fun, fast, and easy" - Discuss how to embrace imperfection as a parent and how to teach our children to have the courage to be authentic and compassionate

In this groundbreaking analysis of personality type, bestselling author of Better Than Before and The Happiness Project Gretchen Rubin reveals the one simple question that will transform what you do at home, at work, and in life. During her multibook investigation into understanding human nature, Gretchen Rubin realized that by asking the seemingly dry question "How do I respond to expectations?" we gain explosive self-knowledge. She discovered that based on their answer, people fit into Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behavior, so using this framework allows us to make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress, and engage more effectively. More than 600,000 people have taken her online quiz, and managers, doctors, teachers, spouses, and parents already use the framework to help people make significant, lasting change. The Four Tendencies hold practical answers if you've ever thought: - People can rely on me, but I can't rely on myself. - How can I help someone to follow good advice? - People say I ask too many questions. - How do I work with someone who refuses to do what I ask--or who keeps telling me what to do? With sharp insight, compelling research, and hilarious examples, The Four Tendencies will help you get happier, healthier, more productive, and more creative. It's far easier to succeed when you know what works for you.