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Did you know that Stephen King sleeps with the lights on? The master of horror, whose books have sold over 350 million copies worldwide, has admitted that he's scared of the dark and sleeps with a light on to this day. In an interview with Rolling Stone, he said, "The things I do to scare people I actually find scary myself." It's fascinating to think that even the creator of some of the most terrifying stories ever written can be afraid of the dark.

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📚️ Staff Pick of the Week

The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology by Nita A. Farahany

A new dawn of brain tracking and hacking is coming. Will you be prepared for what comes next?

Imagine a world where your brain can be interrogated to learn your political beliefs, your thoughts can be used as evidence of a crime, and your own feelings can be held against you. A world where people who suffer from epilepsy receive alerts moments before a seizure, and the average person can peer into their own mind to eliminate painful memories or cure addictions.

Neuroscience has already made all of this possible today, and neurotechnology will soon become the “universal controller” for all of our interactions with technology. This can benefit humanity immensely, but without safeguards, it can seriously threaten our fundamental human rights to privacy, freedom of thought, and self-determination.

From one of the world’s foremost experts on the ethics of neuroscience, The Battle for Your Brain offers a path forward to navigate the complex legal and ethical dilemmas that will fundamentally impact our freedom to understand, shape, and define ourselves.

🎥 Reading Talk's

📈 Rising Quickly - Week of March 13, 2023

Paris: The Memoir by Paris Hilton

Paris Hilton is the world’s most recognizable influencer, defining and dominating pop culture for over two decades. She has built a multibillion-dollar global empire as an entrepreneur, tech pioneer, DJ, recording artist, and philanthropist. In 2021, Paris launched 11:11 Media, a next-gen company at the center of pop culture– connecting content, commerce, and community. Her proudest achievement is her continuing impact as an advocate and activist dedicated to empowering and elevating young women and girls, including spearheading meaningful legislative changes in the troubled-teen industry. She lives with her husband and son in Los Angeles.

🪄Most Talked About Fiction - Week of March 13, 2023

On the Road by Jack Kerouac

Inspired by Jack Kerouac's adventures with Neal Cassady, On the Road tells the story of two friends whose cross-country road trips are a quest for meaning and true experience. Written with a mixture of sad-eyed naiveté and wild ambition and imbued with Kerouac's love of America, his compassion for humanity, and his sense of language as jazz, On the Road is the quintessential American vision of freedom and hope, a book that changed American literature and changed anyone who has ever picked it up.

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📚️ Most Talked About Non-Fiction - Week of March 13, 2023

Win Every Argument: The Art of Debating, Persuading, and Public Speaking by Mehdi Hasan

MSNBC’s Mehdi Hasan isn’t one to avoid arguments. He relishes them as the lifeblood of democracy and the only surefire way to establish the truth. Arguments help us solve problems, uncover new ideas we might not have considered, and nudge our disagreements toward mutual understanding. A good argument, made in good faith, has intrinsic value―and can also simply be fun.

Arguments are everywhere―and especially given the fierce debates we’re all embroiled in today, everyone wants to win. In this riveting guide to the art of argument and rhetoric, Hasan shows you how. As a journalist, anchor, and interviewer who has clashed with politicians, generals, spy chiefs, and celebrities from across the world, Hasan reveals his tricks of the trade for the first time.

Whether you are making a presentation at work or debating current political issues with a friend, Mehdi Hasan will teach you how to sharpen your speaking skills to make the winning case.

🆕 New and Noteworthy

Magic Words by Jonah Berger

"Magic Words" by Jonah Berger is a book that explores the power of language and how certain words are more impactful than others. With the help of technological advances in machine learning, computational linguistics, and natural language processing, the author delves into the new science of language and provides actionable techniques that can lead to extraordinary results. This book is designed for anyone who wants to increase their impact, whether it's salespeople convincing clients, teachers getting kids to help, or startup founders securing funding. The book shows how to leverage the power of magic words to persuade, motivate, and captivate audiences.

👀 In Case You Missed It

✍️ Quote of the Week

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