Episodes

For many people, the impression of Japanese people is that they are on the one hand gentle and polite, but on the other hand can be brutal and cruel; they are traditional and conservative, but they are also willing to learn. Contradiction is a feature of Japanese people’s character. So, what is the cultural origin behind the nation’s contradictory character? The Chrysanthemum and the Sword examines the characteristics of the Japanese national character and Japanese culture from an anthropologica...

In today’s rapidly changing world, new problems in management are constantly emerging. During such times, many of us attempt to improve ourselves by reading books and learning from successful management experiences of others. Whether you are new to management or an experienced manager, you should maintain a state of continuous learning by drawing on the knowledge of others. However, if you have limited time and can only read one book on management, “The Essential Drucker” couldn’t be a better ch...

The book ‘You Can Heal Your Life’ is both a bestseller in inspirational psychology, and praised as the gospel of physical and mental health. This book holds the record for being a Number 1 New York Times’ bestseller for fifty weeks, with more than 20 million copies sold worldwide. In the book, the author reveals a psychological method to pursue physical and mental harmony, while also opening up the perfect path for rebuilding a harmonious life. To add to the book's popularity, its concept of the...

Most of us are probably a little scared when we hear the word “virus”. After all, viruses are responsible for the loss of countless lives throughout human history. But did you know that there is also a good side to these viruses. They play an essential role in biological evolution. It can even be said that the evolution of all animals and plants is not possible without viruses. Unfortunately most people still don't know much about viruses. This book, A Planet of Viruses, will unveil the mystery ...

"Failure is the mother of success”, is a saying that all of us have heard before. Still, few have a thorough understanding of this old saying. In life, failure is not a rare occurrence. However, while some people are afraid to fail and instead escape from their responsibilities, others are able to draw a lesson from their failures and improve themselves. Why are there these two completely different attitudes towards failure? What are the correct ways to deal with failure and learn from it? This ...

The internationally acclaimed book Decisive Moments in History, uses a comprehensive perspective to view the history of humanity. The author picked 12names out of 100 billion people in history and depicted 12 beautiful moments in which individuals shaped human civilization. Whether it is Cicero raising his arm in a cry for action in the face of authority, the heroism of the Antarctic expeditions, or the moment that the decisive battle took place at Waterloo, when these willful individuals collid...

From time to time in our daily lives, we get into difficult conversations, such as when we ask for a promotion or end a relationship. Such conversations, though seemingly ordinary, leave us feeling anxious and put us in a dilemma. So, what should we do in difficult conversations? This book ‘Difficult Conversations: How to Discuss What Matters Most’ can give you the answer. This book is the product of fifteen years of research by the Harvard Negotiation Project and has been an international bests...

‘How to Read a Book’ is a reading guide that will offer you detailed guidance for reading. Since its first publication in 1940, it has received positive reception in many Western countries, leading to it being republished several times. The author’s deep contemplation and broad view on the subject, can make reading much easier for people who both do not understand it and are exploring it for the first time. This book not only introduces general methods for reading, giving specific techniques for...

Were you under the impression that the Silk Road was just a trade route? Or a ‘belt’ around the world? The history of the Silk Road is a condensed version of world history. The historical journeys of countries don't happen in isolation – but are instead all inextricably linked to the Silk ‘Roads’. The book’s author redefines world history from the perspective of the Silk Road. By reading this book, you will discover that the Silk Road not only encompasses the history of humans, but also determin...

People nowadays can’t help checking their cellphones every few minutes and they feel uneasy without browsing Facebook after an hour. Given such phenomena, authors of the book Hooked, proposed a novel and practical concept called the “Hook Model” based on their years of research. This model reveals the fundamental design principles of addictive Internet products. So, what is the “Hook Model”? How can we use it? Stay tuned.

Why are some individuals powerfully persuasive and influential? Why would we repeatedly agree to other’s requests? This book reveals six main psychological principles hidden behind the obedient behavior of others towards us. Businesses and experts of persuasion constantly apply these principles to obtain our compliance. After listening to this book, you will be also able to make better decisions and improve your influence to obtain others’ compliance.

Speaking of pirates, what do you have in mind? Captain Jack from Pirates of the Caribbean? Or the hot-blooded anime character One Piece? These films and television works are often filled with romanticism, but real pirates in history lived by plundering and killing. A group of such barbarians, however, had once established a democratic republic, in which they voted for the captain, equally distributed the property, and even paid pensions to the disabled crew members. This practice was much more a...

In the difficult journey of life, in order to live a peaceful and fulfilling life, we need to constantly explore and try to find our true selves. If you are confused by the process of looking for yourself, and if you’ve worked hard but received nothing in return, maybe this book ‘The Road Less Traveled’ can help you out. It was written by M. Scott Peck, a great psychotherapist in America. Since its publication, this book has been on the New York Times bestseller list for nearly 20 years, a mirac...

Can fishes think? The book What a Fish Knows describes the colorful lives of fishes, and explains the behaviors and sociality of fishes with the most ground-breaking scientific achievements. It tells us that fishes also have ideas and emotions, like pleasure, anger, sorrow, and joy. This book inspires us to rethink the relationship between humans and fishes from a new perspective.

Brands are now profoundly rooted in our daily life. Some of us even get addicted to one specific brand. Why can these brand marketers successfully manipulate us? As is revealed in this book, brand marketing has schemed to prey on and amplify consumers' most deeply rooted emotional needs. Fear, anxiety, desire, conformity, and so on, are all in the service of manipulating the way we think, act, and make decisions.

Are you struggling because your child always goes against you? Are you worried about not being able to communicate respectfully with your kid? These problems can be solved with this book-- “How to Talk to Kids So Kids Will Listen and Listen So Kids Will Talk.” Since its first edition was published in the 1980s, three million copies have been sold worldwide. It has been a bedside table book for tens of thousands of parents. It teaches parents straightforward and practical ways to bond with their ...

It’s widely agreed that only companies with a massive scale, various product types, and a large sales network can win the upper hand. Nevertheless, 37signals, a software company with neither budget nor advertising, few staff and salespersons, has a booming business and earns huge profit. What’s the secret of success? How did it manage to gain a foothold and stand out in the fierce competition?

Steve Jobs was a man like a god in many people’s eyes. He pursued perfection. He was arrogant and unyielding. He went his own way. He lived just to change the world. We often listen to music with our cellphones, work with our laptops, or go to the cinema to watch an animated film-- Jobs made his contribution to all of these. How did a man, both genius and crazy at the same time, create those epoch-making products? Let’s uncover it in this book!

Change is nothing new to us. For example, we may want to change our overweight body through physical exercise, build up good social relations through positive communication, or increase our knowledge through studying. Everyone has dreamed of making changes, but we often finally give up due to various obstacles in the process. So, what on earth are the factors that influence change? What are the ways to realize change?

If you feel trapped in endless work as an executive, and wish you had more than 24 hours a day to keep working, you’ve come to the right place. This book is written by Peter F. Drucker, the master of management. It’ll teach you how to manage your time, work better and be an effective executive.

A bestseller for 40 years, The Minto Pyramid Principle has been widely acclaimed and translated into many languages. It has been reprinted numerous times and has always achieved good rankings among bestseller books in various countries. The Minto Pyramid Principle is a logical thought, a form of expression, and a standard behavior. It has an outlined structure and a clear logic, and it distinguishes the subject from the object. It can effectively improve your thinking, communicating, and problem...

When making all kinds of decisions, we think that we are always making smart and rational choices. But is that really the case? This book tells us that in many cases, we are being irrational. This book will help you overcome your irrationality and make better decisions. The 2017 Nobel Economics Prize was awarded to economists who had made outstanding contributions to "behavioral economics”. This book is a straightforward interpretation of these "behavioral economics."

"Brave New World," is dystopian classics, which had a profound influence in intellectual fields around the world. In the dystopian society illustrated in this book, human happiness is "socially conditioned." People seem to live happily, without any misfortune or agony. However, as the book goes on, we find they have lost their affection and sentimentality. Even worse, they have lost their creativity and ability to think independently.

Genghis Khan lived between the mid twelfth century to the early thirteenth century, impacting the course of world history for nearly eight hundred years beyond his life. In other words, today all aspects of our lives are still subjects to the impact brought by Genghis Khan. His influence on the world is far beyond our imagination. In this book, the author tells us the life experience of Genghis Khan in great details. He reveals the reasons why Genghis Khan’s legacy has been influencing the world...