Irresistible

Why are some things cute, and others not? What happens to our brains when we see something cute? And how did cuteness go global, from Hello Kitty to Disney characters? Cuteness is an area where culture and biology get tangled up. Seeing a cute animal triggers some of the most powerful psychological instincts we have - the ones that elicit our care and protection - but there is a deeper story behind the broad appeal of Japanese cats and saccharine greetings cards. Joshua Paul Dale, a pioneer in the burgeoning field of cuteness studies, explains how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe, from pop brands to Lolita fashion, kids' cartoons and the unstoppable rise of Hello Kitty. Irresistible delves into the surprisingly ancient origins of Japan's kawaii culture, and uncovers the cross-cultural pollination of the globalised world. If adorable things really do rewire our brains, it can help answer some of the biggest questions we have about our evolutionary history and the mysterious origins of animal domestication. This is the fascinating cultural history of cuteness, and a revealing look at how our most powerful psychological impulses have remade global style and culture.

Why are some things cute, and others not? What happens to our brains when we see something cute? And how did cuteness go global, from Hello Kitty to Disney characters? Cuteness is an area where culture and biology get tangled up. Seeing a cute animal triggers some of the most powerful psychological instincts we have - the ones that elicit our care and protection - but there is a deeper story behind the broad appeal of Japanese cats and saccharine greetings cards. Joshua Paul Dale, a pioneer in the burgeoning field of cuteness studies, explains how the cute aesthetic spread around the globe, from pop brands to Lolita fashion, kids' cartoons and the unstoppable rise of Hello Kitty. Irresistible delves into the surprisingly ancient origins of Japan's kawaii culture, and uncovers the cross-cultural pollination of the globalised world. If adorable things really do rewire our brains, it can help answer some of the biggest questions we have about our evolutionary history and the mysterious origins of animal domestication. This is the fascinating cultural history of cuteness, and a revealing look at how our most powerful psychological impulses have remade global style and culture.

"One of the most mesmerizing and important books I've read in quite some time. Alter brilliantly illuminates the new obsessions that are controlling our lives and offers the tools we need to rescue our businesses, our families, and our sanity." -Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take Welcome to the age of behavioral addiction-an age in which half of the American population is addicted to at least one behavior. We obsess over our emails, Instagram likes, and Facebook feeds; we binge on TV episodes and YouTube videos; we work longer hours each year; and we spend an average of three hours each day using our smartphones. Half of us would rather suffer a broken bone than a broken phone, and Millennial kids spend so much time in front of screens that they struggle to interact with real, live humans. In this revolutionary book, Adam Alter, a professor of psychology and marketing at NYU, tracks the rise of behavioral addiction, and explains why so many of today's products are irresistible. Though these miraculous products melt the miles that separate people across the globe, their extraordinary and sometimes damaging magnetism is no accident. The companies that design these products tweak them over time until they become almost impossible to resist. By reverse engineering behavioral addiction, Alter explains how we can harness addictive products for the good-to improve how we communicate with each other, spend and save our money, and set boundaries between work and play-and how we can mitigate their most damaging effects on our well-being, and the health and happiness of our children. Adam Alter's previous book, Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces that Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave is available in paperback from Penguin.

"One of the most mesmerizing and important books I've read in quite some time. Alter brilliantly illuminates the new obsessions that are controlling our lives and offers the tools we need to rescue our businesses, our families, and our sanity." -Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals and Give and Take Welcome to the age of behavioral addiction-an age in which half of the American population is addicted to at least one behavior. We obsess over our emails, Instagram likes, and Facebook feeds; we binge on TV episodes and YouTube videos; we work longer hours each year; and we spend an average of three hours each day using our smartphones. Half of us would rather suffer a broken bone than a broken phone, and Millennial kids spend so much time in front of screens that they struggle to interact with real, live humans. In this revolutionary book, Adam Alter, a professor of psychology and marketing at NYU, tracks the rise of behavioral addiction, and explains why so many of today's products are irresistible. Though these miraculous products melt the miles that separate people across the globe, their extraordinary and sometimes damaging magnetism is no accident. The companies that design these products tweak them over time until they become almost impossible to resist. By reverse engineering behavioral addiction, Alter explains how we can harness addictive products for the good-to improve how we communicate with each other, spend and save our money, and set boundaries between work and play-and how we can mitigate their most damaging effects on our well-being, and the health and happiness of our children. Adam Alter's previous book, Drunk Tank Pink: And Other Unexpected Forces that Shape How We Think, Feel, and Behave is available in paperback from Penguin.

A single mom who's sworn off men... And a sexy doctor who wants to change her mind. With my little girl in tow, I pack up my Texas roots, seeking a fresh start in Landmark Mountain. Leaving behind a trail of shattered trust and a cheating ex, the last thing I expect is to collide with a sexy stranger. Our first encounter is a whirlwind of heated words and fiery glares. But fate's twisted sense of humor places him right in my path, not once, but many times over and over again. Why does Dr. Wyatt Landmark have to be related to my best friend's boyfriend? But Landmark has a way of softening my heart, both the man and the town. This place already feels like home, and Wyatt's interactions with my daughter reveal a side of him I hadn't expected. It isn't long before his small acts of kindness begin to chip away at the walls I've so carefully constructed around my heart. That, and the passion between us I can't deny whenever he looks my way. Despite swearing off love, the resolve I've had is stripping away as Wyatt becomes more irresistible by the day. Irresistible is book three in the Landmark Mountain Series. Each book can be read as a standalone.

A single mom who's sworn off men... And a sexy doctor who wants to change her mind. With my little girl in tow, I pack up my Texas roots, seeking a fresh start in Landmark Mountain. Leaving behind a trail of shattered trust and a cheating ex, the last thing I expect is to collide with a sexy stranger. Our first encounter is a whirlwind of heated words and fiery glares. But fate's twisted sense of humor places him right in my path, not once, but many times over and over again. Why does Dr. Wyatt Landmark have to be related to my best friend's boyfriend? But Landmark has a way of softening my heart, both the man and the town. This place already feels like home, and Wyatt's interactions with my daughter reveal a side of him I hadn't expected. It isn't long before his small acts of kindness begin to chip away at the walls I've so carefully constructed around my heart. That, and the passion between us I can't deny whenever he looks my way. Despite swearing off love, the resolve I've had is stripping away as Wyatt becomes more irresistible by the day. Irresistibleis book three in theLandmark MountainSeries. Each book can be read as a standalone.

I'm a full-time single dad to three daughters and CFO at Cloverleigh Farms. I don't have time to fall in love-I'm too busy trying to run a business, keep the red socks out of the white laundry, and get the damn pillowcases on without owing a dollar to the swear jar. Sure, Frannie Sawyer is beautiful and sweet, but she's twenty-seven, the boss's daughter, and my new part-time nanny-which means she's completely off-limits. It's bad enough I can't stop fantasizing about her, what kind of jerk would I be if I acted on the impulse to kiss her? (Exactly the kind of jerk you're thinking.) Actually, I'm worse than that-because I didn't stop with a kiss, and now I can't stay away. She makes me feel like myself again. She reminds me what it's like to want something just for me. She's everything I ever needed, but nothing I ever imagined. I'm a former Marine. I should have had the strength to resist her from the start. But I didn't. And now I have to choose between the life I want and the life she deserves. Even if it means giving her up.

I'm a full-time single dad to three daughters and CFO at Cloverleigh Farms. I don't have time to fall in love-I'm too busy trying to run a business, keep the red socks out of the white laundry, and get the damn pillowcases on without owing a dollar to the swear jar.Sure, Frannie Sawyer is beautiful and sweet, but she's twenty-seven, the boss's daughter, and my new part-time nanny-which means she's completely off-limits. It's bad enough I can't stop fantasizing about her, what kind of jerk would I be if I acted on the impulse to kiss her?(Exactly the kind of jerk you're thinking.)Actually, I'm worse than that-because I didn't stop with a kiss, and now I can't stay away. She makes me feel like myself again. She reminds me what it's like to want something just for me. She's everything I ever needed, but nothing I ever imagined.I'm a former Marine. I should have had the strength to resist her from the start.But I didn't. And now I have to choose between the life I want and the life she deserves.Even if it means giving her up.

I'm a full-time single dad to three daughters and CFO at Cloverleigh Farms. I don't have time to fall in love-I'm too busy trying to run a business, keep the red socks out of the white laundry, and get the damn pillowcases on without owing a dollar to the swear jar.Sure, Frannie Sawyer is beautiful and sweet, but she's twenty-seven, the boss's daughter, and my new part-time nanny-which means she's completely off-limits. It's bad enough I can't stop fantasizing about her, what kind of jerk would I be if I acted on the impulse to kiss her?(Exactly the kind of jerk you're thinking.)Actually, I'm worse than that-because I didn't stop with a kiss, and now I can't stay away. She makes me feel like myself again. She reminds me what it's like to want something just for me. She's everything I ever needed, but nothing I ever imagined.I'm a former Marine. I should have had the strength to resist her from the start.But I didn't. And now I have to choose between the life I want and the life she deserves.Even if it means giving her up.

I'm a full-time single dad to three daughters and CFO at Cloverleigh Farms. I don't have time to fall in love-I'm too busy trying to run a business, keep the red socks out of the white laundry, and get the damn pillowcases on without owing a dollar to the swear jar. Sure, Frannie Sawyer is beautiful and sweet, but she's twenty-seven, the boss's daughter, and my new part-time nanny-which means she's completely off-limits. It's bad enough I can't stop fantasizing about her, what kind of jerk would I be if I acted on the impulse to kiss her? (Exactly the kind of jerk you're thinking.) Actually, I'm worse than that-because I didn't stop with a kiss, and now I can't stay away. She makes me feel like myself again. She reminds me what it's like to want something just for me. She's everything I ever needed, but nothing I ever imagined. I'm a former Marine. I should have had the strength to resist her from the start. But I didn't. And now I have to choose between the life I want and the life she deserves. Even if it means giving her up.

In this leadership book, renowned industry analyst Josh Bersin introduces a new way to think about organizational design, employee engagement, and employee development. Distilled from decades of research and management theory into seven practical yet profound management principles, Bersin outlines how business leaders can create enduring companies that thrive with improved customer satisfaction, employee retention, and business agility. Irresistible businesses grow faster, they're more profitable, and they innovate and lead their markets. Most importantly, their employees, customers, and stakeholders are drawn to them like magnets. Leaders have an outsized impact on culture, engagement, and productivity. Irresistible helps leaders at all levels understand how to scale a business through a new organization model - the "network of teams." Bersin's model emphasizes that effective companies operate as networks, not hierarchies. When focused leadership empowers small teams, the result is increased speed, agility, and traction - along with a sense of purpose, mission, and clarity of roles. Leaders of irresistible companies understand that by unleashing the power of the human spirit, their companies can go faster and farther than their competitors by empowering people and creating employee-centric cultures. If you can make your company - large or small -- irresistible, your employees will contribute, innovate, and grow more than you thought possible. Bersin shares eye-opening examples from his consulting work with HR and executive business teams around the world. Each chapter includes tips and discussion questions to bring these organizational behavior lessons to life. Inspiring yet highly pragmatic, this business book is a leader's handbook for today's unpredictable business world, where people and culture are more important than ever. Bersin's human resource management book challenges companies to rethink their current approach to organizational design, leadership development, and human resources strategy. A top business book for organizations large and small, Irresistible belongs on the bookshelf of every executive, supervisor, and entrepreneur.

In this leadership book, renowned industry analyst Josh Bersin introduces a new way to think about organizational design, employee engagement, and employee development. Distilled from decades of research and management theory into seven practical yet profound management principles, Bersin outlines how business leaders can create enduring companies that thrive with improved customer satisfaction, employee retention, and business agility. Irresistible businesses grow faster, they're more profitable, and they innovate and lead their markets. Most importantly, their employees, customers, and stakeholders are drawn to them like magnets. Leaders have an outsized impact on culture, engagement, and productivity. Irresistible helps leaders at all levels understand how to scale a business through a new organization model - the "network of teams." Bersin's model emphasizes that effective companies operate as networks, not hierarchies. When focused leadership empowers small teams, the result is increased speed, agility, and traction - along with a sense of purpose, mission, and clarity of roles. Leaders of irresistible companies understand that by unleashing the power of the human spirit, their companies can go faster and farther than their competitors by empowering people and creating employee-centric cultures. If you can make your company - large or small -- irresistible, your employees will contribute, innovate, and grow more than you thought possible. Bersin shares eye-opening examples from his consulting work with HR and executive business teams around the world. Each chapter includes tips and discussion questions to bring these organizational behavior lessons to life. Inspiring yet highly pragmatic, this business book is a leader's handbook for today's unpredictable business world, where people and culture are more important than ever. Bersin's human resource management book challenges companies to rethink their current approach to organizational design, leadership development, and human resources strategy. A top business book for organizations large and small, Irresistible belongs on the bookshelf of every executive, supervisor, and entrepreneur.