Taking Flight

*SHORTLISTED FOR THE ROYAL SOCIETY SCIENCE BOOK PRIZE 2023* ‘This book soars… Parikian is a nature writer at the top of his game.’ Steve Brusatte, author of The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs ___ This is the miracle of flight as you’ve never seen it before: the evolutionary story of life on the wing. A bird flits overhead. It’s an everyday occurrence, repeated hundreds, thousands, millions of times daily by creatures across the world. It’s something so normal, so entirely taken for granted, that sometimes we forget how extraordinary it is. But take that in for a moment. This animal flies. It. Flies. The miracle of flight has evolved in hugely diverse ways, with countless variations of flapping and gliding, hovering and diving, murmurating and migrating. Conjuring lost worlds, ancient species and ever-shifting ecologies, this exhilarating new book is a mesmerising encounter with fourteen flying species: from the first fluttering insect of 300 million years ago to the crested pterosaurs of the Mesozoic Era, from hummingbirds that co-evolved with rainforest flowers to the wonders of dragonfly, albatross, pipistrelle and monarch butterfly with which we share the planet today. Taking Flight is a mind-expanding feat of the imagination, a close encounter with flight in its myriad forms, urging us to look up and drink in the spectacle of these gravity-defying marvels that continue to shape life on Earth. ‘[Lev Parikian] brings a sense of infectious enthusiasm to his account of the evolution of flight in the natural world, from mayflies and bees to bats and hummingbirds by way of pterosaurs and archaeopteryx, combining a wealth of information with a sense of wonder.’ The Observer ‘This accessible account of the animal kingdom’s development of flight exhibits a layman’s enthusiasm for an everyday wonder.’ Rebecca Foster, TLS

"Both what you run from -- and what you yearn for -- are within you." --Anthony de Mello, S.J. In the tradition of his bestselling Song of the Bird , de Mello has written these story meditations as stepping stones toward a spiritual life based on self-knowledge and understanding. This book contains over 250 stories, grouped under the themes of Prayer, Awareness, Religion, Grace, "Saints," Self, Love, and Truth. Although derived from a variety of countries and cultures, these tales share the spiritual heritage and popular humor of the entire human race. As he does so skillfully in his other books, de Mello uses the medium of the story to enable his readers to work through their problems and arrive at essential Truth. With each seemingly simple anecdote comes a lesson powerful enough to break down barriers that limit self-understanding -- which in turn fosters a better understanding of others, in all situations in life. "Even if you read the stories in this book only for the entertainment," he warns, "there is no guarantee that an occasional story will not slip through your defenses and explode when you least expect it to." Taking Flight offers a joyful, transcendental experience. De Mello pilots a spiritual journey with the skill of a true master.

"Both what you run from -- and what you yearn for -- are within you." --Anthony de Mello, S.J. In the tradition of his bestselling Song of the Bird , de Mello has written these story meditations as stepping stones toward a spiritual life based on self-knowledge and understanding. This book contains over 250 stories, grouped under the themes of Prayer, Awareness, Religion, Grace, "Saints," Self, Love, and Truth. Although derived from a variety of countries and cultures, these tales share the spiritual heritage and popular humor of the entire human race. As he does so skillfully in his other books, de Mello uses the medium of the story to enable his readers to work through their problems and arrive at essential Truth. With each seemingly simple anecdote comes a lesson powerful enough to break down barriers that limit self-understanding -- which in turn fosters a better understanding of others, in all situations in life. "Even if you read the stories in this book only for the entertainment," he warns, "there is no guarantee that an occasional story will not slip through your defenses and explode when you least expect it to." Taking Flight offers a joyful, transcendental experience. De Mello pilots a spiritual journey with the skill of a true master.

Use powerful DISC personality techniques to build stronger connections and improve performance in your career, relationships, and life. Taking Flight reveals profound hidden patterns of human behavioral style, offers a blueprint for deeper self-awareness, helps you maximize your own personal strengths, and shows how to influence others more powerfully than ever. You'll learn how to use the proven DISC four-style model of behavior to become a far more effective leader, salesperson, or teacher... revitalize any career... build better relationships... fully leverage your natural gifts, as you empower those around you. If you haven't yet been introduced to DISC, it will change your life-just as it has for millions before you. Discover: Why you "click" with some people and "clank" with others What really drives your decisions and actions How to identify others' behavioral styles and choose the best ways to interact with them How to craft a personal plan for maximizing your strengths and minimizing your weaknesses Drawing on their immense experience coaching executives and training world-class organizations, Merrick Rosenberg and Daniel Silvert introduce DISC through a fable that's quick, fun, and easy-to-understand. Once you've mastered the basic concepts, they help you put DISC to work in all your own personal interactions and relationships. You'll walk through creating a personal action plan for improvement-and then systematically supercharging your personal performance!