Archives de l’auteur : WebmasterBenisti

WHATEVER WORKS de Thalma Lobel

An internationally renowned psychologist shows us how overlooked factors in our work days-our physical environments, our unconscious habits, and even traits like our faces and voices-have the power to make or break our careers.

WHATEVER WORKS:
The Small Cues that Make A Surprising Difference in Our Life at Work—And How to Create a Happier Office
by Thalma Lobel
BenBella, July 2020

In WHATEVER WORKS, Thalma Lobel, one of the world’s leading experts on human behavior, explores groundbreaking psychological research on job performance, satisfaction, and creativity. Lobel goes beyond obvious considerations like salary, title, and company culture to shed light on the hidden factors-often unrecognized, counterintuitive, or invisible-that have profound effects on how well we can do our jobs and how happy we are at work. Did you know that just doodling in a certain way can increase your creativity? That looking at something green for forty seconds will improve your attention? That crossing your legs similarly to an interviewer could get you the job? That the mere presence of a smartphone on your desk can lessen your performance, even if it’s turned off? That being in a warmer room makes you more likely to want to conform with the group, affecting your decision-making? These are the invisible factors that nudge our behavior on a daily basis, and combined, have a real and significant bearing on our success—or failure—at work. Helpful for anyone from individual employees to managers to leaders of large organizations, WHATEVER WORKS shares valuable insights and practical takeaways to transform your professional life.

Thalma E. Lobel is an internationally recognized psychologist who has served as the chair at the School of Psychological Sciences at Tel Aviv University, the director of the Adler Center for Child Development and Psychopathology, the Dean of Students and a member of the executive board of the university. She has been a visiting professor at Harvard University, and a visiting scholar at Tufts University, the University of California at San Diego, and New York University. Lobel has published dozens of articles in some of the most prestigious academic, peer-reviewed journals and has received many prestigious research grants. Her latest book, Sensation, was published in 15 countries.

THE SHADOWS de Stacy Willingham

A psychological thriller executed to perfection with darkly nuanced textures, rich characterization and an instantly-arresting voice combined with the sort of wonderfully twisty commercial plotting that so energized The Silent Patient and The Woman in the Window.

THE SHADOWS
by Stacy Willingham
Macmillan, February 2022

THE SHADOWS is the story of Chloe Davis, a psychologist coming up on the 20th anniversary of the event that destroyed her family: the day when, as a 12 year old, she found a critical piece of evidence that proved her father was a serial killer, and which would lead to his being convicted for the murders of six teenage girls. And while the freight of those events has followed her like a shadow ever since, it’s also the thing she has spent her entire adult life fighting and overcoming. Now 32, Chloe seems to have won. She has built a thriving practice as a psychologist in Baton Rouge, (using her own childhood trauma to help other young, troubled girls), fostered a rich community of friends, has even managed to work through her trust issues, and is engaged to be married to a loving and supportive partner. But behind those hopeful outlines of a normal, happy life lurk paranoia, unhealthy choices, and the steady ticking of dread that, at any moment, Chloe’s carefully-constructed equilibrium might come crashing down around her… And on the eve of that 20th anniversary, it does…

Stacy Willingham is 29. She studied journalism at the University of Georgia and holds an MFA from the Savannah College of Art & Design.

LONE STARS de Justin Deabler

A debut novel that follows four generations of a Texan family in a changing America.

LONE STARS
by Justin Deabler
St. Martin’s Press, February 2021

Julian Warner, a father at last, wrestles with a question his husband posed: what will you tell our son about the people you came from, now that they’re gone? Finding the answers takes Julian back in time to Eisenhower’s immigration border raids, to an epistolary love affair during the Vietnam War, crumbling marriages, queer migrations to Cambridge and New York, up to the disorienting polarization of Obama’s second term. And in these answers lies a hope: that by uncloseting ourselves—as immigrants, smart women, gay people—we find power in empathy. This is a novel that tackles timely issues like immigration and gay adoption. The story moves from a 1950s cattle ranch up to present day Houston and portrays not only a family, but a state, and a country.

Justin Deabler grew up in Houston. He dropped out of high school when he was fifteen, went to Simon’s Rock College, and graduated from Harvard Law School. He is the General Counsel for the Queens Public Library. He lives in Brooklyn with his husband, son, and two cats.

WE ARE NOT FROM HERE de Jenny Torres Sanchez

A poignant novel of desperation, escape, and survival across the U.S.-Mexico border, inspired by current events.

WE ARE NOT FROM HERE
by Jenny Torres Sanchez
Philomel, May 2020

Pulga has his dreams. Chico has his grief. Pequeña has her pride. And these three teens have one another. But none of them have illusions about the town they’ve grown up in and the dangers that surround them. Even with the love of family, threats lurk around every corner. And when those threats become all too real, the trio knows they have no choice but to run: from their country, from their families, from their beloved home. Crossing from Guatemala through Mexico, they follow the route of La Bestia, the perilous train system that might deliver them to a better life—if they are lucky enough to survive the journey. With nothing but the bags on their backs and desperation drumming through their hearts, Pulga, Chico, and Pequeña know there is no turning back, despite the unknown that awaits them. And the darkness that seems to follow wherever they go. In this striking portrait of lives torn apart, the plight of migrants at the U.S. southern border is brought to light through poignant, vivid storytelling. An epic journey of danger, resilience, heartache, and hope.

« A brutally honest, not-to-be-missed narrative…gripping, heart-wrenching, and thrilling. » – Kirkus Starred Review
“Gripping, poignant…this soul-shaking narrative [recalls] the works of Gabriel García Márquez.” – Booklist Starred Review

Jenny Torres Sanchez is a full-time writer and former English teacher. She was born in Brooklyn but has lived on the border of two worlds her whole life. She is the author of The Fall of Innocence; Because of the Sun; Death, Dickinson, and the Demented Life of Frenchie Garcia; and The Downside of Being Charlie. She lives in Orlando, Florida, with her husband and children.

BY THE BOOK de Amanda Sellet

From debut author Amanda Sellet comes an adorable YA romance, BY THE BOOK. This delightful and humorous book blends coming of age themes seamlessly with the power of friendship and all the charm and drama that a first-love romance has to offer.

BY THE BOOK
by Amanda Sellet
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, May 2020

To help steer her friends away from high school drama, Mary Porter-Malcolm creates the Scoundrel Survival Guide. Based on her knowledge of classic literature, Mary is confident that she and her friends will avoid unworthy suitors. But despite her best efforts, Mary finds herself falling for the same bad boy she warned all her friends against. If Mary wants a happy ending for herself, she must admit that true life (and love) is messier than fiction. BY THE BOOK is perfect for readers who enjoy their YA romances sweet, funny, and with a « classic » happy ending.

Amanda Sellet had a previous career in journalism, during which she wrote book reviews for The Washington Post, personal essays for NPR, and music and movie coverage for VH1. She has an M.A. in Cinema Studies from NYU and spent a year in England as au pair to an actress who has played in her share of period dramas. These days she lives in Kansas with her archaeologist husband and their daughter.