Family & Relationships

Who will thrive in the year 2050?

The New Smart is a riveting study of the kinds of minds that will succeed in the 21st century. As it turns out, the key ingredient for all aspects of life is not traditional IQ but creativity.

In Dr. Terry Roberts’ newest book he presents readers with a 21st century exploration into intelligence and creativity. The New Smart argues that the old notion of intelligence as a static quotient has ceased to mean much of value. Being smart, especially as it’s related to test scores and school grades, has less and less to do with success in contemporary life. Both these words and the ideas they represent are worn out.

Our new age demands something much more fluid, much more resilient—much more creative. In this book, we ask who will thrive in the future? And by reframing the question, we arrive at the following profile of successful creators:

•
• They will blend multiple intelligences in a way that might be described as synthetic or even symphonic
•
• They will be ambitious and focused without being self-obsessed
•
• They will value asynchrony and even seek it out
•
• They will use their own marginality to generate novel perspective and new work
•
• They will exhibit a steadfast resilience in all phases of life
•
• They will be measured by what they produce over the course of their lives, not by any static notion of capacity or quotient

The New Smart asks how we re-train ourselves and educate our children for a life that demands such creativity. It provides a clear roadmap away from standardized schools producing standardized minds and describes in detail why creative is The New Smart.

• Overcome rejection by the in-crowd
• Gain a healthy perspective of his or her body
• Make good decisions and take on responsibility
• Overcome shyness and jealousy

Every couple for whom marriage is forever unearths nuggets of wisdom along the way. In Love for a Lifetime: Daily Wisdom and Wit for a Long and Happy Marriage, columnist Mary Hance shares a wealth of golden tips, collected far and wide from young couples just setting out to those whose wedding vows still echo through half a century and more. Here are a few:

• “Throw the word fair out the window. In one year of a marriage, one person may need 99 percent of the love, effort, or focus of the other; another year, it may be just the opposite.”
• “What my father always told me when I was planning my wedding: ‘You have to want to have a marriage, not just a wedding. Remember the difference.’ ”
• “Learn fast that the grass is not greener on the other side of the fence!”
  
• “After several years of marriage, there is no way I’m training another husband, so I will just keep the one I have!”

Feeling that you and your spouse need some new sparkle for that old marriage, but you’re too busy to take a seminar? Here is a guide filled with simple pointers for reviving the luster in that all-important relationship. In 75 Things To Improve Your Marriage Without Your Spouse Even Knowing, Barbara Bartlein offers an array of tips for rubbing the tarnish from the routine. Here are a few:

• Put out the fancy dishes for no particular reason
• Surprise them with a water balloon!
• Compliment them in public
• Dance in the living room
• Say, “I have confidence in you,” and say it often
• Have an attitude of gratitude

Have You Found “the One”? 

The decision to get engaged is one of the most exciting and important decisions you will ever make. 51 Things You Should Know Before Getting Engaged offers the insights and techniques necessary for a successful engagement and marriage. Psychotherapist Michael Batshaw gives you the tools to decide whether your partner is the right one for you, and if so, how to keep it that way. 

Some of his advice: 

• Beware the person of your dreams. 
• Couples who do everything together do not have a relationship that can survive. 
• Couples who do not argue are in trouble. 
• Hollywood gets it wrong. 
• The truth of the moment is not the whole truth.

A practical guide to helping your teen tackle the tough issues and giving them the tools for success.

Drinking. Being popular. Making good grades. Being thin and fit. Today’s teens are constantly bombarded with issues from their classmates, friends, and the media. Trying to handle everything causes stress that can lead to anxiety, depression, alcohol abuse, eating disorders, and even suicidal thoughts. Don’t be left in the dark. With fact-driven research and practical advice, Stress-Proof Your Teen addresses these problems to help you help your teens de-stress and live up to their full potential. Topics include: 

Divorce. The very word conjures up heartache, pain, frustration, and financial devastation. In the United States, up to half of all marriages end in divorce, one of the highest rates in the world. Whether you or someone you know is considering divorce or is in the process, 20 Things To Know About Divorce will help prepare you for what to expect from one of the most emotional experiences of your life or the life of a loved one. In an easy-to-understand format with helpful resources, this book will help you discover:

• How to recognize what problems may be leading to a divorce
• What you can do to protect your marriage from divorce
• How to find the right experts to help you through the process
• Steps you can take to change the outcome of your divorce

Divorce. The very word conjures up heartache, pain, frustration, and financial devastation. In the United States, up to half of all marriages end in divorce, one of the highest rates in the world. Whether you or someone you know is considering divorce or is in the process, Divorce: An Essential Guide to the Inevitable Questions will help prepare you for what to expect from one of the most emotional experiences of your life or the life of a loved one. In an easy-to-understand format with helpful resources, this book will help you discover:

• How to recognize what problems may be leading to a divorce
• What you can do to protect your marriage from divorce
• How to find the right experts to help you through the process
• Steps you can take to change the outcome of your divorce

International autism advocate and bestselling author Chantal Sicile-Kira provides this simple, concise explanation of one of the most prevalent disorders in America.
Each year, 1 in every 100 children in America are diagnosed with autism. Although autism has reached epidemic proportions, it is far from understood. In What Is Autism? Chantal Sicile-Kira provides a clear, instructive explanation of autism spectrum disorders and what life is like for those on the spectrum. If you know someone with autism and would benefit from a quick, straightforward explanation of the condition, this book is the perfect resource. What Is Autism? explores in a simple question-answer format topics such as:

• What are the causes of autism? 
• Can vaccines cause autism?
  
• Can autism be prevented?
  
• How can I recognize the symptoms?
  
• Why do children and teens with autism act the way they do?
  
• What are the emotional effects of autism on the family?