The Guinness Book of Records

In 1976, an Irish schoolboy nicknamed “Bono” answered a call to join a new band. Ten years later, that band—U2—was a global sensation. As U2’s singer, Bono leveraged his fame to become a voice for activist groups fighting poverty, hunger, and the AIDS epidemic. At the same time, he started a family while pushing U2 to explore new styles of music. Bono’s memoir, Surrender, tells the story of his life and U2’s success, while also discussing Bono’s Christian faith and how his childhood affected who he’d become.

In this guide, we’ll cover U2’s rise to stardom, their period of self-reinvention, and Bono's career as a political activist. We’ll also provide historical context for Bono’s early days, the music industry, and U2’s shifting critical reception. We’ll look at the pros and cons of celebrity activism, as well as how Bono’s thoughts on Christian faith compare with those of contemporary religious writers.

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal shows how the fast food industry has reshaped the American economic system and imprinted itself on the nation’s culture since the 1950s. The industry has profoundly reshaped how American food is produced, marketed, and consumed. The book explores fast food’s exploitative marketing and labor practices, destruction of the nation’s independent farmers, responsibility for the spread of deadly foodborne pathogens like E. coli, and creation of a national obesity epidemic. Fast Food Nation shows us how fast food has exerted a decidedly negative influence on American life.

Louie Zamperini was one of the brightest prospects for the 1940 Olympics in track and field. But when WWII started, his life would take a much different path. The story of Louie’s struggles as a young loner, a rising star, a Pacific POW, and a man trying to reclaim his life after years of torment is as unbelievable as it is inspiring. Through Louie’s tale, the depths of the human soul and will to survive are examined. As Louie spirals out of control because of trauma and becomes obsessed with a plot to kill the man who tortured him, he learns that a man is not defined by his history, but rather by the manner in which he seeks a future. Unbroken reaches into the heart of terror and shines a light on what it means to triumph.

Your teachers probably told you that Wikipedia is an unreliable source. But its crowdsourcing and editing policies have made it one of the largest—and most accurate—compendia of information ever.

In Nine Lies About Work, Marcus Buckingham and Ashley Goodall argue that many of our workplace norms and practices are flawed. As a result, a majority of workers aren’t engaged at work and productivity growth is lagging. Thus, these typical practices prevent people and organizations from flourishing. To build thriving organizations, they assert that today’s leader should be a freethinking leader, one who questions established systems and beliefs and who values individuality over conformity.

In this guide, we explore why people don’t need feedback, why organizations shouldn’t invest in people who have “potential,” and why we should forget about work-life balance. We’ll also compare the authors’ ideas with those of other leadership experts, discuss research that supports or counters their arguments, and include tips to help you replace the lies with truths.

When you want to make a change, you come up with a strategy. That’s the easy part—next, you have to figure out how to implement the strategy. The 4 Disciplines of Execution harnesses and hones four disciplines that allow you to carry out your strategy. When you apply focus, leverage, engagement, and accountability, not only will you execute your strategies, you’ll create permanent behavioral changes as a leader and an organization.

In this guide we’ll connect the authors’ ideas with those from other popular self-help and business guides such as Awaken the Giant Within and Smarter Faster Better in order to provide a well-rounded view of the theories and techniques of The 4 Disciplines of Execution. We’ll also examine where the authors’ methods may be incomplete or unproven in practical settings. Taken together, this guide provides the background and tools to effectively tackle the processes in this book.

In This Is Marketing, entrepreneur and marketing expert Seth Godin challenges conventional marketing strategies. He argues that in today's media-saturated world, traditional marketing techniques are no longer effective. Instead, Godin emphasizes the importance of building strong relationships with customers based on trust, authenticity, and empathy. Effective marketing, according to Godin, goes beyond mere sales and aims to bring about positive changes in people's lives.

In this guide, we’ll explain why Godin says old marketing techniques are no longer effective and outline his guiding principles for successful marketing in the modern age. We complement his suggestions with insights from his other books as well as those of other marketing experts such as Ryan Holiday (Perennial Seller), Byron Sharp (How Brands Grow), and Pat Flynn (Superfans).

Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal shows how the fast food industry has reshaped the American economic system and imprinted itself on the nation’s culture since the 1950s. The industry has profoundly reshaped how American food is produced, marketed, and consumed. The book explores fast food’s exploitative marketing and labor practices, destruction of the nation’s independent farmers, responsibility for the spread of deadly foodborne pathogens like E. coli, and creation of a national obesity epidemic. Fast Food Nation shows us how fast food has exerted a decidedly negative influence on American life.

Your teachers probably told you that Wikipedia is an unreliable source. But its crowdsourcing and editing policies have made it one of the largest—and most accurate—compendia of information ever.

Have you ever wondered how we calculate happiness levels among different countries or the amount of fossil fuels it would take to switch to renewable energy? Have you considered what unemployment numbers and infant mortality rates say about a population? In Numbers Don’t Lie, scientist and economist Vaclav Smil wants to help you understand the world by understanding numbers and statistics. Numbers can help you see the world more clearly, but only if you know what they’re actually saying.

Smil examines commonly used metrics like GDP, vaccination rates, and fertility rates and asks what they say about countries like the US, China, and Japan. He also reviews humanity’s impact on the planet through the energy, transportation, and food sectors. In our guide, we’ll go over these numbers, metrics, and statistics and provide additional scientific and historical context to help you understand the world around you even better.

In Can’t Hurt Me, former Navy SEAL David Goggins describes his transformation from someone who let his circumstances control him to someone who proactively seeks greatness by tackling new challenges. He thinks everyone can work to cultivate a drive for self-improvement in order to overcome obstacles and reach their goals.

Most of us only give 40 percent of our effort, leaving 60 percent on the table and falling short of our potential. Goggins offers 10 actionables to help people push themselves to address obstacles and work efficiently toward their goals.

National Geographic exposes readers to cultures across the world—but the magazine’s coverage may perpetuate racist stereotypes rather than dismantle them.