Economic-Life Books

I had this book for my anthropology class (Kirin Narayan is a professor here at University of Wisconsin - Madison) and though more often than not I find assigned books to be boring, this one was the opposite and I read it more than once and kept it at the end of the year instead of selling it back because I thought it was so great. Ms. Narayan visited our class one day and talked to us about how she had to learn Urmila Devi Sood's dialect before she could talk with her and record the folktales. I love the folktales in this book!! This is a great book to own!

When I ordered this book, I was expecting a collection of stories in seperate, neat little packages. Instead it seemed that a bunch of quirky little stories wiggled their way into a book about something entirely different. I think the stories themselves need some re-writing before they are fully presentable in English, but I also think that the book is about much more then a couple tall tales.

This is a lovely and evocative book. The author brings us stories as an intimate of the women who tell them. Illuminating and graceful, the stories tell of life in a large sense, but the author shows us how their tellings grow out of particular lives and specific settings. As I read the stories, I felt that I came to know Urmilaji, too, and the hardships and pleasures of the Himalyan village in which she lives. I use this book often in teaching and my students love it. It helps them understand India in a subtle and pleasing way, and shows them how stories are rich with many meanings.

The stories told by Urmila Devi Sood in Kirin Narayan's book "Earth into Gold" are woven as richly as a gold brocade wedding sari. Many of the themes are fresh and Ms Narayan's commentary fleshes out the narative for those seeking a deeper meaning of the tales that have been told by generations of story tellers in the small village in the Himalayas where Urmilaji lives. I reccommend this book for readers who enjoy folk tales as well as for the more serious scholar. I would also not hesitate to read these stories to children, as an alternative to Hans Christian Anderson and the Brothers Grimm

This is a beautifully written book that clearly articulates difficult ideas from several disciplines and puts them together to create a compelling argument for change. It's short, readable and brings together the theses many of the most important progressive thinkers of our time. Everyone should read this book.

Tom Wessels uses excellent examples to support his arguments in Myth of Progress. He has a writing style that is fluid, understandable, enjoyable, and uplifting. If more people read this book we would be on our way to a sustainable future with an environmental ethic.

I pulled this book from my waiting stack after reviewing Vice: Dick Cheney and the Hijacking of the American Presidency While all that we do wrong is rooted in corrupt politics such as Dick Cheney represents so well, I wanted to get away from the personalities and focus on the underlying truths of the greatest challenge facing all of us, preserving the planet for future generations.

This thoughtful careful author from New Hampshire has created a really special book, small, readable, and packed with fact (superb footnotes). He gives all due credit to his predecessors in the field--Georgescu-Roegen, Meadows, Dalay, Hawken et al.

He brings out the nuances of complex systems and how our linear reductionist thinking, and our false assumption that technology will resolve our waste creation and earth consumption issues, combine to place all that we love at risk. I was personally surprised to learn that even if we fund 100 water desalination or decontamination plants, and resolve our shortfalls of clean water, that the energy required to do so would result in entropy and further losses.

The author brings up the need for better metrics (see my reviews of "Ecology of Commerce" and "Natural Capitalism" as well as my list on "True Cost" readings. He points out that the GDP does not reflect the non-cash economy or the degree of equality/inequality in the distribution of new wealth. I would add to that the importance of counting prisons and hospitals as negatives rather than positives.

A good portion of the book (a chapter for each) is spent discussion the three fundamentals: the limits to growth; the second law of thermodynamics (entropy); and the nuances of self-organization and what happens when you reduce diversity.

The author lists the attributes of complex systems as being emergent properties that arise from the interactions (i.e. the space between the objects); self-organization, nestedness, and bifurcation into either positive or negative consequences.

The bottom line for the first part of the book is that in complex systems, especially complex systems for which we have a very incomplete and imperfect understanding, "control" is a myth, just as "progress" is a myth if you are consuming your seed corn.

The author excels at a review of the literature and demonstrating the flaws of economic theories that are divorced from reality and the "true cost" of goods and services (e.g. a T-shirt holds 4000 liters of virtual water, a chesseburger 6.5 gallons of fuel).

I have reviewed a number of books on climate change, in this book the author makes the very important point that the annual cost of weather disasters has been steadily increasing, and is the annual hidden "tax" on our reductionist approach to clearing the earth, losing the forests and mashlands, and so on.

He points out that concealing or ignoring true cost does not make it any less true, it simply passes the cost on to future generations. In the same vein he is optemistic in that he believes that if we take positive action now, however small, the benefits of that action as the years scale out, will be enormous.

This is actually an upbeat book for two reasons: first, it makes it crystal clear that the classical economics that have allowed corporations to pilage the world, bribe dictators and other elites, and generally harvest profit at the expense of the commonwealth; and second, it ends on a note of hope, on the belief that we may be approaching a dramatic cultural shift that embraces reciprocal altruism, true cost calculations, equitable wealth distribution, and so on.

He cites other authors but gives very positive insights into public ownership (by stakeholders, not the government), essentially repealing the flawed court-awarded "personality" of corporations, and re-connecting every entity to its land-base and the people it serves. He recommends, and I am buying, David Korten's "Post-Corporate World." By restoring the populace to the decision process, we stamp down the greed that can flourish in isolation.

The book ends hoping for a cultural shift from consumption to connection. I believe it is coming. Serious games/games for change, fed by real-world real-time content from public intelligence providers including the vast social networks from Wikipedia to MeetOn to the Moral Majority, could great a wonderfully distributed system of informed democratic governance that implements what I call "reality-based budgeting," budgeting that is transparent, accountable, and balanced.

This is a much more important book than its size and length might suggest. It is beikng read by and was recommended to me by some heavy hitters in the strategic thinking realm, and I am disappointed at the lack of reviews thus far. This book merits broad reading and discussion.

See also:
A Power Governments Cannot Suppress
The Unconquerable World: Power, Nonviolence, and the Will of the People
Society's Breakthrough!: Releasing Essential Wisdom and Virtue in All the People
Escaping the Matrix: How We the People can change the world
All Rise: Somebodies, Nobodies, and the Politics of Dignity (BK Currents)
Imagine: What America Could Be in the 21st Century
The Cultural Creatives: How 50 Million People Are Changing the World
The Average American: The Extraordinary Search for the Nation's Most Ordinary Citizen

This will no doubt be one of those rare books I read over and over again. If you believe that profligacy holds empty promises; that we are spiralling on a downward course of natural resource depletion and want to go out into the world armed with a message of hope inspired by nature and supported by scientific principle then this is the book for you.

Drayton has penned a remarkable history and historical sociology of the planting of empire, science and of course, plants. A remarkable achievment, complemented by the high quality of production by Yale University Press. Highly recommended, even to those who might believe that they have no interest in either science or empire...deserves more than five stars!

This is one of the most exciting books I have ever read. It connects so many different strands of intellectual history, British history, and world history into one elegantly organized story which works over four centuries. It is packed with original arguments and suggestions-- almost too many, at times it is difficult to keep track of all the arguments that are in play at the same time. Drayton has a gift for keeping lots of balls in the air. It is the kind of book which leaves you feeling smarter in a dozen kinds of ways. I thought the conclusion was pretty prophetic about the world of 9-11.

Drayton's main point is to show the inter-relatedness of imperial control over nature and people. Natural sciences and political economy became related. That is, an understanding of nature's laws would help improve the administration of people and things/environment. Botany facilitated improvement ["a commitment to the reform of the world as a whole" p. 104], and improvement by the state justified empire.

He seeks to show this by concentration on Kew as a place where science and expansion converged (even while sitting at the very heart of the center. "What matters is Kew as an agent and product of modern history, as a space in which ideas about nature, economy, and legitimate authority interacted with concrete policies over Imperial Britain's nineteenth century." p. xvii. "From the 1780s onwards, however, it became a de facto national collection, to which seeds and bulbs were sent from every part of the world. More strikingly, Kew became a source of plants, and of gardeners, sent outwards to Britain's overseas dominions." p. 108.

He offers this summary: "Botanical knowledge, linked to the global transit of exotic commodities, had come to symbolize an imperium both rational and divine." p. 25.

"Systems of classification, as much as sextants and chronometers, allowed Europeans to perceive themselves as the magistrates of Providence, equipped by their knowledge of its laws with responsibilities over all of creation." p. 45. This knowledge justified their dominion. "British `improvers' moved, at home and abroad, in the faith that they ultimately knew better than those on the ground. Their confidence depended, in part, on the assumption that they possessed a more profound understanding of how Nature worked." p. 90.

Drayton wants to upset the idea of imperialism being simply the center imposing itself on the periphery, rather: "Over all, we should begin to conceive of European `expansion' as the colonization of Europe by extra-European interests." p. xviii The periphery changed the culture at the center: "Tropical nature [and its defiance of categories framed by the likes of Linnaeus] had again overthrown a system too provincial in its dependence on Europe..." p. 19.

Having superior knowledge justified exploitation of foreign lands despite natives, but it also justified conserving resources despite native demands when it suited the empire. These points are Drayton's most interesting for me (I could have used a lot more thinking about this-perhaps at the expense of stuff on personal politics in and around Kew).

Drayton insists botany pave the way for empire in a number of ways: knowledge and expertise lent legitimacy to foreign intervention (the enlightened know best), botanists themselves were local agents of empire, and knowledge allowed for redistribution of plants for profit in the center and around the imperial periphery.

Well, let's hope this is the first of many magisterial tomes from the pen of one of the brightest new stars of academe. Richard Drayton, a man who combines the wit of Mark Twain with the intellectual force of Aristotle, has produced a thrilling read that - like the writing of the great Alan Titchmarsh - reshapes the landscape of imperial history. Tremendous vistas. Striking and unexpected historical contrasts. I recommend it strongly.

I lOVED this book and think it applies to both men and women. Liked the short chapters with synopsis of each chapter. Will order a few more to give to some young people who are just beginning their move up the corporate ladder.

I can see why Mrs. Smith wanted to get her message out. She great examples of what women should and shouldn't do in business. A lot of it is common sense, but it had to be said none the less. I could have stood for a bit more meat, but all in all, I liked it and read it in one sitting. Women are prone to make some of these mistakes like "Being one of the boys" or "Drinking too much at office parties", but if you are just starting out or just trying to fill in some of the "rules", this book is a great start.

This book has a lot of great advice that I wish I would have had at the beginning of my career.

I have yet to read this book, but I have known Pamela Smith and her husband Steve for many years. They have been a source of steadfast counsel for myself and others and are amazing leaders! Anything that Pam would deem worthy to put into a book is worth reading!

From Texas to South Dakota, there is a 5 trillion gallon underground lake. From the time of the glaciers, this water source has made our nation livable

William Ashworth's Ogallala Blue is a great story expertly told. The author lays out the agricultural and political aspects of groundwater use in the High Plains. Drawing on the personalities and perspectives of those managing and studying the aquifer, his style is both relaxed and information dense. The reader is left wondering if our political and legal institutions can respond in time to prevent exhaustion of the aquifer and a forced return to dry-land farming in the High Plains.

I was born in Valentine, Nebraska but I had only the vaguest knowledge of the Ogallala Aquifer that was underfoot. The events of Ancient Rome or Middle Earth of Tolkien (which never did exist, of course) were of greater reality to me than the buffalo and loons and prairie dogs that were around me all the time. Now that I am half a century old, I cry over the despoilation of that beautiful land and all of North America.

Mr. Ashworth's book was really excellent! I found it exciting and informative, packed with numbers at times, and at other times full of drama. I think he captured most of the political and economic issues very well, and did a really excellent job of introducing us to the scientific issues.

It is very hard to disentangle a review like this from the issue involved. The book is great, no doubt about it, but the issue is so gripping and heart-wrenching.

My grandfather was a dryland cattle rancher in Cherry County from about 1915 until the 1960s. What would he think now? I remember the old wooden windmill on his ranch, pumping water into the round corrugated metal tank. I have so many fond memories of the sandhills -- looking for arrowheads in blowouts (mentioned in the book) with my dad as a kid... watching for trains, picking up garter snakes, seeing a "plague of frogs" after a summer rain (I kid you not!!! I drove over Highway 20 once evening in to Valentine, right over thousands of frogs that swarmed everywhere, including the highway. I didn't know what to do! I slowed down but that made the sounds all the more horrible. What terrible karma have I accumulated for myself on that fateful June evening so many years ago?)

I think it is funny that today we spend extra money for chickens and cattle that are organic and free-range. That was all they were for years and years!!! All my grandfather's cattle were free-range! Truly. They were shot and slaughtered, true, but up to that point they had a good life on the prairie.

My experience is mostly Nebraska, though I have done a lot of driving through eastern Colorado, and I have toured South Dakota, esp. the badlands. But the Ogallala Aquifer is home to me... and water, well, how you can say that water isn't home?

Thank you, Mr. Ashworth! I hope that the future works out better than the past! I truly do!

(PS I remember thinking center pivots in the Sandhills were a HUGE mistake in the 1980s! And I've done enough farmwork that I feel I can criticize!)

I spent my summers in the 1950's as a child on my grandmother's farm in western Kansas. I was always fascinated by the abundant water flowing out of the Caterpillar irrigation pump. It was frigidly cold on a west Kansas 100 degree day. My uncles would put a watermelon in a burlap bag and suspend it under the discharge water from the pump. The water could not have been much more than 60 degrees--or so it seemed. They used the old style irrigation method of that era: unlined ditches and irrigation tubes (first rubber, later aluminum). My older brother and I used to float down those ditches in inner tubes. So, I'm a little sentimental about the Ogallala.

Still, beyond the sentimentality, the story of the Ogallala is a fascinating one. So much water, so many square miles of the high plains. It's somewhat a sad story because of so much depletion of the aquifer. But it's actually a lot more upbeat than I anticipated because of the awareness of most of the people involved in overseeing and using the Ogallala and the regulatory authorities. It seems like the great majority of people in the region know that conservation is the name of the game--while still utilizing the resource in an intelligent manner.

There are exceptions, of course. The state of Texas with it's water law of he who has the biggest pump wins. In this day and age, I don't know why that doesn't surprise me. Oklahoma also sounds to be a little unsound on conservation with its water law, as well.

Overall, the author has done a fine job of telling a story of geology, people, conservation, and irrigation technology blended together. I found it very informative and I learned a number of things about which I was totally unaware. I plan on giving the book to my mother for her 80th birthday.

I strongly recommend this book for anyone with an interest in the effects of sprawl on our society. It is filled with information from a number of significant research studies. The book focuses on statistics, not opinion, to make its arguments against sprawl

If you want a fairly definitive guide to all the disadvantages of suburban sprawl, read this book. I also recommend it as a source guide, because it cites a lot of sources on both sides of the issue.

It does have some imperfections: it is very focused on environmental issues, so I wouldn't pretend that it is the definitive guide on other sprawl related problems (e.g. social justice issues), though it does address such issues to some extent. Also, I think it is a bit more biased towards "big government" solutions to sprawl than I would be if I were writing a book on the subject. But by and large, I recommend it.

What do road rage, farmland loss, inner-city poverty, and air pollution have in common? They are all part of "sprawl," a thoroughly American phenomenon of poorly-planned scattershot development.

"Once There Were Greenfields" provides a comprehensive review of sprawl: its causes, its consequences, and most importantly, its solutions. If Benfield's book had been printed 50 years ago, perhaps much of the destruction of America's farms and city centers would have been avoided.

The book reviews a number of public policies that favor unlimited consumption of land and drive development out of America's cities. Benfield reminds us that while most of the policy decisions that lead to sprawl are made at the state and local level, these decisions are often based on economic incentives created by federal activity. The sad fact is that our current patterns of low-density development are the result of fifty years of government policy decisions, direct government funding, and government-influenced private finance and credit decisions. In most American cities, the mix of these policies and market forces creates a strong economic push toward an ever-expanding suburbia at the expense of our core urban and inner suburban areas.

The results of sprawl have been disastrous for environmental quality and for the economic well-being of cities. Sprawl is even costly to suburban residents that unknowingly subsidize the process, such as the paving of more than one million acres of farmland per year, through increases in their property taxes and other mechanisms.

Despite the book's detailed review of policies ranging from taxation and transportation to agriculture and water quality, it remains extremely accessible. Newcomers to the issue that Vice President Gore has termed "Livability" will find "'Greenfields" a thoughtfully balanced primer. Land use professionals will appreciate the professionalism of the research and wealth of useful citations.

This book is a must-read for policy makers and citizen activists alike that wish to improve their quality of life. If you've been looking for a single source of all the most important -- and most disturbing -- facts about sprawl, Benfield and his associates have produced it.

"Once There Were Greenfields" is the product of a small team of researchers working for The National Resouces Defense Council (NRDC) and the Surface Transportation Policy Project. The result is a well-researched, balanced and highly readable review of suburban sprawl and its effects on the community, economy and environment. It also suggests ways we might mitigate sprawl by opting for policies that encourage "smart growth", i.e. development that takes a holistic view of the community and its role within the larger society in which we all live.

With thorough documentation, charts and illustrations to support the author's work, one can easily imagine the book serving well as an introductory college textbook on the subject. It should also be welcomed by community activists and concerned citizens alike who may want to prepare themselves for intelligent discussion and engagement when faced with the problem of sprawl in their own local communities.

The authors discuss the numerous reasons why sprawl has become such a big problem in our country. Of course the closely related and interconnected topics of the American love affair with the automobile, the building of the interstate highway system and the dismantling of big city public transportation systems by General Motors are cited as factors that enabled and encouraged the post-WW II mass exodus from most major cities to their surrounding suburban areas. But the authors also point out that uncoordinated local governments generally make it difficult for America to develop comprehensive land use policies, allowing land developers and corporations to run amok and get what they wanted with respect to tax breaks, permits, and so on.

The end result is that businesses have found it only too easy to relocate to cheaper land outside the core cities (if not to foreign countries), setting in motion a cycle of urban decline that pushes even more people to the suburbs and the inexpensive houses available there.

The authors don't blame Americans for desiring the relatively clean air, open spaces, and safe schools and neighborhoods that suburbia purports to offer. But as the boundaries push ever outward, the benefits become ever more difficult to attain and a myriad of new problems emerge. For example, commuting costs -- in terms of both time and money -- can wipe out much of the savings on housing. The problem is compounded by the deleterious effects of stress to the psyche that are associated with driving ever longer distances to work. All of this extra driving also contributes enormously to the problems of both global warming and local air pollution. Significantly, local government budgets quickly become depleted trying to keep up with spiraling highway construction and maintenance costs.

The authors suggest remedies and also allude to success stories in places such as Portland, Oregon, the State of Maryland, and Europe to discuss some of the alternatives that may help contain sprawl. In each case, it seems that revitalizing and creating a truly livable inner city is integral to creating a winning strategy.

Whether the U.S. can truly reverse sprawl before most of its open spaces are consumed remain an open question, of course. One suspects that regional planners acting in the community's interest will have a tougher time reigining in the rugged, individualistic American than his or her European counterpart. But one has to wonder whether continuing to consume every two years over one million acres of open lands -- much of it valuable and irreplacable farmlands and wetlands -- should rightly be called progress, and what the consequences of this unwritten policy of perpetual destruction might hold for us in the long run.

In brief, this excellent book contains much for us to think about. It provides guidance and inspiration to those among us who dare to believe that a stronger community, a better environment, and a higher quality of life may indeed be possible without sprawl. Highly recommended.

This book is such a fabulous resource for all women. Filled with inspirational words and wisdom, this is a must read for women everywhere. The most powerful and uplifting book of the decade!!

The title says it all. These are some dynamic women who have been gracious enough to give us all real, practical and solid approaches for excelling. No matter who you are and where you are in life, there is something here for every women. Get a copy, and see for yourself! Then buy a copy for a friend who you know can use a boost.

I have shared this book with all my friends and family. This book covers it all! Heart, Mind and Soul!

This book has become my new bible! The wonderful women in this book share their insights into how to become successful in life and do a great job at it! There are many practical tips to help you get started moving in the right direction whatever direction that may be. The stories are personal and you feel as if you've made a new friend in all of these women. They are truly an inspiration to womankind. I can't recommend the book enough! Great job ladies!!

I have had this book for years and have used it in many work/office situations. It has served me well as a reference book whenever I have had a need to keep myself and my work organized. It's also great to read through the entire book to get practical tips and information. Most of the ideas presented are very simple but it's those simple ideas which can make your life easier and save you loads of time and stress. I have found this book to be well worth the money spent and I believe that you will agree. If you want to be more organized in your work and your life - this book will help you achieve that goal!

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I highly recommend this book. If you have had a reputation for being disorganized in the past, by following the instructions here you can really clean up your act. This book includes chapters on how to arrange tickler systems, how to keep your hard drive orderly and high-functioning, and hundreds of tips on how to trim minutes off tasks. The arrangement of the book is effective and clear, and the presentation of concepts is well-written too. This book isn't just for office managers--as a professional I find it extremely useful.

Wow! Dubbed "The Bible of Organization" by the media, the latest edition (4th, to be exact) is not a disappointment. The author (Susan Silver) has included all the tips you need for organizing your life at work, from time management to streamlining your workspace and all the points in between.

Whether you are looking for tips on managing projects or trying to create an organized workspace, Organized To Be Your Best! is the one guide you need for balancing it all.

Now in an updated and expanded fourth edition, Susan Silver's Organized To Be Your Best!: Simplify And Improve How You Work continues to be an indispensable instruction manual enabling the reader to control multiple, ever-changing projects and priorities, intense workloads and information overload. Readers will learn to manage email, voice, fax, and other instant communications, devise a time and information management system tailored to their needs, work more effectively with others, master a messy desk and "piles of files", maximize the work space (including alternative, virtual, and home offices), and get the most from the computer and the Internet. Very highly recommended, Organized To Be Your Best! is as practical and applicable as it is "reader friendly" and workplace productivity improving.

For those of us who feel intimidated by the relentless pace of technological change, this book is a godsend. Not only does the author help make sense of how new technologies are altering the workplace, but she also provides practical advice on how to make the most of one's skills and interests in such an environment. Goldberg writes with clarity and grace. The tips at the end of each chapter offer excellent guidance for adapting to a high-tech world and inspire the reader to continue to think about these issues on his or her own. All in all, a valuable and accessible book that can help readers find their place in an increasingly complex world.

I found the book extremely useful. If there is anyone who has an aversion to technology, this is the book to read. As usual, Ms. Goldberg's style is fluid and cogent. It is an easy read and well done. Congratulations on a much needed book in today's hi-tech society.

This is proving a great tool for getting reluctant employees to face the fact that they simply have to deal with computers. It provides enough information and tips about working in this new way, without ever getting technical, to get people relaxed enough to accept training with hope instead of terror.

This book is ideal for getting my reluctant older university students to try using the Internet for research. It answers many of the difficult questions about how to learn what information to trust on the web, and in general makes the whole idea of a wired world less threatening. In fact, if I decide to get my mother a computer, this book might prove the key to convincing her to actually use it. Nice, easy reading, and never condescending.

The book arrived in excellent condition and on time.

Thanks

Jerry L. Fletcher and Kelley Olwyler examine how you use paradoxical thinking - contradictory ways of approaching a situation. Then, they discuss ways to use your paradoxes to your strategic advantage. You can use their "pendulum" to help you recognize the positive and negative ways you express these paradoxes - so you can apply the positive actions to difficult situations. They invite readers to analyze themselves and resolve a current problem. The book can help you devise more creative solutions to personal and work situations. However, while the system is fairly straightforward, elements do seem complicated and may be difficult to apply on your own. We [...] recommend this book as a novel approach to problem solving and a worthy way to regard goal setting without the nagging voice of consistency in your ear.

Paradoxical Thinking is a very effective step-by-step guide for really getting down to understanding the core aspects of our individual nature and how they can work together synergistically-- or cause a nightmare of inner conflict. Jerry and Kelle show us how to discover and reclaim our seemingly contradictory qualities and use them to get through apparent impasses. This book is great for self-help, for coaching, and for collaborative thinking. Recognizing my own oxymoronic nature is definitely helpful in making my way in the world. Discovering my "Nightmare Oxymoron" was a blast. I recommend it.

When I heard about this book, I did not quite know what to expect. Reading things like 'How to profit from your contradictions' and 'bringing together the paradoxical sides of yourself to achieve outstanding results', I feared it might turn out to be kind of vague and superficial. But I decided to give the book the benefit of the doubt, because I quite liked Jerry Fletcher's previous book "Patterns of High Performance".

How wrong can you be in your expectations...The book turned out to be a downright fascinating read! The book describes with great clarity a very specific step-by-step method by which you can identify seemingly contradictory characteristics of yourself (the authors call this your 'core paradox'). Both of these contradictory characteristics can be expressed either in a negative way or in a positive way.

When these contradictory characteristics are expressed in their most negative way, a nightmare-scenario can follow. When this happens, a person swings back and forth between the two (negative) sides of the paradox, leaving him or her hopeless, without energy and ineffective. However, when these contradictory characteristics are expressed in their most positive way, both (positive) sides of the paradox are simultaneously present.

Because of this, you can produce creative resolutions of dilemma's that previously seemed intractable. Using a tool called 'Fletcher's pendulum', you can figure out how to get from the negative expression of your core paradox to a positive expression. How this exactly works, you should of course read in the book. It has many examples and is packed with practical wisdom. I found it extremely valuable.