Books Recommended by TED Speakers

A Mathematician’s Apology by G. H. Hardy

This is the best book I know about the sheer beauty of mathematics. Here’s one lovely quote from the book: “A mathematician, like a painter or a poet, is a maker of patterns. If his patterns are more permanent than theirs, it is because they are made with ideas.”

— David Brenner (TED Talk: A new weapon in the fight against superbugs)

The Future by Nick Montfort

This is a short read but a great look at some key future thinkers throughout history. Through delightfully written case studies, Montfort makes the argument that the future can be made and not predicted. It’s a must-read for anyone interested in future studies and the role that sci-fi, speculative design and big ideas play in shaping our future relationship with technology.

— Raphael Arar (TED Talk: How we can teach computers to make sense of our emotions)

Improv Wisdom: Don’t Prepare, Just Show Up by Patricia Ryan Madson

“We all could use a lesson on how to have fun in business and in life. Madson does a wonderful job providing strategies on how to deal with life’s many challenging situations by drawing from the maxims of improvisational theater.”

— Lisa Dyson (TED Talk: A forgotten Space Age technology could change how we grow food)

If You Want to Write: A Book About Art, Independence and Spirit by Brenda Ueland

For those who know they have something to express, these stressful times can feel a bit hopeless — it may seem impossible to find the time, skill and energy to create. This is one of the most timeless books on how to regain that hope, and it’s also a delightful read, in and of itself.

— Sebastian Wernicke (TED Talk: How to use data to make a hit TV show)

One spring morning many years ago, I had been searching for gold on southeastern Alaska’s Kupreanof Island, and as I came out of a forest, I froze in my tracks. No more than 20 paces away was a huge Alaskan timber wolf—caught in one of Trapper George’s traps.

Old George had died of a heart attack, so the wolf was lucky I had happened along. Confused and frightened at my approach, the wolf backed away, straining at the trap chain. Then I noticed something else: It was a female, and her teats (乳头) were full of milk. Somewhere there were some hungry pups (狼崽子) waiting for their mother.

From her appearance, I guessed that she had been trapped only a few days. That meant her pups were probably still alive, surely no more than a few miles away. But I suspected that if I tried to release the wolf, she would turn aggressive and try to tear me to pieces.

So I decided to search for her pups instead. After several moments, I spotted paw marks on a trail. I finally spotted the den (狼窝). Wolf pups are shy and cautious, and I didn’t have much hope of luring them outside. But I had to try. So I began imitating the high­-pitched squeak of a mother wolf calling her young. No response. A few moments later, after I tried another call, four tiny pups appeared.

They couldn’t have been more than a few weeks old. I extended my hands, and they tentatively suckled at my fingers. Perhaps hunger had helped overcome their natural fear. Then, I took them to their mother. Possibly picking up the smell of her young, the mother wolf let out a high­-pitched, sad call. The pups raced to her. Within seconds, they were drinking milk at her belly.

The mother wolf was clearly suffering, very weak. I had to find her something to eat. Yet each time I moved in her direction, a growl (怒吼) rumbled in her throat. With her young to protect, she was becoming very cautious. If I could only win her confidence, I thought, it was her only hope.

Over the next few days, I divided my time between prospecting and trying to win the wolf's trust. I talked gently with her, throwing her some meat. Gradually, I kept edging closer — though I was careful to remain beyond the length of her trap chain.

At dusk on the fifth day, I delivered her dinner. Suddenly, I saw a slight wagging of her tail. I moved within the length of her chain. She remained sill. As a towering man, my heart was in my mouth, though. Within her reach, I wrapped my blanket around myself and slowly settled onto the cold ground. It was long before I fell asleep.

The next morning, I slowly placed my hand on the wolf's injured leg. Unexpectedly; she made no threatening move. Then I applied pressure, the trap sprang open, and the wolf pulled free.

My experience told me the wolf would vanish into the woods quickly. But cautiously, she crept toward me and sniffed my hands and arms. This went against everything I'd ever heard about timber wolves. Yet, strangely, it all seemed so natural.

You’ve likely noticed them by now. School buses are back on the street packed with students. Many of those kids step off the buses with a potential health danger over their shoulder — a backpack filled with homework.

Backpacks come in all shapes, sizes and colors. It is a fun way for any girl or boy to express their styles. Some are simple, some covered with cartoon characters, many equipped with special compartments for every tool a student needs, like pencils, notebooks and books.

Yes, they are practical, but a heavy backpack can injure muscles and joints. Wearing a backpack incorrectly can lead to severe back, neck and shoulder pain, as well as posture problems. When a backpack filled with books is placed on a boy or girl’s shoulders incorrectly, the force of the weight can pull the child backward, so the child may bend their hips forward or arch their back.

Pay attention to detail when selecting a backpack; choose one that is equipped with a comfortable back, waist and wide shoulder straps. Narrow straps can dig into a child’s shoulders and affect circulation and nerves. The heavy load danger is not just for kids 12 and under. Middle and high school are at risk, too. They are carrying heavier books home daily.

Luckily, back pain created by backpacks is preventable. Parents should talk to their kids about lightening the load. You can even use a bathroom scale. The backpack should not weigh more than 10 percent to 15 percent of your child’s weight. If your child weighs 80 pounds, the pack should not weigh more than 8 to 12 pounds. If your child weighs 140 pounds, the pack should not be heavier than 21 pounds. Most importantly, if your child talks about numbness or weakness in the arms or legs, contact a physician.

A city in South Korea, which has the world’s largest number of people using smartphones, has placed flashing lights and laser beams at a road crossing to warn “smartphone zombies” to look up and drivers to slow down, in the hope of preventing accidents.

The designers of the system were motivated by growing worry that more pedestrians glued to their phones will become victims in a country that already has some of the highest road death and injury rates among developed countries. State-run Korea Institute of Civil Engineering and Building Technology (KICT) believes its system of flashing lights at zebra crossings can warn both pedestrians and drivers.

In addition to red, yellow and blue LED lights on the pavement, “smombies” - smartphone zombies - will be warned by laser beam projected from power poles and a warning sent to the phones by an app that they are about to step into traffic.

“Increasing number of smombie accidents have occurred in pedestrian crossings, so these zombie lights are essential to prevent these pedestrian accidents,” said KICT senior researcher Kim Jong-hoon. Drivers are warned by the flashing lights, which have shown to be effective 83.4 percent of the time in the institute’s tests involving about 1,000 vehicles.

In 2017, more than 1,600 pedestrians were killed in auto related accidents, which is about 40 percent of total traffic deaths, according to data from the Traffic Accident Analysis System. For now, the smombie warning system is placed only in Ilsan, a suburban city about 30 km northwest of the capital, Seoul, but is expected to go nationwide, according to the institute.

Kim Dan-hee, a 23-year-old resident of Ilsan, welcomed the system, saying she was often too absorbed in her phone to remember to look at traffic. “This flashing light makes me feel safe as it makes me look around again, and I hope that we can have more of these in town,” she said.

Everyday Habits That Could and Should Change Forever After Coronavirus

Handshakes will be out. In this new era of the coronavirus and the practice of social distancing, there will undoubtedly be a cultural shift in the way we all greet one another.     16     Instead, social greetings may be a head nod, or any action that enables one to avoid direct touch or contact.

    17     We are already seeing a dramatic shift in how consumers are eating at restaurants. The restaurants that require their guests to dine in are seeing the largest decline in sales. Delivery and takeout options might be expanded. More clear information might be posted in the restaurant showing they are clean.

More companies will permit employees to work remotely. More companies will permit employees to work at home. Businesses and their employees see that working from home is not only doable but that it might even be more productive.     18    

We'll find another way to press buttons. Directly touching the keypads with your fingers will be an action of the past. Most of us are aware that everyday locations are full of germs.     19     People might start pushing those elevator buttons with their elbow or even an object like a pen instead of their fingers.

People will take their personal space more seriously. One of the most visible policies in the age of the coronavirus is the idea of "social distancing”.     20     People will start paying more attention to whom they let approach them in their personal space and the socially acceptable personal distance will change in most cultures.

Do you remember the last time you expressed how much you love your mother? If so, when? We tend to have this habit of shying away from expressing how ______ our mother or our father is to us. I must _______ that I am not used to expressing how much I love my parents. Seldom did I say the most used three ______: I Love You.

But that ______ the moment I learned about my mother's diagnosis (诊断). When it was confirmed that my mother had stage 3 breast cancer, I knew that the ______ of beating this illness was 50/50.

However, we followed all her physician's ______. She went through the process of ______. Cancer isn't easy to ______. It took my mother two years to ______ against cancer. I also ____ how people were there to help her in any way they could— ______, morally, and even for her food. I couldn't be thankful for their ______.

Unfortunately, my mother ______ her battle. Her body had given up. It wasn't easy for me to ____. It wasn't easy not to ______ all the things she had done for me and my siblings. I regret I didn’t convey my love and my thanks to my mother who had devoted all her life to her ______.

I miss everything about my mother. And ______ I miss her more. We tend to ______ to show our gratitude to them. While your mothers are still ______, remember to appreciate their unconditional love for you. Let them ______ how much you love them. Please say I Love You to your mother today.

Never     41     Zhou Yang forget his first assignment     42     a newspaper reporter. When he asked his boss whether he could go out on a story at once, the boss told him that not     43     he was more     44     (experience) could he cover a story. So he was going to be sent to work with a colleague and a     45     (profession) photographer. The boss also told him that if he wanted     46    (acquire) all the information he needed, he must ask many questions and had to listen to the detailed facts     47     (careful). Meanwhile he had to prepare for the next question     48     (depend) on what the person said.

The boss said if the person     49     (interview) agreed, he could use a recorder to make sure that he got all the facts straight. Now Zhou Yang has learned that only by getting the hang of all the tricks of the trade     50     he become a good reporter.