Perigee Bookmarks

Kids Beyond Limits book trailer

Kids Beyond Limits - On sale now!

 

 

In Kids Beyond Limits, Anat Baniel uses the latest brain research to help children with special needs. Through the Anat Baniel Method, children with all types of disorders are able to see results. Watch this video to see how this method has helped children move beyond their developmental limitations and maximize their potential. 

 

 



 

 

Watch Goldie Hawn on CBS!

Goldie Hawn, author of 10 Mindful Minutes, talked about her book on CBS This Morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

10 Mindful Minutes is on sale now!

Hot Cripple author Hogan Gorman on The Daily Ticker

 Hogan Gorman, author of Hot Cripple, was interviewed on The Daily Ticker about hot-button health care issues as well as her own battle with the health care system. 

 

 

 Hot Cripple is on sale now!

Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day book trailer

Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day is coming out in April. This trailer will give you a little taste of what's to come!

 

 

 

 

Europe on 5 Wrong Turns a Day is available for pre-order now! Buy it in stores on April 3rd. 

Hot Cripple author Hogan Gorman on MSNBC

Hogan Gorman, author of Hot Cripple,  was recently interviewed on The Dylan Ratigan Show on MSNBC. 

 

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

The Votes Are In...

We are proud to announce that Wreck This App has won the David Award for Best Digital Product! Thanks to all who voted!

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Amy Spencer - How I Know I'm Writing Right

This article was originally published on Penguin.com.

by Amy Spencer

Here’s what I learned from writing my second book: It takes me about ten minutes to know if I’m “writing right.”

When I was writing the first draft of my new book Bright Side Up: 100 Ways to Be Happier Right Now, some days I’d sit down and clomp at the keys for ten minutes before realizing that all I’d really written was a long, bad, clunky caption. And, anyway, wasn’t it time to refresh my Facebook page? And file down the nail I’d been nervously gnawing all morning? In those first weeks, I was so overwhelmed by trying to write a perfect book, my words were concrete blocks, painfully heavy with all the pressure I’d lumped on them. Every day, I questioned myself and this crazy idea I had to write one hundred chapters—one hundred?—on living a happier life.

As the due date loomed closer, my daily writing quota grew longer. I didn’t just need to write one chapter a day to make my deadline; I needed two chapters, or three, and one time even seven. But a funny thing happened on those busy writing days. (Oh, a funny thing other than gaining ten pounds because I rewarded myself for making my quota by chowing down on delivery pizza.) Basically, my writing was so much better.

It was better because without the time to listen to my inner critic, I had no choice but to type the words just as they came. Instead of cumbersome concrete blocks, my words were little river rocks, smooth around the edges. This, to me, is what now feels like, “writing right.” From now on, if I haven’t put down anything that feels real in ten minutes, I know it’s time to take a new angle, try a new metaphor, tell a different story.

Now, hear me out on this: I’m talking about the rough draft. I’ll still go over what I’ve written eight, twelve or twenty times, shaping it until it feels right. But that first round? Getting it down on paper? I think our writing is best when it’s flowing easy, when it’s smooth like those river rocks, because that’s what’s most authentically us.

I’m not talking about “Writing what you know,” I’m talking about “Writing it the way it feels right.” It feels right because it’s true from the inside. When I’m trying to sound smarter or impress my professional peers, that’s when I get stuck. That’s when I know I should step back and ask this: Why is this hard? What’s not true about what I’m writing?

So now, when I’m writing one of my novels, crafting a post on my site TheLifeOptimist.com or creating my weekly optimism idea in the “Vitamin Optimism” email I send out, I know that if it takes me more than ten minutes to capture the essence of what I want to say, something’s not true about what I’m writing. And that means it’s not my best work—it can’t be!

When we “try” to hit a trend or sound smarter or win awards or write bestsellers, we’re only steering ourselves away from exactly that because we’re not being real. Instead of trying, we should just do. Write what feels right. Write what flows most easily in those first ten minutes whether your inner critic thinks it’s any good or not. Because that’s when you open yourself up to write your best work. Oh, and that’s also when you get to order a delivery pizza when you’re done.

Sign up for Amy’s weekly Vitamin Optimism email and visit her blogTheLifeOptimist.com. Follow Amy at twitter.com/datingoptimist.

                                                       

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The annual Penguin awards, The Davids, are just around the corner! For the first time, voting is now open to the public. So make your voices heard and vote for Perigee! Voting ends February 17th, so get it while it's hot. Our nominees are Beasties, Word as Image, and Wreck this App. Winners will be announced in early March.

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Free-Falling to End Bullying in 2012--Courtesy of Atypical Author Jesse Saperstein

We're so proud of Perigee author Jesse Saperstein, author of Atypical -- and now creator of this new anti-bullying video. Whether he's writing, speaking, or skydiving, he is always fearless, generous, and inspiring. Go, Jesse!

 

Chris St. Hilaire – Don’t be afraid of the silence | Smart Business

Chris St. Hilaire – Don’t be afraid of the silence | Smart Business.

This article was originally published on http://www.sbnonline.com.

by Chris St. Hilaire

Imagine you had a secret power that could calm frazzled colleagues, foster teamwork and help you manage conflict. Not only would this power be versatile, it would also be invisible. To ignite this power, you would merely need to do … nothing.

That’s the power of silence.

The best politicians know all about silence; just watch them being interviewed. Notice how they pause after a difficult question, appear to think about it, and then finally give an answer. That pause makes the audience believe that the politician listens to others and thinks very carefully before responding. As a longtime political consultant, I can assure you that seasoned politicians have been briefed on every possible question and have prepared their answers well in advance. They’re using silence to create a specific effect.

Communication pros, such as salespeople, reporters and trial attorneys, all consider silence to be one of their most effective tools, as I explain in my book, “27 Powers of Persuasion.” Here are six ways silence can help you communicate, negotiate, mediate or persuade. And the power of silence works not only with colleagues but also with your friends and family.

Use silence to build consensus for your idea

If you’re presenting a plan to a group, chances are you already know what some of their objections might be. Rather than blurt out an instant response, take a page from the politician’s book. Listen. Pause for a moment. Then say, “That’s a good point. What if we handle it this way …” When others feel heard, they are much more likely to listen to you in return.

Use silence to get a better answer

Reporters never settle for the first answer they get from an interviewee. If you’re interviewing a potential hire, inquiring about a plan of action or otherwise trying to ascertain reliable information, let the person respond to your question, then wait. Don’t say anything. They will fill in the silence with a more complete answer. If you then murmur something vaguely encouraging — for instance, nod and say, “Hmmm” — they will dig even deeper. Many reporters believe that the third answer is the most revealing and valuable.

Use silence to gain advantage in an argument

When you’re having a disagreement, the natural tendency is to respond to an attack. Instead, nod and say nothing. Ninety percent of the time, the other person will moderate his or her own position.

Use silence to negotiate

Car salesmen do it all the time. You make an offer on a car. He frowns and says nothing. The silence builds. Finally, you can’t stand it any longer and say, “Maybe I could go a little higher.” You’ve just increased your own bid. In any negotiation, the first one to speak after an offer loses.

Use silence to regain control of a conversation

If someone else is dominating a discussion, wait until he or she is done, then pause for a few seconds before you say your piece. Silence always feels longer to the person who has just been speaking, so if you wait, a subtle advantage swings your way.

Use silence to buy time while appearing thoughtful

In the midst of a conversation, you may need a few seconds to think. When that happens, gaze down and take the time you need. Our research has shown that when people look downward, they are perceived to be thoughtful and intelligent. When they gaze upward, they look like they’re searching in the air for answers.

The other side of silence is knowing how to interpret it. In general, don’t assume that the silence is a bad sign and don’t take it personally. There could be many reasons why a room is quiet after your presentation. The audience could be confused or bored, but they could also be completely satisfied. When it happens to me, I like to say, “Judging from the silence, I must have covered this topic brilliantly.” The line always gets a laugh, and sometimes it’s even true.

Chris St. Hilaire is the author (with Lynette Padwa) of “27 Powers of Persuasion: Simple Strategies to Seduce Audiences and Win Allies” (Prentice Hall Press). He is an award-winning message strategist who has developed communications programs for some of the nation’s most powerful corporations, legal teams and politicians.