Why should you read “Risk Savvy How to Make Good Decisions”?

Well, first of all, it teaches you to know what to take risks in and what not to take risks in. What most people don’t know is that they fear things that the odds of them happening are almost impossible while some of the things people do not fear have a higher risk of doing either physical, emotional, or financial damage. This book also tells you how to be a leader and use your intuition to make good decisions. Whether it is a gut decision you need to make fast, or it is a decision that requires cooperation with a team of people, this book will show you how to make your decisions more effectively. In the third part of this book, he says that we need to revolutionize schools. In the book, he gives different ways on how teachers could better educate our students on risk-literacy and teach them better decision-making skills. So why you should buy this book? Well if you want to be better educated on decision making and intuition, this is the book for you.

-Bryan

When I first got to UNCW I made a bucket list of things that I wanted to do before I graduated. The list had 32 items that I thought would round out my entire college experience: study abroad, join a club, take a surf lesson, etc. While I never learned how to surf, I have very few regrets about my time as a seahawk.

I guess you could everything started when I joined TealTV, UNCW’s student-led production network. Here, I discovered a passion for marketing, made life-long friends, and gained marketplace and leadership experience. From here, I decided that communication studies was the only major that was right for me. I chose classes that not only interested me, but challenged me. I networked with my peers and professors. I learned how to be confident in the classroom. I learned when to step up, and more importantly when to say “NO” and take time for myself.

I worked really hard throughout my college experience. Like, I worked my ass off. I was the president of two student organizations, I worked part-time, and somehow still managed to re-watch the entire series of The Office nine times. Impressive, right?

I’ve always had a plan A, B, and C. But sometimes you find out that your plans aren’t the paths that you need to be on, or even necessarily want to be on. If you had asked me two months ago what I wanted to do after graduation, my answer would have been “find a job and move into my own place.” Graduate school was never the plan, until I went to a graduate school panel. My future did a complete 180, and after one week I was writing my statement of purpose, studying for the MAT, and pestering professors for recommendation letters.

You never know where life will take you. I certainly never planned to apply to graduate school, have to move back home for the summer, or be a camp counselor again. Hey, life happens. Am I right?

With 19 days left until I walk across the stage, I only completed half of the items on my bucket list. But, I don’t regret anything and I am so excited to see where the next few days, weeks, months have in store for me. Thank you UNCW for being my home for seven semesters and for changing me into the woman I am today.

“‘I wish there was a way to know you’re in the good old days before you’ve actually left them.” – Andy Bernard, The Office

Kyndall DySard, Class of 2017

Temptation, by Daniel Akst, discusses how we live in a time of unlimited access. Contact with nearly any person is available with the touch of a button. Food, delivered right to our doors, are fattening us up more than ever. Alcohol, drugs, and tobacco are still rampant in society. More than half of all deaths in the United States can be attributed to overindulgence of some sort. Hearth attacks and diabetes from food. Cancer from cigarettes. Organ failure from alcohol.

Despite this, Americans continue to consume more than we ever have before. Our consumption is unchecked, and we show no signs of slowing down. Its starting to have some dramatic effects.

As you can see from the chart, our gluttony has increased exponentially over the last few decades, and it affects much more than just our physical health. Suicide is higher than ever in developing countries. Our ability to handle finances responsibilities has faltered, as debt continues to increase. Technology has decreased our ability to focus, and increase our ability to consume, and it’s had some serious side effects. We are more likely to procrastinate and commit, are ability to communicate socially has suffered.

So I know this has been depressing to read, but there are ways to fight this! Remove willpower from the situation if possible. We suck at fighting urges, so removing the urge it;s the first step. Also, surround yourself with human connection. we are much more honest with ourselves when we are around people that we consider close. Finally, set a routine. If we follow our routine, it makes it much more difficult to break.

I recommend this book to anyone who finds themselves falling into bad habits, like me and my issues with unhealthy food (Pizza and Cookout).  Like I stated earlier half of all deaths could be prevented. Don’t be another statistic! Fight! What are some temptations you find yourself falling into, and what can you do to help yourself? Also, what are some ways to ethically advertise and market products that can fall under this category or addictive substances?

The “Substance of Style,” written by Virginia Postrel, slings readers into the world of culture, commodities, and aesthetics.

The book in written into six different chapters and main ideas:

1. The aesthetic imperative
2. The rise of look and feel
3. Surface and substance
4. Meaningful looks
5. The boundaries of design
6. Smart and pretty

Each of these chapters explores how our personal brand and aesthetic is built to how it is managed to why having a certain aesthetic can have a negative connotation.

Postrel examines how authenticity and Marlow’s hierarchy of needs play a role in our substance of style. Her analyzes goes deeper into how important it is for us humans to recognize what we believe to be valuable and real, versus what is not.

So, if you are interested in learning more about aesthetic value and how it has impacted society in terms of hot commodities, authenticity, and brand identity check out The Substance of Style by Virginia Postrel.

By the end of the book you will have a better understanding on more than just Aesthetic value and its importance, you will understand how the surface of every person and product may not say much at all about its substance, but it does have significance and value all on its own.

The novel can be purchased on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and your local bookstores. There is also an audible book for any of those who are not into reading!

— Stephanie Spencer