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The 45 original shows and movies Netflix will release by the end of 2016

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narcos

Netflix has released a staggering amount of original shows and movies in 2016 already, and the second half is shaping up to be equally packed.

The company has said that it plans to roughly double its output of original shows to 31 in 2016. And that doesn't count movies, documentaries, and kids programming.

Netflix has repeatedly said that original content is its future, and this year will show whether it can maintain the high quality of its shows as it scales up production. 

But what is Netflix actually putting out in 2016?

We put together a list of shows and movies that have either been released already in 2016 or have been explicitly confirmed will be released in 2016  — we excluded kids shows and documentaries. For each you'll see a release date (if available), a description, and who is starring.

Here are the 45 original shows and movies Netflix has confirmed it will release in 2016:

SEE ALSO: RANKED: All 16 of Netflix's original shows from best to worst

'Love' (February 19)

Netflix description: "Judd Apatow, Paul Rust and Lesley Arfin are bringing an unflinching, hilarious and excruciatingly honest take on modern relationships to Love ... Love follows Gus (Paul Rust from I Love You, Beth Cooper and Inglorious Basterds) and Mickey (Gillian Jacobs) as they navigate the exhilarations and humiliations of intimacy, commitment, and other things they were hoping to avoid." 

Type: Show

Star power: Judd Apatow, Gillian Jacobs, Paul Rust.



'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon: Sword of Destiny' (February 26)

Netflix description: "In this sequel to 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,' four Martial World heroes must keep the legendary Green Destiny sword from villainous Hades Dai.

Type: Movie

Star power: Donnie Yen, Michelle Yeoh



'Fuller House' (February 26)

Netflix description: "The Full House adventures continue as D.J. Tanner-Fuller calls upon her sister Stephanie and friend Kimmy to move in and help raise her three boys."

Type: Show

Star power: Candace Cameron Bure, Andrea Barber, Jodie Sweetin



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Cindy Crawford's 14-year-old daughter is dominating the fashion world

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kaia gerber

Kaia Gerber takes after her mom.

The 14-year-old is the daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford, and the two look exactly alike.

She signed to IMG Models in 2015, and has appeared in campaigns for Miu Miu and on the pages of Vogue. Her older brother Presley is also a model. Clearly, good genes run in the family.

Kaia may be following in her mother's footsteps, but she's taking the fashion world by storm fine on her own.

Get to know her below:

Kaia Gerber is the daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford and former model Rande Gerber.



The resemblance between Kaia and her mother is uncanny.



The 14-year-old and her older brother Presley, also a model, grew up in Malibu, California.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 10 most futuristic concept cars in the world

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BMW Vision 100 car

Cars of the future could be more high-tech than most homes.

That's at least what we're gathering from the futuristic concept cars automakers have been building.

We rounded up the most tech-savvy cars we could find and what it means for the future of driving.

1. The Rolls-Royce Vision 100 concept car looks like something straight out of Tron.

Since the car is designed to be completely autonomous, there is no front seat or access to a steering wheel. 



Instead, the back seat has a luxurious, silk sofa that can fit two people comfortably.

A giant, OLED TV takes up the opposite side of the wall the car.



2. BMW's Vision Next 100, which is part of the same concept car line as the Rolls-Royce, gives drivers the options to drive manually or sit back and enjoy autonomous mode.

It comes with beautiful features like doors that swing up and wheels that are seamlessly integrated with the car.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

12 mental tricks that will make people like you and help you get ahead

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smiling women laptops

When you're working hard and doing all you can to achieve your goals, anything that can give you an edge is powerful and will streamline your path to success.

Mind tricks won't make you a Jedi, but using the brain's natural quirks to your advantage can have a positive impact on everyone you encounter.

None of these tricks are deceitful or disingenuous, except for number six, and I trust that you'll only use that one with good reason.

As soon as you become aware of these 12 tricks, they start popping up wherever you look.

With minimal effort on your part, their unconscious influence on behavior can make a huge difference in your day-to-day life.

Related: 15 Secrets of Really Persuasive People

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SEE ALSO: 14 habits of the most likable people

1. When a group of people laughs, members makes eye contact with the person they feel closest to.

This trick can make you an astute observer of relationships of all types. It can tell you which members of your team are bonding and learning to trust one another, just as easily as it can tell you if you might have a shot at landing a date with a certain someone.

Of course, you’ll learn a lot about how you feel about other people just by paying attention to whom you make eye contact with.



2. When someone does a favor for you, it actually makes them like you more.

When you convince someone to do you a favor, they unconsciously justify why they are willing to do so. Typical justifications include things such as "he's my friend,""I like him," and "he seems like the kind of person who would return the favor."

These justifications serve you perfectly. Not only did you just get help with something, but the other party also likes you more than they did before.



3. Silence gets answers.

When you ask someone a question and they're slow to respond, don't feel pressure to move the conversation forward. Remaining silent plays to your advantage. Moments of silence make people feel as though they should speak, especially when the ball is in their court.

This is a great tool to use in negotiations and other difficult conversations. Just make certain you resist the urge to move the conversation forward until you get your answer.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

7 ways marriage can mess with your success

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gone girl wedding marriage

As someone who wound up marrying her best friend, I can tell you that marriage is pretty great, at least in my limited experience.

And luckily for me, a recent study on marital satisfaction released by the National Bureau of Economic Research and previously reported on by Business Insider suggests that the happiest people are those who are married to their best friends.

But this article isn't about me rubbing your nose in my smugness — in fact, it's about providing a balanced view of how marriage impacts your success, since we already looked at the positives.

So, without further ado, here are seven ways being married could make you less successful:

SEE ALSO: 7 ways being married makes you more successful

DON'T MISS: 5 ways being single could sabotage your success

Married people tend to be less social

Your network of relationships, among other things, can help you find jobs and make you happier happier, healthier, and more open to insights.

Unfortunately for married people, research suggests that, compared to single people, married Americans are less likely to support and stay in touch with their family or help, encourage, and socialize with friends and neighbors.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics' Time Use Survey, married people spend on average 7.8 minutes a day keeping in touch by calling, emailing, or mailing them, while single Americans spend on average 12 minutes a day staying in touch with other people.



Married people tend to have less time to themselves

New York University sociologist and "Going Solo" author Eric Klinenberg believes that, in the age of expanding digital media and growing connectedness, being single offers a clear advantage that married people miss out on: more restorative solitude.

More alone time helps people discover who they are and what gives their life meaning and purpose, he explains.

"Living alone helps us pursue sacred modern values — individual freedom, personal control, and self-realization — whose significance endures from adolescence to our final days," Klinenberg writes.



Married people tend to spend less time on leisure

Whether conducted in solitude or with other people, married people tend to spend less time on overall leisure activities than single people.

According to the BLS, married people spend on average 4.87 hours a day on overall leisure activities, compared to single people, who spend an average 5.56 hours a day on leisure.

Broken down even further, married people spend on average about 3 minutes less a day participating in sports, exercise, and recreation than single people, about 16 minutes less a day watching TV, and about 15 minutes less a day playing games and on leisurely computer use.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

8 popular American foods that aren't what you think they are

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orange lobsterFood fraud is a $50 billion annual industry— and you're probably eating some.

From Kobe beef to parmesan cheese, restaurants and grocery stores are packed with foods that aren't quite what they seem. Food makers and retailers cutting corners and hiking up prices can result in feeding consumers some less-than-truthful marketing. 

Now, transparency is more important in the world of food than ever before. Consumers want to know what they're eating — and they don't respond well to being duped. 

Here are eight foods that might not be what you think they are. 

SEE ALSO: Papa John's just became the first pizza chain to make a massive change to its ingredients

1. Wasabi

About 99% of all wasabi sold in the US is fake, reports The Washington PostThe vast majority of wasabi consumed in America is simply a mix of horseradish, hot mustard, and green dye.

True wasabi is difficult to grow and extraordinarily expensive, costing $160 a kilogram at wholesale prices. If you're eating real wasabi, you're consuming the stem of a plant, grated and pulverized into a spicy paste. It reportedly has a more complex taste, but needs to be eaten immediately — within 15 minutes, the freshly grated wasabi begins to lose its signature flavor. 



2. Lobsters

More than one-third of restaurants, including Red Lobster, swap out lobster for more inexpensive substitutes in their dishes, reports Inside Edition. In February, the news organization ran DNA tests on lobster dishes from 28 restaurants across the country. Thirty-five percent of the samples contained cheaper seafood, such as whiting and langostino.

While langostino means "little lobster" in Spanish, the crustacean is more similar to a hermit crab — and less expensive than American lobsters. 



3. Kobe beef

While restaurants across the US offer menu items like the Cheesecake Factory's "Kobe burgers" and pricey "Kobe steaks," the vast majority of these claims are false. Only eight restaurants in the entire US serve real Kobe beef.

Since Kobe beef costs more than $20 an ounce, if you're purchasing something that is supposedly made of Kobe beef and isn't absurdly expensive, you're probably being scammed.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Kids at this Swedish school learn on mountains, in caves, and at watering holes

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Vittra swedish school rosan bosch

If you want to raise creative kids, consider packing your bags for Sweden. 

At the bilingual Vittra Telefonplan school, which opened near Stockholm in 2012, there are no classrooms. Instead, Danish designer Rosan Bosch created a colorful open floor plan where kids can scale a mountain, duck into a cave, and chat by the tree.

The idea was to bring elements of nature indoors, where kids can roam around and explore.

We have a feeling the phrase "I'm bored" doesn't get thrown around very often.

Vittra Telefonplan sits about five miles south of Stockholm, in the town of Hägersten. The school doesn't look like much from the outside.



But once you venture inside, the school reveals its sprawling, oddly arranged layout.



The focal point of the school is its mighty "tree," which serves as a meeting place for all students and unites the other elements in the school.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

14 easy ways to speed up your Mac (AAPL)

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macbook air

No matter how much you loved your Mac when you bought it, chances are it doesn't perform the same way it once did.

And if you are currently trying to hang on for the next refresh of the MacBook Air or MacBook Pro, you might find yourself in need of a little performance boost. A few years can take a noticeable toll on any computer, but luckily there are some tips and tricks that can help bring it back up to speed.

Here are a few things to look out for that can make your overall Mac experience more smooth and efficient — without having to upgrade the hardware.

Reduce the number of apps that launch when you boot up.

If you have a bunch of different programs set to launch when you turn on your computer, it's going to take a while for your Mac to boot up. You can see exactly which apps are programmed to launch on start by clicking the Apple icon and navigating to System Preferences> Users and Groups> Login Items. In this list, you'll see all the items that start up with your computer. Check the boxes next to each app and click the minus button at the bottom of the window to remove them. 



Check for software updates.

Often, software updates fix bugs and glitches that could be slowing your computer down. Check for any software updates that may be available for the version of OS X your computer is running on. You can do this by clicking the Apple icon in the upper-left side and selecting App Store from the drop-down menu. In most cases, your Mac will probably issue a desktop notification to alert you when an update is available. 



Try restarting your computer.

It sounds obvious, but sometimes your laptop or desktop just needs a good restart to get back up to speed. Try restarting your computer before jumping ahead to other options. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

14 unbelievable concert venues from around the world

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steelstacks

Where you watch a live performance can take it from memorable to unforgettable. 

From venues built in stunning natural settings to those that were carved in 19th-century forts, the world is full of magnificent musical spaces.  

From Ireland's Slane Castle, which has hosted musicians like the Rolling Stones and David Bowie, to Sweden's Dalhalla amphitheater, which is built in a former limestone quarry, here are 14 fascinating places you can enjoy live music around the world.

SEE ALSO: The best Greek island for every kind of traveler

DON'T MISS: Follow Business Insider's lifestyle page on Facebook!

The annual Bregenz Festival, which is held in Austria from July through August, is known for the incredible fantasy-like sets built on its floating stage.

Click here to learn more about the Bregenz Festival »



At SteelStacks, a cultural venue located in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, grand mills rise from the stage. The venue is located in the former site of Bethlehem Steel, the second largest steel manufacturer in the nation.

Click here to learn more about SteelStacks »



The Dalhalla amphitheater is a former limestone quarry located in Rättvik, Sweden. Concertgoers are submerged 196 feet below the surrounding lush forests to see the variety of music events it holds from June to September every year.

Click here to learn more about Dalhalla »



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

12 complicated financial concepts sketched simply on napkins

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Napkin Interest

Tina Hay doesn't think in numbers.

In 2002, enrolled in a finance class while pursuing her MBA from Harvard Business School, she realized that her classmates who came from the world of banking and consulting were acing the coursework without a problem, while she struggled to master the concepts foreign to her liberal arts background.

So, she started to draw.

"I think more visually," Hay told Business Insider. "I've always put numbers into illustrations and understood them that way, especially finances and money."

Hay didn't stop sketching, and today, her business school drawings have turned into something bigger: Napkin Finance, a multimedia company that aims to introduce people to complicated financial concepts through videos, text, and of course ... napkins.

We're not talking bar napkins with a few pen strokes on the back, but rather digital illustrations that go through months of development between former bankers, financial advisers, and an illustrator to nail the perfect visual intro to nuanced concepts such as compound interest, student loans, and credit scores. The Napkin Finance team has even collaborated with Michelle Obama's Better Make Room initiative to create a course on navigating the financial side of college admissions.

Below, CEO Hay shared 12 of the most popular and beloved napkins her team has produced:

SEE ALSO: These 12 sketches perfectly illustrate the path to wealth and financial happiness

Learn more about budgeting »



Learn more about building credit »



Learn more about compound interest »



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

I rode this insanely popular $2,499 smart bike and now I get the hype

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I'm not by any means a competitive biker. I don't track metrics, don't plan on beating people's speeds in Strava, and for the most part, I don't log more than 15 miles on my bike a day before I feel like keeling over.

But when I got a chance at riding a bike designed for competitive cycling, I had to see what the fuss was about. Bike company SpeedX is selling an aerodynamic carbon-fiber road bike on Indiegogo with a ton of smart integrations. It's raised nearly $3 million so far.

Take a look.

I tested out the SpeedX Leopard Pro, one of the company's two models. This one costs $2,699, but there's also a base model that costs $1,700. These are technically full retail prices, but if you're an early bird, it's cheaper on Indiegogo.



The bike weighs in at 17.4 pounds. I could easily lift it and sling it over my shoulder while walking.



There are connectors in the front that allow you to add a front light, which is sold separately. The battery here houses the bike's electronic gear shifting system.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

Take a tour of the New York City subscription startup where you'll find swings, sneakers, and gnomes

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Birchbox office tour

In 2010, beauty box service Birchbox launched the subscription-box craze.

Now, companies offer subscription services providing everything from chocolate to liquor to dog toys— not to mention competing beauty-box services. Faced with stiff competition and a cooling environment for startup financing, Birchbox has had to make some changes.

In March, Business Insider reported that Birchbox held a round of layoffs, and in June, CEO Katia Beauchamp announced another round. The Wall Street Journal reported that the company was also putting expansion plans on hold and consolidating its two-story office to one floor.

"We have to be focused on the fact that the economic environment is changing for all startups," Beauchamp told Business Insider. "We want to make sure that we are mindful and that we keep in front of that and we're ready to weather whatever this is."

And weathering it they are. The company's new floor is in NoMad, the neighborhood north of Madison Square Park in Manhattan. Aside from the sparkling kitchen and cheery conference rooms you'll see in many startups, the office is peppered with unique tokens of employee recognition, from bright pink Nike sneakers to a surprisingly large population of gnomes.

Scroll down to take a tour.

SEE ALSO: Take a tour of Betterment, the $500 million New York startup with insane perks for its employees

Birchbox moved to its NoMad (North of Madison Square Park) location in December 2012. Its 130 employees work in a casual, open-plan office.



Among the cubicles, there are swings to entice employees looking for a mental break.



The company makes a point recognizing staff members publicly and often. It celebrates new employees, employees of the month, employees celebrating anniversaries, and those who have achieved individual milestones.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The 10 best stock analysts you should have listened to so far this year (PAYC, BBG, CONE, DWRE, EXAS, CTRE, ETE, CPE, THS)

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Investors are bombarded with analyst ratings on stocks all the time.

And for the very active investor seeking to lock in returns, TipRanks identified the analysts that have been worth listening to so far in 2016.

They took every analyst rating that was issued between January and May 2016, and deduced how much return an investor would have earned if they followed the recommendation for three months, or until the end of the first half of 2016

TipRanks also calculated the normalized profits the analysts earned on all their rating calls.

These were most successful analysts:

Richard Davis, Canaccord Genuity

Industry: Tech

Success Rate: 60%

Normalized Profit: 8.8%

Noteworthy recommendation: Paycom

Davis has a success rate of 80% when rating the stock, and so far has realized an average return of 58.9%. This year, Paycom has held mostly neutral sentiment from corporate insiders and negative sentiment from most hedge funds.



Brad Carpenter, Cantor Fitzgerald

Industry: Basic Materials

Success Rate: 51%

Normalized Profit: 12.9%

Noteworthy recommendation: Bill Barrett Corp.

Carpenter rated the natural-gas explorer a "Buy" on February 5. The stock soared 84% within the next three months. 



Vin Chao, Deutsche Bank

Industry: Financial

Success Rate: 91%

Normalized Profit: 9.4%

Noteworthy recommendation: CyrusOne

Chao put a Buy rating on the provider of corporate data centers after its Q4 2015 results showed a 30% year-over-year increase in revenues. Three month's later, CyrusOne's stock was up 24.6%. Also, the company increased the number of Fortune 100 companies in its client base. 



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

The coolest people under 40 in Silicon Valley

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travis kalanick

Silicon Valley revolves around the minds of tech pioneers that are striving to burst through the industry ceiling each year.

These innovators have the power and ambition to change the way we think and live. 

Business Insider recently released its annual Silicon Valley 100 list, highlighting the people in tech who have made a big impression this past year — and it's teeming with impressive and accomplished CEOs and founders under 40 years old. 

From virtual reality to self-driving cars, these ventures are shaking up the tech world with these leaders at the helm. 

Read on to check out some of the youngest people who've left an imprint on Silicon Valley in the past year.

Additional reporting by Julia Naftulin, Tanza Loudenback, and Alexa Pipia.

Edited by Alex Morrell and Matt Rosoff.

 

SEE ALSO: THE SILICON VALLEY 100: The most amazing and inspiring people in tech right now

DON'T MISS: The 35 coolest CEOs in Silicon Valley right now

Jess Lee, 34

Cofounder and CEO, Polyvore

Yahoo bought the social shopping site Polyvore last July reportedly for a price of about $200 million, saying the company's expertise in community-driven experiences and retailer-supported commerce paired with Yahoo's premium content showed "amazing potential." Lee said Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer had a part in shaping her career when she interviewed Lee for Google's elite associate product manager program back in the early 2000s. Since it joined the Yahoo family, Polyvore expanded in February to include a new menswear category, an area that Pinterest is also aggressively going after. 



Joe Lonsdale, 33

Founding partner, 8VC

Once dubbed one of the "hottest VCs since Andreessen Horowitz," Formation 8 broke up in November, with its founding partners, including Lonsdale, the Palantir cofounder, all leaving to start their own firms. The turnaround for Lonsdale was fast. Four months later, he had already raised $300 million for his new firm, 8VC. He now sits on the board of several hot startups including Oscar, Hyperloop One, and Wish.



Chris Wanstrath, 31

CEO, Github

Described as the "Facebook for code," Github's rapidly growing software development network is made up of over 15 million users. With more than 38 million projects available on the site, Github has become one of the largest communities of software developers on the web. Last summer, Github raised $250 million in series B funding, bringing total funding to $350 million and raising its valuation to $2 billion.

As for the future? Wanstrath told Business Insider in October that he wanted to make it easier for anyone to become a developer, and to do that he wants to focus on improving Github's service.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

It's been 47 years since we made our first footprints on the moon — here's what you might not know about Earth's dusty companion

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Apollo 11

It's one of the most defining moments in American history: On July 21, 1969, Neil Armstrong became the first person ever to walk on the moon, taking what he called "one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind."

Forty-seven years later, we're still learning new things about Earth's dusty companion. And some of the things that we do know about it are pretty mind-blowing.

Here are a few facts about the moon that you might not know:

SEE ALSO: Today is the anniversary of the first moon landing — here's why we're not going back anytime soon

DON'T MISS: SURPRISE: Earth has 2 moons

An astronaut's footprint can last a million years on the surface of the moon.

It may have been decades since we last set foot on the moon, but its surface is still marked with the historic footprints of the 12 astronauts who stomped across it. That's because the moon has no atmosphere. It exists in the vacuum of space where there are no gentle breezes to sweep up the dust and erase the footprints.



There are such things as moonquakes.

During the Apollo missions, astronauts placed seismometers at their landing sights around the moon. They found that the moon actually experiences moonquakes, similar to earthquakes on Earth.

There are at least four different types of these moonquakes:

1. Deep quakes hundreds of miles below the surface, likely caused by tides.

2. Shallow quakes about a couple of dozen miles below the surface.

3. Vibrations that occur when meteorites hit.

4. Quakes caused when the sun heats up the moon's icy crust.

Some of these moonquakes can register up to 5.5 on the Richter scale, which on Earth would be powerful enough to crack plaster. Unlike earthquakes, which last up to only a few minutes, moonquakes can go on and on for as long as 10.



The moon is not shaped like a perfect sphere. In fact, it's more like an egg.

The moon is kind of shaped like an egg. That's because the moon's center of mass is actually a few miles closer to Earth than its actual geometric center.

In addition to being off-center, the moon also has a sort of lumpy gravitational field because of pockets of concentrated mass under some of its basins. One possible explanation for this is that asteroids hitting the moon billions of years ago caused regions of the moon to melt. As these regions dried, they became more dense and concentrated.



See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 TED Talks that are worth more than an MBA

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angela lee duckworth

In today's business world, leaders are emerging at all ranks. The role of the leader is not exclusive to executive-level positions. 

But being a great leader doesn't have to mean going to management school.

You can emerge as an effective trailblazer in your office by being true to yourself and constantly learning from the information that is at your fingertips.

Start by watching these short lectures and embodying their lessons.

SEE ALSO: 10 TED Talks that will make you smarter about business

1. Carol Dweck: The Power of Believing That You Can Improve.

Unleash potential in yourself and in those you lead by encouraging a growth — rather than fixed — mindset.

In this talk, Dweck discusses the power of students receiving a "Not Yet" grade versus a failing grade — it increased their motivation and ability to succeed.

In another talk about mindset, Charlie Reeve found that employees with a growth mindset were constantly looking to adapt and to grow in their professional and personal worlds; they didn't believe that their talents and futures were predetermined.

Think about how you can shift your mindset to be more growth oriented. Now, imagine the results if you helped your peers and employees shift their mindset as well.

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2. Sam Richards: A Radical Experiment in Empathy.

This is, as the title suggests, a radical and often misunderstood TED Talk about the importance of putting ourselves in others' shoes.

Not only is empathy a quality of being a good person, it is also key to being a great leader.

It helps us understand how to better communicate with and understand our superiors, peers, and employees. Do not underestimate this key characteristic. 

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3. Angela Lee Duckworth: The Key To Success? Grit.

Duckworth defines grit as "passion and perseverance for long-term goals."

Grit is one of those intangible concepts that we still know very little about, but one thing is clear: The grittier we are, the more successful we become.

This is just another reason to find your true passion and purpose in life and truly dedicate yourself to it. 

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See the rest of the story at Business Insider

10 books that will expand your brain

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woman readingBooks suck. No question about it, almost everyone who writes a book is a crappy writer. 

And this is a good thing. 

It's because the writer spent his life getting GOOD at what he was writing about. He didn't spend his life being good at writing. 

He didn't spend his life typing. He ran a country. Or built a robot. Or discovered DNA or walked between the twin towers. 

He or She DID something. Something that changed lives. Something that went from his or her head out into the real world. 

But that's OK. There are a few good books out there. 

I like reading billion-person books. Books, that if read widely, would change a billion lives. 

I like reading books where I feel my brain have an IQ orgasm. Like, I literally feel my IQ go up while reading the book. 

And, (please let me stick with this metaphor one more sentence), I might have a little brain-child that turns into my own special idea or book after reading a great book. 

Before I give my list, I want to mention there are three kinds of non-fiction books: (and I'm only dealing with non-fiction. Fiction is another category). 

Business card books: 

These are books like "How to be a leader". 

They establish the author as an expert. The author then uses this book to get speaking gigs or coaching or consulting gigs. 

These books usually suck. Don't read one. But nothing wrong with writing one. 

In fact, writing one might be desperately important to your career. 

Books that should be chapters: 

A publisher will see an article somewhere like, "12 ways to become smarter" and say, "that should be a book". 

Then the writer mistakenly says, "ok" and he has to undergo the agony of changing something that was a perfectly good 2000 word article into a 60,000 word book. 

Those books suck. Don't read one. And DEFINITELY don't write one. Unless you want to waste a year of your life. I wasted 2004-2009 doing that. 

Braingasm books:

Here's my top 10 list of braingasm books. Books that will raise your IQ between the time you start and the time you end. 

By the way, there are more than 10 of these books. This is just my TOP 10. Although not really in that order. It's hard for a small mind like mine to order these.

[Note: I KNOW, Jeff, that I have a monthly book club. Don't yell at me!

But this is separate. That's 10 books A MONTH.

This is my top 10 of ALL TIME, although it might change. In fact, I know it's going to change tomorrow. I'm reading a good book right now. 

Sometimes it changes everyday.]. 

 

SEE ALSO: A Wharton professor recommends 7 books everyone should read

"Mastery" by Robert Greene

This book is like a curated version of 1,000 biographies all under the guise, "how to become a master at what you love." 



"Bold" by Peter Diamondis and Steven Kotler

Basically if you want to know the future, read this. 

Supplement it with "Abundance" by the same two and "Tomorrowland" by Steven Kotler" and even "The Rational Optimist" by Matt Ridley. 

I feel "Abundance" is like a sequel to "The Rational Optimist". So I'm giving you four books with one recommendation. 



"Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell

Gladwell is not the first person to come up with the 10,000 hour rule. Nor is he the first person to document what it takes to become the best in the world at something. 

But his stories are so great as he explains these deep concepts. 

How did the Beatles become the best? Why are professional hockey players born in January, February and March? 

And so on.



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This booming fast-food chain fixed the biggest limitation of pizza

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Kono Pizza 8

Pizza isn't just food; it's a revered culinary institution.

Yet tackling a pizza slice can be a cumbersome task — melting hot cheese, dripping sauce, and toppings precariously perched on top threaten to stain untold amounts of clean shirts every day.

But Kono Pizza is eschewing the traditional slice and embracing a more unorthodox approach to the beloved pizza: cones.

The company, which started in Singapore, recently inked a deal with Walmart to open up franchises in the company's retail locations.

But is a pizza cone really the way to go? I decided to try out this heretical pizza method to see for myself.

 

SEE ALSO: We taste-tested pizzas from Papa John's, Pizza Hut, and Domino's — here's who does it best

Kono Pizza currently has a handful of kiosks in malls across the country, with 48 new locations opening soon or planned. I stopped by the kiosk in the Newport Centre Mall across the Hudson River in Jersey City, NJ. The menu is pretty simple: classic cones, deli cones, breakfast cones, and dessert cones.

Source: Kono Pizza



The kiosk was out of the deli cones when I got there, so I chose three classic cones and a dessert cone to try. The cones are freshly prepared to order.



Once they're properly constructed, they take a ride through the special oven apparatus to be cooked. The wait is negligible — maybe three to five minutes.



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This fan who mashed up 'Pokémon Go' and 'Game of Thrones' was the star of Comic-Con

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pokemon go game of thrones cosplay sdcc 16 3

You wanna be the very best, like no one ever was?

Take a page from the handbook of Shaylor Duranleau, the cosplayer who became the unexpected star of San Diego Comic-Con with his elaborate Pokémon GO-inspired costume.

When we first spotted Duranleau in the lobby of the convention center, he couldn't make it six feet without being stopped for a photo. On Friday, he dressed as Ash Stormrider, a mash-up of Pokémon trainer Ash Ketchum and a member of House Targaryen.

Here's how the look came together. 

SEE ALSO: What it's like to work for Google under Sundar Pichai

Meet Ash Stormrider, "master of the first generation,""victor of the 'Orange Isles,'" and "first of his type."

"'Pokémon GO' is something I've been training for my entire life," Duranleau tells Tech Insider. "Now it's a reality."

The phenomenon hit when Duranleau was 10 years old, the same age as Ash Ketchum. He says he's been a fan ever since, pre-ordering all the new games and even cosplaying as Pokémon trainers over the years.



Duranleau was inspired to create this brilliant "Pokémon GO" and "Game of Thrones" mash-up of House Targaryen's sigil, a three-headed dragon.

"I do a bunch of mash-ups and they all start with one small idea and it kind of grows from there," he says. "This sigil is a take on House Targaryen's three-headed dragon. This is a three-headed Charizard."

Duranleau designed the graphic himself and ordered a banner online.



His cosplay features three evolutions of Charizard from the expanded universe perched on his shoulders.



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Who is Chris Froome? Tour de France winner is world's best stage racer

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Who is Chris Froome Tour de France winner

Chris Froome will win the 103rd Tour de France in Paris on Sunday, barring disaster. It is his third Tour victory, a record for a British rider.

He and his Sky team dominated the three-week race, setting an inferno pace up the toughest mountains and distancing rivals in the time trials.

On and off the bike, "Froomey" is relentless in his training, diet, equipment, and even mental preparation. He has the strongest team in pro cycling. Fiercely competitive, Froome is one of the greatest athletes of our era.

So who exactly is Chris Froome?

SEE ALSO: Chris Froome is using these weird chainrings

DON'T MISS: WHERE ARE THEY NOW? The Lance Armstrong team that dominated the Tour de France

Christopher Clive Froome is 31 years old. He was born on May 20, 1985, in Nairobi, Kenya. His nationality is British. He is the youngest of three boys born to Jane and Clive.



Froome was raised in Kenya. He won the first bike race he entered, at age 13. When he was 14 he attended school in Johannesburg, South Africa, and pursued cycling. He did two years of college, studying economics, before turning professional at 22.

Source: The Telegraph



Froome, who is 6-1, went from 167 pounds in 2007 to 147 pounds in 2015, all while maintaining a similar sustained power output. This has helped Froome win races like the Tour de France, where a rider's power-to-weight ratio is critical to success.

Source: The Guardian



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