Virtual Worlds

HBR's Emotional Intelligence series features smart, essential listening on the human side of professional life from the pages of Harvard Business Review. Each book in the series offers proven research showing how our emotions impact our work lives, practical advice for managing difficult people and situations, and inspiring essays on what it means to tend to our emotional well-being at work.

Virtual reality is genuine reality; that’s the central thesis of Reality+. In a highly original work of “technophilosophy,” David J. Chalmers gives a compelling analysis of our technological future. He argues that virtual worlds are not second-class worlds, and that we can live a meaningful life in virtual reality. We may even be in a virtual world already.

In a world where billions now live, work, play, and build relationships in immersive digital realms, the law has been left behind. Virtual worlds—metaverses, persistent online universes, and augmented realities—have become vibrant economies, social spaces, and new frontiers of human experience. Yet today, users often possess no meaningful rights: platforms can delete avatars, seize virtual property, harvest biometric data, or silence dissent at will, while monopolistic giants dominate the landscape and unchecked harms flourish in a digital Wild West.

When your new employer tasks you with investigating the first successful mass shooting in twelve years, it’s understandable to be nervous. Fortunately, detective-in-training Cowan Soto has a Personal Brain Assistant—a cybernetic implant—that allows him to firewall pesky emotions like worry and guilt and redact memories of bullet-riddled corpses. Unfortunately, Cowan soon learns it was his suspect’s PBA which allowed a ruthless hacker to puppet her into a shooting rampage.

Bloomsbury presents… How to Design a Universe: The Science of Real and Virtual Worlds Written and read by Professor Catherine Heymans Could we be living in a computer simulation? How would we even know? In How to Design a Universe, acclaimed astrophysicist Catherine Heymans takes you on a...

In The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success, Deepak Chopra distills the essence of his teachings into seven simple yet powerful principles that can easily be applied to create success in all areas of your life. Based on natural laws that govern all of creation, The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success shatters the myth that success is the result of hard work, exacting plans, or driving ambition. Instead, Deepak Chopra offers a life-altering perspective on the attainment of success.

NEW YORK TIMES bestseller 2005: Welcome to NoCal and SoCal, the uneasy sister-states of what used to be California. The millennium has come and gone, leaving in its wake only stunned survivors. In Los Angeles, Berry Rydell is a former armed-response rentacop now working for a bounty hunter...

"Designing Digital Twins" is a groundbreaking guide for industry leaders, domain experts, and technology professionals seeking to harness the power of digital twins and applied AI. Rob Foster draws on decades of industrial and technology experience to provide a comprehensive framework for...

AudioLearn’s Business School Crash Course series presents Marketing in the Virtual World. Written by distinguished professors and professionally narrated for easy listening, this crash course is a valuable tool both during school and when preparing for exams, or if you’re simply interested in the subject of social and digital marketing.   

Based on news reports, you might think there's a major cybersecurity threat every four to five months. In reality, there's a cybersecurity attack happening every minute of every day. In Cyber Crisis, Eric Cole gives listeners a clear-eyed picture of the information war raging in cyberspace. Drawing on 30 years of experience, Cole offers practical, actionable advice that even those with little technical background can implement, including steps to take on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis to protect their businesses and themselves.

What happens when you suddenly find yourself in a reality of untold possibilities, in a place where technology and magic are indistinguishable? Every game location is a transformed physical world connected to others through an interstellar network of portals. Every player "avatar" is a living physical body with incredible survival traits. Once in this dreamscape, it would be unwise to not seize the moment! There are, however, a couple of catches.

Entrepreneurs often suffer from "superhero syndrome" - the misconception that to be successful, they must do everything themselves. They are not only the boss but also the salesperson, HR manager, copywriter, operations manager, online marketing guru, and so much more. It's no wonder so many people give up the dream of starting a business - it's just too much for one person to handle. But outsourcing expert and "Virtual CEO" Chris Ducker knows how you can get the help you need with resources you can afford.

Brought to you by Penguin. In the coming decades, the technology that enables virtual and augmented reality will improve beyond recognition. Within a century, world-renowned philosopher David J. Chalmers predicts, we will have virtual worlds that are impossible to distinguish from non-virtual...

Artificial intelligence is already embedded in much of our daily lives, and it's increasingly moving into realms that impact authors and the publishing industry. We need to embrace the opportunities and engage in conversations around possible threats in order to reinvent our industry for a very different future. In this book, I discuss current technological and societal trends and consider the opportunities for authors and the publishing industry over the next decade. We can use these technologies to surf the wave of change and invent the decade ahead - together.

Transform your child’s focus and emotional intelligence through quick, science-backed play that fits into any busy day. Whether you are navigating chaotic mornings at home or managing a lively classroom, these stress-free parenting strategies help kids ages five to twelve thrive. Say goodbye...

A heartbreaking and moving story about a daughter’s quest to discover the truth about her father’s hidden past Ada Sibelius is raised by David, a single father and head of a computer science lab in Boston. Homeschooled, she accompanies her loving father—brilliant, eccentric, socially...

Trace the sweeping world history of human civilization, where ancient tools and raw power forged our modern world. Perfect for your daily commute, this thought-provoking journey connects the origins of fire and farming to the complex internet infrastructure we rely on today. Transform your...

Colene does not know what to think of the stranger she has rescued. Darius tells her he has traveled from "his reality" to find her. In proving to Colene that other worlds do exist, he uses up the power of the artifact that would allow them to travel back to his universe.

The year is 2245, and the world has undergone explosive growth in multiple industries. The age of Virtual Reality came long ago, opening up new fields for people to enjoy and seek employment. There were even those that chose to sacrifice their physical bodies, becoming digital existences that lived within Internet communities. But with the age of VR, everyone still dreamed of that next step, the next level of adventure.

"Expanding Your Brand in the Virtual World: A Comprehensive Guide to Digital Twinning with Fashion Garments" is a must-listen for fashion industry professionals looking to explore the cutting-edge technology of digital twinning. This guide provides a clear and actionable roadmap for creating virtual garments, optimizing supply chains, and enhancing customer engagement through avatars and personalized experiences.