The World's Best Book Summaries
Do you struggle to stop doing things you shouldn’t? Why is it hard to change unhealthy habits? Your subconscious mind creates and relies on automatic routines, which has its advantages. But, this reliance has a negative flip side: It makes it difficult for you to break free from unhealthy habits. Read more to learn from Charles Duhigg, Tony Robbins, and others why it’s hard to break out of negative routines.
Are you afraid of death? Do you avoid thinking about it? Does an underlying sense of dread impact your joy of living? The fear of death is pervasive in our society. In Death: An Inside Story, spiritual teacher Sadhguru aims to inject some encouragement into the issue. He offers one specific perspective and three actions you can take to help you make peace with death. Continue reading to learn how to conquer the fear of death with Sadhguru’s recommendations.
What was Malala Yousafzai’s family like? What values did they pass on to her? Malala Yousafzai was born into poverty in a society that valued boys over girls and religious tradition over secular education. Yet, she became a Nobel-winning activist for girls’ education. The values of her family—compassion, gender equality, education, hospitality, and compassion—shaped her life early on. Read more to learn about the childhood of Malala Yousafzai.
Can food make you smarter? What’s wrong with traditional medical diagnosis? How can your brain physiology affect your behavior? Many people suffer from physical, mental, and cognitive problems. In Change Your Brain, Change Your Life, psychiatrist and brain health expert Dr. Daniel Amen argues that, to effectively treat and overcome these problems, you must help your brain recover from physical damage and enhance its overall health. Continue reading for several Dr. Daniel Amen quotes from Change Your Brain, Change Your Life that will give you a good sense of the book’s ideas.
What’s your conscious mind designed to do? What problems come as a result? Why and how should you tap into your subconscious mind? It’s possible to rewire your subconscious mind to create lasting change. You can align your subconscious mind with positive habits by tuning into it via relaxation. Keep reading to learn how to tap into your subconscious mind through relaxation techniques.
How does reincarnation work? How’s it related to karma? How can the cycle of reincarnation be broken? According to Sadhguru, reincarnation happens when karma pushes a certain life energy that had inhabited one body into a new body. He argues that your goal should be to break out of the cycle of reincarnation and become one with the universe. Read more to learn about Sadhguru’s concept of reincarnation and how to free yourself from the cycle.
Who was Maulana Fazlullah? Why was he called the Radio Mullah? What was life like under his rule? It started with aid to remote Pakistani villages devastated by an earthquake. But, Maulana Fazlullah and other mullahs used this disaster to preach against women and girls and increasingly (and violently) restrict their liberties. Keep reading to learn about the actions of a brutal ruler that motivated Malala Yousafzai to speak out.
How often have you tried to break a bad habit? Have you found yourself attempting new behaviors only to revert to old ones? Many authors have tackled this common struggle. They agree that habits are unconscious decisions—that is, they’re decisions you make without actually thinking about them. The only way to change these unconscious decisions is to address them at their source: your subconscious mind. Continue reading to learn about the link between the subconscious mind and habits and how to leverage it to make lasting changes.
What are Sadhguru’s views on mindfulness and meditation? What difference does he believe they can make in your life and your death? Sadhguru is a spiritual teacher and founder of the Isha Foundation. The foundation teaches spiritual practices including yoga and meditation, offers holistic medical services, and organizes large-scale environmental activism. According to Sadhguru, mindfulness and meditation help you live and die well. Keep reading to understand Sadhguru’s concepts and practices surrounding mindfulness and meditation.
What role has Malala’s father played in her life? How did he feel about having a daughter? In her memoir, Malala Yousafzai recounts how her father and she came of age against the backdrop of the Taliban’s rise to power. She discusses how her father was willing to defy tradition and fundamentalist religious views to raise her in an environment of compassion, gender equality, and secular education. Continue reading to learn about Malala’s father, Ziauddin Yousafzai.