The World's Best Book Summaries
Are you lonely? How often do you spend time alone? Is that time enjoyable and valuable? One of the reasons why Henry David Thoreau went to live in the woods was to be alone—but not to feel alone. Appreciating this distinction and following Thoreau’s example can help you find meaning in time spent alone. Keep reading to learn how to enjoy solitude as Thoreau did at Walden Pond.
What choices are the right ones for you? Do you tend to follow your intuition and live by your convictions? Henry David Thoreau made an interesting choice when he went to live in the woods. Perhaps even more interesting was his decision to leave the woods two years later. By looking at his example, you can draw inspiration to make your own choices. Read more to learn how Thoreau carved out his own life and how you can choose your own path, as well.
Was Henry David Thoreau a recluse? How remote was his cabin on Walden Pond? Why did he value solitude? For Henry David Thoreau, solitude served as a major motivation for living in the woods at Walden Pond. He defined solitude as spending time by himself without feeling alone. But, he was no hermit. He left the woods at times and welcomed guests to his cabin. Read more to learn about Thoreau’s time alone—and with others—during his Walden years.
What did Henry David Thoreau find “wearisome and dissipating”? What did he learn from his time at Walden Pond? What did he consider “the treasured wealth of the world”? In the 1840s, Henry David Thoreau built a cabin at Walden Pond, on the outskirts of Concord, and lived there for two years. More than 160 years after Walden was first published in 1854, people still read Thoreau’s book about the life he lived, alone, in the woods of eastern Massachusetts. Continue reading for seven Henry David Thoreau quotes from Walden that will give you a good sense of the book.
How do people regard Henry David Thoreau? Do they tend to take him too literally and, as a result, miss who he really was? It’s not unusual for someone to have a mixed reputation—because people are complicated. Henry David Thoreau is no exception. An essayist and a key figure in the Transcendentalist movement, Thoreau is still read by many and revered by some. Keep reading to learn about Henry David Thoreau’s personality from those who knew him and those who’ve read his works.
Do you know when you’re objectifying people? Are you susceptible to believing lies? Are you a hedgehog or a fox? Everyone has biases, but you can come out on top by recognizing what biases you have and taking steps to minimize their negative impact on the way you perceive reality. We put together eight bias exercises based on works by Malcolm Gladwell, Philip Tetlock, Lao Tzu, and others. Let’s dive into these exercises, which you can complete individually or with a group.
What does “bullshit” mean? Is it just another word for misinformation? Is it different from rhetoric? According to professors Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West, bullshit is defined as the use of misleading evidence to persuade an audience. They emphasize the importance of the phenomenon’s intent and how it’s put into operation. Read more to understand how to define “bullshit” according to Bergstrom and West in their book Calling Bullshit.
Does it feel like you can’t keep up with all the misinformation out there—much less refute it? Are you stuck in an echo chamber? Bullshit can exist in any era. But, Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West contend that two components of contemporary society—the internet and the mainstream media—are particularly potent vehicles for spreading bullshit. Keep reading to understand the phenomenon of bullshit media.
How much damage can improper data collection create? How can manipulators leverage it for their own advantage? In Calling Bullshit, Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West contend that bullshit often arises when data-based arguments rely on flawed data. They explain how the observation selection effect is an example of this and show how some people take advantage of it to deliberately deceive others. Continue reading to learn about the observation selection effect and how it can wreak havoc.
Should you trust data-based arguments? How can data go terribly wrong? In Calling Bullshit, Carl T. Bergstrom and Jevin D. West investigate how bullshit is created. They assert that it happens when people use faulty data as a basis for their arguments. Specifically, they say selection bias can lead to bullshit because it justifies faulty conclusions based on unrepresentative samples. Read more to understand how selection bias in statistics can lead to harmful misinformation.