Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

The Fourth Turning: Book Overview & Key Takeaways

How do different generations function in society and react to societal changes? How did predictions about America’s future made in 1997 turn out? In their book The Fourth Turning, William Strauss and Neil Howe explain that human history is characterized by a cyclical progression through four “Turnings,” which the authors liken to seasons. Identifying these Turnings can help us understand the past and possibly predict the future. Continue reading for an overview of this insightful book.

Keep on Learning: How Your Brain Allows Endless Education

Can an old dog learn new tricks? Does your brain ever “max out” on learning? In Limitless Mind, math educator Jo Boaler shows that the brain is capable of learning new skills and incorporating new ideas throughout our lives. She reminds us that we never stop being students and that we’re capable of continual education. Read more to understand how you can keep on learning throughout your life.

Mere Christianity Discussion Questions: Apply C. S. Lewis’s Ideas

Would you like to internalize the concepts in the classic book Mere Christianity? How can you make them come alive in your life and ministry? In Mere Christianity, C. S. Lewis sets out to explain and defend Christian beliefs to a skeptical modern audience. Through his essays, Lewis—whom many Christians regard as an important lay theologian—argues for the existence of God, the divinity of Christ, and the benefits of a virtuous life. Continue reading for several Mere Christianity discussion questions that will help you apply the book’s ideas to your own life.

Steven E. Koonin’s Unsettled: Book Overview & Takeaways

How much has the Earth warmed? Is extreme weather getting worse? Are climate scientists in agreement? In Unsettled, a book about climate change, former energy industry scientist Steven E. Koonin doesn’t deny that the planet is warming and that humans are partly to blame. But, he challenges the evidence and prediction models, coming to some conclusions that not everyone shares. Read more for an overview of Koonin’s book.

How to Build Your Career: The Journey From New Hire to CEO

What are the secrets to being successful in your career? What’s the best way to start? How can you finish strong? Entrepreneur Tony Fadell answers these questions and more in Build. The book is part career encyclopedia and part memoir, detailing Fadell’s extraordinary journey inventing the iPhone and then starting his own wildly successful companies. He shares the career lessons he learned along the way. Read more to learn how to build your career, from the bottom to the top.

The Culture Wars in America: Strauss and Howe’s Third Turning

When did the Culture Wars in America start? What were the wars about? What values came to the fore? William Strauss and Neil Howe wrote The Fourth Turning in 1997, in the midst of America’s most recent Third Turning—the third phase in a four-phase cycle of history. The authors describe the Third Turning in general as an Unraveling. They call the Third Turning which began in 1984 “the Culture Wars.” Read more to learn about the Culture Wars in America and how they fit into the larger historical picture.

3 Climate Change Questions & Answers From Steven E. Koonin

How much is the Earth warming? What’s the cause? What does the future hold? With all of the information about climate change available at your fingertips, you probably still have unanswered questions. In Unsettled, former energy industry scientist Steven E. Koonin provides his answers to three of the biggest questions in the conversation. Continue reading for three climate change questions and answers from Koonin.

The Strauss-Howe Generational Theory (From The Fourth Turning)

Which generation are you? What role do you play in society right now? Do you fit the archetype? According to historian William Strauss and consultant Neil Howe, each generation in society fits into one of four different archetypes: the Prophet, the Nomad, the Hero, and the Artist. In The Fourth Turning, they discuss the role the generations play in each cycle of history. Read on to learn about the Strauss-Howe generational theory, its applications, and its implications.

How Much Has the Earth Warmed? A Deeper Investigation

How much has Earth warmed in the last couple of hundred years? What constitutes an actual change in climate? Former energy industry scientist Steven E. Koonin contends that the Earth’s temperature has warmed since 1900. However, he says that we need to consider two more patterns that contribute to our overall understanding of the matter. Continue reading for Koonin’s assessment of the global temperature increase.

Vocation vs. Career: A Difference in Purposes & Rewards

What’s the difference between a vocation and a career? Which do you have? David Brooks tackles the “vocation vs. career” question by asking it in the context of two different approaches to life: individualism and relationalism. He connects careers to individualism and vocations to relationalism. Continue reading to understand how vocations and careers reflect different purposes and, thus, garner different rewards.