Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

The Next Big Tech Company: What It Takes (+ 4 Candidates)

What does it take to become a tech giant? Who will be the next trillion-dollar tech company? Is it finally Microsoft’s turn? The Four (Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google) have dominated the marketplace for years, but, even in the absence of efforts to break them up, Scott Galloway says the Four won’t always be on top. History demonstrates that even the most successful companies can’t stay on top forever. We’ll first explore the factors Galloway claims are necessary for a business to be the next big tech company. Then, we’ll identify four potential candidates for that position. Take a look.

Propaganda in the USSR: Revisionism & Euphemisms as Weapons

How did propaganda in the USSR operate? What tactics succeeded in misleading the masses? From the 1930s on, the Soviet Union had an extremely robust and powerful propaganda system, exerting near-total control over how the government was depicted in the media, literary fiction, and education. This was done primarily through historical revisionism and the use of euphemisms. Continue reading for insights from Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn on Soviet propaganda.

How to Ask the Right Questions: Targeting the Main Issue

When you’re solving a problem, what are the most effective questions to ask? How can you make sure you’re thinking in the right direction? The right questions are the ones that give you a relevant foundation and point you in a helpful direction. In The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird discuss the importance of asking the right questions and explain what makes them effective. Keep reading to learn how to ask the right questions to guide your thinking toward your next most important idea.

It’s Time to Break Up Big Tech: Here’s How to Do It

Are Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google monopolies? How can competition be encouraged? In The Four, entrepreneur and marketing professor Scott Galloway takes a close look at four technology companies that dominate the modern marketplace: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google (the “Four”). He makes the case that it’s time for the law to treat them as monopolies. Keep reading for Galloway’s idea on how to break up Big Tech.

Soviet Labor Camps: Insights From The Gulag Archipelago

What were Soviet labor camps designed to do? How were they like Nazi death camps? What happened to released prisoners? The Gulag Archipelago is a work of historical nonfiction that describes life in Soviet labor camps, popularly known as gulags, in the USSR from the late 1910s to the mid-50s. Prisoners such as author Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn were arrested on minor or fabricated charges, tortured and robbed, and held in camps for decades. Keep reading to learn how gulags subjected prisoners to forced labor, physical abuse, long prison terms, and exile.

The Evolution of Ideas: Why It Matters Where Ideas Come From

Does it matter where ideas come from? How could that understanding help you solve problems? When you understand where an idea came from, you’ll better understand the idea in the present and where it could go in the future. In The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird explain how you can leverage this understanding to improve your problem-solving abilities. Keep reading to learn how to understand the evolution of ideas and to use history as a guide to the future.

Facebook and Politics: Scandals, Polarization, & Fake News

What was the Cambridge Analytica scandal? Did Russia really place divisive ads on Facebook? According to Scott Galloway, Facebook is perhaps the worst Big Tech offender when it comes to prioritizing profit over privacy and democracy. He discusses Facebook’s scandals affecting the 2016 election, its polarizing ad model, and its refusal to take responsibility for fake news on its platform. Keep reading to learn about the troubling history of Facebook and politics.

The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking: Overview & Takeaways

How can the natural elements—earth, fire, air, and water—help you understand the process of effective thinking? How can you use this in your life in a practical way? In The 5 Elements of Effective Thinking, Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird explain that thinking is the source of all improvement and achievement. They describe the processes involved in thinking effectively and how this type of thinking can improve your life in the classroom, in the workplace, and in life in general. Continue reading to discover how you can maximize improvement and achievement by learning to think effectively.

The Four by Scott Galloway: Overview & Key Takeaways

What are “the four” of big tech? What makes them so? Should—and can—they be reigned in? In The Four, Scott Galloway takes a hard look at four technology companies that dominate the modern marketplace: Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google. He discusses their success and their impact, how their power might be limited, who’ll be the next tech giant, and how you can make it in the economy they’ve created. Keep reading for our overview of this important book.

How Organizational Purpose Outshines Profitability

How is an organization’s purpose determined? Should profit be a driver or merely a byproduct? The strongest driver of a company’s culture is its overriding purpose in the world. As Frédéric Laloux explains in Reinventing Organizations, this purpose is not dictated from on high but emerges organically from the work the company does and the values of its members. Keep reading to learn about the preeminence of organizational purpose in visionary companies.