The World's Best Book Summaries
What’s the Red Queen effect? What are some ways to thrive in the midst of competitors? In The Great Mental Models Volume 2, authors Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish introduce two evolutionary models—the Red Queen effect and adaptation. They use them to explain the importance of keeping up with our competition and the mechanisms by which we can do so. Continue reading to learn how to apply these models to your life and work.
What’s emotional intelligence? How important is emotional intelligence in leadership? How can you create an emotionally-intelligent team and organization? Business leaders are usually the biggest believers in cutting emotions out of business. But, it’s not only possible to lead with both your head and your heart, it’s vital. Fortunately, there are practical ways to increase your emotional intelligence and create an emotionally-intelligent team. Keep reading for a comprehensive look at emotional intelligence in leadership.
Can your team members freely share feedback and ideas? Do they believe that you care about them personally and professionally? Team trust is essential if you want effective and happy employees. It’s important to understand what trust is, why it’s important, and how you can cultivate trust in three directions: from leader to team, from team to leader, and among team members. Read more to learn the importance of trust in the workplace and practical ways to foster it.
Why is eyewitness testimony so unreliable? Is it possible to use leverage to get what you want—without taking unfair advantage of others? In The Great Mental Models Volume 2, Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish draw on models from science to help you figure out yourself and the world around you. They show how the theory of relativity can help you understand somebody you disagree with, and they explain how you can use leverage to get what you want in life. Keep reading to learn the importance of understanding others in a way that benefits everyone.
What strengths do you have that you could be combined with the strengths of others to accomplish something great? How might you help yourself by helping others? Everything we do affects—and is affected—by other people. If you join forces with others, you’ll be capable of much greater things than you could achieve on your own. Two scientific models, alloying and cooperation, show you how to do just that. Keep reading to see how science shows us that we are stronger together.
Are prestigious schools the best schools? What should parents and students look for when selecting a college? In his book Excellent Sheep, William Deresiewicz claims that elite U.S. colleges and universities are so selective and profit-oriented that they perpetuate social inequality and deprive students of high-quality learning. He argues that the solution is to make high-quality college education accessible to all U.S. students. Keep reading for an overview of the book, along with an exercise to review the content.
What do Stoics believe? Perhaps more importantly, how do they live on a day-to-day basis? The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman is presented as a daily devotional to share insights from the ancient Stoic philosophers on how to live a good life. They explain that Stoicism isn’t merely a set of beliefs—it’s a way of life. Read more for our overview of The Daily Stoic, including an exercise designed to help you put Stoic principles into practice today.
Do gun buyback programs work? How did Barack Obama accelerate his 2008 presidential campaign? Change is hard. But, The Great Mental Models Volume 2 provides two models from science that can help us initiate and accelerate change in our own lives and even in the world around us. Authors Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish discuss what we can learn from incentives and catalysts. Keep reading to learn how to bring about change in yourself and others.
What is the purpose of college? Is it to educate students or to generate profits? In Excellent Sheep, author and former Yale professor William Deresiewicz makes the case that elite U.S. colleges and universities prioritize profits over education. They have prestige, but they don’t provide the high-quality education you’d expect. Keep reading to understand Deresiewicz’s argument.
Why is change hard? How is momentum both a help and a hindrance to change? How can understanding friction help you remove barriers to progress? In The Great Mental Models Volume 2, Rhiannon Beaubien and Shane Parrish argue that the laws of motion and thermodynamics can help us understand why change is hard. They discuss how the principles of inertia, momentum, and friction play a role in our lives. Continue reading to see how these lessons of physics can help us understand resistance to change.