The World's Best Book Summaries
Should you invest in index funds? Are they better than mutual funds? In The Wealthy Barber, David Chilton argues that the best thing you can do to reach financial success is to invest 10% of your income in mutual or index funds. Then, sit back and take advantage of the compound interest. He explains what index funds are and why he believes they are a better investment than mutual funds. Keep reading for index fund advice from Chilton and others.
How often do you take the pulse of your company’s culture? Do you have a system to diagnose and solve problems? CEO and venture capitalist Ben Horowitz says you must keep assessing and improving your organization’s culture to ensure that it continues to serve your vision. He draws insights from Shaka Senghor’s story to pinpoint ways to keep a critical eye on your culture, root out the problems, and ultimately improve your organization. Here’s Shaka Senghor’s story and how to assess the culture in your company.
Have you set clear rules for your employees? How well do people understand and follow the rules? CEO and venture capitalist Ben Horowitz draws on historical examples to show how you can provide cultural leadership in your organization. For lessons on workplace rules, Horowitz looks to Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture and offers three tips for making rules that stick. Keep reading to learn how to set effective workplace rules.
Where is your soul on its journey toward enlightenment? How can you further your soul’s evolution? In his book The Seat of the Soul, Gary Zukav argues that the purpose of the soul is to evolve. This isn’t always easy, and he offers ideas on how to encourage the soul’s journey toward its goal of enlightenment. He explains how to develop your heart knowledge and seek authentic power. He also discusses how spiritual psychology could help all of us in this evolution. Keep reading for Zukav’s insights on the soul’s journey.
What kind of work do you feel drawn to? Do you sense an inner force guiding you in your pursuits? Author Robert Greene believes that we all have something inside us that pulls us in certain directions in life. You can get in touch with that force by performing three tasks: reflecting on your childhood, blurring the line between work and life, and embracing a nonlinear path. Keep reading to learn how to find your calling in life.
Should you invest in mutual funds? If so, how do you choose among all of the options? In The Wealthy Barber, author David Chilton advises you to invest 10% of your income for long-term growth. This money should go into index or mutual funds. He recommends a particular type of mutual fund and provides advice on selecting one. Here are some mutual fund tips from David Chilton and a few others.
Do you work hard to overcome your weak points? What if you focused on your strong points instead? An accompaniment to Gallup’s popular online strengths test, StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath helps you understand and implement your test results to maximize your potential. Both the test and book are based on the idea that you shouldn’t try to correct your weaknesses—as most schools and workplaces have you do—but should rather build upon your strongest innate abilities. Doing this gives you the greatest chance of succeeding in whatever you pursue. Here’s more on why you should focus on your strengths, not
Are your employees clear about the ethical expectations at your company? Are you consistently upholding behavior boundaries? CEO and venture capitalist Ben Horowitz draws on historical examples to show how you can provide cultural leadership in your organization. For lessons on ethical workplace behavior, Horowitz looks to Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture, who shows us that we must not leave ethical gray areas. Keep reading to learn more about shaping ethical workplace behavior.
What is the law of karma? What impact does it have on your life? How can you balance your karmic debt? The Seat of the Soul is Gary Zukav’s best-selling exploration of the soul’s evolutionary journey through the material realm. He explains what karma is and discusses the power it has in your life—and what power you have to affect it. He also talks about how to balance your soul’s karmic debt. Read more to learn about Zukav’s understanding of karma.
Is your creativity getting you anywhere? What’s getting in your way on your path toward creative power and independence? In the book Mastery, Robert Greene identifies creative independence as the second stage of mastery. It comes after you’ve established a foundation of skills and knowledge—when you’ve come to a point where you can apply these in your own way. He offers four tips on how to cultivate creativity: commit to a creative project, keep your mind flexible, create a major insight, and overcome emotional obstacles. Keep reading for details on these recommendations.