The World's Best Book Summaries
What is the New Thought movement? What are the main beliefs? Is the movement still alive today? If you’ve read a self-help book, most likely you’ve been exposed to ideas from the New Thought movement. The 19th-century spiritual movement has even found its way into the secular literature of the 21st century—with tenets such as positive thinking and the law of attraction. Read more for an introduction to the New Thought movement and its ideas.
Should you buy a house? What are the advantages? Are there disadvantages? Even if purchasing a home is within your budget, that doesn’t mean you should necessarily do it. If you choose to rent rather than own, investing the money you save by renting might even be a better investment than owning a home. In The Wealthy Barber, David Chilton writes that home ownership has its advantages and disadvantages. Keep reading for Chilton’s discussion of the pros and cons of buying a house.
Are you saving for retirement? Do you know what you can count on after you retire? What’s your plan? David Chilton says that part of your overall financial plan should be saving for retirement. He provides four reasons why retirement planning is important and discusses four types of retirement plans: 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, and Keogh Plan. Keep reading to learn more about smart retirement planning.
When it comes to decision-making in your organization, how much power do you and your employees have? How fast are decisions made? What happens immediately after a decision is made? In his book What You Do Is Who You Are, Ben Horowitz discusses how decision-making is an aspect of your organization’s culture. As the leader, you set the tone for how decisions are made. Horowitz identifies three choices you make that determine what kind of decision-making culture you build. Keep reading for details on these three choices.
What does it mean to “pay yourself first”? How much of your income should you invest? Where should you invest it? If you want to become financially successful, the most important step you can take is to invest money from every paycheck. That’s the view of David Chilton in his book The Wealthy Barber. When you invest and leave it alone, compound interest will ensure the long-term growth of your assets. Chilton recommends a couple of types of investments that he prefers over savings in the bank. Keep reading to learn Chilton’s advice on what you should invest in and
As you strive to shape the culture of your organization, what should you expect? How flexible should you be? Does every employee need to be on board? In his book What You Do Is Who You Are, CEO and venture capitalist Ben Horowitz discusses three cultural challenges that leaders face as they seek to shape their organization’s culture. He explains that they must deal with the fact that culture is both aspirational and actionable, culture is always evolving, and culture is universal. Continue reading to learn more about these challenges.
What’s The Seat of the Soul about? What does it say about the nature of the universe and the material world? What does it teach about the soul’s purpose and evolution? The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav is a best-selling exploration of the soul’s evolutionary journey through the material realm. Published in 1989, following Zukav’s acclaimed The Dancing Wu Li Masters (which explored the connection between quantum physics and spirituality), this book earned a spot as an Oprah Winfrey favorite and gained a wide following throughout the 1990s. Keep reading for our overview of The Seat of the
Is real estate a good investment? If so, how much should you invest, and when should you take this step? David Chilton, in his book The Wealthy Barber, recommends that you invest 10% of your income. A good place for this money, he says, is real estate. However, he provides some real estate investment tips that help you know if and when you should buy. Here’s what you should consider if you’re thinking about investing in real estate.
Does your company culture need improvement? If so, where should you start? What practical steps can you take to make lasting change? In the book What You Do Is Who You Are, Ben Horowitz shares three cultural leadership lessons taken from the story of Shaka Senghor. Senghor demonstrated transformational leadership when he served in prison. Horowitz discusses three lessons from Senghor’s story: take advantage of teachable moments, start necessary changes from the top, and meet daily to model changes. Keep reading to learn how to improve company culture.
What’s the difference between external and internal power? What kind of power is authentic? How can you get it? According to Gary Zukav, authentic power is internal power. In The Seat of the Soul, he explains that our spiritual souls are constrained by our material bodies. So, we tend to pursue external rather than internal power. Only the authentic, internal power can help our souls live out their purpose. Let’s take a closer look at Zukav’s view of authentic power.