The World's Best Book Summaries
Who were the Lincoln assassination conspirators? What role did each person play? John Wilkes Booth did not act alone. Chasing Lincoln’s Killer reveals the identity of the Lincoln assassination conspirators and the role that each one played in the plot. It also outlines their plans and preparations and what happened to them after the plot was carried out. Read more to learn about the Lincoln assassination conspirators.
Are you familiar with the “deliberate practice” method of improving your skills? How this can help you build career capital and get a job you love? When you improve your skills—especially scarce and valuable skills—you build up career capital that you can use to “buy” a desirable job. The best method of improving your skills is deliberate practice. There are five steps to figuring out how to deliberately practice in your workplace. Read more to learn this method of improving your skills.
How can you achieve clear communication in the workplace? What is the “think out loud” method? Thinking out loud goes against Navy training and culture, which says that, when reporting something up the chain of command, you should say as little as possible. Submarine captain David Marquet threw out this tradition and instituted the “think out loud” method of clear communication in the workplace. It allowed him to keep quiet and let his team do their jobs. Read more to learn about this method of achieving clear communication in the workplace and how it worked for Marquet.
What factors contribute to moral development in children? How do kids learn what’s right and what’s wrong? Two schools of thought exist. One view asserts that moral development in children is self-driven—that kids figure it out on their own, through reason. Another perspective is that children learn morality through their society, which accounts for different moral codes in different parts of the world. Read on to learn more about these two theories regarding moral development in children.
What’s the difference between left and right politics in America? How are the perspectives and values different? Jonathan Haidt answers these questions in his book The Righteous Mind. He discusses the difference between left and right ideologies from the perspective of moral psychology. He argues that liberals and conservatives have different narratives about the country, and he explains why liberals have a hard time understanding conservatives. Read more to learn about the difference between left and right.
What led up to the assassination of Lincoln? What was the political environment? What was going on in the minds of the assassins? The assassination of Lincoln occurred in April 1865. The previous year, John Wilkes Booth had planned to kidnap the president, but the plot failed. By the spring of 1865, Booth was determined to kill the president. Several key events deepened Booth’s dismay and his obsession with this deadly plan. Read more to learn about the months, weeks, and days leading up to the assassination of Lincoln.
How much career capital do you have? How can it lead to career happiness? Desirable jobs are scarce and prized. You can “buy” such jobs by using career capital, which is made up of scarce and prized skills. In other words, developing valuable skills is the best way to get a job you love. A focus on skill development—”the craftsperson mindset”—is the first step in building up career capital. Keep reading to learn about career capital.
How can you leverage transparency in the workplace to strengthen your organization? What if you created an atmosphere of embracing outside oversight? It can be tempting to handle organizational problems in house and keep them out of the view of auditors. David Marquet chose not to go that route. Instead, he embraced the inspectors, which necessitated transparency in the workplace. In this case, the workplace was a submarine. Read more to learn how transparency in the workplace can move your organization forward.
How is morality determined by reason and emotion? Which force is stronger when it comes to ethics? Some argue that morality is governed by reason. Others insist that morality is governed by emotion. In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discusses the argument, showing how philosophers and psychologists point to reason and emotion as driving forces behind our moral choices. He believes that one argument is stronger, and he offers insight into how we can leverage this to persuade others. Read more to learn how reason and emotion come into play when it comes to our sense of right
What do the New Atheists believe about religion? Are they right? In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that the New Atheists get it wrong when it comes to religion. Their claim that religion is a virus is at odds with the benefits that religion provides to society. Read on to learn how Haidt believes the New Atheists are wrong about religion.