Hannah Aster, Author at Shortform Books

Life Lessons From a Brain Surgeon by Rahul Jandial: Overview

An up-close shot of a surgeon wearing a gown and gloves

How can something so small control every aspect of your existence? The human brain, with its 85 billion neurons forming over 100 trillion synaptic connections, holds the key to optimizing your cognitive abilities, protecting against age-related decline, and unlocking your full mental potential. In Life Lessons From a Brain Surgeon, neurosurgeon and scientist Rahul Jandial reveals how understanding your brain’s structure and function can transform the way you approach everything from daily habits to long-term health planning. Keep reading for a detailed overview of the book.

Shortform Articles: Read Something Worthwhile Today

A woman sitting at a dining room table using a laptop to read Shortform Articles

Here at Shortform, we’ve made a name for ourselves with our trademark book guides, but you might not know that we also produce human-written, high-quality articles. Shortform Articles are included with every Shortform subscription. Whether you want to stay updated on trending topics, get inspired by influential authors, or explore timeless topics like self-care and human connection, Shortform Articles are designed to inform, engage, and enrich your daily thinking. Let’s take a closer look at what makes Shortform Articles different—and why they might be exactly what your brain’s been craving. What Are Shortform Articles? Shortform Articles are original pieces of

The Tell by Amy Griffin—Book Overview and Takeaways

A young woman reading a book while sitting in a chair by a lamp

Can psychedelic therapy unlock buried memories of childhood trauma? According to venture capitalist Amy Griffin, the answer is a resounding yes. In her acclaimed 2025 memoir The Tell, Griffin details how MDMA-assisted therapy helped her recover repressed memories of sexual abuse by a trusted teacher during middle school. Her story offers a compelling case study of memory recovery through psychedelic intervention, though it also enters contentious scientific territory where experts debate the reliability of drug-induced recollections and the very existence of repressed memories. Her memoir, which landed on Oprah’s Book Club list and earned her a spot on Time Magazine’s

I Used Shortform for a Month—Here’s What Happened

Working on the blog team at Shortform, I spend a lot of time writing about books, ideas, and how people learn. But, outside of work, I’ve always thought of myself as a fairly engaged reader, too—that’s a big part of why I was drawn to working here in the first place. So, I decided to challenge myself: I’d use Shortform every single day for a month. I wanted to put myself in the shoes of a Shortform subscriber and see how it actually fits into daily life. Week 1: Getting Oriented I wanted to experience the app the same way

Good Habits, Bad Habits by Wendy Wood: Book Overview

A hand reaching for a phone or a book, trying to kick their bad habits for good habits

Have you ever wondered why your best intentions crumble? The answer isn’t a lack of willpower—it’s a misunderstanding of how your brain actually works. According to psychologist Wendy Wood’s research, roughly 43% of your daily actions are automatic habits. This means that no amount of willpower can directly override these deeply embedded behaviors. Wood’s insights in her book Good Habits, Bad Habits reveal that successful habit change requires working with your brain’s natural systems rather than fighting against them. By understanding the three key elements that create habits—context cues, repetition, and rewards—you can redesign your environment and behaviors to make

10 Best Book Summary Apps to Power Up Your Learning (2025)

A cartoon of a girl holding a book surrounded by book summary app logos

Book summary apps have become essential tools for professionals, students, and lifelong learners. Whether you want to vet a book before you decide to read the full thing, absorb knowledge on the go, explore a new topic quickly, or need a refresher on a classic read, these apps offer a fast, efficient way to grasp key insights from thousands of books. But with so many options available, which book summary app fits your needs the best? We’ve done the homework, so you don’t have to. In no hierarchical order, here are the best book summary apps of 2025, each offering

Shortform vs. getAbstract: A Detailed Comparison (2025)

The world now produces more information in a single day than it did in the entire year of 2002. In the wake of the information explosion, book summary platforms help readers learn faster, think deeper, and make smarter decisions. Two popular names in this space are Shortform and getAbstract, each offering its own take on condensed nonfiction content. But, when it comes to quality, depth, and usability, how do they compare? This guide compares Shortform vs. getAbstract to help you decide which platform best supports your learning goals. Summary Depth Both platforms aim to distill big ideas into digestible formats,

Shortform vs. Blinkist vs. Headway: Comparing the Apps (2025)

Do you want to read and learn more, but struggle to find the time to sit down with a book for hours? That’s where book summary apps come in—offering a faster way to absorb key insights from popular books while filtering out the extraneous information. If you’re researching book summary apps, then you’re likely comparing Shortform vs. Blinkist vs. Headway. These three platforms are leading the charge in helping busy people learn more in less time. But, while they all promise to distill big ideas into bite-sized formats, the experience—and the value—can differ quite a bit depending on which one

The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward

Melinda French Gates at the World Economic Forum

How do we navigate life’s major upheavals when our plans suddenly fall apart? What can we learn from someone who successfully rebuilt her identity after divorce, career changes, and personal transformation? Melinda French Gates offers a roadmap for handling transitions in The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward. Drawing from her experiences leaving Microsoft, co-founding the Gates Foundation, divorcing Bill Gates, and becoming a grandmother, she presents practical strategies for moving through uncertainty with grace and purpose. Read more to discover her framework for turning life’s most challenging moments into opportunities.

Why Shortform Is the Best App for Productivity & Habits

A man sitting at a table with a coffee who is using the Shortform app on his phone

Time feels more limited than ever, and it’s easy to get pulled in a dozen directions at once. You might’ve already tried productivity apps, color-coded calendars, and endless to-do lists, but they don’t always help and can sometimes cause you to become even more stressed. Shortform takes a different approach. While Shortform is known mostly as a premium book summary app, it’s also one of the best apps for productivity. Here’s why. Get to the Important Stuff, Faster Shortform has an impressive library of productivity books—from timeless classics like Getting Things Done and Atomic Habits to newer titles like The

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