The World's Best Book Summaries
When you think about your future, do you assume that you’ll want lots of variety in life? Does variety make you happier? According to social psychologist Daniel Gilbert, variety is actually the opposite of what most people want. But many people fail to recognize that fact and end up forcing variety into their lives, ultimately making themselves unhappy. Here’s why you need less variety in life than you think.
What are the main issues with market societies? How can a market society affect the happiness of its citizens? A market society is one in which market values deeply intertwine with the daily lives of the people who live in it. The intrusion of markets into every aspect of life comes with a handful of issues, including a strong social impact. Let’s explore the social impact of living in a market society.
What is the Strategic Choice Cascade strategy from Playing to Win? Why do companies struggle to employ this strategy in practice? In Playing to Win, the cascade strategy involves answering five questions, each leading to the next like a cascading waterfall. If used properly, the cascade strategy can help your business succeed. However, there are many misconceptions about this strategy that prevent businesses from adopting it. Keep reading to learn about Lafley and Martin’s Cascade Strategy, how it works, and some common misconceptions around it.
Why do people tend to make such bad comparisons in life? How can those bad comparisons affect your future? Humans don’t have a great track record for making good choices and comparisons. This is especially prevalent when we make comparisons to the past and present when making big decisions for the future. Learn why your bad comparisons may be making you unhappy.
What is the origin of the free market economy? Why do we place so much faith in markets? In his book What Money Can’t Buy, Michael Sandel traces the origins of the free-market economic system back to the 1980s. According to Sandel, we put so much faith in markets because we believe it’s the optimal way to distribute limited resources. Keep reading to learn about the rise of the free market.
Are you trying to find your target audience in marketing? How do you choose the demographic that fits you the best? In their book Playing to Win, former CEO A.G. Lafley and consultant Roger Martin explain that there are five questions you should ask yourself when choosing your target market. They also share the most common pitfalls and advice on how to avoid them. Here’s how to choose the right target market for your business.
Do you avoid making risky decisions in life? Are you afraid of living with regret? As it turns out, people often assume that they’ll regret making risky decisions when, in reality, they have more regret when they don’t make those decisions. What you think is the “safe option” is probably the choice that’s going to make you the least happy. Here’s why you should take risks in your life if you want to be happy.
What are the major disadvantages of a free-market economy? In what way is the price system unjust? In his book What Money Can’t Buy, philosopher Michael J. Sandel argues that market values have become society’s dominant moral framework, the lens through which we determine what is important or unimportant as well as right and wrong. He argues that the free market is unjust and restrictive because they create injustices and eliminate choice. Keep reading to learn about the disadvantages of the free-market economy, according to Sandel.
Do you want to make a company vision statement? How do you envision the ideal future of your company? When putting together a vision statement for your company, you need to consider not only what purpose your company serves, but also what winning would look like for your business. You need to think about more than what your company does, but why you do it. Here’s how to chart the future of your company.
Do you feel stressed out when you have too many options to choose from? Why does limited freedom actually make you happier? People tend to think that the more choices they have, the happier they’ll be. However, an abundance of choices will actually make you unhappy because you’ll always doubt the decision you’ve made. Here’s why having too many options creates a paradox.