The World's Best Book Summaries
What is a mindfulness practice? Do you want to live a stress-free life? You can’t solve a problem you haven’t noticed yet, so the first step to treating anxiety is to recognize the behavioral and thinking loops that create and result from anxiety. To do so, you need to practice mindfulness so that you’re more aware of your thoughts and actions. Below is Dr. Judson Brewer’s explanation of mindfulness, as written in his book Unwinding Anxiety.
What is knowledge overload? Is there too much information for our brains to handle? In Stolen Focus, Johann Hari identifies seven factors that are contributing to the attention crisis. The sixth factor is knowledge overload, which makes it difficult to focus long enough to process what we’re seeing and hearing. Keep reading to learn why too much information can actually be hurting you.
Are you getting enough sleep? What are the long-term effects of sleep deprivation? According to Johann Hari in his book Stolen Focus, one of the factors contributing to the attention crisis is sleep deprivation. He believes we’re not getting enough sleep and we’re suffering from five dangerous effects. Continue reading for the five long-term effects of sleep deprivation.
What helps pine tree growth? Why can’t pines survive alone? While researching tree cooperation, Suzanne Simard found that alder trees significantly help pine tree growth. In her book Finding the Mother Tree, Simard gives three reasons for this. Read more to learn how pine tree growth relies on alder trees.
Are there benefits of anxiety? Why do some people believe anxiety helps them? In Unwinding Anxiety, Dr. Judson Brewer claims that many people object to receiving anxiety treatment because they believe there are benefits to anxiety. However, he disputes these claims. Learn why Brewer suggests there are no advantages to anxiety.
Are we failing to treat ADHD in children? How are we addressing it now? Stolen Focus author Johann Hari says that we’re failing to effectively address ADHD (attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder) in children. He says that instead of medicating them, we need to find the underlying reasons and solve them. Keep reading to learn the factors that lead to ADHD and the risks of ADHD medication.
What is the wood-wide web? How does it help trees communicate with each other? In Finding the Mother Tree, Suzanne Simard discovered that trees are intertwined via fungus in a complex resource-sharing network. She compares this to an internet satellite system, which she refers to as the “wood-wide web.” Learn more about the wood-wide web below.
Do you have trouble concentrating? Why can’t people focus anymore? Stolen Focus by Johann Hari argues that our attention crisis is the result of outside forces stealing our focus. Hari says that there’s obvious proof many people can’t focus: people aren’t reading as much and our minds wander too much. Read below the signs that many people are having trouble concentrating.
What are the benefits of being mindful? How is your health affected by mindfulness? According to Dr. Judson Brewer in Unwinding Anxiety, there’s a reliable way to recognize and dismantle anxiety and the harmful habits it spawns. He suggests mindfulness—the practice of paying close attention to the present moment without analyzing or judging it. Here are the top benefits of practicing mindfulness.
What is a forest ecosystem? Are forests technically societies? Suzanne Simard’s research suggests that cooperation is the defining nature of the relationship between trees and other plant life. Her book Finding the Mother Tree suggests that a forest ecosystem is very similar to human societies. Read more to learn what a forest ecosystem is and how it’s similar to human societies.