The World's Best Book Summaries
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.
What is the attention crisis? How does it affect our ability to read and think? Stolen Focus by journalist Johann Hari makes the case that we have an attention crisis, which means we’re all losing the ability to concentrate. He argues that it’s the result of outside forces and not people being lazy. Let’s look at how the attention crisis is affecting our minds.
How can you practice mindfulness every day? What are the benefits of everyday mindfulness? Practicing mindfulness in your daily life has many benefits, including reducing anxiety. In Unwinding Anxiety, Dr. Judson Brewer offers two mindful techniques that you should incorporate into your daily routine. Read more to learn the two mindfulness techniques that can help you cope with anxiety.
Why is it so hard to focus? What external factors are making it hard to concentrate? In Stolen Focus, Johann Hari cites seven reasons why it’s so hard to focus. These factors are outside of your control and contribute to the attention crisis we’re living in. Discover the seven factors below to see if any of them are affecting you.