Books Archives

Alison Gopnik’s The Gardener and the Carpenter: Overview

Are you struggling as a parent? Do you often think about what you need to do to turn your child into a well-adjusted, successful adult? If so, you may be acting as a carpenter parent—a parent who adheres rigidly to the blueprint for raising a “successful child”—instead of a gardener parent—a parent who nurtures the innate interests and talents of their child. In The Gardener and the Carpenter, Alison Gopnik explains how to raise children in a loving and supportive manner. Read below for a brief overview of The Gardener and the Carpenter.

5 How to Do Nothing Quotes From Jenny Odell (With Context)

How can you keep life’s experiences from being chaotic? What’s #NOMO? Whom do you know better—your neighbors or your Twitter followers? The perceived need to constantly be doing something is overwhelming. You might feel you have to use all your available time to advance your career or accomplish something productive. Jenny Odell says this feeling is created by broader social and economic forces. Read more for several How to Do Nothing quotes that help you understand Odell’s argument that devoting attention to “non-productive” things is a form of healing and social activism.

The Analects: Confucius’s Philosophies for Life (Overview)

What’s the best way to learn about the world? How can you avoid telling lies, even by accident? How might you get people to trust you as a leader? These are just a few questions that Confucius answers in The Analects, a collection of his philosophies. The teachings cover topics such as showing respect for your parents, living a life of integrity, the value of hard work, and the Chinese principles of ren and wuwei. Continue reading for an overview of one of the foundational books of Confucianism.

The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry Quotes From John Mark Comer

What determines the person you become? What’s the antidote to a hectic life? What often keeps people from a meaningful life of spiritual devotion? In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, pastor and author John Mark Comer explores our cultural obsession with rushing and examines how it harms our relationships, health, and spirituality. He argues that you can escape this culture of rushing by following the lifestyle of Jesus. Continue reading to read several The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry quotes that provide insight into the book’s themes.

The Road Less Stupid: Book Overview (Keith Cunningham)

Do you let pride cloud your judgment when it comes to running your business? Do you have goals but no plan for how to reach them? In The Road Less Stupid, Keith Cunningham says that to achieve financial success, you must avoid easy mistakes. He describes the top mistakes that you need to avoid and explains his methodology for thinking through business issues. Read below for a brief overview of The Road Less Stupid.

The Genius Zone by Gay Hendricks: Overview & Takeaways

Do you feel unfulfilled in life? Does it seem like you’re wasting your time and squandering your potential? You can spend your time thinking about the things you can control or the things you can’t. Stanford-trained psychologist Gay Hendricks writes that the way to be happy is to let go of the things you can’t control and instead devote your time and energy to things you can change. Continue reading for an overview of Hendricks’s book The Genius Zone.

His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life (Book Overview)

What did Jimmy Carter learn from Admiral Rickover? What did Carter do during the Civil Rights Movement that he later regretted? What dominated his last year in the White House? In His Very Best: Jimmy Carter, a Life, Jonathan Alter presents a fresh perspective on the complicated history of the person he suggests is one of the US’s most underrated presidents. He chronicles the life of Jimmy Carter, from his childhood to the decades after his presidency. Continue reading for an overview of this book that asks us to see Jimmy Carter’s presidency in a different light.

The 8 Best Books on Change Management for Leaders

Is your organization going through a significant change? What are the best books on change management that can help you smoothly initiate the transition? Changes at work can be scary, especially for people who rely on a steady routine. But changes are bound to happen, and you need to be prepared to overcome any bumps in the road during that transition. Below we’ve gathered the eight best books on change management that every leader needs to keep on their shelf.

Hard Times Create Strong Men: Book Overview

Why does Aarnio claim that Western men are weak? How are weak men destroying society? What can men do to become stronger? In his book Hard Times Create Strong Men, Stefan Aarnio shares why Western men have grown weak and why this weakness is a problem. He also lays out his definition of a strong man and his ideas on how to be a strong man at work and in relationships. Read below for a brief Hard Times Create Strong Men book overview.

The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne & Jerry Lucas (Overview)

Would you like to memorize a poem or the presentation you’re giving next Tuesday? Do you just want some help remembering what you’re supposed to pick up at the store? The Memory Book by Harry Lorayne and Jerry Lucas aims to help anyone memorize and recall all sorts of information. The authors explain the principles that govern memory, and they share strategies that capitalize on those principles. Continue reading for an overview of this classic book on memory.