The World's Best Book Summaries
Do you want to cause a stir with your writing? How can you make your writing more effective? In their book Writing for Busy Readers, Rogers and Lasky-Fink offer evidence-based techniques for how to write effectively. We’ve reordered the principles to guide you through the writing process step by step—from big-picture planning to sentence-level polish and beyond. Below, we’ll guide you through eight steps toward more effective writing.
Do you struggle to stay on track with your writing? How can you align your goals with your readers’ goals? Behavioral scientists Todd Rogers and Jessica Lasky-Fink write in their book Writing for Busy Readers that in order for your writing to make an impact, you have to write with purpose. To write with purpose, you must identify your goals and your readers’ goals. Keep reading to learn how to instill purpose into your messages.
Are we experiencing a decline in community bonds? How can we reverse this societal trend and rebuild meaningful connections? In his book Bowling Alone, Robert Putnam examines the erosion of social unity in America since the 1950s. He offers approaches through education, religious communities, neighborhood design, and internet technologies that could strengthen our communal ties. Continue reading to discover Putnam’s vision for restoring social capital and creating a more connected society in the 21st century.
What are the different types of attention in psychology? What purpose does each of these attention modes have? Gloria Mark’s book Attention Span explains the different types of attention and the internal factors that shape them. These modes of attention wax and wane over time, so instead of fighting against certain types of focus, your goal should be to balance them to sustain your cognitive reserves. Continue reading to learn about attention’s highs and lows in each state.
Do you wonder what your unique intelligence profile might look like? Have you ever felt smart in ways that traditional IQ tests don’t measure? In his book Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner proposes that humans possess seven distinct types of intelligence rather than a single general capacity for learning. Gardner’s theory challenges the traditional view of intelligence, suggesting each person has different strengths across multiple intelligences. Continue reading to discover how understanding your own intelligence profile could transform your approach to learning and problem-solving.
What makes each student uniquely intelligent? How can teachers adapt their methods to nurture different types of smarts in the classroom? In Frames of Mind, Howard Gardner explores multiple intelligences in education. Applying his theory to teaching represents a middle ground between traditional education and “unschooling,” leveraging children’s natural curiosity within formal educational frameworks. Keep reading to discover how understanding students’ intellectual diversity can transform teaching practices.
Do schools talk about mental health too much? Are mental health surveys intrusive on students’s personal lives? In Bad Therapy, Abigail Shrier says that schools can contribute to unnecessary mental health treatment that harms children. According to Shrier, schools focus too much on students’s mental health by encouraging them to share feelings and make excessive accommodations. Continue reading to learn the different ways mental health awareness in schools is hurting children.
Are classroom accommodations always a good thing? What’s restorative justice and how is it implemented in school? Schools have long provided special accommodations to help struggling students succeed. But in Bad Therapy, Abigail Shrier argues that schools now bend over backward to accommodate nearly every student request, a practice that undermines independence and academic performance. Discover examples of classroom accommodations that Shrier believes are harming students.
What’s 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School about? What secrets do professional architects use to bring their visions to life on paper? Matthew Frederick’s 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School reveals the fundamental techniques and principles that transform architectural sketches into powerful design tools. The book explores everything from line work and spatial relationships to the cultural dimensions of architectural design. Read more in our brief overview of 101 Things I Learned in Architecture School.
What happens when America’s largest education union faces off against its own staff? How can a labor organization known for protecting workers’ rights end up in a bitter dispute with its employees? The National Education Association (NEA) strike in 2024 marked an historic moment in American education, as the NEA locked horns with its staff over wages, healthcare, and alleged unfair practices. This unprecedented conflict led to canceled events, political ripples, and a complex web of accusations. Keep reading to discover how this internal battle exposed deep contradictions within one of the nation’s most influential labor organizations and its lasting