The World's Best Book Summaries
Will TikTok get banned in the US? What are the arguments for and against a US TikTok ban? What does the ban mean for you? In recent months, the White House, Congress, US armed forces, and more than half of US states have banned TikTok, from government-issued devices. There’s broad concern that TikTok’s parent company, ByteDance, could share Americans’ personal data with the Chinese government. Keep reading to learn about both sides of the argument.
What is the Fourth Turning? Was the Third Reich a Fourth Turning? How do crises transform nations? In The Fourth Turning, historian William Strauss and consultant Neil Howe explain how Anglo-American history follows a pattern of four 15- to 25-year periods, called Turnings. The Fourth Turning, they say, is a Crisis. Continue reading to learn about Strauss and Howe’s theory of the Fourth Turning and their predictions for America’s next one.
Looking for an explanation of the 1MDB Jho Low scandal? How did Low first become involved with 1MDB? In Billion Dollar Whale, Tom Wright and Bradley Hope explain the 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) scandal, which exposed Malaysia’s corruption. At the center of the scandal was Jho Low, a fraudulent entrepreneur who worked with Prime Minister Najib Razak to siphon money from the 1MDB fund. Read on for an overview of the 1MDB Jho Low scandal, according to Wright and Hope.
Does history follow a pattern? If so, can we make solid predictions about the future? In The Fourth Turning, historian William Strauss and consultant Neil Howe explain how Anglo-American history follows a pattern of four 15- to 25-year periods, called Turnings. They wrote during a Third Turning, and they made predictions about the Fourth. Keep reading to learn the Fourth Turning predictions they made and how accurate they turned out to be.
Are affirmative action policies still relevant in 2023? Why do some lawmakers want to eliminate affirmative action policies? The Supreme Court will soon decide whether to eliminate affirmative action policies. One side says these policies are still needed to create a just society. The other says they create reverse discrimination. We’ll look at both sides of the debate here.
Why aren’t we using more geothermal energy in the US? What are the benefits of switching to geothermal energy? America is the world’s leading producer of geothermal energy—but that currently generates less than 1% of the nation’s power. The US hopes to see geothermal generate 8.5% of electricity by 2050, but the cost and accessibility to tap the resource pose significant challenges. Below we’ll explore what geothermal energy is, its benefits and downsides, and prospects for its expansion.
What are the pros and cons of adopting new banking rules in the U.S.? Do we need stronger banking regulations? Banking regulations are a hotly debated topic in the U.S. currently, with some arguing that they provide essential consumer protections and others contending that they stifle competition and innovation. Now, with the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank, there’s an even greater push for new banking rules. Read on to learn about the debate over new U.S. banking rules, based on various experts’ perspectives.
What is the psychedelic revolution? How is today’s revolution being challenged? What are the main obstacles? In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in higher states of consciousness and some say we’re in a new psychedelic revolution. In their book Stealing Fire, Stephen Kotler and Jamie Wheal explain the main challenges to the success of the revolution. Read on to learn about the psychedelic revolution and the challenges it faces, according to Kotler and Wheal.
Is natural gas “green energy” or a fossil fuel? Does natural gas harm the environment? On January 6, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine signed a bill into law classifying natural gas as “green energy.” Tying the “green” label to a fossil fuel that drives global warming has created some confusion, but it’s a potentially powerful branding tool for U.S. leaders seeking to advance their respective causes. Read on to learn about the debate surrounding natural gas and the “green energy” label.
How did former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib’s 1MDB scandal fall apart? What did he do once the scandal was exposed? Billion Dollar Whale describes the shocking story of former Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak’s involvement in the 1MDB scandal and how it all fell apart. Authors Tom Wright and Bradley Hope unravel the exploits of Jho Low and his relationship with Najib as they stole from Malaysia’s sovereign funds. Read on to learn how Najib’s 1MDB scandal fall apart, according to Wright and Hope.