The World's Best Book Summaries
What are Kristin Neff’s recommended self-compassion exercises? How should can you love yourself? Kristin Neff’s book Self-Compassion explains what self-compassion is and why it’s important in life. She also looks at three practices that comprise it. Learn Kristin Neff’s self-compassion exercises to practice every day.
Are your thoughts always racing out of control? Do you find it difficult to empty your mind so you can relax and be at peace? Many people struggle with incessant mental chatter, which drives anxiety and wastes a lot of cognitive energy. As a result, they can never find peace because their minds are always thinking—ruminating about the past or time-traveling into the future. Here are a few strategies for emptying your mind of unnecessary mental noise so you can focus and think straight.
Why do we enter competitive relationships? Or, why do some of our relationships become competitive? According to author Luke Burgis, most of our desires aren’t actually our own. In his book Wanting, he uses the theory of “mimetic desire” to explain how we mimic what others want or have, which can unknowingly lead us into competitive relationships. Read on to learn the psychological reasons why we enter competitive relationships, according to Burgis.
What is Ethan Kross’s Chatter about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In his book Chatter, neuroscientist and experimental psychologist Ethan Kross explores the private conversations we have with ourselves and how they impact our well-being and life outcomes. Further, he lays out practical strategies to help you silence your inner critic and rewire your mind for more positivity. Keep reading for a brief overview of Ethan Kross’s book The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It.
What does Robert Greene mean by anti-seduction? What qualities does Greene describe as anti-seductive? As the name suggests, anti-seduction is the opposite of seduction—it’s behavior that people find repellent or off-putting. In other words, anti-seduction is being what people call a “turn-off.” Keep reading to learn about the major qualities of anti-seducers, according to Robert Greene.
What’s open awareness? What is it good for? Does it have a downside? When your brain isn’t using selective attention—choosing where you direct your attention—it’s using open awareness. This is a passive, rather than deliberate, state of attention. Continue reading to learn more about open awareness, including its benefits and drawbacks.
When you’re making medical decisions, what do you consider? How do you evaluate your options? Medical decisions are some of the most important decisions you make. Neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin argues that you shouldn’t try to intuit such decisions because your brain just isn’t good at it. He recommends using a fourfold table to analyze the information you’re working with. Continue reading to learn how to use this process for informed decision-making in healthcare.
Is your mind overwhelmed by negativity? How can you stop negative self-talk and train yourself to think more positively? According to neuroscientist and psychologist Ethan Kross, we can’t stop negative self-talk completely, but we can quiet it and therefore reduce its power over us. In his book Chatter, he shares five research-based strategies for challenging negative self-talk. Here’s how we can prevent our negative self-talk from interfering with our success, happiness, and health.
What are some myths about abuse? Is domestic abuse intentional or are abusers victims as well? Domestic abuse is a serious issue that many people don’t know they’re a victim of. In Why Does He Do That?, Lundy Bancroft dispels common misconceptions about abuse that people should be aware of. Continue reading to learn the myths people believe about domestic abuse and why they’re not real.
What is the center point of the human connection? What do all humans have in common? In Self-Compassion, Kristin Neff says that engaging in self-compassion means being aware that the pain you feel is the same pain others feel during hard times. Recognizing suffering as a connection point bonds you to all human beings. Keep reading to learn what connects human beings on a grounded level.