The World's Best Book Summaries
What’s the best virtue? What’s the worst sin? Why? According to C. S. Lewis, humility is the most important Christian virtue. Its opposite—pride—is the greatest sin. In his classic book, Mere Christianity, Lewis explains why pride is so dangerous. Keep reading for a brief discussion of humility and pride from Lewis’s perspective, along with an explanation of the difference between pride and self-esteem, as understood by psychologists.
What are your goals in life? How do you keep pushing forward toward your most ambitious goals in spite of the setbacks that get in the way? The first step to reaching your goals is to know what you actually want: You can’t reach a destination if you don’t know where you are heading. From there, it’s all about riding the momentum. With this in mind, here’s how to reach your goals in four simple (but not so easy) steps.
How do you find the right person to date? What are some things you should keep in mind when looking for a serious partner? Finding the right person for a serious relationship is no easy feat. People take years, sometimes decades, to find a successful long-term relationship. But it doesn’t have to take decades of your life if you know how to date effectively. With this in mind, here are three tips for maximizing your chances of finding the right person to spend your life with from dating coach Logan Ury.
What was life in a gulag like? What was the worst part? How effective were the attempts to fight back? Throughout The Gulag Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn emphasizes that the worst aspect of imprisonment was not the brutal conditions or mistreatment—but its inherent hopelessness. The only thing prisoners could focus on was survival, and this, again, often required them to steal from and abuse others. Continue reading to learn about life in a gulag from Solzhenitsyn’s perspective.
Do you believe you have what it takes to achieve success in life? How do you get rid of self-limiting beliefs? Everyone has self-limiting beliefs that they’ve built—largely without realizing it—based on their upbringing, personal experiences, and knowledge. These self-limiting beliefs prevent you from setting ambitious goals and living up to your potential. Here’s Tony Robbins’s advice for overcoming self-limiting beliefs.
Do you try to avoid stress, or do you intentionally seek it out? How does your mindset influence your stress response? Everybody gets stressed, but the effect stress has on your life depends on your mindset about it. Because your stress mindset influences your thoughts, goals, and actions related to stress, it determines the consequences of stress in your life. In this article, you’ll learn what a mindset is, why it’s important for transforming stress, and how to change it.
What is your approach to dating? Are you the kind of person who is easily swept off your feet? Or do you approach dating strategically, trying to keep a cool head? According to dating coach Logan Ury, there are three “dating tendencies” or patterns people have: maximizers, romanticizers, and hesitaters. In her book How to Not Die Alone, she explains how each pattern leads to unhappiness—and how to prevent your own pattern from sabotaging your dating life. Keep reading to learn about the three unhealthy dating patterns that people fall into when looking for love.
How can you turn mistakes into opportunities? How can you keep mistakes from stopping your progress? Edward B. Burger and Michael Starbird argue that failure is a powerful teaching tool and a vital part of achieving your goal. Don’t view mistakes as hindrances but instead as opportunities for growth. A mistake gives you a specific thing to address: Why was this wrong? Read more to learn why it’s okay to make mistakes.
How does the cycle of abuse work in an institution? Is “just following orders” a valid defense? In The Gulag Archipelago, Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn doesn’t excuse the brutal actions of officers and guards. However, he argues that they were under incredible pressure from the state to participate in violence and believes that most acted out of fear of their leaders, the desire for safety, and the need to conform. Read more to learn about corruption in the Soviet gulag system.
What are the best ways to deal with stress? How can you prevent everyday stress from spiraling into anxiety and burnout? Knowing how to cope with stress effectively is an important skill for a fast-paced modern life. If you’re unable to tame your stress, you’ll constantly be living in a fight-or-flight state, which is bad for your mental health. Being chronically stressed is also associated with developing life-threatening conditions. With this in mind, here are three ways you can build resilience to buffer yourself against stress.