The World's Best Book Summaries
What is Stolen Focus by Johann Hari about? What are the main takeaways of the book? If you’ve been struggling to concentrate, you should know you’re not alone. In Stolen Focus, Johann Hari makes the case that we have a societal attention crisis: We’re all losing our ability to concentrate, which means we can’t progress on our individual goals. Read below for a brief overview of Johann Hari’s Stolen Focus.
What are the best mindfulness exercises for anxiety? Can you practice these exercises every day? In Unwinding Anxiety, Judson Brewer argues that you can defeat anxiety with mindfulness. Brewer provides a set of mindful exercises you can use to improve your life by overcoming anxiety. Read below for three mindfulness exercises to cope with anxiety.
What are the most effective ways to stay motivated? How can you stay motivated even when feeling overwhelmed? Bestselling author and award-winning journalist Steven Kotler believes the key to staying motivated involves how your brain functions when under stress. According to Kotler, adopting a positive attitude sustains motivation by generating more “reward chemicals” in the brain. Keep reading to learn Kotler’s three ways to stay motivated by maintaining a positive mindset.
Why do we lie about our motives? Why do we seek to deceive others and ourselves about the reasons for our behaviors? At first glance, the idea of hidden motives may seem convoluted. The answer, according to Kevin Simler and Robin Hanson, is that, as a cooperative social species, we evolved to advance our own interests while appearing as selfless as possible—and it’s easier to deceive others if we’ve already deceived ourselves. Let’s explore this theory about why we tell lies about our reasons for doing what we do.
What are the most memorable quotes from Stolen Focus? How can these quotes help you understand the attention crisis? Stolen Focus explores Johann Hari’s evidence of an attention crisis, the seven factors causing this crisis, and his three-part solution. He also says can’t collectively confront the major challenges humanity faces because of the crisis. Below we’ll look at three Stolen Focus quotes that explain his argument.
What makes a happy life? Must you have or do something in particular? According to Aristotle, a person must have certain life circumstances to be capable of happiness. Specifically, he notes two requirements of a happy life: prosperity and longevity. Continue reading to learn more about Aristotle’s two ingredients for happiness.
How can you use mindful breathing for anxiety? How does mindful breathing stimulate curiosity? In Unwinding Anxiety, Dr. Judson Brewer suggests practicing mindful meditation to defeat anxiety. One of the techniques he suggests is mindful breathing. Continue reading for better insight on using mindful breathing for anxiety.
What is the meaning and importance of intrinsic motivation? Why are intrinsically motivated people usually more successful? Neuroscientist and bestselling author Steven Kotler studied elite performers to understand how they achieve seemingly impossible goals. In Kotler’s book, The Art of Impossible, he explains the importance of intrinsic motivation and how it underpins whether you stick with your goals or give up when feeling overwhelmed. Keep reading to learn the importance of intrinsic motivation, according to Kotler.
How can we use big data to study social science? How does data give us more insight into the social sciences? Through search data, researchers can discover psychological and sociological information that traditional surveys couldn’t provide. Seth Stephens-Davidowitz, the author of Everybody Lies, uses Freud’s theories of sexuality as an example. Read how to receive social science data with the help of big data.
How are we limited in our pursuit of happiness? Can we still be happy? We can reason, so we’re above the animals. But, we can’t eternally contemplate, so we’re below the gods. In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle addresses human limitations and discusses how we still can strive for happiness, even within constraints. Keep reading for Aristotle’s views on human limitations.