The World's Best Book Summaries
Would you like to be a better learner? What study principles can serve you in school and for the rest of your life? If you’d like to learn how to become a good student, you can benefit from Barbara Oakley’s insightful and perhaps surprising strategies to get the most out of your studies. Her five principles include managing your competitive nature and using equation poetry. Continue reading to learn about these principles.
What is a peak experience? Can you think of a particularly memorable experience from your past? What made it a “peak experience”? Peak experiences transcend everyday patterns and impart positive feelings like delight, motivation, and engagement. Some of these positive peaks naturally occur in everyday life but they don’t have to be spontaneous. According to Chip and Dan Heath, the authors of The Power of Moments, you can engineer these experiences through what they call “elevation.” Here, Chip and Dan Heath explain the psychology behind peak experiences.
Do you suffer from codependency traits? What steps can you take to nurture your confidence? If you have a codependent personality, then you likely suffer from self-esteem issues as well. In her book Codependent No More, Melody Beattie provides advice for codependents to boost their self-esteem and explains why they may be lacking confidence in the first place. Here’s how to boost self-esteem.
Is Robin Sharma’s Who Will Cry When You Die? worth reading? How was the book received by the critics and what are its strengths and weaknesses? In Who Will Cry When You Die?, self-help guru Robin Sharma wants to know if you’ll feel happy with the life you’ve led when you’re on your deathbed. If you think you might have end-of-life regrets, Sharma provides a collection of pithy life lessons and advice to help you seize control of your life and turn it into one you’ll look back on fondly. Continue reading for our Who Will Cry When You Die?
Have you heard the phrase “Expect the worst, but hope for the best”? Why shouldn’t you set your expectations too high? Why does having more options set your expectations higher? In the book The Paradox of Choice, author Barry Schwartz posits that having more choices sets your reference points, and thus your expectations, higher. He says that it’s important to manage your expectations so you’re not always disappointed by outcomes. Here’s a brief overview of Schwartz’s take on managing your expectations.
Why should you study in groups? How do you keep the group functional and effective? Barbara Oakley discusses the benefits of group study when it comes to maximizing your learning. She also offers insights for keeping the group healthy and on task. Read more to about effective group study.
Do you struggle with how to process emotions? How can properly processing your emotions help you overcome codependent tendencies? Many codependent people tend to repress their emotions, because feeling numb is better than feeling pain. However, not processing your emotions can lead to a multitude of issues, including worsening your codependency issues. In order to gain back your self-esteem and work towards becoming more independent, you need to learn how to process your emotions. Here are four tips for processing your feelings.
Do you want to know how to make an impact on the world? How can sharing your values with others make an impact on both of your happiness? According to Jay Shetty, the author of Think Like a Monk, the final step in adopting a monk mindset is to share your values, strength, and compassion with others. It can be difficult to know where to begin, so Shetty describes three opportunities where you can leave a mark. Here are tips on how to make a positive impact.
Do you struggle with test-taking anxiety? How might your test performance improve if you successfully managed that anxiety? According to Barbara Oakley, test-taking anxiety can be relieved by managing your time, changing how you view your anxiety, exercising mindfulness, using breathing exercises, and recording your feelings. She describes these strategies in her book A Mind for Numbers. Read more to learn these tips for managing test-taking anxiety.
What is self-insight? How can you prompt self-insight on demand? Self-insight is your metacognitive understanding of your psyche and behavior (your thoughts, feelings, motivations, etc.). According to Chip and Dan Heath, the authors of The Power of Moments, the best way to gain self-insight is to put yourself in situations that expose you to the possibility of failure. Keep reading to learn how risking failure translates into valuable self-insight.