The World's Best Book Summaries
Why do women leave the workforce early? What effect does leaving early have on women’s future? From childhood, girls get the message that they’ll one day have to choose between motherhood and their job. Studies show women are already considering the work/family trade-offs by college. While planning ahead is good, when women plan too far ahead, they stop reaching for opportunities. Here is how early leave can stifle women’s future.
Why do so many of us have a fear of being average? How do some people become exceptional? The truth is that you’re probably average, and that’s okay. Very few people are actually extraordinary and the ones who are had to spend a lot of time improving themselves. For the bulk of people, accepting that you’re not special will make you mentally healthier. Keep reading to find out why being average is okay and being exceptional comes with its own set of problems.
Do you look for recognition after helping those in need? Why should you always act with grace even if it comes at a cost to you? In his book Everybody, Always, Bob Goff says that if you’re trying to become love, then you need to make helping those in need a part of your life. Goff shares an example of a time his grace was very costly but he never regretted helping someone in need, even a convict. Keep reading to learn why you should always help those in need.
What is simulated annealing? Can a simulated annealing example help you understand how societies can be antifragile? Annealing is a process used to make metals stronger and improve impurities. Inspired by this process, mathematicians created a process called simulated annealing, which evaluates systems and finds ways to improve. Author Nassim Nicholas Taleb proposes that we can apply this process to politics as well. Keep reading for a simulated annealing example that can help explain antifragility.
How do you balance motherhood and career? Do you think you can strike a perfect balance between your personal and professional life? “Having it all” —a perfect balance of a rewarding career, great marriage, and happy motherhood—is a myth that women have been taught to believe is possible. You can pursue a professional life and a personal life, but it won’t be perfect and it will require compromises and sacrifices every day—whether you are working by choice or necessity. While there’s no perfection possible when it comes to motherhood and career, you can still pursue both by making some adjustments.
Why do so many people today feel entitled? Why is feeling entitled such a problem in society? The entitlement epidemic started in the 1960s when psychologists concluded that people who feel entitled produce better work and commit fewer crimes. However, they couldn’t have predicted how many mental health problems would arise due to feeling entitled. Keep reading to learn how the entitlement epidemic began and why entitlement is so detrimental.
What is the book Antifragile about? What is antifragility, and how does the Antifragile book explain this concept and teach us how to actually be antifragile? Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s book Antifragile talks about a major misconception we have about how to be strong. Instead of focusing on resilience, we should build antifragility—a defense against things going wrong, and the ability to withstand it when they do. Read more about Antifragile, book concepts, and how to build antifragility below.
What’s the turkey problem? How does this concept help explain antifragility? The turkey problem is fairly simple. If a turkey is fed by a butcher regularly, the turkey comes to predict and expect this system to continue. It is dependent. But one day, it all changes and the turkey learns how vulnerable he is. Read more about the turkey problem in Antifragile.
Why are there celebrities in politics? How did this culture inspire someone like Trump to run for office? There are numerous instances of celebrities in politics in the U.S. Arguably the most successful campaign run by a celebrity was Donald Trump’s presidential election in 2016. Read more about celebrities in politics and how it lead to the the election of Donald Trump.
How have the gender roles changed over the years? Do modern societies still adhere to traditional gender roles? In the last 30 years, gender roles have certainly changed but not significantly. Some of the lopsided traditional gender roles still prevail. Even the U.S. Census Bureau calls mothers the “designated parent,” while a father caring for his children is called a “child care arrangement.” Here is how we can challenge and eventually overthrow the traditional gender roles.