The World's Best Book Summaries
When you read, does it feel like the material doesn’t stick? Do you wish you could read faster without sacrificing comprehension? Reading is one thing. Understanding what you read is another. Recalling what you read is yet another thing. In Learn Like a Pro, Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe provide strategies to help you become a more efficient reader. Take a look at their advice on how to read and understand effectively.
Do you want to be more aware of your surroundings? What’s the key to achieving mindfulness? Strong concentration is half of mindfulness—the other half is strong background awareness. In The Mind Illuminated, you’ll strengthen your background awareness while still maintaining strong concentration on your breath. Check out how to achieve mindfulness by staying in touch with your present self.
Why is it so hard to find a job these days? How has technology affected the modern workforce? It used to be fairly simple to get a job, build a career, and then retire with little to no issues. But nowadays, it can be difficult just to find an entry-level job, even if you have the experience and education for it. It’s because of two reasons: technology and globalization. Below we’ll look at why job-searching is a tough chore to get through, and how you can build a career today.
Do you want to make something memorable? What if you could recreate what you admire? What’s the surest road to success? In Decoding Greatness: How the Best in the World Reverse Engineer Success, Ron Friedman provides a step-by-step process to help you succeed. The key is to find work you admire, take it apart to see how it’s made, and then create your own version of it. Keep reading for an overview of this book that will inspire you, whether you’re an artist looking to hone your craft or an entrepreneur hunting for the next big business idea.
How has technology changed the way we work? Why are careers ending because of technology? Today, job stability is all but gone and all careers are now like startups. According to Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha’s book The Startup of You, technology and globalization have turned the work world from one defined by stability to one defined by constant flux. Keep reading to learn more about technology and globalization’s impact on the work world.
Do you have trouble keeping track of your to-do items? How do you manage tasks to stay organized? Throughout The Procrastination Cure, Damon Zahariades mentions a few tools that he suggests you include in your system for managing your time and tasks. We’ve collected his tips and tricks for using lists and schedules to support your success. Learn how to manage tasks and stay on top of things below.
What if you could practice doing something by just using your imagination? What makes mental rehearsal so effective? What’s the right way to do it? If you want to get better at something, it makes sense that you need to practice. But Ron Friedman argues that it’s easy to practice incorrectly or inefficiently. So, to avoid wasting your time and effort, he offers several guidelines for effective practice. One of these is to mentally rehearse. Continue reading to learn how to use mental rehearsal to improve any performance.
Do you always take more time on tasks than you expect to? What’s the key to realistic planning and higher productivity? If you’re like most people, there’s a gap between who you are and who you want to be. You wish you could get more done in less time. Grace Lordan says that, first, you must get real when it comes to planning. Then, she recommends a work schedule that helps you take advantage of flow. Continue reading to learn how to manage your time at work and ultimately get more done.
Why do innovation projects fail? Why do businesses fail to succeed in the market? Innovative products and services can reshape markets and propel companies from obscurity to wild success. However, most innovation projects fail: Many don’t even make it to market, and of those that do, the majority never generate the exponential growth and massive profits their developers were hoping for. Here are the reasons why innovations fail, according to multiple experts.
What are some ways to test the waters before you put your product on the market? How can you protect your reputation while you experiment with new things? To be an innovator, you have to take creative risks. Experimentation—and failure—come with the territory. In Decoding Greatness, Ron Friedman shares four ways to lower the stakes for inevitable failures on the road to innovation and success. Continue reading to learn how to mitigate risk as you learn and create.