Amanda Penn, Author at Shortform Books

14 of the Best Bill Gates-Recommended Books

If you’re looking for books that will help you lead a smarter, healthier, more successful life, you couldn’t do better than taking a cue from the bookshelf of Bill Gates. Bill Gates is a famously avid reader, reading about 50 books a year and publishing two blog posts a year dedicated to the ones he thinks everyone should read. The eclectic list ranges from novels and memoirs to tomes on science, education, international development, and history. Check out some of his favorite books here. Don’t have as much time as Bill Gates to read? That’s where Shortform comes in. With

The 10 Best Psychology Books for Success in Life and Work

Want to be more successful, in life and work? Want to better understand yourself and others, make better decisions, and form successful habits? The most life-changing lessons about how to be a better thinker come from the field of psychology, and some of the most innovative researchers have written books that are both profound and practical. Here’s our carefully researched list of the top 10 psychology books of all time. To compose this list, we used quantitative criteria such as: High-quality recommendations from successful leaders like Charlie Munger, Arianna Huffington, Bill Gates, and Barack Obama Number of weeks on bestseller

Diffusion Marketing—Why You Shouldn’t Cater to the Masses

How can you use The Law of Diffusion to create tipping points and mass market success? The key is making sure you’re marketing to the right population. This is diffusion marketing. Diffusion marketing is the strategy of targeting innovators and early adopters, knowing that the rest of the population, the majority, will follow their lead. The approach is based on the Diffusion of Innovation model, which charts how new ideas spread through a population. We’ll cover the Law of Diffusion and look at a diffusion marketing case study. Learn how diffusion marketing can transform your business and why you shouldn’t cater

Psychology of How Consumers Make Buying Decisions, Revealed

How do consumers make purchasing decisions? As a buyer, are you aware of your decision-making process when you decide to buy something? As a seller, how can you exploit the psychology of how consumers make buying decisions? We’ll cover how consumers make buying decisions and why, in order to sell your product, you need to connect with buyers at the gut level. Learn why buying decisions aren’t always rational.

Diffusion of Innovation Theory—Target the Right Customers

What is the diffusion of innovation theory? Why is it a critical piece of a good marketing strategy? The diffusion innovation theory is a theory that explains how innovations–whether they are products, services, or ideas–spread through a population. Also known as the law of diffusion of innovation, or the diffusion of innovation model, the theory looks at how different tiers of people–innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority, and laggards–affect the marketing process. We’ll cover how the diffusion of innovation theory works, and what it means for your business.

Are Facial Expressions Universal? What the Research Says

Are facial expressions universal? It seems clear that some facial expressions, like those expressing sadness or happiness, are universal–but are they? We’ll cover the research on whether facial expressions are universal. Along the way, we’ll look at some of the dangers of making assumptions about people based on their facial cues and body language.

Marketing Messages—How to Get Through to Your Target Audience

How do you spread your marketing message? How do you make sure your marketing communication is striking a chord with your target audience? According to entrepreneur and author Simon Sinek, an effective marketing message starts with WHY. We’ll cover why you should start with why in your marketing, and how to do it effectively.

Southwest Airlines Marketing Strategy—How It Beats its Rivals

What is Southwest Airlines’ marketing strategy? How has knowing their WHY led to a more successful business? We’ll cover Southwest Airlines’ marketing strategy and look at how they achieved success when they understood their purpose. From Simon Sinek’s Start with Why.

How to Spot a Liar: Pay Attention to Small Suspicions

The primary reason that most people cannot immediately identify when a stranger is lying is that human beings default to assuming truth in others. This is called the Truth-Default Theory. Is it possible to learn how to spot a liar? We’ll cover why it’s so hard to know how to spot a liar and discuss some biases to look out for.

Ekman’s FACS (Facial Action Coding System)—How It Works

What is Paul Ekman’s FACS (facial action coding system)? What can it teach you about how transparent our emotions really are? Can you read someone’s feelings on her face? We’ll cover how Paul Ekman’s FACS system works and why you shouldn’t always judge people’s feelings or intentions by their facial expressions.