The World's Best Book Summaries
Are you just getting started in your career (or a new career)? What are you willing to sacrifice now in order to succeed in the long run? When author Alex Banayan wanted to find out how the people at the top got there, he set out to interview them. Here’s what he learned from musician Pitbull and executive Qi Lu: Work hard today for a payoff tomorrow. Read more to learn why you are your best investment.
Are you always in a rush? Does it feel like there’s never enough time to do everything you need to do? Pastor and author John Mark Comer’s The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry explores our cultural obsession with rushing and examines how it harms our relationships, health, and spirituality. Comer argues that you can escape this culture of rushing by following the lifestyle of Jesus. Continue reading for an overview of this insightful book that can put you on the path to an unhurried life.
When should you give up on an idea or a project? What’s the best way to identify diminishing returns? Sometimes it’s hard to give up, especially when you’ve invested so much and you don’t want to be a quitter. But, sometimes cutting your losses and moving on is the best course of action. In The Voltage Effect, economist John A. List explains why, sometimes, quitting is for winners. Continue reading to learn how to avoid the sunk cost fallacy and stop wasting valuable resources.
Are you ready to make some lifestyle changes? What could you do differently to get more out of life? In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer shares insights on what it means to rush through life, why we rush, and how doing so harms us and others. He provides practical advice on how to live a slower, more fulfilling life by following Jesus’s lifestyle. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry study guide below will help you apply the book’s principles to your life.
Do you tend to give up when you don’t reach a breakthrough right away? What’s the best way to find a solution without wasting a lot of time? In The Third Door, Alex Banayan shares the insights into success that he learned from interviewing inventor Dean Kamen. Kamen’s secret is kissing frogs—in other words, persistently trying lots of solutions. Kamen cautions, though, that this must be done strategically so that you don’t waste time. Keep reading to learn how kissing frogs might be your ticket to success as it has been for Kamen.
What’s focus investing? How is it different from modern portfolio theory? Which approach does Warren Buffett take? According to Robert G. Hagstrom, Warren Buffett departs significantly from the mainstream when it comes to portfolio management. While most investors diversify their portfolios broadly to minimize volatility, Buffett focuses on a select handful of stocks to maximize his chances of above-market returns. Read more to learn about focus investing and why Buffett prefers it to the modern portfolio approach.
Do you feel the need to be productive all the time? Do you feel guilty when you do nothing? It’s easy to feel like you have to constantly be doing something. Social media declares that, to be a good person, you have to pay attention to the right post or cause; you feel like your time is money and you have to constantly use it productively. Jenny Odell says we must understand and resist this mindset. Keep reading for an overview of Odell’s book How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy.
As your organization grows, how can you maintain your culture? How should your teams be organized, and what should they prioritize? The Voltage Effect by John A. List is an economics text designed to help you understand the characteristics of scalable ideas. He argues that you should focus on building a sustainable culture while you scale your ideas. Read more to learn how to scale culture by embracing collaboration and diversity.
Why are you so busy? Why does it feel like you’re out of sync when you try to slow down? In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, pastor and author John Mark Comer explores culture’s obsession with rushing. He explains how this obsession infiltrates and impacts your life and offers an antidote. Read more to learn why you and everyone else are always in a rush.
How common is shame? How do we unwittingly give our shame more power? Since it’s not always possible to resist shame, what can be done about it? Shame is the focus of much of Brené Brown’s work, from her research to her books and to her speeches. Her work on shame helps countless people deal with this common experience. Continue reading for several Brené Brown shame quotes that capture the essence of her message.