The World's Best Book Summaries
Do you ever reward yourself with a snack when you’ve done well on your diet? Why do people tend to think that being “good” gives us moral permission to be “bad”? Moral licensing is when people tell themselves they deserve an indulgent treat because they’ve been good. However, much of the time the “reward” is actually counterintuitive to the person’s goal. Here is why moral licensing goes against self-control.
What is the first level of reading from How to Read a Book? Why do many adults still read at an elementary reading level? In How to Read a Book, Mortimer Adler describes elementary reading as the most basic form of reading. Unfortunately, once you’re taught how to read as a child, you are rarely taught how to read better. This leaves many adults in the elementary reading stage. Here’s what it means to read at the elementary reading level.
What is in the Amusing Ourselves to Death introduction? How does the 2005 introduction put the book into perspective? Amusing Ourselves to Death was written in 1985 by Neil Postman. In the 2005 version of the book, Postman’s son included an introduction that makes the book more relevant now than it was thirty-six years ago. Here is an overview of the 2005 Amusing Ourselves to Death introduction and foreword to the book.
What are one-minute goals? How do you set them? Why do one-minute goals work? If you want to learn how to be a one-minute manager, then you need to learn about one-minute goals. Each goal you set should be readable in one minute or less, hence the name. When you have these written performance standards and deadlines, employees feel more driven and have direction. Here’s why you should set one-minute goals for your employees and why they work.
Do you find yourself giving in to temptation too easily? What are the four traps that undermine willpower? There are four main traps that undermine willpower: the “I’m-making-progress” trap, the too-much optimism trap, the halo trap, and the moral licensing trap. Learn about the four types of willpower traps and how to stop giving in to temptation.
Why should you examine a book’s structure? How can x-raying and categorizing a book help you level up your reading skills? According to Mortimer Adler in How to Read a Book, examining a book’s structure is part of inspectional reading. Adler says that if you can’t articulate the book in one sentence and make an outline of the major points, then you can determine that a book is poorly written. Continue reading for more of Adler’s tips on how to examine a book.
What is The Willpower Instinct about? What can you learn from Kelly McGonigal’s research? The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal explains how our natural willpower gets compromised by stress, distraction, lack of sleep, not enough exercise, and other external factors. She gives advice on how to improve your self-control and take your willpower back. Continue reading for a brief overview of The Willpower Instinct.
What were the early hopes for the invention of the television? How did entertainment value slowly replace trustworthiness? Are we amusing ourselves to death? In his book Amusing Ourselves to Death, Neil Postman discusses the impact that television has had on our society. Postman argues that television directly attacks literacy and suggests that we should judge everything based on entertainment value rather than importance. Keep reading to learn why Postman believes that we are amusing ourselves to death.
What are one-minute praisings? How do you give a one-minute praising? What are the benefits of giving immediate feedback? In the book The New One-Minute Manager, a one-minute praising is when you provide immediate, detailed, and personal feedback to your employees. Most managers focus on reprimanding employees when they make mistakes but not enough managers look for things to praise. This is why you should focus on what you’re employees do well rather than on their mistakes.
Are you trying to improve your self-control? Does your willpower seem to vanish at crucial moments? The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal is all about why humans struggle with willpower and how to strengthen it. Willpower is like a muscle and it can be improved if you’re willing to put in some work. Here are some willpower challenges to help increase your self-control.