Shortform Books

The Paradox of Choice: Book Review and Context

Is Barry Schwartz’s book The Paradox of Choice worth reading? How was the book received when it came out? Did it make an impact? In The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz contends that the vast array of choices presented to us leaves us stressed and indecisive. To lift this burden, Schwartz, a professor of social theory and social action, recommends we learn how to better navigate our choices, from groceries to health insurance. Here is our The Paradox of Choice book review.

Normal Sexuality: Dispelling the Misconceptions

Is there such a thing as “normal sexuality”? How does modern culture misrepresent female sexuality? According to sex researcher Emily Nagoski, our culture tells women that there’s a standard for female sexuality, and they aren’t living up to it. What our society considers sexually “normal,” in terms of everything from anatomical structure to a person’s level of desire for sex, is based on the experience of the average man. This is because until relatively recently, research has focused heavily on men and male-centric models of sexuality. In this article, we’ll look at some of the misconceptions around female sexuality.

How to Develop Self-Discipline: 6 Tips From Sharma

Why is self-discipline so important? What steps can you take to become more disciplined in your daily life? Self-discipline may sound harsh, but it’s actually a form of self-care. In his book Who Will Cry When You Die?, Robin Sharma goes over the six methods you can use to build your self-discipline so you can improve on your own terms. Here is how to develop self-discipline, according to Sharma.

Think Like a Monk: Quotes by Jay Shetty

What are some of the best Think Like a Monk quotes from Jay Shetty? What can Shetty teach you about adopting a monk mindset? Former Vedic monk and award-winning content creator Jay Shetty claims that the route to happiness and fulfillment is to think like a monk. According to him, monks are the calmest and happiest people in the world because they live with a sense of purpose that aligns with their true, inner selves. Continue reading for some of the best quotes from Think Like a Monk.

Dealing With Regret: What Are the Consequences?

What are the major consequences of dealing with regret? In what ways can regret affect our ability to make decisions? Other than the obvious consequences of feeling sad when you regret something, regret can have more detrimental effects on your mental health. Two consequences of regret are developing regret aversion and avoiding sunk costs. Additionally, the more options you have to choose from, the worse the regret will feel. Keep reading to learn all about regret.

How to Overcome 4 Common Marketing Failures

Have you always hit all of your marketing goals? What do you do when you fail? Failure in marketing is inevitable. The main thing is to understand where you went wrong. Seth Godin discusses four common marketing failures and what you can do to turn things around. Read more to learn how to grow from marketing failures and mistakes.

How to Change a Habit: 7 Strategies for Success

How do habits develop? How can good habits help you study and learn more effectively? Your habits—good or bad—have a major impact on your life. When you understand how habits work and how they develop, you can use them as a force for good. Author Barbara Oakley shares seven strategies for changing habits that you can put to work for you. Continue reading to learn how to change a habit.

How to Engineer the “Aha!” Moment

Have you ever had an “aha!” moment? What do you think prompted your aha realization? Aha moments inspire realizations or transformations that affect your future choices and actions. Such moments usually strike spontaneously, but you can also engineer them on demand. In their book The Power of Moments, Chip and Dan Heath explain how to prompt moments of discovery that deliver a shock that may change your way of thinking or even the course of your life. In this article, we’ll explore the three ways Heaths suggest that you can spark the aha moment on demand.

How to Deal With Anger in a Healthy Way

Do you struggle to control your anger? How can anger be used as a tool? In her book Codependent No More, self-help author Melody Beattie discusses the importance of anger and how to handle it in a way that won’t cause damage to yourself and others. Anger is a natural emotion and isn’t bad unless you try to repress it. Keep reading to learn how to deal with anger properly.

Lack of Sexual Desire? Causes and Solutions

What causes a lack of sexual desire? Does a lack of desire happen mostly due to physical or psychological factors? According to sex researcher Emily Nagoski, lack of desire can most often be attributed to psychological factors (e.g. context, emotional states). In her book Come as You Are, she even goes as far as to say that there isn’t really a lack of desire—just an abundance of the wrong contextual factors, such as the circumstances, emotional states, and cultural messaging. Here is what Nagoski has to say about the lack of desire and what to do about it.