Shortform Books

The Benefits of Diversification: Optimize Your Portfolio

What are the benefits of diversification in a portfolio? Why does this minimize your risk? A diversified portfolio is one that features holdings in a variety of industries, countries, and asset classes. The idea is that when your holdings in one industry, country, or asset suffer, your holdings in other industries, countries, and assets will offset your losses. Find out the main benefits of diversification and how you can create a diversified portfolio below.

Why a Materialistic Lifestyle Can Lead to Depression

How to Give up Your Materialistic Lifestyle

What are the dangers of a materialistic lifestyle? How can you escape materialism? A materialistic lifestyle leads to lower self-esteem and a lack of meaningful connections which causes depression and anxiety. Escaping materialism starts with acknowledging the short-term satisfaction that comes with material things, and filling the void with activities that bring you joy just for the fun of it. Read on to discover how to curb a materialistic lifestyle.

Nassim Taleb: Fooled by Randomness—Book Overview

What is Nassim Taleb’s Fooled by Randomness about? What role does luck or randomness play in success? Fooled by Randomness is the first work in a five-book series exploring randomness by bestselling author and former options trader Nassim Nicholas Taleb. In this book, Taleb examines the outsized role luck plays in success, how and why people don’t generally understand luck, and how we can accommodate randomness in our lives once we’re aware of it. Below is a brief overview of the key points.

The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Depression

What is the relationship between childhood trauma and depression? How can the effects of childhood trauma be reversed? Childhood trauma and depression are interrelated because trauma can create a deep emotional wound that has a lasting impact on the life of the victim. Trauma can lead to a deep sense of guilt that triggers depression. It can be confronted by acknowledging your emotional scars, and recognizing that you never deserved what happened to you. Read on to learn more about how childhood trauma and depression are interrelated.

Where to Play and How to Win in Business

Business Strategy: Where to Play, How to Win

How do you figure out where to play and how to win in business? What are the factors that can stop you from choosing the right playing field? Knowing where to play and how to win in business involves looking at geography, the products you are offering, and the consumers that will be interested in your product. This will help you choose the best playing field for winning. Factors like lack of demographic focus, lack of innovation, and overreliance on spending can hinder a business from choosing the right playing field. Read on to learn how entrepreneurs can figure out

How to Build a Strong Teamwork Culture

How important is a teamwork culture in your organization? What are some things you can do to establish a strong culture of teamwork and cooperation? For organizations committed to a teamwork culture, hiring the right people and encouraging team spirit is key. According to Patrick Lencioni, the author of The Ideal Team Player, the key to developing a strong teamwork culture in an organization is to hire natural team players who possess the following three qualities: being humble, hungry, and smart. Besides helping individuals become humble, hungry, and smart, it’s important to embed these values in your company’s culture. Here

Effortless Love Is a Myth: Love Takes Work

Do you believe in effortless love? Or do you think that love takes work? According to psychiatrist M. Scott Peck, effortless love is a myth. Genuine love takes work, and work requires attention. He argues that listening with full attention is a critical act of genuine love for parenting and other types of relationships. He also discusses when love isn’t worth the effort. Keep reading to better understand how and why love takes work.

Discount Marketing: The Ultimate Strategy

What is discount marketing? How can you create effective discounts that make customers spend more? People love to save money, so creating an attention-grabbing discount is an effective marketing strategy. This discount can’t just be an “okay” saving that doesn’t really stand out. If it is, people will take advantage of the deal themselves, but probably won’t tell others about it. For a discount to be worthy of sharing, it needs to be truly amazing. Find our guide to effective discount marketing below.

The Role of Banks in the Economy: Explained

How to be Rich and Successful: 3 Steps to Follow

What purpose do banks serve? How do banks contribute to the greater good of economic agents (firms and consumers)? Banks serve a number of important roles in an economy. First, banks guard money and provide businesses with credits for large investments which allow businesses to operate on a large scale, driving down costs and standards of living. Of course, banks also lend to individual consumers to finance their purchases, which fuels the demand for goods and services. In this article, we’ll discuss the role of banks in the economy and how they are regulated.

Can’t Relax? Try Slowing Down Your Tempo

Are you always tense and agitated? Do you have difficulty relaxing and just “muting” your problems for even a short time? People have difficulty relaxing and this stops them from living a full life. If you are always on edge and can’t relax easily, try to slow down: consciously do everything more easily, slowly, and without pressure. Here are some relaxation tips from Norman Vincent Peale, the author of The Power of Positive Thinking.