Shortform Books

Motivational Success Stories: Living the One Thing

What motivational success stories illustrate the principle of the One Thing? How has a narrow focus spurred success in real life? In his book The One Thing, Gary W. Keller shares several motivational success stories that all have one thing in common. Each success came about because of a focus on One Thing. The One Thing is different in each story, but the common denominator is a focus on one thing at a time. Keep reading for motivational success stories.

Living a Purposeful Life: The Key to Focused Thoughts

Would you like to keep your thoughts from wandering into fears and doubts? How can living a purposeful life lead to more positive, focused thoughts? When you live a purposeful life, you have a positive, productive place to center your thoughts. As you focus on your purpose or duty, your thoughts are less likely to drift into negative territory. You’re better able to control your thought patterns and shape your circumstances. Read more to learn how living a purposeful life is a key to focused thoughts.

Small Steps to Success: Leverage the Domino Effect

How can you take small steps to success? How does the domino effect apply to accomplishment? Taking small steps to success is a smart way to get there. When you attack your goals by starting with the one, right thing, it leads to bigger things—you build energy in a geometric progression. Success builds on success, sequentially, as you move from One Thing to another until you reach the highest level possible. Read more to learn how to take small steps to success.

So Good They Can’t Ignore You: Quotes by Cal Newport

Are you looking for quotes from Cal Newport’s book So Good They Can’t Ignore You? Do you want the context of the quotes and an analysis of what they mean? So Good They Can’t Ignore You by Cal Newport considers the question: What makes people love their work? Drawing on interviews with professionals, performance science, case studies, and experimentation with strategies in his own career, Newport discovered that the popular recommendation to follow your passion is very much not the path to loving your work. Continue reading for So Good They Can’t Ignore You quotes with context and explanation.

How Speech Codes Are Threatening Universities

In what ways are speech codes reshaping academic life? Why are professors teaching in an atmosphere of intimidation? In their book, The Coddling of the American Mind, Jonathan Haidt and Greg Lukianoff argue that speech codes in universities are damaging free speech on campus. The authors say that college professors are constantly in fear of saying anything wrong or offending a student and so their ability to teach is being impacted. Keep reading to learn more about the dangers of university speech codes.

3 Myths About Vulnerability and Emotional Armor

What are the three most common myths about vulnerability? What is emotional armor and why is it a barrier to wholehearted living? In Brené Brown’s TED Talk, The Power of Vulnerability, she discusses the three myths around vulnerability: that vulnerability is weakness, that shame can be handled in private, and that vulnerability is not necessary to build trust. In order to avoid being vulnerable, many will cloak themselves in emotional armor, which prevents them from living wholeheartedly. Continue reading for more information about the vulnerability myths and emotional armor.

Overcoming the 3 Types of Organizational Inertia

What is organizational inertia? How does inertia manifest within an enterprise and how can you overcome it as a business? In simple terms, organizational inertia is when an enterprise becomes “set in its own ways.” According to Richard P. Rumelt, the author of Good Strategy, Bad Strategy, inertia generally falls into one of three categories: 1) inertia of habits, 2) cultural inertia, and 3) indirect inertia. Keep reading to learn about organizational inertia, its types, and ways to overcome it.

International Trade Economics: What Role Does It Play?

Is global trade increasing? What role does international trade play in a country’s economy? To a large extent, the world is economically interdependent. Exports have increased from 8 percent of global GDP in 1950 to 25 percent today, meaning that countries are trading many more of their goods and services abroad. Overall, international trade makes all the countries involved richer and raises their standards of living, be they rich or poor to start with. In this article, we’ll look at the economics of international trade, and how it can be used to improve living standards around the world.

Sex and Intimacy: How to Have the Best of Both Worlds

Are sex and intimacy mutually exclusive? In what way do they contradict each other? Is there a way to bridge the gap? Sex and emotional intimacy may seem at odds with each other but they don’t have to be. According to couples therapist Esther Perel, you can have the best of both worlds—passionate sex and emotional intimacy. In this article, we’ll discuss the clash between sex and intimacy and how to balance the two.

Never Split the Difference: Book Review (Chris Voss)

Is Never Split the Difference worth reading? What is the main factor, according to its author Chris Voss, that drives decision-making in a negotiation? Chris Voss’s 2016 book Never Split the Difference (with co-writing assistance from Tahl Raz) was seen as an important contribution to the literature of negotiation theory and strategy. Voss’s main thesis is that good negotiation happens on the emotional level of the brain, not the rational level. This Never Split the Difference book review takes a look at the book’s inspiration and background, intellectual context, and its key strengths and weaknesses.