Shortform Books

The Catch and Kill Contract Explained

What is a catch and kill contract? How do tabloids use it to protect people in power from negative press? A catch and kill contract is the practice where a tabloid buys legal rights to a story that contains incriminating information. They then ‘kill the story’ by refusing to publish it as a way of protecting the concerned individual from negative press. Keep reading for more about the catch and kill contract and a real-world example of how it is executed in practice.

Subconscious and Conscious Processing Work Together

What is conscious processing? How is it different from subconscious processing, and how do the two work together? Conscious processing happens when we decide to learn something new. Subconscious processing is our ability to constantly be taking in new information and figuring things out. Both conscious and subconscious processing have a role in the design. Read more about conscious processing and subconscious processing.

Servant Leadership in Business: Ruling by Serving

What is servant leadership? What is the role of servant leadership in business? Servant leadership is a leadership philosophy in which the leader’s main focus is on the growth and well-being of his subordinates. Leaders who employ servant leadership in business operations of their organization put employees’ interests before those of the company. Read more to understand the philosophy of servant leadership in business.

Root Cause Failure Analysis: What it Means for Design

What is a root cause failure analysis? How can it help you create better designs? When a design fails, you can use a root cause failure analysis to figure out what happened. These anlayses are important to bettering designs. Read more about how to do a root cause failure analysis and what it means for designs.

Using The 4 Hour Workweek DEAL System

What is The 4-Hour Workweek DEAL system? How does it work and how can you use it? The components of the 4-Hour Workweek DEAL system are Define, Eliminate, Automate and Liberate. The 4-Hour Workweek DEAL system explains how you can spend less time making money, and more time living out your dreams. Keep reading to understand the 4-Hour Workweek DEAL system.

Radical Candor Growth: Trajectory Types and Impact

What is the Radical Candor growth trajectory terminology? How does Kim Scott suggest managing employees who are at different levels? The Radical Candor growth trajectory model uses a combination of performance and growth to categorize employees. The book also offers strategies for developing employee growth plans with each type. Keep reading for the five types of employees in the Radical Candor growth trajectory model.

Black Cube: Weinstein Had His Own Spies

What was the association between Black Cube and Weinstein? What information were they collecting on Ronan Farrow? Harvey Weinstein hired Black Cube, an Israeli surveillance agency, to spy on Ronan Farrow, a reporter who was digging into his sexual assault allegations. Black Cube was tasked with collecting information on Farrow’s sources—victims of Weinstein’s sexual abuse. Read more about Black Cube and Weinstein.

Listen to Your Conscience: The Key to Principled Life

You can heal with love. Discover how the love you feel in your heart can improve your physical health and help you overcome illness.

Why is it important to listen to your conscience? And how do you know if the voice you’re hearing is your conscience or the influence of something else? To live a principled life, you must listen to your conscience and act accordingly. Your conscience will always point you in the right direction. Keep reading to understand why it’s important to listen to your conscience and how to recognize its voice.

The Seven Stages of Action: Behavior and Its Results

What are the seven stages of action? How can this philosophy apply to design? The seven stages of action refer to the way we interact with new objects. By using the seven stages of action, people are trying to figure out how things work, and if it worked when they used it. Read more about the seven stages of action and how they apply to design.

Identify Your Values for a More Fulfilled Life

Are you feeling stuck and aren’t sure what to do with your life? How do you identify your values and find clarity about who you are and what you want? In his book High Performance Habits, Brendon Burchard talks about the role of having clearly-defined values in one’s sense of fulfillment. He puts special emphasis on identifying your values in four domains of life: self, social, skills, and service. Keep reading for Brendon Burchard’s advice on how to identify your values.