Shortform Books

Cover & Move (From Jocko’s Extreme Ownership)

Chapter 5 explores the Cover and Move strategy. On a battlefield, Cover and Move allows a team to work together to reach a destination: One group provides cover — keeping an eye out and having weapons ready to ward off enemies — as the other group advances forward. Then they switch roles, essentially leapfrogging forward, until they reach their destination. This may not appear to have much relevance outside a warzone, but the principle of Cover and Move is teamwork. The entire team must work together, supporting and protecting each other, for everyone’s safety and success. Everyone on the team

What Not to Do When Pregnant: 5 Activities to Avoid

Just as common as prescriptions on diet during pregnancy are precautions about activities like gardening and hot tubs. Do you really need to avoid cats? How about avoiding having sex? Here’s a run-down of common activities commonly barred during pregnancy.

Howie Hubler: The Blunder That Cost Morgan Stanley $9 Billion

Who is Howie Hubler, of The Big Short fame? Was he a villain of the 2008 financial crisis or just another big shot banker unfortunate enough to get caught? Howie Hubler is the former Morgan Stanely bond trader infamous for his role in the second-largest trading loss in history. We’ll cover how Howie Hubler tried to game the financial system and lost…badly.

2 Credit Default Swap Examples: Bet Against the Market

You may have heard of credit default swaps, but the underlying concept can be hard to understand. What’s a good credit-default-swap example? A credit default swap is an insurance policy on a bond. We’ll cover two credit-default-swap examples that show how these policies work and the role they played in the 2008 financial crisis.

Shorting the Housing Market: How It Works and the 2008 Payoff

What does it mean to “short” the housing market? How did investors who shorted the housing market in the early 2000s benefit from the events leading up to the 2008 financial crisis? Shorting the housing market is a way of placing a bet against the market. If homes fall in value and the housing market declines, people who have shorted the housing market benefit. Learn how shorting the housing market works and how investors who did it predicted (and benefited from) the 2008 financial crisis.

Charlie Ledley and Jamie Mai: Bit Players to Millionaires (Cornwall Capital)

Who are Charlie Ledley and Jamie Mai? And how did they turn $110,000 into $80 million? Charlie Ledley and Jamie Mai are the founders of Cornwall Capital, a New York City investment corporation. They shorted the housing market before the 2008 financial crisis and were featured in the book and movie The Big Short. We’ll cover how Charlie Ledley and Jamie Mai got their start in investing and how they went from second-class citizens in the financial world to major Wall Street players.

Prioritize and Execute (from Jocko’s Extreme Ownership)

There are times when it feels like everything goes wrong at once, and that there is no way to accomplish everything at the same time. In these situations, a leader has to be able to calmly take stock of the situation, decide what needs to happen first, and carry it out; this Law of Combat is called Prioritize and Execute. Trying to address several issues at the same time is overwhelming and inefficient. Most likely, you are only dividing your attention and won’t be able to tackle any of them effectively. Instead — even when it feels like five fires

Weight Gain During Pregnancy: What’s Normal?

Weight gain is a top topic for your prenatal care visits. Gain too much or too little weight, and the child is at risk (and your doctor will probably complain). Even more, the concept of “eating for two” may stimulate pregnant women to overeat. We’ll cover what the normal weight gain during pregnancy is, and how much exceeds the expected weight gain.

What Is a Subprime Mortgage? How It Works, Who It’s For

Suburban Flight and The Role of The Government

What is a subprime mortgage? How did subprime lending contribute to the 2008 financial crisis? A subprime mortgage is a home loan given to someone with a low credit score, indicating there’s a higher risk the borrower might default on the loan. Learn why subprime mortgages are risky and how subprime loans contributed to the 2008 financial crisis.

Chances of Going Into Labor at 35, 36, 37, 38+ Weeks

As you cross the 36th week of pregnancy, you’re past the preterm period (hooray!) but then you start worrying the baby will never come out. The baby is normally due at 40 weeks. What are the chances of going into labor slightly early, at 36 weeks, 37 weeks, or 38 weeks? Find out here.