The World's Best Book Summaries
What are the three different types of learning styles? How does understanding your learning style help you stay organized? There are three types of learning styles: auditory, visual, and tactile. According to Order From Chaos by Jaclyn Paul, your learning style determines how well your organizational system operates. Keep reading to learn more about how your learning style affects you, especially if you have ADHD.
Can you heal ADHD? Why can’t medication treat ADHD? Since ADHD results from the underdevelopment of your brain and psyche, Scattered Minds by Gabor Maté theorizes that you can heal your ADHD by leveraging blain plasticity to your advantage. This is your brain’s ongoing reactivity to environmental stimuli. Here are Maté’s tips for how to heal ADHD in yourself and in your children.
Why is restaurant communication so important? How did the prestigious restaurant Eleven Madison Park (EMP) thrive by prioritizing communication? In Unreasonable Hospitality, Will Guidara goes into detail about how he transformed the poor relationships at EMP by communicating the values of the restaurant. In return, the employees openly shared what they wanted the restaurant’s culture to look like. Keep reading to learn more about the importance of restaurant communication.
How did complex life emerge? What distinguishes eukaryotic life from simpler life forms? In his quest to understand the origin of life, biochemist Nick Lane examines the transition from the simplest life forms (bacteria and archaea) to more advanced organisms (eukaryotes). He explains his research and his resulting proposal in The Vital Question. Read more to understand Lane’s ideas about the origin of eukaryotes.
Is a shorter workweek any closer to being a reality? What signs point to “yes”—and what barriers prevent it from happening? Countries around the globe have been running 4-day workweek trials and touting the benefits for years, yet implementation of the policy has been limited. Barriers to the policy’s implementation are keeping many companies from testing out the new schedule. Keep reading to learn about the results of the 4-day workweek trials, and why some companies are still reluctant to try it.
Why does suspense keep people engaged in a story? Do you know how to provide useful hints without giving too much away? In Wired for Story, Lisa Cron shows writers how to create compelling narratives that satisfy our brains’ innate expectations of story. In her discussion of plot elements, she explains how suspense and reveals add excitement to a story and give readers a reason to keep reading. Read more to learn how to create suspense in a story by understanding why suspense draws people in.
When, where, and how did the first cells on Earth arise? How can we fill in the gaps left by the fossil record and genetics? In The Vital Question, biochemist Nick Lane explores the biochemistry of cells and speculates about how life might have developed on the very young Earth. He discusses the genetic history and what cells require. Then, he uses that information to hypothesize about the earliest cells. Continue reading to take a journey deep into prehistory—and into the ocean.
Do you have debt? Do you buy things that don’t really add to your life? How could your life be different if you had a lower cost of living? Jacob Lund Fisker permanently retired at age 33. He shows how you, too, can retire at an extremely early age. Fisker urges you to avoid unnecessary debt, stop buying things you don’t need, and maximize the value of every purchase. Continue reading to learn the details of Fisker’s advice on how to reduce expenses and buy yourself more freedom in life.
What’s the difference between the left and right brain? Is one hemisphere more important than the other? In his 2009 book, The Master and His Emissary, Iain McGilchrist cites an array of scientific evidence intended to dispel the myth that the right hemisphere is “minor.” He contends that the right brain is actually dominant over the left brain and explains five significant differences between the hemispheres. Keep reading to learn about five left and right brain differences that speak to McGilchrist’s intriguing argument.
Do people consider you a sparkling conversationalist? Would you like to make your exchanges less predictable and boring? For a long time, orators have known that storytelling in speeches goes a long way. Stories hold people’s attention, and they powerfully convey messages. The same is true in basic conversation. However, your conversations will feel a lot less basic once you start telling engaging stories when you talk with others. Keep reading to learn how to use stories in conversation to powerful effect.