Shortform Books

Basic Brain Anatomy: The Hemispheres & Tissues Functions

Do you know the basic anatomy of the brain? What are the functions of the left and right hemispheres of the brain? In Whole Brain Living, Jill Bolte Taylor describes four “characters” of the brain that help achieve inner peace. The physiological basis for the four characters includes the left and right hemispheres of the brain, as well as the limbic (emotional) and cortical (thinking) tissue that spans both hemispheres. Keep reading to learn more about basic brain anatomy.

How to Change Your Money Mindset: Advice for Women

Do you want to change how you think about money? What should you do to transform your money mindset? According to Rachel Rodgers’ book, We Should All Be Millionaires, an essential part of becoming a millionaire as a woman is to transform the beliefs you have about money. These beliefs are holding you back from earning more and building wealth. Learn how to change your money mindset and add some zeros to your bank account.

How to Support Your Team in a Workplace Setting

What’s the best way to support your team in the workplace? What are the benefits of a team-oriented style of leadership? Staying involved with your team and giving them autonomy earns you respect and better results. Discover Your True North by Bill George further says that this type of leadership builds strong relationships with employees that will make feedback easier for them to accept. Learn how to support your team members so they know you’re rooting for them.

Why “Buy Now, Pay Later” Regulation Is on the Horizon

Why is “Buy Now, Pay Later” regulation in the works? Who do these programs help and harm? Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) services provide short-term financing that enables people to make large purchases they might otherwise not be able to afford. But critics argue that the services put financially vulnerable individuals at greater risk. Continue reading to learn about BNPL programs and regulations.

How Conformity in Schools Ignores & Squashes Individuality

Why is conformity in schools so encouraged? How can you help promote individuality among students? In The Gardener and the Carpenter, Alison Gopnik says schools should support and encourage children’s natural processes of learning and growth. She likens this to the work of a gardener nurturing their garden, as opposed to the work of a carpenter building something based on a specific blueprint. Keep reading to learn how the carpenter model promotes conformity that ultimately harms older children.

How to Evaluate Management Like Warren Buffett: 3 Metrics

How should companies allocate capital? How important is it for businesses to resist trends? If you’re looking at a company as a potential investment, you need to assess its leadership. Warren Buffett looks for three things: how they allocate capital, how transparent they are with their finances, and how resistant they are to trends. Continue reading to discover how to evaluate management in the same way that Warren Buffett does.

How to Use Reward-Based Motivation as You Scale Your Business

Should you pay bonuses before or after the performance period? What’s the best way to use social incentives within a team? In The Voltage Effect, economist and professor John A. List offers his advice for how to take things from the small scale to the big stage. He shares a set of strategies designed to increase your business’s chances of success as it grows. One of these is using reward-based motivation. Read more to learn how to scale successfully by setting the right incentives to motivate your team.

Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein: Book Overview & Takeaways

Why are Americans so politically divided? Can anything be done about it? Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein argues that Americans are split into two sharply contrasting groups rooted in partisan identities. He believes this is a departure from previous eras when political divides were more about issues than identities. Continue reading for an overview of this book that provides insight into what’s going on in America today.

You Are Your Best Investment: Advice From Pitbull & Qi Lu

Are you just getting started in your career (or a new career)? What are you willing to sacrifice now in order to succeed in the long run? When author Alex Banayan wanted to find out how the people at the top got there, he set out to interview them. Here’s what he learned from musician Pitbull and executive Qi Lu: Work hard today for a payoff tomorrow. Read more to learn why you are your best investment.

When Did the Federalist Party End? The Decline and Fall

When did the Federalist Party end? What triggered the collapse of Federalism? Federalism slowly began to fizzle out by the end of the 18th century due to the rise of Republican voters and presidents. Ron Chernow’s biography Alexander Hamilton details the fall of Federalism and Hamilton, who was the de facto leader of the party. Read more about the end of Federalism and Hamilton’s career.