Shortform Books

Direct Your Attention to These 2 Places to Avoid Burnout

What’s an “attention economy” mindset? Is your attention susceptible to manipulation? In How to Do Nothing, professor and visual artist Jenny Odell argues that the feeling that you always need to be doing something is created by broader social and economic forces. She contends that directing your attention to “non-productive” things is a form of healing and social activism. Read more to learn the importance of where you direct your attention and how to reclaim control of it.

How to Connect With Your Audience: Tips From John C. Maxwell

When you speak, do people tune out? How does your audience know that you care about them? According to John Maxwell, your primary goal when communicating should be to connect with your audience and to provide them with valuable and meaningful content. He explains why connection matters and how to build it. Keep reading for Maxwell’s advice on how to connect with your audience when you speak.

Mel Robbins’s The High 5 Habit: Book Overview

What is The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins about? Are you ready to transform your life with a simple yet powerful habit? In The High 5 Habit, Mel Robbins offers a life-changing habit that will get rid of any negative self-talk. By just giving yourself a high five, you’ll feel a boost of confidence that you can’t get anywhere else. Read below for a brief overview of The High 5 Habit.

Can and Should the US Abolish the Debt Ceiling?

What purpose does the debt ceiling serve? What are its pros and cons? Is abolishing the debt ceiling feasible? Many Americans agree that Congress’s increasingly chaotic debt ceiling negotiations have become a distracting and dangerous spectacle. But to date, calls to abolish the ceiling have fizzled. We’ll examine why the US has a debt ceiling and what it would mean to abolish it.

What Does the Limbic System Do? Neuroscientist Explains

What does the limbic system do? How does the limbic system process strong and protective emotions? There are four characters in the brain that keep it a well-oiled machine. Two of these characters make up the limbic system, which is responsible for your emotions. Learn more about the responsibilities of the limbic system, according to Jill Bolte Taylor’s book Whole Brain Living.

Why Is It Important to Find Your Purpose in Life? Happiness!

How to Find Your Major Definite Purpose in Life

Why is it important to find your purpose in life? How do you achieve your purpose? A purpose is simply something that motivates and inspires you, according to Built Through Courage by Dave Hollis. The most important reason for having a purpose is that it gives you happiness in life and erases any negativity that comes your way. If you don’t have a purpose now, find out why you need to discover yours.

Bruce Lipton Says Energy Psychology Can Improve Humanity

What are Bruce Lipton’s energy psychology techniques helpful for? How can you improve healing for your children and your community? In The Biology of Belief, Bruce Lipton says that your actions are triggered by unconscious programming that’s been embedded in you since early childhood. But he’s optimistic about our individual and collective capacity for change. Find out how you can use energy psychology to change people’s lives for the better.

Why Easy Golf Swings and Shots Aren’t Just for Beginners

What are the benefits of choosing easy golf swings over difficult ones? Do you gain the advantage by planning out your shots? Simply shots may seem like a beginner’s choice, but even professionals have to take it easy sometimes. Shots like these are great for golfers because they release tension and build confidence that may have been lost with a failed difficult shot. Let’s look at why easy golf swings are nothing to be ashamed of, and how to plot them out on the course.

The Four Mechanisms of Evolution (On the Origin of Species)

How much did Charles Darwin understand genetics? Where did the term “survival of the fittest” come from? A foundational work in the field of biology, On the Origin of Species revolutionized the way we look at life on Earth. Published in 1859 by the naturalist Charles Darwin, this work explains and argues for his theory of evolution. Keep reading to learn about the four mechanisms of evolution that Darwin believes are at work.

Alison Gopnik’s The Gardener and the Carpenter: Overview

Are you struggling as a parent? Do you often think about what you need to do to turn your child into a well-adjusted, successful adult? If so, you may be acting as a carpenter parent—a parent who adheres rigidly to the blueprint for raising a “successful child”—instead of a gardener parent—a parent who nurtures the innate interests and talents of their child. In The Gardener and the Carpenter, Alison Gopnik explains how to raise children in a loving and supportive manner. Read below for a brief overview of The Gardener and the Carpenter.