Shortform Books

Healthy-User Bias in Medical Research

What is healthy-user bias? How can we isolate whether an intervention actually accounts for differences between individuals? Healthy-user bias occurs in studies that aim to assess the effect of a certain treatment or intervention. Because the people who choose to partake in such studies tend to be significantly different from their peers, it’s difficult to assess the degree to which the intervention (and not the participants’ characteristics) accounts for the findings. Keep reading to learn about healthy-user bias and how it affects research findings.

3 Strategies to Achieve Goals That Seem Impossible

What are the best strategies to achieve seemingly impossible goals? How do elite performers achieve goals we thought were unattainable? Bestselling author Steven Kotler wrote The Art of Impossible after studying how elite performers achieve extremely difficult goals. Through his research, Kotler identified the habits of elite performers and turned them into strategies for achieving goals that seem impossible. Read on to learn Kotler’s three actionable strategies for achieving goals you thought were impossible.

Best Time Management Books, Blogs, & Podcasts

Do you often feel like there isn’t enough time in the day? Do you feel like you don’t have control of your time? Many people feel as though there is never enough time—not enough time for work, not enough time for family, not enough time for ourselves. This sentiment is understandable: Modern life is busy, and with so many things vying for our time and attention, it’s hard to be on top of everything. But if your time management is on point, being on top of everything that’s important is not that difficult. In this article, we’ve rounded up a

Exercise and the Brain: Cognitive Benefits of Movement

How does exercise benefit the brain? Can regular exercise ward off age-related cognitive decline? Regular exercise is the single most important thing to do for your brain’s health. Not only does exercise promote clarity of thinking, but it can also help slow down the rate of cognitive decline as you age. Here’s a look at exercise and the brain.

Alfie Kohn’s Unconditional Parenting: Overview & Takeaways

What is Alfie Kohn’s Unconditional Parenting book about? What are the key takeaways you should know from Kohn’s book? In Unconditional Parenting, Alfie Kohn aims to teach you what kids really need from their parents, why using rewards and punishments doesn’t work in the long term, and what you can do to make your kids feel loved and valued for who they are rather than what they do. While Unconditional Parenting has received mostly positive reviews, some critics have noted issues with Kohn’s advice. Keep reading for an overview of Unconditional Parenting by Alfie Kohn, including the book’s key takeaways.

The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story—Book Overview

What is Nikole Hannah-Jones’s The 1619 Project about? What role did slavery play in American history? The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story is an anthology of essays edited by Nikole Hannah-Jones and co-created with the New York Times that seeks to reframe American history with the institution of slavery at its core. The essays also explore how the institution of slavery has impacted our economy, laws, society, and the livelihoods of Black Americans. Below is a brief overview of The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story.

What Is the Goal of Communication? The Secret Motive

What is the goal of communication—really? Why did Sheila talk to you at the office Christmas party? Why did she nod her head at almost everything you said? Hidden motives are a byproduct of humanity’s social nature, so it’s no surprise that they show up in our most fundamental forms of communication. Both our speech and our body language are full of messages other than the ones we’re directly aware of. Keep reading for an enlightening discussion about the hidden goals of conversation and body language.

It Is Better to Be Feared Than Loved: Machiavelli Explains

Is it truly better to be feared than loved? Why does Machiavelli think so? This assertion from The Prince has become an adage over the centuries. You’ve probably heard it, but you might not know what Machiavelli means and what his argument is. Continue reading to understand why Machiavelli believes that it is better to be feared than loved.

What Is Moral Virtue? Virtuous Actions + Reasons

What is moral virtue? Is it simply being good, or is there more to it than that? In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle concludes that happiness comes from consistently making the right choices over the course of a lifetime (rational activity aligned with virtue). Not only must the actions be right, but the motives behind them must also be right. Keep reading to understand how, in Aristotle’s view, virtuous actions and virtuous reasons add up to moral virtue.

Stolen Focus by Johann Hari: Book Overview

What is Stolen Focus by Johann Hari about? What are the main takeaways of the book? If you’ve been struggling to concentrate, you should know you’re not alone. In Stolen Focus, Johann Hari makes the case that we have a societal attention crisis: We’re all losing our ability to concentrate, which means we can’t progress on our individual goals. Read below for a brief overview of Johann Hari’s Stolen Focus.