Shortform Books

The Benefits of a Free-Market Economy

What are the benefits of a free-market economy? What are the main arguments given in favor of the free market? In his book What Money Can’t Buy, philosopher Michael Sandel argues that free-market societies are immoral and create corruption. He starts his book by explaining the three arguments that defenders of the free market often make: the efficiency argument, the utilitarian argument, and the libertarian argument. We’ll go over each of the three arguments below.

The 6 Different Types of Home Loans

Are you having trouble narrowing down a home loan that’s right for you? What are the six different types of home loans? Whether you plan on renting out a house or living in a home, you’ll need to decide which type of home loan (or mortgage) best suits you. It all depends on your financial situation, but real estate agent David M. Greene lists six different types of home loans in his book Buy, Rehab, Rent, Refinance, Repeat. Let’s look at the six different types of mortgages to find out which one you need.

Shortform Reads: The Lion, the Witch, and Boo Radley

What are some of the best idea-driven books? What’s so great about C. S. Lewis? What movie is just as good as the book? Elizabeth could tell you. Based in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, she’s a blog writer at Shortform. We interviewed her recently to learn a bit about her love-love relationship with books.

Playing to Win: Book Review and Critical Reception

Is Lafley and Martin’s Playing to Win worth reading? Are the tips in the book still relevant today? In their book Playing to Win, former CEO A.G. Lafley and consultant Roger Martin explain the steps for developing a successful business strategy. When the two worked together at Procter & Gamble, they used this approach to double the company’s sales and market capitalization. Here’s our Playing to Win book review, including background and critical reception by the readers.

Demonstrative Public Speaking: Show, Don’t Tell

What’s a demonstrative speech? What are some examples of demonstrative public speaking? As the name suggests, a demonstrative speech aims to provide a demonstration rather than to explain or persuade. It could be a demonstration of your work, a demo workshop on how to do something, or how something works. Chris Anderson, the author of TED Talks, offers one strategy for inventors and another for artists.

The Benefits of Unconscious Decision-Making

Do you ever make decisions on the fly, without taking the time to consider their potential consequences? Can snap decisions—decisions made by the unconscious mind—be better than decisions made with deliberation? Throughout our lives, we’ve been taught that our decisions are sounder if a lot of time and effort has gone into making them. But unconscious decisions can actually be just as good as—or even better than—the decisions that we make by analyzing a situation carefully. Learn about the benefits of unconscious decision-making and how snap decisions work in the brain.

John Berger’s Ways of Seeing: Book Review

What is John Berger’s Ways of Seeing about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In his book Ways of Seeing, John Berger argues that, throughout history, the way we see art has been manipulated by a privileged minority to preserve their social and economic dominance. Berger’s premise is that the dominant class has always used art and art criticism to “mystify” the working class. Here’s a brief overview of Ways of Seeing by John Berger.

Variety in Life: You Need Less Than You Think

When you think about your future, do you assume that you’ll want lots of variety in life? Does variety make you happier? According to social psychologist Daniel Gilbert, variety is actually the opposite of what most people want. But many people fail to recognize that fact and end up forcing variety into their lives, ultimately making themselves unhappy. Here’s why you need less variety in life than you think.

The Top 3 Factors Affecting Motivation

What are the biggest factors affecting motivation? How can you identify them? According to the book Crucial Accountability, the three main factors affecting motivation are: personal, social, and structural. The authors present three questions you should ask yourself before making assumptions as to why somebody lacks motivation. Keep reading for a more detailed explanation of factors affecting motivation.

The Social Impact of the Market Society

What are the main issues with market societies? How can a market society affect the happiness of its citizens? A market society is one in which market values deeply intertwine with the daily lives of the people who live in it. The intrusion of markets into every aspect of life comes with a handful of issues, including a strong social impact. Let’s explore the social impact of living in a market society.