The World's Best Book Summaries
Who said, “A leader leads by example, not by force”? This quote comes from Sun Tzu’s The Art of War. How can you avoid force when managing your team? We’ll cover how Tzu suggests that a leader lead by example, and we’ll also look at situations in which Tzu thinks that punishments are necessary to get your troops in line.
What do the great creation myths and creation myths of the world have in common? Why do all cultures have creation stories? We’ll cover the elements that many creation myths have in common and touch on why the creation myth is so important to various world cultures.
What is cumulative advantage? How does it work? Why is it dangerous to society? Who does it help? Cumulative advantage is the idea that small gains compound over time. In the work of Nassim Nicholas Taleb, cumulative advantage refers to the innate human tendency to flock to past successes, regardless of whether those successes are the product of merit or chance. We’ll cover cumulative advantage, where it’s most prominent, and why the rich get richer.
What can we learn from the way China’s Wei Dynasty conducted itself in battle? What lessons can the Wei Dynasty teach us about drawing your enemy out, exploiting distance, and forming alliances? We’ll cover the Wei Dynasty’s military strategies and what we can learn from both their successes and defeats.
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu says, “Every battle is won before it is ever fought.” What does Tzu mean by this? How can you win a battle before you fight it? We’ll cover how preparation is the key to victory. Learn Tzu’s recommendations for setting the stage for victory.
What is a black swan? What is black swan theory? What does the term “black swan” mean? A black swan is an extremely unpredictable event that has a massive impact on human society. The Black Swan is named after a classic error of induction, the black swan fallacy. We’ll cover the meaning of “black swan,” what black swan theory is, and what “black swan” means in economics.
What were the battle strategies of the Zhou dynasty armies? Were they successful? What can we learn from the successes and failures of the Zhou dynasty? We’ll cover two lessons from the battles of the Zhou dynasty against the Jin and Qi about how to conduct yourself in war and in life.
What is stage 9 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? What is the significance of the “atonement with the father”? The atonement with the father is the stage of the hero’s journey in which the hero meets the figure of a fearsome father-god whom the hero must either overcome or reconcile with. The atonement with the father is stage 9 of Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey, from The Hero with a Thousand Faces. We’ll cover what the atonement with the father entails and look at two examples of this stage of the hero’s journey.
In The Art of War, Sun Tzu advocated for the use of spies. What role do Sun Tzu’s spies play in battle? What are the different types? We’ll cover the 5 types of Sun Tzu’s spies and how Sun Tzu suggests warriors use them to be victorious in battle.
Who is Muchukunda? What did he want more than anything else, and what does this Hindu story have to do with Joseph Campbell’s hero’s journey? We’ll cover the story of King Muchukunda and his desire to sleep forever, and we’ll look at how King Muchukunda’s journey follows the mythological template of the hero’s journey.