The World's Best Book Summaries
Do you set goals for yourself? What’s the key to setting effective goals? Most people agree that it’s important to set goals. But many people don’t know how to set goals effectively. The key to setting effective goals is to ensure they feed into the big-picture scheme of things as opposed to being a response to external forces. Here’s how to set effective goals, according to Stephen Covey.
Why is mystery so attractive? What do mysterious people do that makes them so irresistible? People are attracted to those who seem mysterious, so cultivate an air of mystery yourself. Be vague about what you’re doing or plan to do. Don’t show all your cards and you’ll create an atmosphere of anticipation—people will pay attention to see what you do next. You can use mystery to deceive, enthrall, and intimidate. Here’s how to be more mysterious, according to Robert Greene.
What is Stephen R. Covey’s First Things First about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In his book First Things First, Stephen R. Covey presents a time-management approach that focuses on priorities, or “first things.” This approach teaches you to use your time effectively rather than efficiently. Using your time effectively means focusing on what you’re spending your time on, rather than how much time you’re spending. Here’s a brief overview of the key concepts.
What are the dangers of being an “open book”—being too honest about your feelings, beliefs, and intentions? How can excessive honesty work against you? People tend to be “open books” because talking about feelings and intentions comes naturally. There are two reasons for that: 1) watching your mouth — monitoring and controlling what you say—takes effort, and 2) they believe honesty and openness will win people over. Here’s how being too honest can work against you.
Have you ever been faced with a crisis, come up with a solution, and felt that incredible sense of success and relief? How does a sense of urgency create a false sense of accomplishment? Although urgent situations are stressful, resolving them creates a high that you can become addicted to. However, urgency addiction is a self-destructive habit that only temporarily fills a void, whether it be the lack of a larger purpose or a desire for a sense of achievement. Here’s why handling urgency is so addictive, according to Stephen Covey.
Can honesty be manipulative? How can you use honesty to manipulate others? One of the most effective manipulation techniques is to surprise your target with honesty or generosity. This approach disarms people by allaying suspicions and bringing out their inner child—they respond with eager, childlike gratitude. You, too, can use honesty and generosity to disarm and distract others from your schemes. Here’s how honesty can be used as a manipulation tool.
What are the four quadrants of time management? What quadrant is the most important? There are four time management quadrants. Quadrant I is both urgent and important. Quadrant II is important, but not urgent. Quadrant III is urgent, but not important. And Quadrant IV is neither urgent nor important. According to Stephen Covey, you should focus most of your time in Quadrant II—where you do activities that are important, but not urgent. Keep reading to learn about Stephen Covey’s time management quadrants, and why you should shift your focus to Quadrant II.
Why do they say “know your enemies”? How does knowing your enemy help you get the upper hand over your opponent? Knowing your enemies is essential to wielding power. When you know your opponent’s secrets, you can predict his behavior and control him. You can enlist spies to gather intelligence for you, but it’s better to be a spy yourself. Adopt a friendly manner and you’ll get people to spill their plans and weaknesses. Here’s why and how to know your enemy.
Do you plan your weeks in advance? What activities take precedence as you design your week? A week encompasses a natural balance of life: It includes work or school days, evenings, and weekends. Weekly planning is a balanced compromise between daily and long-term planning. It connects a bigger-picture perspective with day-to-day actionables. Here’s how to plan your week for maximum effectiveness.
Do you tend to rely on quick fixes when faced with a problem? Or do you try to root out the core, underlying issue? There’s little argument that we live in a quick-fix society focused on attaining immediate results at the expense of future losses. We’d rather take a pill to avoid the pain now than put efforts towards identifying and rooting out its underlying cause. While quick-fix solutions are alluring and convenient, they don’t solve the underlying problem. Further, they often exacerbate it in the long term. Keep reading to learn about the dangers of relying on quick fixes.