Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

How to Remember a Speech: 3 Steps to Memorize Your Main Ideas

Do you have a speech or presentation coming up? Do you want to deliver it without sounding like you’re reading from a script? The Memory Book shows you how to remember sequences of items using image-based association, how to create stand-in words to make abstract items easier to remember, and how to apply those techniques to remember full ideas in sequence. You can use these strategies to memorize a speech or presentation. Continue reading to learn how to remember a speech with techniques from The Memory Book.

Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life (List & Exercise)

Do you have any fine art in your house? How much attention do you pay to the person you’re becoming? Do you have a date scheduled with your significant other? Beyond Order is Jordan B. Peterson’s hard-hitting, no-nonsense guide to navigating the chaos of our difficult world and living a life of excellence. In it, Peterson offers 12 rules to help you reduce the chaos in your life, create order, and live responsibly. Keep reading for the Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life list, and apply them to your life with an exercise at the end.

The Origin of Social Justice: Liberal & Marxist Material Solutions

What were some of the first social justice movements? How did they differ from later movements? Authors, academics, and cultural critics Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay discuss the history of social justice in politics and scholarship. They say that the social justice we have today is far removed from the earlier movements. Continue reading to learn about the origin of social justice movements.

What Is Darwinian Evolution? (On the Origin of Species)

What is Darwinian evolution? What does the process entail? How does evolution shapes organisms? On the Origin of Species explains and argues for Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. Essentially, the theory states that organisms weren’t created separately in their current forms. Rather, each species evolved gradually from other species over the course of millions of years. Keep reading for an overview of Darwinian evolution according to On the Origin of Species.

Confucius: Leadership Is Getting the Most Out of Time & People

What’s the benefit of publicly admitting your mistakes? What’s the difference between working fast and working efficiently? According to Confucius, leadership is the ultimate destination for knowledgeable and virtuous people. In The Analects, he explains how to gain knowledge and morality. Then, he offers practical advice on leadership itself. Read more to learn Confucius’s leadership advice.

Jimmy Carter’s Foreign Policy: A Tainted Legacy of Peace

What were Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy successes? What personal principles undergirded his global approach? On the global stage, Jimmy Carter distinguished himself as a president who would eschew the use of military strength except as a last resort. Instead, he prioritized maintaining and promoting peace at any cost, including political damage to himself. Read more to learn about the key successes and failures of Jimmy Carter’s foreign policy.

How to Present a Speech: Advice From John C. Maxwell

Does the thought of public speaking make you nervous? Do you have something to say but don’t know how to get your message across? According to John C. Maxwell, anyone can master public speaking, connect with their listeners, and make a lasting impact with their words by following the 16 laws he’s developed from a lifetime of public speaking. He shares several pieces of advice on how to present a speech confidently and effectively. Read more for these nuggets of wisdom from Maxwell’s book The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication.

How to Memorize Lists: 4 Steps to Remember Data in Order

Do you need to memorize information in a sequence for school or work? Do you always forget which US president came after James Buchanan? Your brain has a natural affinity for associations. The Memory Book shows you how to use this skill to connect sequential pieces of information. This enables you to remember a full list of words in their original order. Read more to learn how to memorize lists and use this skill in real life.

Opportunity Lurks Where Responsibility Has Been Abdicated

Where does life’s meaning come from? What does your conscience tell you to do? Do you listen? In Beyond Order: 12 More Rules for Life, Jordan B. Peterson lays out his philosophy and rules for living a life of excellence in a world of hardship and chaos. Beyond Order Rule 4 is this: Notice that opportunity lurks where responsibility has been abdicated. Read more to learn why assuming personal responsibility for your life will bring you meaning and fulfillment.

Tenets of Postmodernism: A Focus on the Expression of Power

What’s postmodernism? What’s deconstruction? What’s the difference between cultural hierarchy and class hierarchy? In Cynical Theories, Helen Pluckrose and James Lindsay show how, over time, social justice went from a positive force to its current form. The first phase featured liberals and Marxists taking a material approach. In the second phase, postmodernism, the focus shifted to culture. Read more to learn about the tenets of postmodernism and how it shaped social justice.