Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton: Book Overview

How is The Wealthy Barber different from other personal finance books? Who’s the barber, and what does he teach? The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton is a bestselling guide to becoming financially successful by following a handful of simple, easy-to-understand principles. These principles are illustrated using a fictional story about a teacher, an auto plant worker, and a small business owner who seek financial guidance from a barber who’s become wealthy by following the lessons he imparts. Here’s our overview of the book.

3 Types of Group Dynamics (The Great Mental Models)

What makes social networking apps and job search websites valuable? What’s needed for societal change? How does churn affect a group? In the third volume in The Great Mental Models series, Rhiannon Beaubien and Rosie Leizrowice borrow models from systems science and mathematics to build a framework for understanding human behavior and viewing the world more objectively. They discuss three types of group dynamics—network effects, critical mass, and churn—that help us understand how groups create value based on their size, how social change works, and how turnover can both help and hurt a system. Keep reading to learn how certain

Cultural Leadership Lessons From Toussaint Louverture

Are you trying to change the culture of your organization? What can you learn from Haitian revolutionary Toussaint Louverture about this kind of leadership? Toussaint Louverture led the military and diplomatic campaign that liberated enslaved people in Haiti and set the stage for its independence from France. In What You Do Is Who You Are, Ben Horowitz draws cultural leadership insights from Louverture. Read on to learn more about Louverture and his leadership.

The Great Mental Models Volume 3: Book Overview

Would you like to sharpen your thinking and decision-making? What practical lessons can you learn from models such as critical mass, algorithms, and randomness? The Great Mental Models Volume 3: Systems and Mathematics is the third in a series of books designed to improve your thinking by giving you a set of models that you can use to better understand the world. The premise of the series is that the world operates according to specific rules and patterns (“models”) that occur again and again in many different contexts. Volume 3 draws its models from systems science and mathematics—fields rich in

What Is the New Thought Movement?

What is the New Thought movement? What are the main beliefs? Is the movement still alive today? If you’ve read a self-help book, most likely you’ve been exposed to ideas from the New Thought movement. The 19th-century spiritual movement has even found its way into the secular literature of the 21st century—with tenets such as positive thinking and the law of attraction. Read more for an introduction to the New Thought movement and its ideas.

The Pros and Cons of Buying a House: Is It for You?

Should you buy a house? What are the advantages? Are there disadvantages? Even if purchasing a home is within your budget, that doesn’t mean you should necessarily do it. If you choose to rent rather than own, investing the money you save by renting might even be a better investment than owning a home. In The Wealthy Barber, David Chilton writes that home ownership has its advantages and disadvantages. Keep reading for Chilton’s discussion of the pros and cons of buying a house.

4 Reasons Why Retirement Planning Is Important

Are you saving for retirement? Do you know what you can count on after you retire? What’s your plan? David Chilton says that part of your overall financial plan should be saving for retirement. He provides four reasons why retirement planning is important and discusses four types of retirement plans: 401(k), IRA, Roth IRA, and Keogh Plan. Keep reading to learn more about smart retirement planning.

Organizational Decision-Making: 3 Ways to Set the Tone

When it comes to decision-making in your organization, how much power do you and your employees have? How fast are decisions made? What happens immediately after a decision is made? In his book What You Do Is Who You Are, Ben Horowitz discusses how decision-making is an aspect of your organization’s culture. As the leader, you set the tone for how decisions are made. Horowitz identifies three choices you make that determine what kind of decision-making culture you build. Keep reading for details on these three choices.

How Much of Your Income Should You Invest?

What does it mean to “pay yourself first”? How much of your income should you invest? Where should you invest it? If you want to become financially successful, the most important step you can take is to invest money from every paycheck. That’s the view of David Chilton in his book The Wealthy Barber. When you invest and leave it alone, compound interest will ensure the long-term growth of your assets. Chilton recommends a couple of types of investments that he prefers over savings in the bank. Keep reading to learn Chilton’s advice on what you should invest in and

The 3 Cultural Challenges That Leaders Face

As you strive to shape the culture of your organization, what should you expect? How flexible should you be? Does every employee need to be on board? In his book What You Do Is Who You Are, CEO and venture capitalist Ben Horowitz discusses three cultural challenges that leaders face as they seek to shape their organization’s culture. He explains that they must deal with the fact that culture is both aspirational and actionable, culture is always evolving, and culture is universal. Continue reading to learn more about these challenges.