Elizabeth Whitworth

Senior SEO Writer

Elizabeth has a lifelong love of books. She devours nonfiction, especially in the areas of history, theology, and philosophy. A switch to audiobooks has kindled her enjoyment of well-narrated fiction, particularly Victorian and early 20th-century works. She appreciates idea-driven books—and a classic murder mystery now and then. Elizabeth has a Substack and is writing a book about what the Bible says about death and hell.

Expertise

History, Theology, Government

Awards

Contributions to joint task force efforts (FBI), Contributions to Special Operations Division (DOJ & DEA), Efforts to fight the war on drugs (NSA), Contributions to Operation Storm Front (US Customs Service)

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.

The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav: Book Overview

What’s The Seat of the Soul about? What does it say about the nature of the universe and the material world? What does it teach about the soul’s purpose and evolution? The Seat of the Soul by Gary Zukav is a best-selling exploration of the soul’s evolutionary journey through the material realm. Published in 1989, following Zukav’s acclaimed The Dancing Wu Li Masters (which explored the connection between quantum physics and spirituality), this book earned a spot as an Oprah Winfrey favorite and gained a wide following throughout the 1990s. Keep reading for our overview of The Seat of the

Real Estate Investment Tips: If & When You Should Buy

Is real estate a good investment? If so, how much should you invest, and when should you take this step? David Chilton, in his book The Wealthy Barber, recommends that you invest 10% of your income. A good place for this money, he says, is real estate. However, he provides some real estate investment tips that help you know if and when you should buy. Here’s what you should consider if you’re thinking about investing in real estate.

How to Improve Company Culture: 3 Tips From Prison

Does your company culture need improvement? If so, where should you start? What practical steps can you take to make lasting change? In the book What You Do Is Who You Are, Ben Horowitz shares three cultural leadership lessons taken from the story of Shaka Senghor. Senghor demonstrated transformational leadership when he served in prison. Horowitz discusses three lessons from Senghor’s story: take advantage of teachable moments, start necessary changes from the top, and meet daily to model changes. Keep reading to learn how to improve company culture.

Gary Zukav: Authentic Power Is What Your Soul Needs

What’s the difference between external and internal power? What kind of power is authentic? How can you get it? According to Gary Zukav, authentic power is internal power. In The Seat of the Soul, he explains that our spiritual souls are constrained by our material bodies. So, we tend to pursue external rather than internal power. Only the authentic, internal power can help our souls live out their purpose. Let’s take a closer look at Zukav’s view of authentic power.

What Are the StrengthsFinder Strengths?

What are the StrengthsFinder strengths? How are they described? What are your top strengths? In StrengthsFinder 2.0, Tom Rath describes the 34 innate abilities the StrengthsFinder test looks for. He also provides suggestions for capitalizing on your innate ability to achieve your greatest potential. Even if you read this book without taking the test, you’ll learn about the different strengths you might have and how to build upon them to find success. Alongside descriptions of the 34 innate abilities, we provide commentary on further ways to grow your ability, potential downsides to certain abilities, and situations in which everyone should