The World's Best Book Summaries
What is dishonest advertising? How can advertisers keep ads from being dishonest? People are understandably uncomfortable with dishonest advertising. In Ogilvy on Advertising, David Ogilvy claims that lying in ads is very difficult because ads go through many channels of approval. Read more about dishonest advertising and why it matters.
What are the issues with advertising? Why do some people argue that advertising is always bad no matter what? The issues with advertising stem from the argument that advertising is inherently damaging to people. Critics of advertising claim that it’s immoral, dishonest, disruptive, and more. Read more about the issues with advertising below.
What do we mean when we talk about a fair negotiation? And is there such a thing as an objectively fair outcome? People are powerfully guided by their expectations of a fair negotiation. This can mean three different things—two of them are underhanded tricks, and one sets the stage for open negotiation. Read about fair negotiation and what it means.
What happened to Rupi Kaur as a child? How did Rupi Kaur’s abuse shape her poetry? For Rupi Kaur, abuse and oppression were a part of her childhood. She was raped by her uncle and silenced by the men around her. These themes are present in her poems in milk and honey. Read more about Rupi Kaur, abuse, and oppression.
Who is Sendhil Mullainathan? What were his research findings regarding judges’ bail decisions? Sendhil Mullainathan is a professor of Computation and Behavioral Science at the University of Chicago. In 2017, Mullainathan and colleagues conducted a study about judges’ ability to predict defendants’ likelihood of committing another crime. What did they find out? Keep reading for more about the experiment Mullainathan ran and his findings.
What are the ethics of design? How seriously should people consider ethics when creating new products and technologies? The ethics of design is one of the fastest-growing conversations when it comes to technology. It argues that creators have an obligation to design ethically since their products will be used by real people and could have serious effects. Read more about the ethics of design and why they matter.
What is human error? Should designers take the idea of human error into account? The answer to the question “what is human error” is actually complicated. We tend to think of human error as our own mistakes, and blame ourselves. But some designs may actually be set up for us to fail. Keep reading to find out the answer to the question “what is human error” and more.
What happens when your feedback comes without caring personally for the person you’re speaking to? How do manipulative insincerity and obnoxious aggression prevent a culture of radical candor? Manipulative insincerity is a type of feedback that doesn’t challenge people to improve and doesn’t come from caring personally. Obnoxious aggression does challenge, but does so without caring. Keep reading to better understand manipulative insincerity and obnoxious aggression, and how they fall short of radical candor.
Why did NBC News refuse to air Ronan Farrow’s story? What really happened between Ronan Farrow and NBC News? Ronan Farrow, a former NBC News reporter, is known for his investigative reporting of the sexual assault crimes of Harvey Weinstein. He started investigating the story at NBC News, but the network refused to air it. Read about what happened between Ronan Farrow and NBC News.
What is a catch and kill contract? How do tabloids use it to protect people in power from negative press? A catch and kill contract is the practice where a tabloid buys legal rights to a story that contains incriminating information. They then ‘kill the story’ by refusing to publish it as a way of protecting the concerned individual from negative press. Keep reading for more about the catch and kill contract and a real-world example of how it is executed in practice.