The World's Best Book Summaries
Is immortality possible? Do you think eradicating death is a feasible medical goal or a hopeless pipe dream? Historically, people embraced death as a part of the deal because immortality was not even conceived as a possibility. However, as medical advances continue, scientists suggest that immortality is likely possible. Keep reading for the answer to the question: is immortality possible?
How do we make decisions? What factors influence our decision-making process? Are our decisions rational? In the book Predictably Irrational, author Dan Ariely explains that humans make irrational decisions that are so predictable that they are often taken advantage of by society, especially the marketing industry. He also explains how relativity makes decisions for you. Keep reading to learn the psychology behind how we make decisions.
What do men and women look for in a mate? How does evolution affect sexual behavior? How is jealousy a construct of evolution? Human babies take a long time to develop after birth. This long period of child care requires participation from females and males which has created some mating-related behaviors. Everything from mate selection, to jealousy, to testing loyalty, to how society perceives promiscuity comes from evolution. Keep reading for more on evolutionary relationships.
How does systemic racism manifest in the education system? And what can we do to fight it? Systemic racism in the education system is pervasive. It manifests at every level from preschool through primary to secondary school and beyond. To end this cycle for the next generation of children of color, we have to encourage schools to address the opportunity gap between white students and students of color. This article looks at how systemic racism manifests in the education system and how it affects students’ performance and learning experiences in preschool, elementary, and secondary school.
What is Seligman’s positive psychology? What are the six core virtues that are celebrated across all civilizations? Positive psychology is a relatively new field of science, founded in 1998 by Martin Seligman. This science attempts to elevate the human experience instead of treating the disorder. In his studies, Seligman discovered six core values that stretch across all cultures. Keep reading to learn more about Seligman’s positive psychology and the six core values.
Are there any negative effects of economic growth? Do you think the positives of economic growth outweigh the negatives? Economic growth is heralded as the solution to most problems, from national crises to personal issues, but it’s not without its perils. There are two negative effects of economic growth: resource depletion and ecological collapse. Keep reading to understand the negative effects of economic growth.
What is the Internet-of-All-Things? What impact do you think will the emergence of the Internet-of-All-Things have on human experience? The Internet-of-All-Things is a futuristic concept that describes an all-encompassing internet network that connects everything from electronic devices to physical objects. According to Yuval Noah Harari, in the world of the Internet-of-All-Things, human experiences will only hold value if they contribute to the system. Keep reading to learn about the concept of the Internet-of-All-Things.
What is the School-to-Prison Pipeline? When was the term coined and what does it mean? The term school-to-prison pipeline has been coined relatively recently (in the early twenty-first century), although the phenomenon itself has been going on for decades. But what exactly is the school-to-prison pipeline? Simply put, it’s the process whereby students from disadvantaged backgrounds are pushed out of schools and onto the pathway to prison. Keep reading for the answer to the question: what is the school-to-prison pipeline?
Can humans ever become gods? And if so, what will human divinity look like? Gods and humans are seen as two fundamentally different life forms, but what if humans can one day become gods? Theoretically speaking, humans can indeed become god-like, but not in the biblical sense of the word. God-like humanity is closer to the Greek or Hindu devas—flawed but powerful beings who have emotions and limitations. Keep reading for the answer to the question: can humans become gods?
Why do we feel a strong urge to repay favors, even from strangers? How does altruism lead to happiness? Is it possible to feel good while faking altruism? Reciprocal altruism theory states that we treat others as we have been treated by them. In other words, we may help others at a cost to ourselves, in hopes that others will repay the favor. This altruistic behavior came from evolution because by doing good for others, we are doing good for ourselves. Keep reading to learn more about the reciprocal altruism theory.