Shortform Books

The 3 Most Effective Learning Strategies

What are the three slow learning strategies from Daniel Epstein’s book Range? Why are these strategies more effective than the traditional learning methods? In his book Range, Epstein describes three effective learning strategies: the generation effect, the spacing effect, and interleaving. All three of these methods would be considered slow and difficult learning methods because they require time and analysis rather than memorization and cramming. Keep reading to learn about Epstein’s three most effective learning strategies.

The Importance of Transferrable Skills for Your Career

Why is it better to experiment with different skills and hobbies rather than mastering one specialty? What is the importance of transferable skills? The traditional way of thinking says that it’s best to choose one specialty and focus your efforts on mastering it. However, according to David Epstein, the author of Range, it’s actually better to have a broad range of transferrable skills than one specialist skill. Here is why broad experience is better than specializing.

What Are the Disadvantages of Job Specialization?

What are some of the disadvantages of job specialization? How does being an expert in one area narrow your perspective? David Epstein, the author of Range, says that one of the big downfalls of being a specialist in anything is that it can narrow your perspective. He says that the more details you know about something, the more confident you’ll be in your opinion of that matter, even if your opinion is extreme. This overconfidence can lead to a number of issues. Here is what Epstein has to say about job specialization.

How Does the Subconscious Mind Work?

How does the subconscious mind work? What information does it store and how does it interact with the conscious mind? Your subconscious mind is your passive mind. It’s always awake because it regulates all of your bodily functions, and it records and stores your every experience even when you’re not consciously paying attention. Over 90% of your brain’s activity takes place in your subconscious mind: It’s a reservoir of thoughts, feelings, and memories that lies beneath your conscious awareness. In this article, we’ll explore how the subconscious mind works, according to Joseph Murphy.

The 3 Major Problems With the Caste System

What are the three biggest problems with the caste system? Where do these problems stem from? According to Isabel Wilkerson, the author of Caste, the dominant caste’s beliefs in an innate right to be in control give them a sense of entitlement and the authority to police the actions of the subordinate caste. This causes three general problems. First, upper-caste entitlement can lead to violence, second, people in the lower caste internalize and reproduce that violence, and third, society misses out on the lower class’s contributions. Here are the three problems, explained.

Angela Duckworth: Grit—Book Review

Is Angela Duckworth’s Grit worth all the hype? Is having grit really more important than intelligence or natural talent? Angela Duckworth’s book Grit was published in 2016 and became an instant bestseller—remaining on the New York Times bestseller list for years. Although there have been many criticisms of the book, many swear that Duckworth’s research is revolutionary. Continue reading for our Grit book review including the book’s context, impact, and critical reception.

Success Programming: Condition Yourself for Success

Obsession with Success: The Key to Becoming Wealthy

Does your mind often sabotage you, preventing you from acting in alignment with your goals? Is there a way to program your mind to act in a more goal-oriented way? According to Maxwell Maltz, the author of Psycho-Cybernetics, the main reason people sabotage their own goals is that their internal programming (how they have been programmed to think throughout their lives) is in contradiction with their conscious goals. But even if you have been thinking and acting in a self-sabotaging way for your whole life, it doesn’t mean that you have to keep doing it: you can program it for

Charlie Munger’s Biography: His Path to Investing

What does Charlie Munger’s biography tell us about his relationship with Warren Buffet? Why did he join Berkshire Hathaway? Charlie Munger’s biography shows that he met Warren Buffett when they were working together in Buffett’s grandfather’s store as kids, and reunited when Charlie returned to Omaha after the death of his father. He joined Berkshire Hathaway when Buffett convinced him that investing is a better fit for his talents than law. Read on to discover the important details from Charlie Munger’s biography.

The 2 Types of Inequality: Static vs. Dynamic

What are the two types of inequality? How does the free market help reduce economic disparity between classes? According to Nassim Taleb, there are two types of wealth and two types of inequality: static and dynamic. Static inequality refers to the wealth disparity of a population at any given single point in time. On the other hand, dynamic inequality refers to the inability of a given individual to rise in economic class across a lifetime. In this article, we’ll explore the difference between Taleb’s two types of inequality. Then, we’ll examine Taleb’s argument that the free market does the most

50 Types of Mental Models for Better Decision-Making

What are the major types of mental models? What should be your focus when learning a mental model? The many types of mental models cut across several disciplines including math, psychology, economics, physics, and more. They include models like Gaussian distribution, reciprocity, autocatalysis, and opportunity cost. Your focus should be on learning the fundamental meaning of these models and not their nitty-gritty details. Read on to discover more about the major types of mental models.