Shortform Books

Weather in Literature: Rain Is Never Just Rain

Why is weather so important in literature? Why is rain the most commonly used weather symbol and what does it mean? The setting of a story informs the mood, the attitude of the characters, and the presentation of the themes. One of the most important elements of the setting is the weather. In literature, weather plays many roles such as a plot device, a way to set the atmosphere, a symbol for cleansing or misery, and much more. Keep reading to learn what different types of weather symbolize in literature.

The Mental Game of Tennis: How to Be the Best

What’s the mental game of tennis? Why do you need to improve your mental game to be a great tennis player? If you’re a tennis player, you have to work on both your mental game of tennis as well as your physical game. Both aspects are an important part of your game. Read more about the mental game of tennis below.

Barack Obama’s Political Career Before Presidency

What did Barack Obama’s political career look like before he became president? Why did Barack switch from a legal career to politics? Barack Obama was working full-time at a law firm until an Illinois state senator encouraged him to run for office. This was a difficult career change to make because he and Michelle had two young children and a career in politics would mean big life changes. Keep reading to learn about the beginning of Barack Obama’s political career and the impact it had on his family.

Why Do We Get Sick? Our Bodies Make Compromises

Why hasn’t evolution prevented sickness and disease? How can Darwinian medicine explain why we get sick? The reason we still get sickness and disease despite evolution is that the body must make careful compromises. Sometimes, the thing that causes a disease is or was helpful to us at some point in time. Continue reading to learn why we get sick despite evolutionary advances.

The Barefoot Investor: Bank Accounts Explained

What bank accounts does The Barefoot Investor recommend? What is the purpose of these accounts? In The Barefoot Investor, Scott Pape recommends opening five bank accounts: two checking accounts, two savings accounts, and a backstop account. Besides helping you organize your income and spending, opening these accounts will save you money on banking fees. Here are some recommendations for opening The Barefoot Investor bank accounts.

Target Demographics: Traditional vs. New Stats

What are target demographics? What is the difference between traditional and new demographics? Target demographics are basically segments of the population that you aim to target with the products/services you sell. There are two kinds of target demographics: traditional demographics (age, sex, income, race, and location) and new demographics (beliefs, skills, interests, and values). Keep reading to learn about the two types of target demographics and some tips on how to create products based on your target market.

Why Is English Used as the World’s Lingua Franca?

What is English as lingua franca? What are the characteristics of the language that made it easier for people all over the globe to adopt and spread it? English as a lingua franca refers to the use of English by non-native speakers as a language of choice. While English does have some competitive advantages over many other languages in terms of ease of adoption, they are not the main reason English has become the global language. In this article, we will explore the phenomenon of English as a lingua franca.

Bad Evolutionary Designs That Cause Problems

Why do humans share one input for both breathing and eating? Why do we still have an appendix? And why are our retinas inside out? The answer to all these questions is simple: bad evolutionary designs. Over time, evolution makes slow changes to our bodies, but it does not erase the old designs, leaving us with bad or useless traits. Keep reading to learn more about human evolutionary legacies.

What Is Systemic or Institutional Racism?

What is institutional racism? How does institutional racism relate to white supremacy? Institutional or systemic racism is a form of racism that operates on the level of underlying societal structures and systems (e.g. criminal justice system, health care, education, etc.). According to Ijeoma Oluo, the author of So You Want to Talk About Race, institutional racism is a product of the White Supremacist system. Keep reading to understand what institutional racism is and why it can be considered a product of the White Supremacist system.

How to Overcome the Desire for Immediate Gratification

How can the desire for immediate gratification lead to procrastination? Is it possible to overcome your aroused-state desires to pursue long-term goals? Procrastination stems from your aroused-state desires for immediate gratification. This can lead to the abandonment of long-term goals, such as pushing off your diet to have a slice of cake. However, these tendencies can be overcome. Keep reading to learn how to overcome your desire for immediate gratification.