You Win in the Locker Room First: Book Overview & Takeaways

A coach talking to football players in the locker room

In both sports and business, the key to victory is not raw talent, but the two “big Cs”: character and coaching. In their book You Win in the Locker Room First, Jon Gordon and former NFL coach Mike Smith discuss the unseen work of building trust, commitment, and shared purpose that lays the groundwork for future triumphs. This overview categorizes Gordon and Smith’s principles for success under those two big Cs. We’ll discuss why team members must be fully dedicated to each other and the team, and we’ll explain how your coaching methods can help that group of dedicated people

I Am Malala: Book Questions, Sample Answers, & Exercises

A watercolor-style image of seven people in a book club discussing a book around a small table

We’ve put together discussion questions for I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai that you can use with a book club or a class at school. We include sample answers, book club activities that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis I Am Malala is the memoir of Malala Yousafzai, a Pakistani activist who was shot by the Taliban when she was fifteen years old for advocating for girls’ education. The book chronicles her childhood in Pakistan’s Swat Valley, where she grew up in a family

How to Win Friends and Influence People—Discussion Questions

An impressionistic-style image of a book club meeting to discuss a book they've read

We’ve put together discussion questions for How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie that you can use with a book club, a class at school, or a team at work. We include sample answers, book club activities that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis Dale Carnegie’s classic self-help book presents techniques for improving interpersonal relationships and persuading others in both personal and professional contexts. Published in 1936, the book is built around fundamental principles organized into four main sections: The core

The Intelligence Trap by David Robson: Book Overview

A cartoon image of a brain trapped in a bird cage

Why do brilliant people sometimes make the most foolish decisions? Despite their intellectual prowess, highly intelligent people often fall prey to conspiracy theories, financial ruin, and irrational beliefs—sometimes even more than those with average intelligence. In The Intelligence Trap, David Robson reveals how the very traits that make people smart can become their greatest weakness. Through research-backed insights, he exposes the hidden dangers of overconfidence, cognitive biases, and motivated reasoning that plague intelligent individuals, then offers practical strategies to think more wisely. Keep reading for a full overview of the book.

Think Again: 23 Book Club Questions & Exercises (Adam Grant)

Red and gray sketch of four people (book club) sitting around a table and discussing a book

We’ve put together discussion questions for Think Again by Adam Grant that you can use with a book club, a class at school, or a team at work. We include sample answers, book club activities that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis Think Again explores the critical importance of rethinking and unlearning in a rapidly changing world. Adam Grant argues that intelligence isn’t just about what we know, but about recognizing what we don’t know and being willing to update our beliefs. He introduces

Niall Ferguson’s Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe (Overview)

Government officials and disaster relief personnel talking at the site of a flood

When disaster strikes, we often blame bad luck. But Niall Ferguson’s Doom: The Politics of Catastrophe contends that we’re missing the real story. Catastrophes reflect how our societies are wired—the networks, institutions, and systems that connect us. Continue reading for our overview of the book, and discover why some crises spiral out of control while others don’t.

The Let Them Theory: 23 Book Club Questions & Exercises

A book club made up of several women sitting around a table in a book store discussing a book

We’ve put together discussion questions for The Let Them Theory by Mel Robbins that you can use with a book club or a class at school. We include sample answers, exercises that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis The Let Them Theory presents a simple but transformative concept: Let people be who they are. Mel Robbins argues that much of our stress, anxiety, and unhappiness comes from trying to control, change, or manage other people’s opinions, decisions, and behaviors. Instead of exhausting yourself attempting

How to Measure Anything by Douglas W. Hubbard: Overview

A businessman measuring with a ruler on a table

In How to Measure Anything, Douglas W. Hubbard challenges conventional notions about measurement and provides practical insights on making informed decisions based on measurable data. An expert in the field of applied information economics, measurement, and decision analysis, Hubbard’s work focuses on helping organizations make better decisions by quantifying uncertainty and measuring things that many believe are unmeasurable.  Below, we’ll explain that measurement is simply the reduction of uncertainty—not the elimination of it; why every measurement needs to be taken to help inform a decision; and we’ll offer some measurement tools and techniques you can use to put these principles

Inner Excellence Book Club Questions & Exercises (Jim Murphy)

A group of adults sitting in a circle for book club in a book store

Jim Murphy’s Inner Excellence: Train Your Mind for Extraordinary Performance and the Best Possible Life isn’t your typical self-improvement book. It blends mindset training, emotional awareness, and spiritual discipline into a practical guide for performing—and living—with purpose. Whether you’re an athlete, a leader, or simply someone striving to grow, Murphy’s lessons on focus, courage, and letting go of control offer plenty to reflect on. To spark meaningful discussion, here are 15 thought-provoking book club questions (plus some exercises at the end) to help you dig deeper into the book’s key themes. 15 Book Club Questions Exercise: Overcome Self-Focus With Love,

Inner Excellence by Jim Murphy: Book Overview & Lessons

The silhouette of a person hiking to the peak of a mountain

In Inner Excellence, performance coach Jim Murphy argues that chasing external achievements like promotions, trophies, or perfect scores creates a cycle of temporary satisfaction followed by endless wanting. Instead, he presents a counterintuitive approach: focus on developing yourself from the inside out through mastering your values, beliefs, emotions, and mental focus. When you shift your attention from external validation to internal development, you naturally perform better under stress while experiencing the sense of purpose and aliveness that external success promises but rarely delivers. Keep reading for a full book overview.