Shortform Books

Finding Motivation for Getting Fit: Your Mindset Is Half the Battle

Does your enthusiasm for nutrition and exercise tend to wane over time? How clear are you on your reasons for wanting to be healthy? Inconsistency equals zero. If you’re going to make any meaningful, lasting change, you have to stick with it. When it comes to your fitness journey, your mindset is half the battle. Enthusiasm and willpower will help you keep the commitments you make to yourself. Find motivation for getting fit with the following tips from personal trainer Michael Matthews.

The 10 Best Negotiation Books for Getting What You Want

A Guide to Developing Effective Negotiation Strategies

Do you want to make the best deal in a negotiation? What are the best negotiation books for making deals? Making negotiations is a part of everyday life. People make negotiations on houses, salaries, or even where to eat for a date night. Settling on a deal that’s satisfying to both parties is the best possible outcome, but not always easy to achieve. We’ve rounded up the top negotiation books that you can use to make attractive deals.

Breaking Down Biden’s SAVE Program

What is the SAVE program? Who will it affect? How do you know if you’re eligible? More than 43 million US students leave college with federal student loan debt—a crushing burden that forces many to forego buying homes and delay key life milestones like having children. President Joe Biden’s income-driven student loan repayment program, SAVE, aims to bring borrowers relief. Here’s a look at the SAVE program, and whether or not you may qualify.

Company Bidding Gone Awry: RJR Nabisco’s Story

Guaranteed Basic Income: Creating A Better Tomorrow

Do people usually bid on companies in LBOs? How many financial companies bid on RJR Nabisco? According to Barbarians at the Gate by Bryan Burrough and John Helyar, competitive bidding is unusual in LBOs. But because Ross Johnson pitched the idea of an LBO to his board before preparation, it become a bidding contest between different competitors. Continue reading to learn more about the bidding contest for RJR Nabisco.

What It Was Like Being a Bond Trader for Salomon Brothers

How hard was it being a bond trader in the 1980s? How did Salomon Brothers take over Wall Street? Salomon Brothers investment bank was founded in 1910 by Arthur, Herbert, and Percy Salomon. It wasn’t until the 1980s that the firm found its niche within the growing bond market. Keep reading to learn how the Salomon Brothers controlled the bond market, according to Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis.

How Jim Simons’s Trading Strategy Changed the Market

What is Jim Simons’s trading strategy? Why did his strategy take off in the 1990s and 2000s? Jim Simons’s trading strategy was so unique that it made him one of the best money managers in modern financial history. It focused on buying or selling currencies at the right time based on the model’s predictions of when they were most likely to rise or fall in value. Let’s look at how the Renaissance strategy dominated the Quant Era of Wall Street.

Reject Perfectionism in Art—Mistakes Are Part of the Process

Are you a creator and a perfectionist? Are you aware that perfectionism actually hinders creativity? One aspect of being an artist is cultivating a creative mindset. Such a mindset keeps you inspired and helps you work through challenges and creative blocks. Perfectionism isn’t part of a creative mindset; in fact, it gets in the way of the artistic process. Read more to understand why perfectionism in art is problematic.

How to Support a Shy Child: It’s Not About Confidence

Do you have a child who’s hesitant in social situations? What’s the best way to encourage them? In her book Good Inside, clinical psychologist and parent Dr. Becky Kennedy contends that hesitancy in a child isn’t about confidence. In fact, she argues, a shy child knows who they are and what makes them comfortable or uncomfortable. Keep reading to learn how social hesitancy is more about comfort than confidence and how this understanding can help you provide a shy child with the kind of support they need.

Manager Performance Survey: How to Rate What Truly Counts

Are you an effective manager? What would the people on your team say? What score would they give you? Employee engagement in the workforce is at an all-time low. Russ Laraway says the solution is better management. He argues that managers must focus on goals, coaching, and career development, and he says that employees should rate the manager’s effectiveness in each of these areas. Read more to get Laraway’s ideas for a manager performance survey that will help you know how you’re doing where it really counts.

The FTC’s “Click to Cancel” Regulation—Explained

Do you dread canceling subscriptions because the process can be so convoluted? Did you know companies do this on purpose? The global subscription services market is expected to double in size by 2026. Much of its success comes from making it difficult for people to cancel their subscriptions. The US Federal Trade Commission has proposed a “Click to Cancel” rule that would crack down on deceptive company practices. We’ll take a look at the Click to Cancel rule below.