Shortform Books

Forever Chemicals in Water: The EPA’s Plan for Regulation

How are “forever chemicals” in water hazardous to your health? What’s behind the EPA’s new plan to regulate them? A new Environmental Protection Agency plan to rid US drinking water of “forever chemicals” (PFAS) could cost local utilities millions of dollars and send the financial pain downstream to customers. The agency says the proposal will prevent thousands of deaths related to the chemicals. Read on to learn about the dangers of forever chemicals and the EPA’s plan to reduce them in our water.

The Link Between Childhood Trauma and Relationships in Adulthood

What’s the connection between childhood trauma and relationships in adulthood? How do your parents affect your love life in the future? Even when you’re out of the house, your parents strongly impact your adult relationships. This is the case especially if you suffered from childhood trauma and have yet to heal those wounds. Keep reading to learn how childhood trauma affects adult relationships, according to David Richo’s book How to Be an Adult in Relationships.

If You Tell: Gregg Olsen’s Recount of Shelly Knotek’s Abuse

What can you learn about the psychology of abuse in Gregg Olsen’s If You Tell? Why did Shelly Knotek abuse and kill three people? Media are rife with haunting stories of true crime, but some accounts are more chilling than others. In If You Tell, Gregg Olsen recounts the story of the notorious abuser and murderer Shelly Knotek, who, along with her husband Dave, caused three deaths. Read below for a brief overview of If You Tell.

Freudian Marxism: The Fusion of Class & Psychological Domination

What do the ideas of Marx and Freud have in common? How did they help form the modern conception of the self? Carl Trueman argues that cultural developments of the past three centuries have transformed our conception of selfhood from a self rooted in religion, tradition, and community to one rooted in individualism, emotion, and sexuality. The ideas of Marx and Freud contributed to this transformation. Read more to learn about the roots and the emergence of Freudian Marxism from Trueman’s perspective.

The Benefits of Spiritual Awakening for You and Others

What are the benefits of spiritual awakening? Why should everyone strive to become enlightened? In your meditative journey, you experience what the authors call insights (vipassanā): epiphanies that dispel your illusions about life, revealing how it really is. These insights, which The Mind Illuminated calls “realizations,” enable you to reach enlightenment. Once you’ve reached enlightenment, you and everyone else around you will experience the benefits listed below.

The Procrastination Cure by Damon Zahariades: Overview

What is The Procrastination Cure by Damon Zahariades about? What are the main takeaways of the book? The Procrastination Cure delves into the causes of chronic procrastination and how it negatively affects your life. Zahariades gives helpful tips to address each cause by removing distractions, increasing motivation, and managing your time. Read below for a brief overview of The Procrastination Cure.

Ready, Fire, Aim: Michael Masterson’s 4-Step Business Strategy

What should be your top priority during the first stage of your business? What are some effective ways of coming up with new product ideas? How can you keep your business growing after initial success? In Ready, Fire, Aim, Michael Masterson presents a strategy for building and growing a profitable business. He says successful, multimillion-dollar businesses progress through four stages of development, each presenting different challenges and objectives that entrepreneurs must prioritize. Read more for an overview of this book that can help you ensure continued growth and profitability for your business.

Appeal to the Audience: How to Connect Your Idea to Their Desires

Why is it important to appeal to the audience? Do you know what your audience’s specific needs are? Whether you’re selling a product, giving a presentation, or asking your team to adopt a new software platform, you need to know what your audience wants out of it. Without your audience, you’ll never be able to sell your products or ideas. So, you should try to appeal to what they want and need. Continue reading to learn how to connect your message with your audience’s needs and desires.

How to Write Marketing Copy: 4 Steps to Communicate Your Edge

Do you have an excellent product that deserves excellent marketing copy? What’s the best way to capture your product’s essence in words? To succeed in business, you must effectively market and sell your product or service. Not only must you refine what your product or service is, but you must also refine how you present it. In Ready, Fire, Aim, Michael Masterson provides a four-step strategy to do that. Read more to learn how to write marketing copy in four simple steps.