Shortform Books

The Smartphone Market Decline: Causes & Consequences

Why are fewer people buying new smartphones? How has this impacted the smartphone market overall? Sales of new smartphones have been on a downward spiral for over a year and experts don’t expect this to change any time soon. Some say the softening smartphone market is good for price-conscious buyers, but others argue that buying new phones as soon as they’re released isn’t a smart move. Read on to learn what’s behind the declining smartphone market and what the future holds.

How to Treat Childhood Trauma in Adults: 3 Ways to Heal

Are elements of your childhood creeping into your relationships? Can adults be treated for childhood trauma? People can go years without treating childhood trauma or even realizing that they’re suffering from it. For those who have accepted that it’s negatively affecting their lives, How to Be an Adult in Relationships by David Richo has three practices that will help heal those wounds. Here’s how to treat childhood trauma in adults so they can learn to love.

How to Use Focused and Diffuse Modes of Attention in Learning

What’s the best way to use the Pomodoro method when learning something new? Is it possible to deliberately switch between two different modes of attention? In Learn Like a Pro, Barbara Oakley and Olav Schewe explain that the brain has two modes of attention: focused and diffuse mode. They discuss how each mode works and then show how you can use both focused and diffuse modes of attention in learning. Read more to understand how these modes of attention work, and how you can effectively put them to work for you.

If You Tell: Shelly Knotek’s Childhood and Marriages

How does If You Tell explain Shelly Knotek’s abusive behavior? What was Knotek like as a child? In Gregg Olsen’s If You Tell, Shelly Knotek’s childhood is presented as a possible explanation for why she turned out to be a horrific person. Even her three marriages are just the beginning of what she would put her daughters and other people through in adulthood. Let’s look at how Knotek’s childhood and marriages show early signs of her future crimes.

Cultural Gender vs. Biological Sex: The Origin of the Debate

When and how did the idea of cultural gender, distinct from biological sex, come about? How does it rely on the modern sense of the self? Just a few short decades ago, the traditional biblical understanding of gender was mainstream throughout Western societies. Most people espoused the view that gender was inseparable from biologically determined sex. Carl Trueman discusses how mainstream thought is changing. Keep reading to learn about the origin of the debate about cultural gender vs. biological sex.

How to Meditate Effectively: 4 Phases on the Enlightenment Path

Have you been stressed out and burdened by anxiety recently? What’s the key to meditating effectively? Meditation is one of the best ways to reach a peaceful state of mind. In The Mind Illuminated, you can learn how to meditate effectively by embarking on a stress-free journey that anyone can take. If you want to master the art of meditation, keep reading.

How to Give a Good Presentation: 4 Tips From a Keynote Speaker

Are you nervous about a big presentation coming up? Would you like to give a presentation that people will remember? René Rodriguez’s book Amplify Your Audience dives into a specific kind of communication that everyone should master: presenting in front of a group of people. Rodriguez provides tips for things you should do before and during your presentation that will boost its chances of success. Keep reading to learn how to give a good presentation with Rodriguez’s guidance.

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.