Shortform Books

How to Interact With People: Making Use of Power Dynamics

How would your personal interactions change if you understood human nature better? How might you adjust your behavior based on power dynamics? According to Robert Greene, everyone seeks power to some degree. Greene advises you to accept that the “game” of power can’t be avoided and learn how to play it to your advantage. If you refuse to accept this reality, you risk being manipulated or sidelined. Read more to learn how to interact with people in a way that minimizes this risk.

The 4 Easiest Investing Strategies for Beginners to Learn

Wealth Building and the Power of Compounding

Do you want to try your hand at investing? What are the best investment strategies for beginners? Investing is a great way to become financially stable—and even wealthy. With so many options out there, it’s overwhelming to know where to start. Luckily, we have strategies that are perfect for beginners who want to dip their toes in the investment pool. Check out these investing strategies for beginners, recommended by expert financial advisors and investors.

The Adjacent Possible: Steven Johnson Explains Reachable Ideas

Why did it take so long for the invention of the computer to take hold? How can different people, working independently, come up with the same innovation? Good ideas don’t materialize miraculously from nothing. Instead, they build on existing knowledge and ideas. Emergence from the adjacent possible, Steven Johnson argues, is a hallmark of the most successful ideas. Keep reading to learn what the adjacent possible is and how we can mine it for good ideas.

How to Get Things Done Faster: 3 Ways to Streamline Routines

What tasks do you do routinely? What if you could get them done more efficiently and free up time for more substantive work? In Someday Is Today, Matthew Dicks argues that achieving your dreams and overcoming mediocrity is possible, but only if you start acting now. He shares advice on how to maximize your time, efficiency, and productivity when it comes to everything you have to do, including your routine tasks. Continue reading to learn how to get things done faster in three practical ways.

How to Spend Money Wisely on Fulfilling Life Experiences

Want to learn how to spend money wisely? Why is it important to spend money on experiences rather than things? In Die With Zero, Bill Perkins teaches you how to spend money wisely to get the most out of your life experiences and relationships with others. He challenges the idea of saving every penny for retirement and instead advocates for spending your money on what matters most. Read on to learn how to spend your money wisely, according to Perkins’s tips.

A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi: Overview

What is A First-Rate Madness about? What are the main takeaways of the book? For years, abnormal mental health has influenced successful leadership decisions during critical times of war and conflict. In A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi uncovers the pitfalls of being a mentally well leader and how mental health treatment affects leadership. Read below for a brief overview of Ghaemi’s A First-Rate Madness.

How Can We Save the Planet? By Saving the Humans First

How can we save the planet? What’s wrong with most of the current solutions? Though it’s become widely accepted that climate change is real, the questions still remain of what steps we should take to fix the damage and whether they’ll be enough. In Apocalypse Never, Michael Shellenberger explains why he thinks most initiatives are misguided and provides his own proposals. Read more to learn Shellenberger’s analysis of the climate problem and to discover the fix he thinks we need.

Michelle Obama: Change Is a Journey, Not a Race

What does it take to change your life? Why do people get stuck in their old patterns and struggle to change against their best interests? Change doesn’t happen overnight. People who think that they can overhaul their life quickly are so focused on hitting the next milestone that they fail to recognize smaller, slower progression. As a result, they feel discouraged even when making progress. Here’s why change is a journey, according to Michelle Obama.

How to Stop Impulsive Behavior From Thwarting Your Progress

Do you struggle to resist your impulses? How does acting on impulse prevent you from achieving your goals? Our impulses often get the better of us, prompting us to behave in ways that contradict our best interests. In their book Triggers, Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter explain how to stop impulsive behavior by identifying your “triggers”—stimuli and situations that prompt you to react impulsively. Here are three strategies for keeping your behavior in check so that you can stay on track toward your goals.

The 4 Organizational Innovation Types—Explained

What are the best types of organizational innovation? How should you organize your company’s operations? Ten Types of Innovation by Larry Keeley and his co-authors identify four types of innovations that relate to organizing your company or its operations. The distinction between them lies in whether they relate to your capabilities, your internal organizational structure, your external relations with other organizations, or how you monetize your product. Continue reading for more details on these organizational innovation types.