The World's Best Book Summaries
What is 101 Design Methods by Vijay Kumar about? What are the main takeaways of the book? In 101 Design Methods, Kumar lays out a systematic approach to innovation management involving the completion of seven innovation tasks. Kumar also discusses a number of specific tools and techniques you can use in the course of completing an innovation project. Read below for a brief overview of 101 Design Methods’ main ideas.
What is Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop about? What are power statements and how do you use them? In the self-help book Unfu*k Yourself, Gary John Bishop argues that the way you think dictates your reality. He introduces seven power statements that you can tell yourself to help reshape your negative thoughts into positive ones. Keep reading for an overview of Unfu*k Yourself by Gary John Bishop.
What is a scarcity mentality? How does being in a state of scarcity affect your mental state? When we’re in a state of scarcity (e.g. lacking time or money), we work more efficiently and make decisions more rationally. However, scarcity also pushes us to make trade-offs that can be costly in the long run. Here’s a look at the psychological effects of scarcity, according to behavioral science researchers Sendhil Mullainathan and Eldar Shafir.
What’s the Western concept of self? Was Plato right about the soul? Are some of us just fooling ourselves about our true nature as humans? Many people in the West internalize the idea that each of us is an individual—an entity separate from others and our surroundings. This basic understanding of identity is so foundational to Western society that most people never question it. But, British philosopher Alan Watts questions it in The Book. Keep reading to learn why Watts thinks the idea is misguided and what he believes our true nature is instead.
What role does your social life play in your health and well-being? Why is it important to surround yourself with the right people? Having a social life is an important factor in one’s mental and physical well-being. But it’s not just being around people that matters. To reap the psychological benefits of socializing, you must surround yourself with the right people. Here’s a look at the importance of social life and some tips for cultivating enriching and emotionally fulfilling relationships.
What’s your work philosophy? How would you spend your time if money were no object? Whom would you trust to help you design your life? In Designing Your Life, Stanford professors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans share the content of their popular courses and workshops on life design. Using concrete principles and examples, they teach readers how to design a meaningful life in which they can truly thrive. Continue reading to find several Designing Your Life exercises that will help you apply the book’s concepts.
Why are we so stressed as a society? How does chronic stress affect mental health? As a result of the fast pace of modern life, we endure a lot of ongoing, chronic stress. According to physician Lissa Rankin, the author of Mind Over Medicine, chronic stress stands behind the modern mental health epidemic of anxiety and depression. Here’s how chronic stress drives the mental health epidemic plaguing societies today.
What’s the arrival fallacy? Do you have a mentor? What are you learning right now? No matter how successful you become, it’s vital to never stop growing—which requires a lifelong commitment to learning from your experiences. John C. Maxwell explains why continual learning optimizes growth, and he shares strategies to maximize learning and growth throughout your life. Continue reading to discover how to keep learning, keep growing, and become the person you dream of being.
When civil service in America expanded, how did power shift? What resulted from the reforms to the patronage system? C. Wright Mills argues that federal bureaucratic agencies in the U.S. have slowly gained more and more power than elected officials at every level—officials who are far more accountable to the American people. An important step in this process was growing the size and scope of bureaucracy over time. Keep reading for a brief history of civil service that exposes one of the ways the nation’s elites centralized power.
Is everything relative? If so, what does that mean for our identity as humans? Philosopher Alan Watts believes that each of us is the Cosmic Being. What we think of as “I” is just one expression of the Cosmic Being in a particular time and place. Our real identity is the entire collection of beings and their environments and their relationships with one another. Continue reading for an intriguing discussion of relationalism as Watts sees it.