The World's Best Book Summaries
Are you shy around strangers? How do you talk to people at parties? At a function where you don’t know people, it can be uncomfortable to strike up a conversation. But with Priya Parker’s book The Art of Gathering, hosts will learn how to get guests to step out of their comfort zone to connect with people on a deeper level. If you want to know how to talk to people at parties, continue reading.
Why should you observe your emotions in a stressful situation? How do you detach from your emotions? In Stop Overthinking by Nick Trenton, you learn that one of the key ways to respond to a stressful event is to observe your emotions. That way, you’re less likely to fret about the event and how it’ll affect you in the future. Check out how to detach from your emotions so you can cope with stress.
What are the best innovation management tools? How are maps useful for keeping track of products in progress? In 101 Design Methods, Vijay Kumar discusses many specific tools and techniques that can be useful for completing an innovation project. Two especially helpful tools are cluster maps and comparison tables. Let’s dive into these innovation management tools so you can use them for your next project.
What is mindfulness, according to Jon Kabat-Zinn? What does the practice of mindfulness require you to do? Mindfulness is the subject of Jon Kabat-Zinn’s book Wherever You Go, There You Are. In the book, he claims that practicing mindfulness will improve your life and help you stay in the moment. Keep reading to learn more about why Jon Kabat-Zinn thinks mindfulness is important.
How does poverty affect one’s cognitive functioning? What are the psychological consequences of never having enough money? Poverty takes a huge toll on one’s cognitive capacity. Poor people are so preoccupied with stretching their money that they don’t have any mental bandwidth to focus on anything else. The cognitive effects of poverty should be tackled on the institutional level. Here are some recommended poverty alleviation programs from Scarcity.
What’s your self-image? What’s slowing you down in life? Do you have a clear picture of success? Thinking of your mind as a machine can improve your self-image and dramatically increase your ability to feel successful and happy. Maxwell Maltz explores this idea in his book Psycho-Cybernetics. Continue reading for five Psycho-Cybernetics exercises you can use to program your mind and take your life to the next level.
How do you handle stress? Do you stick to your principles when the going gets tough? What effect do stories have on you? The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien tells the stories of a small company of American soldiers serving in the Vietnam War. Through the narrative, the book blurs the line between autobiography and fiction, leaving the reader unsure as to what is fact and what is myth. Continue reading to see several The Things They Carried questions that you can use to get more out of your reading.
What’s causing the Colorado River water shortage? What impact will it have on the river itself, water users, and the wider economy? Reservoirs throughout the Colorado River drainage have become critically depleted because current water use agreements divert more irrigation water to farmers than the river can provide. Reduced availability of irrigation water could potentially diminish the nation’s food supply and drive up prices. Keep reading to learn more about the cause and impact of the Colorado River water shortage.
How does the language people use reflect and impact the way they see themselves? Is there an inherent flaw in Western science? According to Alan Watts, the ego is the culprit behind the ills of Western society. In The Book, he argues that Western society perpetuates “the ego illusion” through the language people use, the expectations they place on each other, and even the way they approach science. Continue reading to understand Watts’s argument regarding ego in the West.
What was Richard Feynman’s contribution to the Manhattan Project? How did he look back on the experience? In the early 1940s, Richard Feynman was working on his doctorate at Princeton. An army general arrived on campus to recruit physicists. Feynman signed up, having no idea how his decision would change his life and put him at the center of a project that would change the world. Read more to learn about Richard Feynman, the Manhattan Project, and the dawning of a new era.