Shortform Books

Feeling Unfulfilled in Life? This Could Be the Reason

Are you feeling unfulfilled in life? Do you feel as though something is missing but can’t quite put your finger on what it is? According to Gay Hendricks, the author of The Big Leap, a sense of dissatisfaction and lack of fulfillment often stems from what he calls the “Upper Limit Problem.” In other words, you’re feeling unfulfilled because you’ve reached a level of success and happiness that you’re not comfortable with. Here’s how success propels you to your happiness threshold, according to Hendricks.

Brené Brown: How to Deal With Negative Emotions

Do your emotions often get out of hand? How can you channel your negative emotions into more constructive ends? According to Brené Brown, emotions are a powerful force of love and connection when used correctly and channeled into positive actions. Used improperly, they cut us off from each other, leaving us divided and hateful. Here’s how to deal with negative emotions, according to Brené Brown.

3 Reasons Why Poverty Is a Social Problem

Is poverty a social problem? Why is poverty heavily associated with wealth and income? Should it be? While income is still widely considered an income problem, economist and philosopher Amartya Sen says that poverty is created and enhanced by a lack of human rights and freedom. In Development as Freedom, Sen claims that focusing only on income just creates more social issues. Let’s look at three reasons why poverty is a social problem.

Building Self-Esteem in Children: 8 Tips for Parents

What role does parenting play in children’s self-esteem? How can parents help their children develop healthy self-esteem? If parents fail to provide optimal conditions for the proper psychological development of their child, he or she could grow into an adult who is in an arrested stage of psychological development—and whose self-esteem is unhealthy. Of course, these children can still adopt behavior that nurtures their self-esteem, so parenting doesn’t determine a child’s self-esteem, but it can support or hamper it. Here are eight specific best practices for building self-esteem in children.

The Lee Thesis: Does Authoritarianism Help the Poor?

What’s the Lee thesis? Why does it claim that authoritarianism helps poor nations better than democracy does? Amartya Sen claims in Development as Freedom that democracy is the solution to helping poor economies, but the Lee thesis states otherwise. The thesis states that authoritarianism eradicates poverty because of a focus on economic development rather than freedom. Let’s look at what Sen has to say about the Lee thesis and whether authoritarianism really is the answer to economic prosperity.

Four Thousand Weeks: Quotes by Oliver Burkeman

Are you looking for Four Thousand Weeks quotes by Oliver Burkeman? What are some of the key passages worth revisiting? In Four Thousand Weeks, Oliver Burkeman asserts that you and most humans live with the mistaken belief that if you try hard enough and find the right time management solutions, you should be able to gain total control over your time. But according to Burkeman, you’ll never have full control of your time. If you accept this reality—that your time is beyond your control—you’ll be both happier and more productive. Here’s a selection of passages highlighting some of the key ideas.

5 Ways to Build Self-Esteem in the Workplace

What role does self-esteem play in one’s professional success? How can organizations help their employees foster healthy self-esteem? Self-esteem has grown essential to both economic and professional success. In such a world, companies must keep up with constantly changing realities and ever-increasing global competition—which requires employees with high self-esteem. Here’s what companies can do to promote employees’ self-esteem in the workplace.

Spark by John Ratey: Book Overview

What is John Ratey’s Spark about? What is the key message to take away from the book? Spark by John Ratey is a look at the science behind what exercise does to our brains and what it means for our mental health. Ratey derives his insights from observations of his own patients as well as from scientific discoveries that were revolutionizing neuroscience around the time of the book’s publication in 2008. Below is a brief overview of Spark by John Ratey.

Where Does the Process of Digestion Begin?

Where does the process of digestion begin? What are the key organs involved in the digestion of food? We tend to think digestion happens in the abdomen, but it actually starts in the mouth. When we eat food, the mouth begins to break it down by releasing saliva and chewing. The mouth also protects us from unwelcome bacteria that we encounter in everyday life. These functions take place in two places: the salivary glands and the tonsils. Keep reading to learn about the stages of the digestion process.

How Top-Down Writing Hurts Your Creative Process

What is top-down writing? How does it actually hurt your writing process? Top-down writing is the traditional writing method where you draft a thesis and then conduct research based on your thesis statement. In other words, you create ideas to support your existing thesis rather than developing a thesis that encompasses your original ideas. This method works in theory, but in practice, it has several issues. Here’s how the top-down writing approach hinders your creative process.