Shortform Books

The Richest Man in Babylon: 7 Cures for a Lean Purse

What are the “7 Cures for a Lean Purse”? How did Arkad—the richest man in Babylon—come up with his wealth principles? The 7 Cures of a Lean Purse are the financial principles of Arkad, a fictional character in the Babylonian parables titled The Richest Man in Babylon. Arkad, who began his wealth journey as a poor scribe, came up with these principles when his friends approached him for advice on how to grow wealth. Here is a quick synopsis of Arkad’s wealth principles.

How L. David Marquet Turned the Ship Around

What did L. David Marquet do when he first took command of a submarine? What leadership lessons did he get a chance to put into action? Today, L. David Marquet is known as a remarkable leader who turned things around for a demoralized submarine crew. He did this by putting into action the leadership lessons he learned in his early years in the Navy. The primary lesson was realizing that everyone can think and act like a leader. Read more to learn what L. David Marquet did in the first few months of his new command.

The Artist’s Guide to Connecting With Your Higher Self

Why is connecting with your higher self the key to creative achievement? How can you go about connecting with your higher self? Connecting with your higher self means opening yourself up to higher planes of consciousness, which you often can’t access due to external distractions. In this state of mind, you’ll experience creative inspiration and will improve your creative output. Learn about connecting with your higher self below.

Ideological Development: Are Political Views Innate?

How are political views formed? Do we learn them? Or are we born with them? In The Righteous Mind, social psychologist Jonathan Haidt discusses how we can have more constructive conversations with people who have different political leanings than our own. Interestingly, he believes that political ideology is at least partially innate, not just learned. He offers three keys to understanding ideological development, which can help bridge the divide. Read more to learn about ideological development.

The Benefit of Religion: 3 Ways It Makes Us Better

What are the benefits of religion in society? How does religion help make us better as individuals and communities? Social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that we must understand religion primarily as a social driver that brings people into a community around a belief. Ultimately, this helps us find our moral foundation. Read more to understand the benefits of religion, according to Jonathan Haidt.

Strategic Management: Strategy Design and More

What exactly is strategic management? How do businesses develop strategies? What goes into a business strategy? In the most basic terms, strategic management involves setting objectives and devising strategies to attain them. According to Richard P. Rumelt, one of the most influential thinkers and strategic management and strategy design, a good organizational strategy must have a “kernel”—an underlying structure consisting of three components: 1) diagnosis, 2) guiding policy, and 3) action plan. Read more about the two primary truths about an organizational strategy and the kernel at the heart of any good strategy.

The Psychology Behind Your Sexual Imagination

What do sexual fantasies tell us about ourselves? What do they symbolize? And why do we keep them to ourselves? Our sexual imagination is a gateway to our sexuality—erotic fantasies reveal a lot about our inner sexual worlds. According to psychotherapist Esther Perel, sexual fantasies are unlike regular fantasies in the sense that they are symbolic, not literal. Further, sexual fantasies are often in contradiction with our self-image which is why people tend to keep them to themselves. Keep reading learn about the psychology behind sexual fantasy and what your sexual thoughts reveal about you.

Lung Disease: Causes, Types, and Prevention

What are the most common causes of lung disease? What are the different types of lung disease? On average, 296,000 people die from lung disease every year. Within lung disease are three sub-diseases: 1) lung cancer: 160,000 deaths per year; 2) chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: 140,000 deaths per year; 3) asthma: 3,000 deaths per year. Keep reading to learn about lung disease causes, types, and prevention.

The Hunt for John Wilkes Booth: Timeline & Events

How did the hunt for John Wilkes Booth and his co-conspirators unfold? What was the ultimate fate of the assassins? The hunt for John Wilkes Booth and his accomplices lasted for several days after the assassination of Lincoln. Chasing Lincoln’s Killers tells the chilling tale of the assassins and the sympathizers who helped them flee from Washington, through Maryland, and ultimately to Virginia. Read more to learn the exciting story of the hunt for John Wilkes Booth.

Scarce Skills: Cash Them in to Get a Job You Love

Do you have scarce skills that are in high demand? How can they be developed? Scarce skills equal career capital. You can develop them to the point where you’re so good people can’t ignore you. Then you can cash them in to get the job you want. Read more to learn how to develop and leverage scarce skills.