Shortform Books

The Clean Coder: Book on Coding Defines Top Skills

What is Robert C. Martin’s The Clean Coder about? What qualities, according to the author, distinguish a professional developer? In his book, The Clean Coder, expert developer Robert C. Martin explains how to be a programming professional—an honorable, reliable employee who produces quality work (or takes responsibility for the rare times she doesn’t). A professional’s most important responsibility is to meet their employer’s needs. Below is a brief overview of The Clean Coder: A Code of Conduct for Professional Programmers by Robert C. Martin.

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Introduction and Foreword

What is in the Amusing Ourselves to Death introduction? How does the 2005 introduction put the book into perspective? Amusing Ourselves to Death was written in 1985 by Neil Postman. In the 2005 version of the book, Postman’s son included an introduction that makes the book more relevant now than it was thirty-six years ago. Here is an overview of the 2005 Amusing Ourselves to Death introduction and foreword to the book.

Common Sense: The Pamphlet by Thomas Paine

Why did Thomas Paine write the 1776 pamphlet Common Sense? What were its purpose and historical significance? Common Sense was written by English-borne philosopher Thomas Paine to provide intellectual backing for American independence from England. While Paine’s ultimate goal certainly included convincing Americans of the righteousness of separation from England, the pamphlet itself is actually more directly concerned with larger questions of political philosophy. In this article, we’ll take a look at the main principles of Paine’s Common Sense argument.

Make Better Decisions With Probabilistic Thinking

How are your decision-making skills? Do you know what probabilistic thinking is—and how it can help you make better decisions? An important element of productivity is the ability to make better decisions. At its root is the ability to predict the future with some accuracy. Probabilistic thinking is one way to do this. Read more to learn how you can make better decisions using probabilistic thinking.

How Regulatory Agencies Enabled Racism in Housing

Which regulatory agencies facilitated racism in housing? What are the effects of systemic racism in housing? The IRS, FHA, and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) all introduced and enforced discriminatory housing policies that entrenched racism in housing. The primary effect of systemic racism in housing is that it prevents Blacks from building wealth through property ownership, which has led to the massive racial wealth gap seen today. Read on to fully understand how government institutions enabled racism in housing.

One-Minute Goals: Give Your Employees Direction

What are one-minute goals? How do you set them? Why do one-minute goals work? If you want to learn how to be a one-minute manager, then you need to learn about one-minute goals. Each goal you set should be readable in one minute or less, hence the name. When you have these written performance standards and deadlines, employees feel more driven and have direction. Here’s why you should set one-minute goals for your employees and why they work.

Willpower Traps: Stop Giving in to Temptation

Do you find yourself giving in to temptation too easily? What are the four traps that undermine willpower? There are four main traps that undermine willpower: the “I’m-making-progress” trap, the too-much optimism trap, the halo trap, and the moral licensing trap. Learn about the four types of willpower traps and how to stop giving in to temptation.

The Rise of For-Profit Health Insurance in America

How did health insurance become for-profit? What were the first for-profit insurers to enter the industry? Health insurance didn’t start out as a for-profit business. It began as an employer-sponsored incentive. However, as demand increased, for-profit insurers like Aetna and Cigna began entering the industry. Keep reading to learn about the rise of for-profit health insurance and its pricing mechanisms.

How to Examine a Book’s Structure: X-Ray Technique

Why should you examine a book’s structure? How can x-raying and categorizing a book help you level up your reading skills? According to Mortimer Adler in How to Read a Book, examining a book’s structure is part of inspectional reading. Adler says that if you can’t articulate the book in one sentence and make an outline of the major points, then you can determine that a book is poorly written. Continue reading for more of Adler’s tips on how to examine a book.

The Willpower Instinct—A Brief Overview

What is The Willpower Instinct about? What can you learn from Kelly McGonigal’s research? The Willpower Instinct by Kelly McGonigal explains how our natural willpower gets compromised by stress, distraction, lack of sleep, not enough exercise, and other external factors. She gives advice on how to improve your self-control and take your willpower back. Continue reading for a brief overview of The Willpower Instinct.