Shortform Books

The Hard Thing About Hard Things: Book Overview (Ben Horowitz)

Most business books focus on strategy, culture, and goal-setting. But Ben Horowitz knows those aren’t the hard parts. The hard parts are the brutal decisions that keep you up at night—such as firing friends who no longer fit or betting everything on one last desperate move to save your dying company. The Hard Thing About Hard Things is Horowitz’s battle-tested guide for navigating those impossible moments. Drawing from his years leading companies through near-disasters (and eventual success), he shares in his book what it really takes to survive “the Struggle” and come out stronger.

What Is Radical Acceptance? It’s Freedom

What is Radical Acceptance? How does Mohini the tiger’s story perfectly illustrate the concept? What are the two key aspects of Radical Acceptance? Radical Acceptance is comprised of mindfulness and compassion. Mindfulness is the practice of understanding what is happening to us physically, mentally, and emotionally, without being ruled by it and compassion is responding with care and tenderness. Both aspects are needed for Radical Acceptance. Continue reading to learn about Radical Acceptance and how you can free yourself.

The Rise of the Useless Class: Is It Inevitable?

What is a useless class? Is the emergence of a useless class an inevitable consequence of advances in technology? In his book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Yuval Harari makes a point that advances in technology, specifically AI, are likely to lead to the creation of a useless class, much like mass industrialization created the working class. And although the AI will create new jobs, it’s likely that there will still be a net loss in employment, creating a useless class of unskilled workers. Keep reading to learn about the rise of useless class and what can be done

3 Essentialism Quotes on How to Do Less But Better

Looking for Essentialism quotes by Greg McKeown? What do they teach about prioritizing and time management? Essentialism is a 2014 book by leadership and business strategist Greg McKeown, in which he walks you through his principles of essential living. The following Essentialism quotes capture some of his key ideas about essential living, prioritizing, and time management. Keep reading for Essentialism quotes by Greg McKeown.

Buddha Under the Bodhi Tree: Learn to Pause

What is the story of Buddha under the Bodhi Tree? How can taking the time to pause give you a temporary nirvana? After several years of searching for the answer to happiness, Siddhartha Gautama took a moment to pause under a tree. At this moment, he came to realize that there was room in the world for both suffering and beauty to coexist. Continue on for the full story of Buddha and the Bodhi Tree.

The Okinawan Secrets to Japanese Longevity

Why does Japan have the longest life expectancy? What is the secret to Japanese longevity? The Japanese are known for their extraordinary longevity, especially on the southern island of Okinawa, where people live longer than anywhere else. To uncover the secrets to Japanese longevity, author and blogger Héctor García and writer Francesc Miralles visited the Okinawan town of Ogimi, whose residents have the longest average lifespan of all Okinawans. Keep reading to learn about the secrets of Japanese longevity.

The Culture Code: Book Breaks Down Work Cultures

What is The Culture Code book about? What are the key elements of effective work culture, according to its author Daniel Coyle? In his 2018 book The Culture Code, Daniel Coyle outlines three indispensable elements of effective work culture: safety, vulnerability, and purpose. He breaks down the key attributes and benefits of each concept, warns about the consequences of ignoring them, and gives insight into how to implement them in your workplace. Keep reading for more about Daniel Coyle’s book The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups.

The Law of Singularity: Focus on Impactful Strikes

What is the Law of Singularity in marketing? Why is it better to focus your efforts on one big jab rather than multiple small punches? The Law of Singularity states that you should focus on finding opportunities to make a bold move that makes a big impression. The Law of Candor goes further to say that that big impact may even be the act of acknowledging your own negative attributes and exploiting them. Continue reading about the Law of Singularity and the Law of Candor from The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing.

What Happened to the Netscape Browser?

What was the history of the Netscape browser? What lead to its downfall? Where is Netscape now? In Ben Horowitz’s book The Hard Thing About Hard Things, he talks about the rise and fall of the Netscape browser. What started as a promising venture fell apart when Microsoft entered their playing field. Keep reading to learn about the history of the Netscape browser.

21 Lessons for the 21st Century Book Overview

What is the book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century about? What are the biggest problems of the 21st century, according to its author Yuval Noah Harari? In his book 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Yuval Noah Harari highlights the three most urgent challenges of the 21st century: 1) the nuclear challenge, 2) the ecological challenge, and 3) the technological challenge. He also shares some thoughts on how to approach these issues, but his main aim is to spur the reader to keep exploring and to participate in shaping the future. Keep reading for more about the book 21