Shortform Books

How Does the Military Chain of Command Work?

How does the chain of command work in the American military? What are its main limitations? The U.S. military chain of command has long been structured in a bottom-up fashion: information flows from the field up the chain of command, where decisions are made and orders are sent back down. While it allows for structured communication, running decisions up and down the chain of command takes too much time and creates too much risk. Keep reading to learn about the military chain of command in the US task force, its history, and key limitations.

Religion and Morality: Can You Be Good Without God?

What is the connection between religion and morality? Is the belief in God necessary for morality and social order? Holy books such as the Bible and Quran try to draw the connection between morality and religion by conflating the cosmic God and the lawgiver God. But humans don’t need divine law or the threat of hell in order to act morally. Morality is baked into the DNA of humans and all social animals. Keep reading for more about morality and religion.

Tips for Living a Productive Life Every Single Day

How do you feel at the end of your typical day? Do you feel proud of what you’ve achieved or disappointed, wishing you could do more? Do you wish you could live a productive life day in and day out? Most people’s lives are composed of good days and bad days when they feel both of those things. Few people live a productive life day in and day out because they focus on how they can do more in less time. But the real boost in productivity comes from things that have nothing to do with that. Here is how

The 4 Different Types of Meetings in a Company

What are the four different types of meetings in a company? How should each type of meeting be run? In the business fable Death by Meeting, Patrick Lencioni describes the four types of meetings in a company. The types of meetings are: the check-in, the tactical, the strategic, and the review. He explains how each one should be run and how long they should be. Continue on to learn about the four types of meetings in a company.

The Okinawan Diet Plan: 3 Principles of Eating

What are the key principles of the Okinawan diet plan? How can eating the Okinawan way help you live both longer and better? A variety of research has uncovered the principles of Okinawan diet plan for promoting health and longevity. Understanding these principles is important to anybody who’s interested in the pursuit of optimal living. Keep reading for the three principles of the Okinawan diet plan.

5 Tips for Giving Effective Employee Feedback

What’s your approach to giving employee feedback? What aspects of giving feedback do you find most difficult? Giving employee feedback can be tricky. On the one hand, you don’t want to sound too critical or judgmental, and on the other, you want to be as straightforward as possible to make sure the feedback is acted upon. Here are five tips for giving effective employee feedback.

When Is the Right Time to Sell Your Business?

How do you know when it’s the right time to sell your business? Is it in your best interest to stay independent? In The Hard Thing About Hard Things, author Ben Horwitz discusses when the right time to sell your business is. There are both rational and emotional factors when it comes to selling something you’ve built and both play into the decision-making process. Continue reading for advice on whether or not you should sell your business.

Science vs Art: Robert Pirsig’s Two Philosophies of Life

What is the difference between science vs art? What does Robert Pirsig say about these differences in his book Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, author Robert Pirsig explains the two life philosophies in science vs art. He conveys these through his ideas, and through the differing ideas of fellow travelers. Read more about the difference between science vs art in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Technology & Inequality: Transcending Biology

How does technology affect inequality? What can future technology give to the wealthy and take away from the poor? With the rise of technology, the inequality gap is becoming wider. There’s even speculation that advances in tech will eventually create a useless class, just like mass industrialization created the working class. Making matters worse, developments in biotech could enable wealthy elites to become biologically superior and turn into a separate species. Keep reading to learn how advances in technology contribute to inequality going forward.

Deep Work Checklists: Plan Your Day Effectively

Looking for advice on how to plan your day effectively? How can planning your day in 30-minute chunks help you be more productive? In Cal Newport’s Deep Work, he suggests that you make a checklist for the work day and for your end-of-day shutdown. Following these checklists will help keep your deep work schedule on track. Keep reading for Cal Newport’s deep work checklists.