Shortform Books

Overview: Ikigai by Héctor García and Francesc Miralles

What is the book Ikigai about? How do Francesc Miralles and Héctor García’s explain the Japanese concept of ikigai? In their book Ikigai, Héctor García and Francesc Miralles teach you how to apply the Japanese concept of ikigai, or life purpose, to your own life. You can think of your ikigai as your “existential fuel.” It’s the thing that keeps you going in life and the reason you get up in the morning. Here is a brief overview of Francesc Miralles and Héctor García’s book Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long a Happy Life.

What Makes a Safe Working Environment?

The 3 Common Characteristics of a Good Business

Would you say that your organization has a safe working environment? Why is it important to ensure psychological safety in the workplace? A safe working environment is critical to effective teamwork. It develops direct communication, honest feedback, and a willingness to go above and beyond through constant signals of belonging. Learn about the key attributes of a safe working environment and why it’s good for workplace culture.

The Journey of Life: How to Make Life Worth it

What is the journey of life? How does Robert Pirsig explain this idea in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance? In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, Robert Pirsig uses his motorcycle road trip to help explain the journey of life. He talks about life philosophy, family, and how to find meaning. Read more about Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance and the journey of life.

Scaling Your Business: Not Everybody Makes the Cut

Is your business growing but you’re keeping the same managers? How could this be holding you back? Why does scaling your business mean you may need to replace once-valuable team members? Managing a 5-person team is very different from running a 100-person global sales force. Whenever your company scales, you should be reevaluating your employees. It may be difficult to replace somebody who has done a great job in the past, but you owe it to your company to find the best person for each job. Keep reading to learn what changes you should make when scaling your business.

Are We Living in the Matrix? The Short Answer Is Yes

Are we living in the matrix? Is reality an illusion? Is everything we experience a product of some sort of existential, or worse, technologically programmed simulation? The idea that reality is an illusion is central to several worldviews (e.g. Buddhism and Hinduism). The concept of the matrix has also been explored in sci-fi movies such as The Matrix and The Truman Show, in which the main characters discover that their entire realities are programmed. Is it possible that we are indeed living in the matrix? And if so, how do we escape? Keep reading for the answer to the question:

Are You Addicted to Distraction?

If deep work is so valuable, why don’t we do it more often? How did we become addicted to distraction in the workplace? There are three major distractions that workers face daily: open offices, instant communication, and social media. These distractions are ubiquitous in the corporate setting and are often even supported by companies. Keep reading to learn more about how the distraction addiction is preventing deep work.

How to Overcome Setbacks: Have Gumption!

Do you want to know how to overcome setbacks? What advice does Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance provide? In Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, learning how to overcome setbacks in life is another important part of the book’s philosophy. You can use the philosophies in the book, like gumption, to learn how to overcome setbacks in life. Read more about how to overcome setbacks in life using Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.

Soccer With the Auschwitz Guards: Lose or Die

What does Lale do when he’s tasked with putting together a soccer team to face the Auschwitz guards? What horrific job is he given the next day? What news does Gita get from home? In The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Lale is instructed to put together a soccer team to play against the Auschwitz guards. The team knows that if they embarrass the guards, they won’t survive. They must put on a good show. Continue reading about the soccer match with the Auschwitz guards.

Resilient Thinking: Managing Interconnected Systems

What is resilient thinking? How do you make a system resilient? The resilient thinking approach examines how complex interconnected systems can be managed in the face of shocks and unexpected disruptions. Making a system resilient comes from linking its parts in a way that makes it possible for them to reconfigure and adapt. Read about resilient thinking and how it has been applied to real-world problems.

The 21st-Century Problems: The Looming Challenges

What are the biggest problems of the 21st century? Why can’t these problems be solved with nationalist politics? According to Yuval Noah Harari, an Israeli public intellectual and author of 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, the biggest problems of the 21st century are all global in nature, and therefore, they require an international response. They are three of them: 1) the nuclear threat, 2) the climate change, and 3) the dual rise of bio- and info-tech. Keep reading to learn about the three major 21st-century problems, according to Yuval Noah Harari.