Shortform Books

Capitalism Theory: How It Created a New System of Ethics

What does capitalism theory say about how the economy should be governed? What kind of ethics has capitalism introduced into society? Capitalism is a system of private ownership based on the ethics of individual wealth. It gets its name from the word “capital”: money and resources that are invested in the production of a product or service. We’ll cover the basics of capitalism theory and look at the new set of ethics capitalism introduced into society.

British Rule in India: Can You Erase Imperial Legacies?

What were the legacies of British rule in India? How did the British Raj irrevocably change the nation? We’ll cover the British legacy in India and how empires, though often oppressive and unjust, bring benefits as well. See how the British rule in India has impacted the country today.

Hunter-Gatherer Societies: What We Know and Can’t Know

We’ve only been working in offices and, before that, as farmers and herders, for the last 12,000 years. For hundreds of thousands of years before that, the majority of our species’ history, we lived in hunter-gatherer societies. Hunter-gatherer societies were the predominant form of societies for early humans. We don’t know much about these societies, but we do know that hunter-gatherers were probably some of the most skilled and informed humans in history. We’ll cover the nomadic hunter-gatherer lifestyle and evidence of forager belief systems.

Individualism and Collectivism: What They Are + Why They’re Myths

What’s the difference between individualism and collectivism? What do they mean? How do these values diversely affect our behavior and what we see as “natural”? The difference between individualism and collectivism is that the belief in individualism emphasizes the rights of the individual, whereas the belief in collectivism emphasizes what’s best for the community. These two belief systems produce very different behaviors in society. We’ll cover how beliefs about individualism and collectivism that we hold are “true” are actually imagined orders. Still, they have a powerful impact on our behavior.

What Is the Barter System? How It Worked for Our Ancestors

What is the barter system? How did the barter economy work before currencies were invented? What were its advantages? What were its problems? The barter system is a system of trading one thing for another. It was the predominant economy before the invention of money. We’ll cover how the barter system worked and the flaws in the barter economy.

What Caused the Agricultural Revolution? Accident, Probably

What caused the Agricultural Revolution? How did farming come to dominate the modern era? The Agricultural Revolution was probably caused inadvertently by the spread of wheat. Early Sapiens took advantage of the prospering of wheat to set down roots and abandon their nomadic lifestyles. We’ll cover the causes of the Agricultural Revolution and how the “revolution” happened gradually.

“What You See Is All There Is” Bias (WYSIATI)

What is the “What You See is All There Is (WYSIATI)” phenomenon? How does it work? Why does WYSIATI lead to bad decisions? What You See is All There Is (WYSIATI) is a cognitive bias described by Daniel Kahneman in Thinking, Fast and Slow. WYSIATI says that when presented with evidence, especially those that confirm your mental model, you do not question what evidence might be missing. Learn how the “What You See is All There Is” phenomenon affects your decision making, and learn how to overcome it.

Heuristics and Biases: Bad Thinking and Bad Decisions

What is a heuristic question? How is it involved in decision-making? What is the link between heuristics and biases? A heuristic question is a question that’s relatively easy to answer that you substitute for a more complex question. Heuristics are practical, but not always ideal. They help you make quick decisions. We’ll cover how heuristics work, examples of heuristics, and the benefits and dangers of heuristic thinking.

4 Surprising Effects of the Scientific Revolution

What were the effects of the Scientific Revolution? How did advances in science lead to the merging of science, imperialism, and capitalism? The effects of the Scientific Revolution include the merging of science with other institutions and the legacy of how we perceive the inevitability of death. These effects have touched almost every aspect of our governments and economies. We’ll cover the impact of the Scientific Revolution on politics, governments, and ethics.

Capitalism and Imperialism: A Codependent Relationship

What is the relationship between capitalism and imperialism? How did the line between them (if there is one at all) become so blurry? Capitalism and imperialism are codependent. Capitalism allows empires to flourish, while empires often work to serve capitalism (and their own interests). We’ll cover how capitalism and imperialism are intimately linked and look at the history of their relationship.