The World's Best Book Summaries
Overview of Law 13: Appeal to People’s Self-Interest, Never to Their Mercy When you need help from someone in a position of power, don’t talk about your needs or something you did for them in the past. Instead, appeal to people’s self-interest, never to their mercy. They’ll be glad to help if they’ll get something important to them in return.
Does negotiating work in extreme situations? Is negotiating with terrorists effective? Many Western governments refuse to negotiate with terrorists, or at least say they do. This may be a mistake. Learn why negotiating with terrorists is usually the best option a government has, even when it’s a bad option.
In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #1 is “Stand Up Straight With Your Shoulders Back.” What does this mean? Do you stand up straight physically? Or is this more of a metaphor for being confident? It turns out Jordan Peterson’s Rule 1 means both. We’ll discuss what he meant by stand up straight, and how your physical posture affects your mental state.
Jordan Peterson is often associated with lobsters. What is the deal? What do lobsters have to do with 12 Rules for Life? In summary, it has to do with science experiments with lobsters and social status. Lobsters jockey for social hierarchy, and they signal that to other lobsters. And this is relevant to you, because humans behave the same way. Learn more here.
One of Phil Knight’s key partners at Nike was Bill Bowerman, a star Olympic track coach and Phil’s former running coach from college. Bowerman was the mad scientist of the group, experimenting with new shoe designs and rubber formulations to produce a better running shoe. In one landmark experiment, he squeezed rubber in his wife’s waffle iron, producing the waffle sole. Learn more about Phil Knight and Bill Bowerman’s partnership here, with an excerpted summary of Phil Knight’s autobiography, Shoe Dog.
Overview of Law #19: Know Who You’re Dealing With—Do Not Offend the Wrong Person There are many different kinds of people, and each will react differently to attempts to deceive them. You need to know who you’re dealing with and avoid the types who will waste your time or exact revenge.
In 12 Rules for Life, Rule #12 is “Pet A Cat When You Encounter One On The Street.” What does Jordan Peterson even mean here? Like most of Jordan Peterson’s 12 rules, this is more of a metaphor for how to live life. In summary, life is tough. It hurts at times. This pain gives life meaning. Take time to enjoy the little pleasures in life. Pet a cat when you see one on the street. We’ll cover Rule 12 in Jordan Peterson’s 12 Rules for Life in much more detail.
Who was Otto von Bismarck? How did he keep his power in a rapidly-changing Europe? What can he teach us about maintaining power? Otto von Bismarck was a Prussian diplomat and politician who controlled German foreign affairs for 30 years in the mid- to late-1800s. We’ll cover what made Otto von Bismarck so powerful and how you can apply those lessons to your relationships and careers.
Overview of Law #17: Keep Others in Suspense: Cultivate an Air of Unpredictability Because people crave predictability and a sense of control, you can throw others off balance and even terrify them by cultivating an air of unpredictability. While your opponents are stressing themselves out by trying the explain and anticipate what you’re doing, you can achieve your objectives almost unnoticed.
We know P.T. Barnum as one of the most celebrated and controversial showmen of all time. But he wasn’t a success right away. What can his rise to power teach us about how to be successful in our own careers? We’ll cover the 2 most important lessons from the life of P.T. Barnum and how you can apply them in your own career.