Shortform Books

Michael Easter: Rucking Compliments Our Natural Strengths

Do you have a sedentary lifestyle? Do you suffer from back pain? Would you like to find a simple, inexpensive way to exercise? According to Michael Easter, rucking is an excellent exercise that nearly anyone can do. Our exercise levels have progressively decreased as innovations have made movement increasingly obsolete for our survival. So, Easter suggests we return to the ways of our ancestors who carried heavy loads. Read more to learn about the benefits of rucking and how this exercise can improve your well-being.

How to Become a Con Artist (So You Can Outsmart Them)

How do people become con artists? What are the steps to a confidence game? Con artists will do everything in their power to manipulate you. But the truth is, most of them follow the same five steps. You can learn these steps so you can spot when you’re being conned and avoid the consequences. Continue reading to learn how to become a con artist to avoid being played.

Reality Is Constructed by Your Brain—How Predictions Work

Why does your brain rely on predictions? How does your brain create reality? Even when you don’t realize it, your brain is taking in everything around you. According to The Expectation Effect by David Robson, this helps create predictions that may or may not come true in the future. Continue reading to learn how reality is constructed by your brain constantly.

Unhealthy Work-Life Balance as a Sign of Secondary Trauma

How does secondary trauma cause an unhealthy work-life balance? How does an attachment to work affect your health and relationships? One of the signs that you’re suffering from secondary trauma is that you struggle to detach from work. Trauma Stewardship by Laura van Dernoot Lipsky says that trauma caregivers are too focused on the job and think about it even when they’re supposed to be relaxing at home. Continue reading to learn how secondary trauma causes an unhealthy work-life balance.

A History of US-China Relations: Opium Wars to Normalization

How did the Opium Wars impact the US? What opened up China to foreign trade and missionaries? Has the relationship between the US and China ever been good? Hostility between the US and China has been growing for over a decade, eroding the wary but pragmatic relationship of years past. In The Avoidable War, Kevin Rudd explains that today’s situation is best understood in its historical context. Continue reading for an illuminating history of US-China relations.

The Power of a Learner’s Mindset & How to Adopt One

How much does your mindset affect your ability to learn? Do you know the good news about neuroplasticity? If you want to learn anything well, you must adopt a learner’s mindset, which is basically a growth mindset toward learning. We’ll discuss the characteristics of a learner’s mindset, the scientific basis behind it, and the practical steps and benefits of adopting one yourself. Read more to understand a learner’s mindset and the difference it makes.

How to Implement a Business Strategy & Realize Your Vision

How should senior leadership be involved in innovation projects? How should you handle integrating new initiatives into your core business? In Lead From the Future, business strategists Mark W. Johnson and Josh Suskewicz explore the steps of future-back thinking (visionary planning). They show how you can adopt the process to improve outcomes for your business. Keep reading for Johnson and Suskewicz’s advice on how to implement a business strategy with an eye always on the future.

4 Challenges of Adult Education & How to Overcome Them

What’s standing in the way of you going back to school? Would you like to learn something new but aren’t sure how to go about it? Many people sense the need for a career change, but they don’t know where to start when it comes to getting the education they need to make that happen. In Mindshift, Oakley writes that it’s possible to overcome perceived barriers and gain new skills so you can reinvent yourself. Read more to learn about several challenges of adult education and how to overcome them.

Developmental Psychology: History, Stages, and Figures

What is the history of developmental psychology? How do children’s minds grow into those of adults? How humans grow from children to adults was actually widely misunderstood until the 1930s. It wasn’t until Jean Piaget came along that people finally began to understand how cognitive processes change over time. Find out more about these changes with the help of The Psychology Book‘s description of developmental psychology history.

How to Heal From Your Past (Beyond Order Rule 9)

Do some memories haunt you? How are they holding you back? If old memories still upset you, write them down carefully and completely. That’s Beyond Order Rule 9 from Jordan Peterson. He explains how this is an effective way to begin to process the traumas you’ve experienced. Keep reading to learn how to heal from your past with Peterson’s method.