The World's Best Book Summaries
How has technology changed the way we work? Why are careers ending because of technology? Today, job stability is all but gone and all careers are now like startups. According to Reid Hoffman and Ben Casnocha’s book The Startup of You, technology and globalization have turned the work world from one defined by stability to one defined by constant flux. Keep reading to learn more about technology and globalization’s impact on the work world.
Would you like to increase your business’s earning potential? Do you feel like you’ve gone as far as you can with the products and services you already have? It might seem as though you’ve tapped out your customer base and have nothing new to offer. Veteran entrepreneur Michael Masterson shares three ways to build on your success and break through to new territory with new products and new customers. Keep reading to learn how to expand your business with Masterson’s methods.
What’s the Buddhist concept of mindfulness? What does it mean to love mindfully? Mindfulness means being in the present without trying to influence or change it. The concept can be applied to your relationships as mindful love, the act of seeing your partner and yourself together as you currently are without judgments. Below we’ll look at the benefits of mindful love and how to practice it, as described in David Richo’s book How to Be an Adult in Relationships.
Do you have trouble keeping track of your to-do items? How do you manage tasks to stay organized? Throughout The Procrastination Cure, Damon Zahariades mentions a few tools that he suggests you include in your system for managing your time and tasks. We’ve collected his tips and tricks for using lists and schedules to support your success. Learn how to manage tasks and stay on top of things below.
Why is understanding body language important? What are the main categories of body language? In a world where words are only part of the story, understanding the language of the body is crucial. Communication experts Allan and Barbara Pease unveil the secrets of nonverbal cues in their groundbreaking book, The Definitive Book of Body Language. Read on to discover the five main categories of body language, according to Allan and Barbara Pease.
Is there a cultural revolution going on in the West? If so, when and how did it start? What does our sense of self have to do with it? In The Rise and Triumph of the Modern Self, Carl Trueman argues that cultural developments of the past three centuries have transformed our conception of selfhood. It’s changed from a self rooted in religion, tradition, and community to one rooted in individualism, emotion, and sexuality. Continue reading for an overview of this thought-provoking book.
What if you could practice doing something by just using your imagination? What makes mental rehearsal so effective? What’s the right way to do it? If you want to get better at something, it makes sense that you need to practice. But Ron Friedman argues that it’s easy to practice incorrectly or inefficiently. So, to avoid wasting your time and effort, he offers several guidelines for effective practice. One of these is to mentally rehearse. Continue reading to learn how to use mental rehearsal to improve any performance.
What made John F. Kennedy such an effective communicator? How might you use the same techniques? If you want to influence people, you must understand what makes them tick. In How Highly Effective People Speak, Peter D. Andrei shows how to take advantage of cognitive biases to persuade people. One of these is the contrast effect bias. Continue reading to see how using the contrast effect in your communication is one of the most effective ways to improve your rhetorical skills.
Do you keep a practice journal? Is your practice too easy or repetitive, or does it stretch you? In Decoding Greatness, Ron Friedman shares his advice for doing great work—whether that means getting a show at an art gallery, winning a marathon, or nailing a big product pitch. One strategy for improving your performance is effective practice. Read on to learn how to practice effectively by implementing Friedman’s three recommendations.
What is a customer-focused strategy in business? How can you use it to generate more business growth and success? Clayton Christensen argues that, in today’s competitive landscape, achieving business success requires more than just offering a good product or service. He claims that a customer-focused strategy is what it takes to win over customers in the long term and truly satisfy their expectations. Read on to learn Christensen’s explanation of a customer-focused strategy in business.