Shortform Books

Injectable Weight-Loss Drugs: Should You Consider Them?

What are injectable weight-loss drugs? Should you try them to lose weight? What are the pros and cons? Americans have been gaining weight for a half-century despite tracking their food, changing their lifestyle, working out, and avoiding carbs. For millions, few easy options existed—until the arrival of injectable weight-loss drugs, Ozempic, Wegovy, and Mounjaro. Read on to learn about injectable weight-loss drugs, including the pros and cons of using them.

How to Tell a Good Story: The 4 Narrative Components

What are the four components of storytelling? How do you tell a good story that wows your audience? For a story to make an impact, it has to be a good one. Thankfully, according to Kindra Hall’s book Stories That Stick, there’s a simple recipe for crafting a compelling story. Keep reading to learn how to tell a good story with these four key components.

Why Don’t People Listen? 4 Common Barriers to Listening

Why don’t people listen? If listening is so important and beneficial, then why aren’t people doing it? Everyone would agree that listening is a critical skill. But, many people aren’t stellar listeners. When you understand why people don’t listen, you’ll be in a better position to work around and perhaps even overcome the roadblocks. Continue reading to learn about common barriers to listening.

Blue Ocean Strategy’s Innovation Advice for Standing Out

Do you want your product to be the best in the market? What are Blue Ocean Strategy‘s recommendations for boosting innovation in business? In Blue Ocean Strategy, innovation is described as one of the most important factors to consider when creating a product that acts as a better alternative to your competitors. Coming up with innovative products is easy when you carefully examine what your target audience is looking for. To give your product a unique edge, keep reading.

Do Time-Outs Work? Why Breaks Are Better for Kids

Do time-outs work for children? How effective are they at achieving your real goal? Is there a better way to reach that goal? Clinical psychologist Thomas W. Phelan considers time-outs an archaic discipline tactic. He recommends breaks instead. A break is similar to the classic idea of a time-out. But, the execution, and thus the results, are different. Keep reading to learn why time-outs don’t work and why breaks do.

What Is Hindu Meditation? Overview & Styles of Yoga

What is Hindu meditation? How is Hindu meditation related to yoga? Hindu meditation is also known as yoga. While many people practice yoga without practicing Hinduism, yoga is rooted in the religion. There are two styles of yoga, hatha yoga and kriya yoga—one focuses on the physical and one focuses on breathing and energy. Continue reading to learn about the Hindu meditation practice of yoga.

The Oxygen Advantage: Book Overview (Patrick McKeown)

What is the book The Oxygen Advantage about? What are the main takeaways of the book? In The Oxygen Advantage, breathing coach Patrick McKeown explains why excessive breathing results in less oxygen getting to your body. To learn how to breathe less, he teaches specific exercises that you can practice at any time. Read below for a brief The Oxygen Advantage book overview.

New Product Innovation: Creating What Customers Crave

Is there a secret to new product innovation? How can you design a new product that customers want to buy? In Competing Against Luck, renowned business consultant Clayton Christensen teaches you how to identify the tasks your customers want to accomplish to fuel new product innovation. He shares his framework for uncovering hidden customer expectations and crafting unique experiences. Read on to learn Christensen’s techniques for new product innovation in business.

The 2nd Way: Create Feedback Cycles (The Phoenix Project)

What is The Second Way from The Phoenix Project? Why is a quick feedback cycle essential to IT departments? In The Phoenix Project, Kim, Behr, and Spafford demonstrate how work management principles developed on factory production lines can be applied in an IT environment. The three foundational pillars of production can be summed up as 1) fast workflow, 2) quick feedback, and 3) continual improvement. Continue reading for an overview of The Second Way and how to implement it.

Power vs. Force by David Hawkins: Book Overview & Takeaways

How do you know whether something is true or not? Whether it’s good or bad? What does your level of consciousness have to do with it? Despite its title, Power vs. Force by David Hawkins is really about human consciousness. Hawkins discusses his theories for what consciousness is, how to measure it, how you can boost your consciousness, and what a higher consciousness can do for you. Continue reading for an overview of this book that could open you up to a new perspective.