Shortform Books

What Is Depressive Realism? Definition and Example

What is depressive realism? Why do depressed leaders have a more realistic perception than mentally healthy ones? Depressive realism is a theory that people who are depressed make better decisions because they have a more realistic view of the world. A First-Rate Madness by Nassir Ghaemi expands on this philosophy by showing how Winston Churchill’s depression helped him during World War II. Here’s how depressive realism works, and how it affected Churchill’s understanding of the Nazi threat.

Why User Interaction Design Should Include Feedback

What is user interaction design? What is the importance of feedback on products? One of the most important components of product design is that it interacts with the user. The user should be able to receive feedback such as a beeping sound or flashing light when there’s a problem that needs to be attended to. Let’s look at how user interaction design helps consumers, according to User Friendly by Cliff Kuang and Robert Fabricant.

Do Hard Things: Book Overview (Steve Magness)

What is the book Do Hard Things about? What are the main takeaways of the book? In Do Hard Things, Steve Magness explores why traditional ideas around toughness are not only ineffective but harmful. He explains what it really means to be resilient with strategies on how to overcome discomfort and adversity. Read below for a Do Hard Things book overview.

What Is the Best Food to Eat for Breakfast?

What kind of food should you eat for breakfast? Why is it a bad idea to start your day with sweet, carb-rich foods? What are some examples of healthy breakfast options? They say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day, but perhaps more important is what you eat for breakfast. According to biochemist Jessie Inchauspé, the best food to eat for breakfast is anything savory because your body is hypersensitive to glucose in the morning. Here’s why you should temper your sweet tooth at breakfast, according to Inchauspé.

Michelle Obama: The 3 Benefits of Finding Your Light

Rescue From Without: The Hero's Journey Is Aided

What is Michelle Obama’s The Light We Carry about? What does Obama mean by finding your light? According to Michelle Obama in her book The Light We Carry, everyone has the potential to bring positive change into the world by nurturing and sharing their unique abilities, strengths, and perspectives. Obama says that these attributes form your “light” and identifies three benefits of finding your light. Here’s a look at the benefits of finding your light and sharing it with the world.

The 4 Types of Customer-Centric Innovation Explained

What is customer-centric innovation? How can you make your customers satisfied with your product? The customer is the most important person to make happy when it comes to creating and distributing products. In Ten Types of Innovation, Larry Keeley and his co-authors identify four types of innovations that relate to how your customers perceive and interact with your company. Find out how to enforce customer-centric innovation in your company.

Limitless Mind: Jo Boaler Challenges Us to Rethink Learning

What if everything you know about learning was wrong? How would you approach learning differently, even at this point in your life? In Limitless Mind, Jo Boaler explains how neuroscience research has overturned our age-old beliefs about how learning works. She argues that it’s time we throw off the false limits imposed by others, ourselves, and outdated models of education. Continue reading for an overview of this book that’s likely to change the way you think about learning.

How to Change Your Behavior by Overcoming Triggers

Why is it so difficult to change your behavior? Why do we tend to fall back into our old patterns despite our best efforts to change for the better? We have a hard time changing our behavior. This is because we encounter “triggers” that make us revert to our old patterns. In their book Triggers, Marshall Goldsmith and Mark Reiter argue that you can reclaim control over your behavior and offer some strategies to prevent triggers from throwing you off course. Keep reading to learn how to change your behavior by identifying and taking control of your triggers.

Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda: Recap

Want an overview of Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda? Who is Yogananda and what is he best known for? Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda is a memoir of one of the world’s most famous yoga practitioners and teachers. Yogananda is best known for bringing kriya yoga to the US and thereby creating a spiritual connection between the West and India. Read on for a brief overview Paramahansa Yogananda’s book Autobiography of a Yogi.

Will the 2023 Salary Increase for Low-Wage Jobs Continue?

What’s behind the 2023 salary increase in low-wage jobs in the US? Will wages of America’s lowest-paid workers continue to rise? For four decades, the gap between America’s lowest- and highest-paid workers grew. Then came the Covid-19 pandemic, which hit the “reset” button for low-wage workers and reversed one-quarter of that gap. Let’s take a look at what caused the 2023 wage increase and if it’s expected to continue.