The World's Best Book Summaries
Are you going through a difficult time? Do you wish the pain would stop? Pema Chödrön’s book When Things Fall Apart reassures readers that suffering is an emotion everyone feels, but it doesn’t mean we should always have to experience it. She provides four tips for easing suffering so that, the next time you’re challenged, you can easily rise from it. Keep reading to learn how to stop suffering and start living peacefully.
How can accepting your mortality benefit you? How can you learn to embrace mortality? According to author Susan Cain, accepting your mortality can actually benefit you by strengthening your connections with others. In her book Bittersweet, she explores how accepting your life’s impermanence gives it more meaning and provides strategies for increasing your awareness of impermanence. Read on to learn about the importance of accepting your mortality and how to do it, according to Cain.
What is Matthew Perry’s Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing about? What are the main takeaways from the actor’s memoir? You’ve seen Matthew Perry play Chandler on the iconic show Friends, which actually hits a lot closer to reality than you might have imagined. In Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing, Perry shares his story of battling loneliness, health scares, and the big terrible thing: addiction. Read below for a brief overview of Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing.
What is the best way to cope with jealousy? How can you make jealousy work for you? Jealousy is one of the lowest-vibration emotions that people commonly experience. According to Roxie Nafousi, the author of Manifest, the best way to cope with jealousy is to transform it into joy and motivation. Here’s how you can overcome jealousy and even harness it to your advantage.
How does dopamine work? Does dopamine always provide a feeling of pleasure? In Dopamine Detox, Thibaut Meurisse explains the biological role of dopamine. Contrary to popular belief, dopamine doesn’t necessarily make you feel pleasure—rather, it pushes you to seek pleasurable experiences. Keep reading to learn how dopamine works and why it’s not necessarily a good thing.
Is carbon neutrality a realistic goal? What would it take to get there? As we look for solutions to climate change, the elimination of carbon emissions seems to be near the top of everyone’s list. However, this is not a practical solution, at least for now. That’s the view of former energy industry scientist Steven E. Koonin. Read on to learn why Koonin believes we must accept the reality of our reliance on fossil fuels.
When and how did human language begin? Why did language develop in the first place? In The Language Instinct, experimental psychologist Steven Pinker argues that language is an innate, biological ability in humans—not just an element of human culture that gets passed from person to person. He discusses the theorized origin of human language—the when, the how, and the why. Read more to learn about the possibilities of this fascinating subject.
What does Brené Brown have to say about shame? What’s the solution to feeling shame? In many of her books, author and researcher Brené Brown explains why we feel shame, why it’s harmful, and how to rise from it. All of her research combines into a meaningful discussion on human emotions that you can use to develop your self-worth. Taking advice from four of her books, we’ll look at what is said by Brené Brown on shame and how to combat it.
Why is hope so important in life? What does hope really mean? Self-help author Mark Manson explores the importance of hope in his book Everything Is F*cked, defining it as the belief that we can progress towards something valuable and create a better future. He also explores how hope can empower us to cope with the pain of existence. Read on to learn why hope is so important, based on Manson’s exploration of its true meaning.
Do you have something to celebrate? How do you plan a party? In The Art of Gathering, Priya Parker argues that what you do before the gathering is just as important as what you do during the gathering itself. She shares five essential tips: Identify the reason, curate your guest list, select a venue, create directives, and set expectations. Let’s look at how to plan a party, using Parker’s five tips.