The World's Best Book Summaries
What does your protagonist care about most? What do they have to lose? If you want to make your story more engaging, Robert McKee recommends that you continue to escalate the risk that your protagonist faces throughout the story. Make it clear what they care about, and put them in increasing peril. Continue reading to understand McKee’s advice for how to make a story interesting.
Why is it so hard to break bad habits? How can you break the tendency to engage in habitual behaviors that sabotage your success? Bad habits tend to be the behaviors that make us feel good in the short term. Because we seek instant gratification over long-term results, bad habits often seem more appealing than many good habits that require us to put in more work. Here are two strategies for breaking bad habits and forming beneficial habits in their stead.
Do you overreact to criticism or uncomfortable situations? How can you be less sensitive? Sensitivity can show that you’re in touch with your emotions, which is a good thing. On the other hand, being overly sensitive can prevent you from engaging in meaningful social interactions. Get out of your own way and learn how to be less sensitive with our methods.
Who is William Cooper? What are his theories? What are his claims based on? Milton William Cooper was a U.S. Navy veteran, a UFOlogist, and the author of Behold a Pale Horse. In one of the most influential conspiracy theory books ever written, Cooper lays out the roots and methods of a secret movement to topple the American government and establish a global totalitarian order. Continue reading to learn about this intriguing figure.
What is the network effect in business? Why does it create rapid growth? How do you build a network-based business? In The Cold Start Problem, Andrew Chen explains how to leverage the network effect in business to build a rapid-growth startup. He claims the network effect gives entrepreneurs the power to build billion-dollar companies from the ground up. Read on to learn about the network effect in business and how to use it for growth, according to Chen.
What do microbes do? Why are they important? What is their evolutionary role? When most people think of microbes, the first things that come to mind are disease-causing germs or healthy probiotic yogurts. In I Contain Multitudes, Ed Yong explains what microbes do and how most of us are largely unaware of the trillions of microbes on every surface and throughout our bodies. Read on to learn how Ed Yong defines what microbes do, why they’re important, and their significance to evolution.
How does a fungus get energy? What kind of food do fungi eat? Fungi have to eat just like everyone else. According to Merlin Sheldrake’s book Entangled Life, fungi acquire energy through eating and making partnerships with other organisms through symbiosis. Check out how fungi get their energy below.
Are you looking for the key to a joyful life? How will these The Book of Joy quotes help you find the answer? The Book of Joy, written by Douglas Abrams, documents a week-long conversation between Archbishop Desmond Tutu and His Holiness the Dalai Lama about the nature of joy. The conversation, facilitated by Abrams, took place in 2015, leading up to the celebration of the Dalai Lama’s 80th birthday. Let’s look at some quotes from The Book of Joy to give you a better picture of Tutu and the Dalai Lama’s teachings.
Are there decisions you regret? How can you harness regret to your advantage? According to Daniel Pink, regret has the power to benefit our lives, but only if we know how to use it. In his book The Power of Regret, Pink provides strategies for processing and growing from regret as well as anticipating future regrets so you can make better decisions. Learn how to overcome regrets in life by turning them to your advantage.
What niche book topics are on Sam’s TBR list? What book makes Sam want to run all the time, every day? What genre have they completely changed their mind about? Sam is a Shortform book guide writer from Maine. They love authors who don’t think in binaries, and they enjoy reading in hammocks in the woods and learning about food systems.