Shortform Books

The Gun Control Debate: The 5 Problems With NICS

What are the main points in the gun control debate in the U.S.? Why are background checks central to the conflict? Since 1993, all firearms dealers have been required to consult the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to verify that a prospective customer is legally eligible to own firearms before the sale. However, there are differing points of view on the flaws within the NICS system. Read on to learn the five main problems with the NICS and how gun control and rights advocates respond.

6 Discussion Questions From Crucial Conversations

Are you looking for discussion questions for the book Crucial Conversations? How can these exercises help you improve your communication skills? A crucial conversation is a discussion characterized by high stakes, differing opinions, and strong emotions. If handled poorly, these stressful conversations can derail and even destroy relationships. Here’s a brief background of the book along with Crucial Conversations discussion questions.

Extractive Political Institutions: How & Why They Exist

What are extractive political institutions? How do they come into power? What makes a nation extractive? According to the book Why Nations Fail, political institutions determine how a nation creates the rules that citizens live under. Whether a country adopts extractive or inclusive institutions also determines who wields power in society and how they wield it. Read on to learn how and why extractive political institutions are created, according to Why Nations Fail.

Who Is Daniel Kahneman? His Life & Career Before Tversky

Who is Daniel Kahneman? What shaped his views and interests that would later lead to breakthroughs in psychology? Daniel Kahneman, in collaboration with Amos Tversky, overturned several prevailing psychological theories. Their insights reached into economics, politics, and other domains of human knowledge. While their partnership is well-known, Kahneman’s pre-Tversky years help us understand what shaped his career. Continue reading to learn about the early life and career of Daniel Kahneman.

Heuristics Theory: A Revolutionary View of Decision-Making

What’s heuristics theory? How was it developed? What are the three original heuristics? Between 1969 and 1979, psychologists Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky overturned our understanding of how we make decisions. The lessons from that decade of research call into question much of what we think about how we think. Read more to learn how Tversky and Kahneman revealed through heuristics theory that the mind relies on impressions over logic.

How to Build a Stock Portfolio: Advice for Risk-Averse Investors

Are you a risk-averse investor? What kind of stocks should you invest in to mitigate the risk of losing money? Perhaps the first rule of thumb for any kind of investing is to build a portfolio that reflects your tolerance of risk. If you have a low tolerance for risk, you should pick secure stocks that already have a track record of success. Here’s how to build a low-risk stock portfolio, according to Peter Lynch.

Why Nations Fail: Book Overview & Takeaways

Want an overview of the Why Nations Fail book? What are the book’s key ideas and takeaways? In the book Why Nations Fail, economist Daron Acemoglu and political scientist James A. Robinson try to answer why some nations have wealth and high standards of living while others struggle with poverty and instability. They argue that the answer to this question has to do with freedom and fairness in a nation’s economy and government. Keep reading for an overview of the Why Nations Fail book by Acemoglu and Robinson.

Start With Why Discussion Questions (Simon Sinek)

Looking for Start With Why discussion questions? How can these exercises help you apply the lessons from Simon Sinek’s book? Start With Why covers everything you need to know about creating an organization that puts its values at the center of its business. The core concept is simple and straightforward: Great businesses know why they’re doing what they’re doing—and they use that mission as their guiding principle. Continue reading for discussion questions and exercises inspired by Start With Why.

Enlightenment Now: Steven Pinker’s Appeal for Optimism

Is the world getting better or worse? What does the data actually say? Is there cause for hope? In Enlightenment Now, Steven Pinker argues that Enlightenment values and modernization have contributed to gradually improving the world on “every single measure of human well-being.” He says people tend to think the world is getting worse because of psychological biases and errors in perception, but the data supports the conclusion that life for humans everywhere is getting better. Keep reading for an overview of Pinker’s New York Times best seller.

How Specialized Workers Can Increase Employee Happiness

What are specialized workers? Why should businesses embrace specialization? In A World Without Email, Cal Newport argues that employees are unhappy at work because they have too much on their plates. To fix this and increase productivity, he suggests practicing specialization at work. Let’s look at what specialized workers do and why they’re important for employee happiness.