Shortform Books

Where Do Thoughts Come From?

Where do thoughts come from? Why do you think about the world the way you do? Are your beliefs and opinions actually your own? While you might believe that you consciously control your thoughts, you’re often not conscious of your thoughts or why you think them. This is because you never consciously chose the thoughts you habitually think or the beliefs that reinforce them. Rather, you subconsciously adopted the thoughts and beliefs of your family, your friends, and your culture. Here’s why you don’t have complete autonomy over the way you think and how this impacts the way you interpret

How to Manage Your Voice in Public Speaking

What kind of voice should you use during public speaking? How loud should you speak? What about speed? Managing your voice in public speaking is one of the hardest things about it, especially if you have little experience speaking for a large audience. Many beginner speakers practice saying their script but pay little attention to their voice, which is where things tend to go awry. Here are some tips for managing your voice in public speaking.

What Is the Difference Between Money and Wealth?

What is the difference between money and wealth? Which one should be your focus? Typically, we understand wealth to be the same as net worth, the sum of your assets. However, entrepreneur and self-made millionaire Naval Ravikant sees wealth a bit differently. The Almanack of Naval Ravikant shares his definition of wealth and how he distinguishes it from money. Then, it explains why Ravikant believes you should focus on generating wealth rather than money. Keep reading to learn about this way of looking at money and wealth.

Supernatural Beliefs & Pseudoscience (Carl Sagan)

What’s pseudoscience? Why do some people believe in astrology and angels? What harm can it cause? Carl Sagan claims that unscientific beliefs are becoming more and more common in the modern age. In The Demon-Haunted World, he discusses pseudosciences and supernatural beliefs. He explains how they spread and why they’re dangerous, arguing that this type of belief impairs our ability to make decisions of all kinds. Keep reading for Sagan’s take on pseudoscience and the supernatural.

What Is Fallibilism? Nothing Can Be Proven True

What is fallibilism? Why does David Deutsch warn against parochialism? In The Beginning of Infinity, David Deutsch argues that there’s no limit to knowledge and that nothing is absolute. He urges us to remember that nothing can be proven true, which is called fallibilism. Read below to learn more about fallibilism and how science advances through mistakes.

How to Have a Happy Life Through Gain-Thinking

What’s Gain-thinking? How can it improve the quality of your life? What harm can come from Gap-thinking? When you compare who you are now to who you want to be, you’re resigning yourself to a life of unhappiness. Your ideal self is constantly changing, making your goals impossible to reach. Instead, you must compare who you are now to who you used to be so that you can see how far you’ve come. This simple shift in thinking makes all the difference in living a happier life. Read more to learn how to have a happy life through Gain-thinking.

How Life Started on Earth: Carl Sagan Explains

Are you wondering how life started on Earth? How could a ball of gas and dust create life as we know it? In his book Cosmos, renowned astronomer Carl Sagan provides a timeline of how life developed on Earth. He also insists that evolution “is a fact, not a theory” because evolution has been observed in real-time. Here’s how humans came to be on Earth.

Elephant Island to South Georgia Island: A Hard Journey

What is it like to sail from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island? How did Ernest Shackleton endure the difficult journey? Alfred Lansing’s book Endurance recounts the survival story of the Endurance crew, who were forced to flee their ship after it sank on the way to Antarctica. A part of their journey was sailing from Elephant Island to South Georgia Island. Learn how the head of the crew, Ernest Shackleton, was able to make the trip that saved everyone’s lives.

Dating Someone With Childhood Trauma: How to Help

Are you dating someone with childhood trauma? How can you help them? Being in a relationship with someone who has childhood trauma isn’t easy. Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt suggest practicing “Parent-Child Dialogue” to help them overcome their trauma. Keep reading to learn how to use Parent-Child Dialogue to help your partner.

Society Dictates What It Means to Be a Woman Today

How much influence does society have over what it means to be a woman today? Does being a woman mean suppressing your true identity? In the book Untamed, speaker, author, and activist Glennon Doyle explores how she freed herself from the strictures of society and embraced her true identity by rejecting the expectations and limitations society imposes on women. Doyle wants her readers to use her story as a framework to examine their lives and deconstruct societal expectations, thereby liberating themselves from the metaphorical captivity that limits their potential. Keep reading to learn what it means to be a woman