Shortform Books

Untamed Book Club Questions: A Complete Guide

What can emotions teach us about engaging with the larger world? What is the best version of your life you can imagine? The main themes of Glennon Doyle’s book Untamed are parenting, spirituality, empowering women, rejecting patriarchy and oppression, feminism, and sexuality. Book club questions for Untamed will want to draw on these concepts for readers to discuss and share. Read on for a complete guide to Glennon Doyle’s Untamed book club questions and come away with a better understanding of this influential book.

Lyndon B. Johnson and the 1964 Civil Rights Act

What did LBJ do as a president? What was the main purpose of Lyndon B. Johnson’s Civil Rights Act? President Lyndon B. Johnson is most known for passing Kennedy’s civil rights bill. This both honored the late President’s memory and held the promise of a new America in which everybody had equal rights. The bill was designed to desegregate public spaces and enforce the integration of schools. Here’s how Johnson managed to pass the long-awaited bill.

Kate Raworth: The Doughnut Model Explained

What is the doughnut model in economics? How has economic growth pushed us outside the doughnut? According to Kate Raworth, the author of Doughnut Economics, the goal of economic policy should be to stay within the inner ring of the metaphorical doughnut. This entails designing an economy that is productive enough to ensure that everyone on the planet has their basic material needs met, but that does not grow so fast as to deplete our natural resources and degrade the environment. Here’s what we can do to stay within the doughnut, according to Raworth.

Why Common Theories of War Are Ultimately Flawed

Do any theories of war actually reflect the reality of the phenomenon? Is it possible to predict the course of a war in principle? According to Carl von Clausewitz, common theories of war fail to provide an accurate model of real war. He identifies three key shortcomings that tend to undermine their accuracy. He admits that these factors are difficult for a theory to predict and clarifies his discourse on war is not intended to provide a comprehensive model. Here are three reasons why military theories are ultimately flawed, according to Clausewitz.

How Passive People Are at Risk From the Devil

Are you just drifting through life? How much are you in danger of being under the devil’s influence? In the book Outwitting the Devil, Napoleon Hill writes that the devil distinguishes between two types of people: those under his control, whom he claims to make up nearly 98% of all people on Earth; and those who have escaped his influence. What separates these two groups is that those under his influence take a fundamentally passive role in their own lives, while those who have resisted take a more active role. Much of Hill’s advice to the reader encourages them to

How to Pay Less in Taxes: Tips to Minimize Your Tax Bill

What kind of investments provide tax breaks? Should you hire a tax consultant? What kind of loan can lower your tax burden? You might be paying more taxes than you need to. In The Wealthy Barber, David Chilton discusses ways to save money. Minimizing your tax bill is one of them. He shares recommendations for reducing how much you pay in taxes each year. Keep reading for advice on how to pay less in taxes.

How to Write Good Emails: Proven Tips for Success

Do you often write emails? What are some things you should keep in mind when writing a professional email? Writing emails is an essential skill in the modern-day professional milieu. Most people read dozens of emails a day, so it’s critical that your emails convey the message with the recipient in mind—consider your goal in writing the email and make it crystal clear to understand what you want them to do with it. Here’s how to write good emails every time.

How to Think Long-Term: 2 Novel Ways to Plan Ahead

Do you tend to live in the moment only to neglect the future? How might you make better choices today that will pay off in the future? The book The Great Mental Models Volume 3 by Rhiannon Beaubien and Rosie Leizrowice provides some fresh approaches to long-term thinking. They draw from models in economics and science to show us how we can make life investments today that will bring us rewards in the future. Continue reading for some unconventional advice on how to think long-term.

Poor Economics: Book Overview & Key Takeaways

What is Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee’s book Poor Economics about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In their book Poor Economics, MIT professors Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee analyze poverty by asking small, pointed questions about specific aspects of the lives of the poor. Their goal is to develop a detailed picture of how the poor live and how policy interventions affect their lives so that policymakers can better design interventions that help them. Below is a brief overview of Poor Economics by Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee.

The Creative Process: The Power of Sharing Your Work

Why should you share your creative process? Why is it more beneficial to show the process rather than the product? In Show Your Work!, Austin Kleon argues that the best way to promote your work is by sharing every step of the creative process. There are three benefits of sharing every step to the world, which he describes in detail. Find out more about the value of sharing the creative process.