Shortform Books

How to Take Slip-box Notes in 5 Easy Steps

What is the slip-box notes system? How does the slip-box note-taking method help you take better notes? The slip-box notes system (also known as Zettelkasten) was created by German sociologist Niklas Luhmann. The slip-box system is specifically designed to help you both have and share original insights—and make the writing process easier overall—it has several benefits over the traditional writing process: For example, using it will make you more efficient and lead to more creative insights. Here you’ll learn the specific steps to effectively use the slip-box note-taking system to create a publishable manuscript.

Mental Benefits of Exercise: Fight Depression & Anxiety

How does exercise benefit the brain? Can physical exercise help with mental health issues? It’s no secret that exercise is key to staying fit and preventing disease. But when it comes to the brain, exercise is rarely factored in as a preventative measure. Keep reading to learn about the mental benefits of exercise.

The Function of the Gut in the Human Body

What is the gut? What function does the gut serve in the body? Your gastrointestinal tract starts in the mouth and ends at the anus. The gut serves a number of important functions in the body, including breaking down food into its constituent nutrients, regulating the microbiome, and eliminating waste. Here’s how your gut works and why it’s important to keep it healthy.

Yamanaka Genes: Finally, a Cure for Aging?

What are Yamanaka genes? How can these genes reverse aging? Yamanaka genes are a group of genes that encode transcription factors that have been shown to convert mature cells into stem cells. These factors hold promise in our quest to reverse aging—stem cells can grow into any type of cell (e.g. neurons, heart cells, liver cells) and could be used to replace the age-related cell damage. Here’s how Yamanaka genes can one day help reverse your biological clock.

Vex King: Good Vibes, Good Life—Book Overview

What’s Vex King’s Good Vibes, Good Life about? What’s the key message to take away from the book? In Good Vibes, Good Life, Vex King argues that the key to living your dream life is to have good vibrations or “good vibes.” The key to minimizing bad vibes and maximizing good ones, King argues, is self-love and acceptance. Below is a brief overview of Good Vibes, Good Life by Vex King.

Feeling Unfulfilled in Life? This Could Be the Reason

Are you feeling unfulfilled in life? Do you feel as though something is missing but can’t quite put your finger on what it is? According to Gay Hendricks, the author of The Big Leap, a sense of dissatisfaction and lack of fulfillment often stems from what he calls the “Upper Limit Problem.” In other words, you’re feeling unfulfilled because you’ve reached a level of success and happiness that you’re not comfortable with. Here’s how success propels you to your happiness threshold, according to Hendricks.

Brené Brown: How to Deal With Negative Emotions

Do your emotions often get out of hand? How can you channel your negative emotions into more constructive ends? According to Brené Brown, emotions are a powerful force of love and connection when used correctly and channeled into positive actions. Used improperly, they cut us off from each other, leaving us divided and hateful. Here’s how to deal with negative emotions, according to Brené Brown.

3 Reasons Why Poverty Is a Social Problem

Is poverty a social problem? Why is poverty heavily associated with wealth and income? Should it be? While income is still widely considered an income problem, economist and philosopher Amartya Sen says that poverty is created and enhanced by a lack of human rights and freedom. In Development as Freedom, Sen claims that focusing only on income just creates more social issues. Let’s look at three reasons why poverty is a social problem.

Building Self-Esteem in Children: 8 Tips for Parents

What role does parenting play in children’s self-esteem? How can parents help their children develop healthy self-esteem? If parents fail to provide optimal conditions for the proper psychological development of their child, he or she could grow into an adult who is in an arrested stage of psychological development—and whose self-esteem is unhealthy. Of course, these children can still adopt behavior that nurtures their self-esteem, so parenting doesn’t determine a child’s self-esteem, but it can support or hamper it. Here are eight specific best practices for building self-esteem in children.

The Lee Thesis: Does Authoritarianism Help the Poor?

What’s the Lee thesis? Why does it claim that authoritarianism helps poor nations better than democracy does? Amartya Sen claims in Development as Freedom that democracy is the solution to helping poor economies, but the Lee thesis states otherwise. The thesis states that authoritarianism eradicates poverty because of a focus on economic development rather than freedom. Let’s look at what Sen has to say about the Lee thesis and whether authoritarianism really is the answer to economic prosperity.