Shortform Books

Sun Tzu: Attack by Stratagem, Rather Than Force

What is “attack by strategem”? Why is it best to attack by strategem rather than force? Sun Tzu said that the best outcome in a war is to take your opponent whole and intact instead of obliterating it completely—that’s the premise of attack by stratagem. If the battle is won, but the opponent’s forces and country are obliterated, that’s a lesser victory than if you are able to overcome them and force a surrender. Keep reading to learn about the attack by stratagem tactic.

How to Use Gamification in the Workplace

What is gamification? What are some examples of gamification in the workplace? Gamification is the practice of using gaming elements such as scores, leaderboards, and achievement badges to make work more engaging. In their book The 4 Disciplines of Execution, Chris McChesney, Jim Huling, and Sean Covey suggest using a scoreboard to gamify workplace dynamics and improve team engagement. Here’s how to use gamification in the workplace.

Want to Improve Your Business Writing Skills? Do This

Do you often write for business? What are some things to keep in mind when writing a professional e-mail, memo, or report? If you want to improve your business writing skills, the number one thing to keep in mind is simplicity. And don’t be afraid to add some personality rather than sounding like a robot. Here are some tips on how to improve your business writing.

How to Keep Training With an Injury

How do you continue training with an injury? How can you use your injury as an opportunity to grow? Skipping training to let your body heal from an injury is frustrating. While many choose to see injuries as setbacks, you can choose to see them as opportunities to grow. American tai chi champion Josh Waitzkin says you should keep training through injury but only practice psychological aspects of your skill. Here’s why you shouldn’t stop training when injured.

How to Improve Your Writing—Author Explains

Do you want to improve your writing skills? What does taste have to do with writing? In his book On Writing Well, American writer, journalist, and teacher William Zinsser explains how to improve your writing. The key, he says, is to develop a taste for good writing. Zinsser believes that you should choose authors whose style you admire, then try to emulate their style until you develop your own voice. Here’s why developing good taste is the first step to improving your writing.

Are There Differences in Male and Female Brains? Yes

How to Build a Latticework of Mental Models

Do sex and gender affect the way we think? Is there evidence of differences in male and female brain structures? While most of the cognitive differences between male and female brains are shaped by social expectations, there are some differences that molecular biologist Dr. John Medina suspects have a profound impact on behavior. Medina posits that the male and female brains react differently to a number of situations. Here are the physical and psychological differences in male and female brains.

Chunking: A Learning Technique for Better Retention

What is the chunking study method? What makes chunking such an effective way to learn? In the context of learning, chunking is where you learn the basic elements of a skill, then combine them into compound skills. Learning via chunking enables you to perform more complex skills with intuitive ease, executing multiple elements in tandem. Learn about the chunking learning method, why it works, and how to implement it.

How to Fix Cluttered Writing: Stop Doing These 5 Things

What exactly is cluttered writing? How does unnecessary wordiness compromise your writing? In his book On Writing Well, William Zinsser points out five common types of clutter: wordy phrases, euphemisms, adverbs, too many adjectives, and qualifiers. By reducing or eliminating these types of clutter in your writing, you will write more clearly and communicate your point more effectively. Let’s look at a few common types of cluttered writing and how to avoid them.

The 7 Spiritual Laws of Success: Quotes to Ponder

What ideas are found in the book The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success? What are some of its most thought-provoking quotes? Many people measure success in terms of how much they achieve or accumulate. According to best-selling author and world-renowned well-being practitioner Deepak Chopra, this definition of success limits you and keeps you trapped in a cycle of achievement and accumulation that creates more anxiety than success. Keep reading for The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success quotes.