The World's Best Book Summaries
Is your mind overwhelmed by negativity? Do you often find yourself slipping into the vicious cycle of negative thinking? People don’t choose to get stuck in cycles of negative thinking—they’ve simply developed unproductive strategies of processing negative thoughts. There are two types of strategies that can turn into a vicious cycle of negative thinking: fight strategies and flights strategies. Keep reading for examples of each strategy.
What does Stoicism have to say about problem-solving? What would a true Stoic do when faced with a problem in life? The cornerstone of the Stoics’ problem-solving philosophy is that you can find a silver lining in any circumstance in your life, no matter how dire it seems. Even if the only benefit you can find in an obstacle is an opportunity to practice acting virtuously, for instance, by restraining your anger or forgiving a misdeed, you’ve gained something of value. With this in mind, here’s how to solve problems the Stoic way, according to Ryan Holiday.
How do you execute a blue ocean strategy? What are the most common challenges you’re likely to encounter when putting your blue ocean strategy in motion? Once you’ve got a strategy, it’s time to execute it. In Blue Ocean Strategy, Kim and Mauborgne oversee four potential hurdles that you’ll have to overcome to implement a blue ocean strategy at your company and offer advice on how to overcome them. Let’s take a look at each one in turn.
Is there such a thing as natural athleticism? What is more important when it comes to sports performance—practice or innate ability? Different sports place different demands on the human body. Sprinters need to be fast. Soccer players need to be coordinated. Most people’s mental model of a female gymnast would be of someone small in stature, while our mental model of a basketball player is likely tall. We can train our bodies to be the best they can be at a sport, but no amount of training can override natural athleticism. Keep reading to learn about natural athleticism and where
What role does genetics play in sports performance? Are there specific “sports genes” that confer an advantage in sports? Our anatomy and physiology are functions of our genes. While we may know that traits are encoded for in our DNA, finding the exact genes that produce these characteristics remains elusive. However, science has made great strides in finding specific genes that impact sports performance. Keep reading to learn about sports genetics and how genes determine people’s sports performance via response to training.
What is the thinking self? Do you agree with Descartes’ philosophical notion that “I think, therefore I am?” We have two minds or “selves” that affect our response to events: the thinking self and the observing self. The thinking self provides a running (judgmental) commentary on events, while the observing self neutrally observes this running commentary. In this article, we’ll define the thinking self and the observing self and explore the relationship between the two minds.
What is David Epstein’s The Sports Gene about? What role does genetic makeup play in sports success? In The Sports Gene, David Epstein explores how our underlying genetic differences impact our performance on the sports field. As the title implies, the author suggests a strong genetic component to success in sports. However, the book also recognizes that, as complex human beings, athletes cannot be defined by genes alone. Here’s our overview of the book’s background, context, impact, and approach.
What is cognitive defusion? How can practicing defusion help you deal with negative thoughts more productively? In Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, or ACT, cognitive defusion means separating yourself from your internal mental chatter. Rather than taking your thinking self’s stories as the absolute truth, through defusion, you can harness the power of the observing self to take a step back from those stories and recognize them for what they are: only words and images. Keep reading to learn about the ACT concept of cognitive defusion and some techniques you can use to defuse yourself from negative thoughts.
How is pricing determined in the blue ocean strategy? What are the benefits of low-cost pricing? Blue Ocean Strategy authors W. Chan Kim and Renée Mauborgne advise setting your price to maximize the number of buyers in your market. In other words, you want to select a price that will make your product attractive to as many potential customers as possible. Keep reading to learn about the blue ocean strategy pricing approach.
What is Russ Harris’s The Happiness Trap about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In his book The Happiness Trap, therapist and life coach Russ Harris advocates for ACT, or Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, as a tool for getting ourselves out of “the happiness trap” and learning to deal with the pain and suffering in a productive way. Unlike CBT (cognitive-behavioral therapy), which focuses on changing your thoughts to lessen suffering, ACT teaches awareness and acceptance of negative thoughts and feelings. Let’s explore the key ideas discussed in the book.