The World's Best Book Summaries
Can you increase your intelligence? Or is IQ fixed at birth? Is human IQ genetically predetermined or can it be improved? Contrary to what many people think, your IQ isn’t predetermined. In fact, Americans’ average IQ has risen over time, likely because of changes in nutrition, schools, and culture. Learn about the factors that affect your IQ and some strategies for improving your intelligence.
Are you looking for The Ideal Team Player quotes by Patrick Lencioni? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? In The Ideal Team Player, author and business consultant Patrick Lencioni describes the model team player and explains how to develop current employees into team players and make sure you hire team players in the future. The central idea is how the three essential qualities of a team player (hungry, humble, and smart) combined can transform any organization. The following The Ideal Team Player quotes highlight some of the key points.
Why do governments intervene in markets? Is government intervention good for an economy? When there is a market failure of some sort, governments often intervene to restore the economic system. However, if the government sets too many rules, or gets too involved in managing economic operations, it can destroy an economy. In this article, we’ll discuss three possible downsides of government intervention: 1) misallocation of resources, 2) rising costs due to regulations, 3) stifled growth, and 4) distorted incentives due to taxes.
What causes global economic inequality? Do you think it is possible to achieve perfect equality across the world? The vast differences in wealth between people living in different countries can be emotionally troubling. However, given the vast differences in factors underlying economies (geography, natural resources, culture), as well as the complex interaction of such factors, it is impossible to expect economic equality across the world. In this article, we’ll take a look at the factors that underpin global economic inequality.
What’s a Fermi estimation problem? What kinds of information does the Fermi problem probe for? A Fermi problem is a problem that involves making a justified estimation about quantities, degrees, probabilities, or variances. Fermi problems are solved by breaking down seemingly impossible questions into smaller and smaller questions. The idea is that eventually, you’ll be able to separate questions that are truly unknown from questions for which you can at least make an educated guess. Below is an example of a Fermi problem.
What is spaced practice? How does spaced practice compare to cramming (learning a large amount of information in a very short period of time)? Which technique is more effective and why? Spaced practice is a study technique that involves multiple short study sessions spaced out over time. Spaced practice develops your “underlying habit strength,” which prepares you to use that knowledge when you need it. It may feel less productive than cramming initially because you’ve forgotten some of the material and it feels like you don’t have a grasp of it—but that extra effort is precisely what makes the method
Do you believe that happiness is a choice? How does one choose to be happy? We create our own happiness in this life, and we get to decide if we’re happy or unhappy. Abraham Lincoln said, “Most folks are as happy as they make up their minds to be.” One way to choose to be happy is to cultivate a happiness habit. Here is how you can get into the habit of being happy.
How does wealth get transferred between countries? What are the implications of international wealth transfers for the participating economies? Transfers of wealth between countries take many forms. The primary wealth transfer channels include international investments (direct investment in stocks and bonds), putting money in a country’s banks, remittances from outside workers back to family, imperialists transferring wealth from nations they conquered (now more obsolete), and foreign aid. In this article, we’ll take a look at the economics behind the primary channels of international wealth transfer.
Do you often make sales presentations as part of your business? How do you make sure your presentation stands out from the sea of competitors’? In high-profile business-to-business sales, customers often request a sales presentation that explains how the product/service works and how it will contribute to their company’s success. The key to making your proposition stand out from competitors is to design a presentation that is tailored to the specific needs of every client. In this quick article, we’ll look at how to create a customer-focused presentation and how to deal with premature presentation requests.
Is Phillip Tetlock’s Superforcasting worth reading? What was Tetlock’s inspiration in writing the book? The idea for Superforecasting came from Tetlock’s experiences with the Expert Political Judgment and Good Judgment Project forecasting experiments, during which Tetlock and his team discovered that some people are significantly better at predicting the future than others. Tetlock and Gardner set out to explore exactly what sets “superforecasters” apart from regular people; Superforecasting is the result. This Superforecasting review takes a look at the book’s intellectual context, background, impact, and discusses its key strengths and weaknesses.