The World's Best Book Summaries
Do you have a thinking partner? How does a thinking partnership work? In her book Time to Think, Nancy Kline presents a step-by-step process for taking on the role of the listener to help someone else engage in higher-quality thinking. The exciting result is the generation and sharing of great ideas that lead to powerful action. Keep reading to learn how to create a thinking partnership by using Kline’s six-step thinking session format.
Do you feel pressured to produce? Are you overworking and “underliving”? In Do Nothing, Celeste Headlee argues that, by trying to do too much, people are working less efficiently. This is because the human brain isn’t designed to multitask and work without rest. Even more, the culture of overworking has led to worse health outcomes and more social isolation. Continue reading for an overview of this book that shows you how to free your life from the tyranny of work.
Is hard work a virtue? Is wealth a sign that someone’s a good person? American culture places a high value on hard work and productivity. This is a problem, according to radio journalist Celeste Headlee. In her book Do Nothing, she discusses where this value comes from. Read more to learn how America’s work ethic has been shaped over time.
What if you could make better decisions because you’re able to make better predictions? How can an eighteenth-century statistician help you? People often miscalculate the probability of an event occurring and then make poor decisions based on that miscalculation. Steven Pinker explains how you can use Bayesian reasoning to make more accurate assessments of evidence and, in turn, make more accurate predictions about the future. Read more to learn how to use Bayesian reasoning to make decisions that are based on a better understanding of what’s going on.
Do you think better when you’re relaxed or under pressure? Does competition encourage or stifle effective thinking? In Time to Think, Nancy Kline asserts that high-quality thought requires dedicated time. It also requires the right environment. She identifies three characteristics of a setting that impact how conducive the space is to good thinking. Keep reading to learn Nancy Kline’s thinking environment recommendations.
Do you work more than you need to? Do you feel pressured to stay busy? Celeste Headlee writes that our modern productivity culture largely stems from changing perceptions of how valuable one’s time is and the pressure to achieve a more glamorous lifestyle. She also contends that the pressures can be even higher for women. Continue reading for this important discussion about the productivity-obsessed culture of today.
Are you superstitious at all? Can you tell when data is meaningful and when it’s just random? According to Steven Pinker, an important aspect of rationality is getting a good handle on probability and randomness in order to make more accurate assessments and, in turn, better decisions. He looks at two ways that people misunderstand probability and shares a handy tool to counter these flaws in thinking. Keep reading to get a better grasp on how probability works and how randomness comes into play.
What surprising insight did Nancy Kline find during her research on students? How does listening to someone help them think? What and how we think determines everything we do. Nancy Kline asserts that the quality of our thinking is determined by how well we listen to each other. She shares a six-step process for listening to someone to help them engage in higher-quality thinking, resulting in great ideas that lead to powerful action. Read more for five Time to Think quotes that will give you a taste of the book’s concepts.
Are you for or against empathy? Why would anyone ever be against it? Is there such a thing as too much empathy? In Against Empathy, Paul Bloom argues that we rely too heavily on our emotions—especially empathy—to guide our judgments, decisions, and behavior. He suggests that our empathic responses to other people can lead us away from the morally good and right course of action. Continue reading for an overview of this contrarian book.
How often do device notifications interrupt you? Do you know how technology messes with your physiology? In today’s fast-paced world, our lives increasingly revolve around productivity, efficiency, and work. It’s normal for people to answer emails during dinner and pack their days with as many tasks as possible. In Do Nothing, Celeste Headlee says the obsession with productivity has led to technology addiction. Read more to learn how our work-obsessed culture has led to an unhealthful overuse of technology.