Elizabeth Whitworth, Author at Shortform Books

Scaling Strategies: 4 Ways to Help Your Idea or Business Succeed

Have you ever had an idea with the potential to change your organization, your city, or even the world? How can you give it the best chance to succeed? In The Voltage Effect, economist and professor John A. List offers his advice for how to take things from the small scale to the big stage. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, an activist, or anyone else with a brilliant idea, you can make use of his scaling strategies. Keep reading to find out how to help your idea succeed over time.

How to Slow Down in Life by Gamifying Patience

Do you feel the need to keep up with everyone else’s fast-paced life? How could you get ahead by actually slowing down? In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, John Mark Comer explains why we rush through life and how such a hurried pace harms us. He provides recommendations on how to slow down in life and, by doing so, get more out of it. Keep reading to learn how to slow down your life and discover the benefits that you’ll reap from a slower pace.

Resisting Capitalism: The Wrong & the Right Ways to Fight Back

Are you feeling burned out? Do you sometimes feel like retreating from the world, either temporarily or permanently? In her book How to Do Nothing, Jenny Odell discusses different ways people try to resist capitalism, particularly the attention economy mindset of placing a monetary value on time and attention. She identifies the methods she believes are flawed and then shares what she thinks is a better way. Read more to learn about the wrong and right ways to resist capitalism and take back control of your life.

Overcoming Challenges to Success: 3 True Stories of Inspiration

How does Laga Gaga respond to criticism? What does Jane Goodall’s story teach us about the career challenges that women face? Why isn’t Quincy Jones afraid to make mistakes? Alex Banayan interviewed several successful people for his book The Third Door. Many of them told stories of overcoming difficult challenges to success. Lady Gaga, Jane Goodall, and Quincy Jones gave Banayan insights on how to bounce back from setbacks so that you don’t derail your progress. Keep reading to learn how each of these people achieved success despite major challenges.

How to Understand Your Target Audience & Maintain Momentum

Is your target audience scalable? How can you make sure that it is? Just because your initial audience loves your idea, it doesn’t mean that a larger audience will feel the same way. John A. List provides advice on how to understand your target audience initially and as you grow so that you don’t lose momentum over time. Keep reading to learn how to scale your target audience.

How to Say No to an Invitation & Protect Your Unhurried Lifestyle

Do you get invited to things that don’t add to your life in a meaningful way? Would you like to protect the life you’ve worked hard to create? In The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry, pastor John Mark Comer explores our cultural obsession with rushing and how it’s harmful. He shares insights on how to stop rushing through a hectic life. Then, he advises you to set boundaries and turn down opportunities that would interfere with your new lifestyle. Continue reading to learn how to say no to an invitation when it comes your way and keep your unhurried life intact.

How to Spend Leisure Time: 3 Ways to Escape From Busyness

What do you do with your free time? Are you in dire need of getting some free time? Jenny Odell says that the attention economy of modern society makes you constantly feel pushed to be productive. She shows how you can “do nothing” to take back control of your life and engage with the world in a deeper, more satisfying way. Read on to get Odell’s practical advice for how to spend leisure time and connect with the world around you in a way that heals.

The Importance of Credibility: Tips From Ferriss, Gates, & Angelou

Can credibility be borrowed? Does “fake it ’til you make it” actually work? The Third Door by Alex Banayan is a compilation of what Banayan learned about success—not only from the people he interviewed—but also from the process of pursuing them. From his interviews with Tim Ferriss, Bill Gates, and Maya Angelou, he learned about the importance of credibility. Keep reading to learn how these three life stories illustrate how credibility is a key to success.

The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication (Overview)

How can you involve other people in preparing for a presentation you’re giving? What are your particular speaking strengths? Speaking is a skill that’s in demand in every field. In The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication, internationally renowned speaker John C. Maxwell shares his secrets to becoming a confident and effective communicator capable of delivering any message to any audience. Read more for an overview of this practical book.

John Mark Comer: Sabbath Observance Helps You Eliminate Hurry

How does a weekly holiday sound to you? What might you learn from Jesus about keeping the Sabbath? According to John Mark Comer, Sabbath observance is an excellent way to follow the example of Jesus and slow down your pace of life. He discusses how Jesus honored the Sabbath and shares ways that you can observe and enjoy it. Keep reading to understand how to honor the Sabbath as Jesus did.