The World's Best Book Summaries
How should we understand the “state of nature” in the context of political philosophy? What was Rousseau’s view on the subject? In a state of nature, people live according to the laws of human nature, especially the law of self-preservation. In his classic work The Social Contract, Jean-Jacques Rousseau discusses the state of nature in the context of society and the state. Read more to understand Rousseau on the state of nature.
What are some of the best quotes from the book Mastery? What can you apply to your own life to become a master in your discipline? In Mastery, Robert Greene, famous for The 48 Laws of Power, argues that there is a clear path anyone can follow to achieve mastery, the highest level of creative excellence. He explains the three stages of mastery, and he argues that pursuing it yields a fulfilling life and great creative power. Here are a few Mastery quotes that will give you insight into the book’s principles and inspire you to excellence.
What’s an intentional culture? What can you learn from historical cultures to apply to your own workplace? Ben Horowitz’s What You Do Is Who You Are argues that culture is the way employees make decisions and act based on their perception of underlying premises and shared beliefs. Culture derives from what leaders state explicitly and also what they enforce implicitly by example and through the organization’s incentive structure. Leaders’ actions and messaging inform employees’ behavior. Therefore, Horowitz argues that it’s important to be intentional about the culture you’re designing. If you’re not intentional in shaping your culture, your employees will
What are the principles put forth in the book Mastery? What can you apply to your life to become a master in your field? Mastery is a self-help guide that describes the path to intellectual and creative excellence. Robert Greene explains how to achieve such mastery in three stages, and he argues that pursuing it yields a fulfilling life and great creative power. Here’s an overview of Mastery by Greene.
Can there be a legitimate society? If so, what would it look like? These are the questions that Jean-Jacques Rousseau attempts to answer in The Social Contract. In this classic work, the 18th-century Swiss philosopher discusses political legitimacy, or the ethical right to exercise political authority by creating and enforcing laws. Continue reading for a brief overview of The Social Contract by Jean-Jacques Rousseau.
What do Joan Didion, Benjamin Franklin, and Mindy Kaling have in common? What kind of book does Amanda buddy read with her mom? Based on the California coast, Amanda is Shortform’s managing editor. We interviewed her recently to learn a bit about her relationship with books.
Why doesn’t Becky make book recommendations? Whose biography influenced her views about leadership and activism? Based in Pennsylvania, Becky is an editor on Shortform’s writing team. We interviewed her recently to learn a bit about her relationship with books.
Can monopolies be good? What are the advantages of monopolies? According to Peter Thiel, monopoly is better for society. When a business has a monopoly (meaning it faces no significant competition in the market where it operates), it has the freedom to consider the welfare of its employees and the broader impact of its products and operations on society because profits are assured. Here’s why monopoly is better for society, according to Peter Thiel.
What does Peter Thiel mean when he talks about secrets? What does he have to say about monopolies? What’s his “contrarian question”? Zero to One is entrepreneur and venture capitalist Peter Thiel’s unconventional advice for technology startups. Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and the first outside investor in Facebook, argues that technology has stagnated. Most new companies improve incrementally on existing products, but Thiel argues that the most valuable and game-changing startups create something new—they move from “zero to one.” Here are some of the best Zero to One quotes, along with context and explanation.
What happened when the dot-com bubble burst? How did investors react to the crash? When the dot-com bubble burst in 2000, investors became skeptical of any company that had aspirations of shaping the future. And their newfound skepticism became part of the new conventional wisdom. Here’s why that wisdom was misguided, according to Peter Thiel.