The Glass Castle: 23 Discussion Questions & Activities

A woman holding a book and reading in bed

We’ve put together discussion questions for The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls that you can use with a book club, a class at school, or a team at work. We include sample answers, book club activities that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis The Glass Castle is a memoir by Jeannette Walls about her unconventional and often chaotic upbringing. Walls recounts growing up with brilliant but deeply dysfunctional parents: her father Rex, an alcoholic dreamer who filled his children’s heads with grand plans (including

The Friction Project: Book Overview and Takeaways

A manager working at their desk

Do you want to fix the slowdowns, bottlenecks, and everyday hassles that drain organizations? How do you know when friction is a costly drag versus a helpful safeguard? In their book The Friction Project, Robert I. Sutton and Huggy Rao answer those questions by giving you a clear path for diagnosing, reducing, or adding friction so your team can work smarter and avoid avoidable frustration. This article will discuss the authors’ advice on becoming a friction fixer. First, we’ll explain what friction is, its costs, and its benefits. Then, we’ll discuss how to determine an appropriate level of friction for

Sapiens Discussion Questions, Sample Answers, & Activities

Ten women in a book club discussion sitting around a table in a restaurant

We’ve put together discussion questions for Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari that you can use with a book club or a class at school. We include sample answers, book club activities that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis Sapiens traces the history of our species from the emergence of Homo sapiens in Africa—estimated at roughly 300,000 years ago to the present day. Harari identifies three major revolutions that shaped human history: Throughout the book, Harari explores how shared myths—including religions, nations, corporations, and money—have

The Life Brief: A Playbook for No Regrets Living (Book Overview)

A cartoon of a woman giving a business brief and the board reads "life."

Most people struggle with this fundamental question: What do you really want? Brand strategist Bonnie Wan offers a concrete answer through her “Life Brief” methodology—a strategic framework that distills your authentic desires into five bold statements and an actionable plan, much like the creative briefs she uses with Fortune 500 companies. After applying corporate strategy techniques to overcome her own personal crisis, Wan developed this three-step system that helps you clear mental clutter, craft your personal mission, and take decisive action. Keep reading for a full book overview of The Life Brief by Bonnie Wan.

Just Mercy: 23 Discussion Questions & Activities for Book Clubs

A drawing of two women and two men discussing a book in a book club gathering

We’ve put together discussion questions for Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson that you can use with a book club, a class at school, or a team at work. We include sample answers, book club activities that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis Just Mercy is Bryan Stevenson’s memoir about his career as a young lawyer defending those most desperate and in need—the poor, the wrongly condemned, and women and children trapped in the farthest reaches of the criminal justice system. The book centers on

Bad Blood: 23 Book Club Discussion Questions & Activities

Books in stacks on a table and placed on bookshelves in a bookstore

We’ve put together discussion questions for Bad Blood by John Carreyrou that you can use with a book club, a class at school, or a team at work. We include sample answers, book club activities that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis Bad Blood tells the true story of Theranos, a Silicon Valley startup founded by Stanford dropout Elizabeth Holmes, who claimed to have revolutionized blood testing. Holmes promised that her company’s proprietary technology could run hundreds of diagnostic tests using just a few

Confronting the Presidents by O’Reilly & Dugard: Book Overview

Collage of US presidents Washington, Jackson, Lincoln, Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, FDR, JFK, Nixon, George W. Bush, and Obama

Every US president leaves their mark on history—some as heroes, others as cautionary tales. Bill O’Reilly and Martin Dugard’s Confronting the Presidents: No Spin Assessments From Washington to Biden examines the personal lives and political legacies of the American presidents. The book reveals how the decisions, relationships, and character traits of these leaders shaped the country we know today. Read more to explore how various presidents navigated the pressures of the highest office and what their stories teach us about America as a nation.

When Breath Becomes Air: Discussion Questions & Activities

A black-and-white sketch of seven people in a book club discussion group

We’ve put together discussion questions for When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi that you can use with a book club, a class at school, or a team at work. We include sample answers, book club activities that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis When Breath Becomes Air is a profound memoir by Paul Kalanithi, a neurosurgeon who was diagnosed with stage IV lung cancer at age 36, just as he was completing his medical training. The book chronicles his journey from doctor to

Unbroken: Book Discussion Questions & Activities (Hillenbrand)

A painting-style image of two men and three women in a book club discussion

We’ve put together discussion questions for Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand that you can use with a book club or a class at school. We include sample answers, book club activities that will help you get more out of what you’ve read, and recommendations for more reading if you like this book. Book Synopsis Unbroken tells the extraordinary true story of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner turned World War II bombardier. After his B-24 plane crashed into the Pacific Ocean in 1943, Zamperini and two crewmates survived 47 harrowing days adrift on a life raft, enduring starvation, dehydration, shark attacks, and

You Win in the Locker Room First: Book Overview & Takeaways

A coach talking to football players in the locker room

In both sports and business, the key to victory is not raw talent, but the two “big Cs”: character and coaching. In their book You Win in the Locker Room First, Jon Gordon and former NFL coach Mike Smith discuss the unseen work of building trust, commitment, and shared purpose that lays the groundwork for future triumphs. This overview categorizes Gordon and Smith’s principles for success under those two big Cs. We’ll discuss why team members must be fully dedicated to each other and the team, and we’ll explain how your coaching methods can help that group of dedicated people