The World's Best Book Summaries
What are the steps to writing a research paper? Why is writing a research paper a long process? Unlike critical analysis essays that are only a few pages long, research papers take diligent time to write. According to Cal Newport in How to Become a Straight-A Student, there are eight steps to the process. Let’s look at these eight steps in more detail.
Is the fear of success a thing? How does fear of success cause people to self-sabotage? The possibility of achieving significant success triggers irrational fear in many people. As they experience greater success and joy, they begin to unconsciously self-sabotage to bring themselves back to a level that they are used to. Keep reading to learn about the psychology of the fear of success.
What is Dan and Chip Heath’s Decisive about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In their book Decisive, Dan and Chip Heath present a decision-making process we can use for big decisions across any area of our lives. They wrote this book because they noticed there’s ample research on how flawed our decisions are but little advice on how to make better choices. Below is a brief overview of Decisive: How to Make Better Choices in Life and Work by Dan and Chip Heath.
Want to learn how to overcome depression without medication? What methods do psychologists recommend for treating mild depression? Martin Seligman’s work in psychology has unearthed new findings about potential causes of depression, linking it to learned helplessness. Seligman says, if you’ve learned helplessness, you can also unlearn it to become mentally healthier and more confident. Read on to learn why following Seligman’s advice could be a way to overcome depression without medication.
What’s Occam’s Razor theory? How can you use it to solve problems quickly and effectively? In the first volume of The Great Mental Models series, Farnam Street founder Shane Parrish and content strategist Rhiannon Beaubien include Occam’s Razor as one of their models, as it’s a practical thinking tool. This model helps you cut to the chase when looking for solutions. Continue reading to understand what Occam’s Razor is and how to use it.
What is the book How to Become a Straight-A Student about? What are the main takeaways of the book? In How to Become a Straight-A Student, Cal Newport gives tips for studying as a college student. His techniques can help you ace your tests and pass courses with the best grades possible. Read below for a brief overview of the book How to Become a Straight-A Student.
Why do we make bad decisions? What are some ways you can mitigate biases in decision-making? Life is full of big decisions, but hard-to-detect flaws in our thinking often prevent us from making good choices. According to Dan and Chip Heath, we can make better decisions if we follow a process that pushes us to overcome our decision-making biases and illogical ways of thinking. Let’s examine how illogical ways of thinking weaken our decision-making.
When you have more than one option, how do you know which one to choose? Can you actually train yourself to make better decisions? Let’s say that you’ve received a job offer at a great company. You’re pretty happy where you are now, but the new opportunity might be the right move to make. If you carefully consider the consequences (second-order thinking), the chances (probabilistic thinking), and the possibilities (possibility thinking), you’ll likely make the right decision. Read more to learn how to use these three mental models for decision-making.
How should you plan your day as a college student? Should studying be the center of your attention? How to Become a Straight A-Student by Cal Newport advises that college students should create their own schedule for studying and free time. By having a consistent schedule, you won’t feel overwhelmed or tempted to procrastinate. Learn how to plan your day for students below.
Want to know how to stop being pessimistic? How do pessimists and optimists think differently? How can you change your thought patterns? To learn how to stop being pessimistic, Martin Seligman suggests embracing flexible optimism. Becoming a flexible optimist means you can learn to be an optimist while balancing it with your natural pessimism, according to Seligman. Read on to learn Seligman’s practical advice for how to stop being pessimistic.