Shortform Books

The Insecticide DDT: Dangers and Lies

What is the history of the debate surrounding the insecticide DDT? What doubts were raised? Were they legitimate? In 1972, the EPA banned the use of the insecticide DDT in the U.S. Despite this, certain individuals and organizations kept the controversy alive by manufacturing doubt about the underlying science. In Merchants of Doubt, historians Naomi Oreskes and Erik Conway tell the story. Read more to learn how the merchants of doubt engaged in the debate surrounding DDT.

Why Do We Binge Eat? How to Say “No” to the Pig

Why do we binge eat? How can we take back control of our urges? In his book Never Binge Again, Glenn Livingston discusses the root cause for why we binge eat. Livingston says that we all have an “inner pig” in our brains that crave mass quantities of food to ensure our survival. Unfortunately, we no longer need to store up food to survive and the inner pig isn’t easy to turn off. Continue reading to learn more about why we binge and how we can work to silence our inner pigs.

10 Tips for Responsible Technology Use

Do you feel you have control over your technology use? How do you manage to keep the never-ending stream of information through digital devices at bay? In the last 20 years, the world has undergone some major advancements in technology. While it’s exciting when new technology takes over the world, it’s important not to let it take over your mind because exposure to too much information has a negative effect on your well-being. In this article, we’ll share tips to embrace digital tools that make life easier while being selective and strategic enough to prevent feeling overwhelmed.

The Success Principles: Quotes by Jack Canfield

Looking for The Success Principles quotes by Jack Canfield? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? In The Success Principles, Jack Canfield details 67 principles to help anyone achieve their goals and dreams, based on his study and interviews with hundreds of successful people. The basic formula for success is to identify what you want, know that you deserve to have it, and use the book’s principles to get you there. The following The Success Principles quotes highlight some of his key lessons.

How to Let Go of Limiting Money Beliefs

Do you find that money is hard to come by? Do you try to hold on to every dollar and almost never splurge to treat yourself? Where do you think these limiting money beliefs come from? Making enough money to enjoy the lifestyle you want can help you feel successful. But it’s easy to let limiting money beliefs and unhelpful behavior gets in the way. In this article, you’ll learn how to change your thinking to better position yourself for financial success.

How to Build Strong Relationships: Be Indistractable

Do you want to know how to build strong relationships with friends and loved ones? How do habits of distraction spread among social groups? How can devices destroy romantic relationships? These days, it’s much harder to build strong relationships because people are often distracted. Whether it’s a familial relationship, a friendship, or a romantic relationship, it’s important to reduce distractions while together in order to promote communication and closeness. Here’s what Nir Eyal, the author of Indistractable, has to say about how to build strong relationships using the indistractable model.

How to Adapt U.S. Domestic Politics to Modern Times

What are the main challenges with the current state of U.S. domestic politics? How can the U.S. adapt its systems to keep up with the times? According to Thomas Friedman, the author of Thank You for Being Late, U.S. domestic politics is currently experiencing political upheaval because the present political system was developed in slower times. As a result, it can’t keep up with the three accelerations taking place in the world: 1) technology, 2) climate change, and 3) globalization. In this article, we’ll discuss the current state of American domestic politics and what we could do to make it

Tim Harford: Is Globalization Good for the Economy?

Is globalization good for the world’s economies? What are the main arguments that maintain that globalization is bad? The debate as to whether globalization is good for the global economy is not a simple one—there are many factors to take into account. Principles of comparative advantage highlight the positives of globalization. But globalization still has its skeptics. Mostly, skeptics focus on the arguments that globalization is bad for the planet and for the poor. In this article, we’ll discuss how globalization has changed the way economies function and consider two arguments against globalization: the planet argument and the poor argument.

Biased: Book Review, Background, and Author

Looking for a Biased book review? What are the book’s strengths and weaknesses? Was the book well received by critics? The book Biased was written by Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt and is about the implicit bias that many Americans have towards black people. This book is the culmination of decades of academic research and is a blend of science and storytelling. Keep reading for the Biased book review, critical reception, and author background.

Scientific Bias: History and Consequences

How did generations past use science to “prove” that some races were better than others? What were the three phases of scientific bias? What lasting impacts did racial pseudoscience have on society? In her book Biased, Dr. Jennifer Eberhardt discusses the three phases of historical scientific bias: human hierarchies, polygenesis, and evolutionary IQ. In the past, biased scientists would use pseudoscience and lies to justify inhumane acts such as slavery. Unfortunately, although disproved, many of the ideas are still deeply ingrained in society. Continue reading to learn about the dark history of scientific bias.