Shortform Books

Programming Productivity: 3 Useful Techniques to Know

Are you struggling to juggle all your projects and keep up with clients’ deadlines? How do you evaluate whether a programming project is worth your time? In programming, productivity and time management are some of the most important soft skills you can develop. In his book The Clean Coder, Robert C. Martin gives some valuable time-tested advice on how to make the best use of your time as a programmer. Here are three programming productivity techniques you need if you are a programmer.

Amusing Ourselves to Death: Quotes by Neil Postman

What are the best Amusing Ourselves to Death quotes by Neil Postman? Do Postman’s observations from 1985 still hold true today? Although Postman’s book Amusing Ourselves to Death was published over thirty years ago, the messages still hold true today, if not more than ever. Postman warns us of a world that is more focused on entertainment than truth and value. Continue reading for some of Neil Postman’s quotes from Amusing Ourselves to Death.

Thomas Paine’s Best Common Sense Quotes

Are you looking for Common Sense quotes by Thomas Paine? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? Thomas Paine’s Common Sense provides both an intellectual backing and a roadmap for full American independence from England. While it is often read as a book that’s only concerned with questions related to America and England, Paine also lays out a comprehensive political philosophy. The following Common Sense quotes encapsulate the essense of his argument.

The Engineering Design Process: 4 Everyday Benefits

What is the engineering design process? How can you apply it to your life? The engineering design process can help you formulate different approaches to everyday dilemmas. It prompts you to evaluate which approach is likely to see the greatest success. The process aids in creative problem solving and decision making. Read more to learn about the engineering design process and its practical applications.

Public Policy and Housing Segregation in the 1950s

How did the government enable housing segregation in the 1950s? What was the role of the Housing Act of 1949 in facilitating this segregation? The segregationist stance of the government with policies such as school placement, slum clearance, and segregated housing projects all contributed to pervasive housing segregation in the 1950s. The Housing Act of 1949 permitted public authorities to segregate within housing projects which gave legal justification to segregationist practices in 1950s housing. Read on to learn more about housing segregation in the 1950s.

The 3 Kinds of Managers: Tough, Nice, and One-Minute

How does Ken Blanchard describe the three kinds of managers? What sets a one-minute manager apart from nice and tough managers? In his book The New One-Minute Manager, Ken Blanchard discusses the three kinds of managers: tough, nice, and one-minute managers. One-minute managers instill confidence in their employees and are experts at time management. Keep reading to learn more about the three kinds of managers.

Why Is Heart Rate Variability Important to Willpower?

What is heart rate variability? Why is heart rate variability important to willpower? Heart rate variability is the variance in time between each heartbeat. The higher the variability, the more relaxed and adaptable your body is to stress. This is related to willpower because people with higher heart rate variability are better at delaying gratification, dealing with stress, ignoring distractions, and exercising self-control. Continue reading for more information on heart rate variability and what you can do to increase it.

How an Inheritance From Your Parents Hurts You

How Inheritance From Parents Affects Adult Children

How does inheritance from parents affect adult children? How do you teach your adult children independence and financial responsibility? Inheritance from parents makes less capable, unemployed children more dependent, while adult children that got no inheritance from parents are more likely to take risks and accumulate wealth. You can teach your children financial independence by teaching them the values of frugality, discipline, and independence. Learn how inheritance from parents affects adult children, and what parents can do about it.

Moral Licensing: When “Rewards” Are Sabotage

Do you ever reward yourself with a snack when you’ve done well on your diet? Why do people tend to think that being “good” gives us moral permission to be “bad”? Moral licensing is when people tell themselves they deserve an indulgent treat because they’ve been good. However, much of the time the “reward” is actually counterintuitive to the person’s goal. Here is why moral licensing goes against self-control.

Tools of Titans by Tim Ferriss: Book Overview

Is Tim Ferriss’s book Tools of Titans about? What do you think highly successful people—those who are at the top of their game—do differently? In Tools of Titans, Tim Ferriss shares the habits and beliefs of 101 high-performing people, including tech investors, entrepreneurs, athletes, and entertainers. The premise of the book is that if you emulate the habits and beliefs of people who succeed the way you want to succeed, you too can be successful. In this brief overview of Tools of Titans, we’ve pulled out the main themes across all the people Ferriss interviewed.