The World's Best Book Summaries
What are checks and balances in the U.S. government? Are they effective? Checks and balances in the U.S. government is a system intended to prevent authoritarianism by distributing power equally. Each branch has its own norms and means of operating. Read more about checks and balances in the U.S. government and what they do.
What happened during the 2010 midterm elections? Did it change the Obama administration and policies? The 2010 midterms elections occurred halfway through Obama’s first term. As expected, the 2010 midterm elections went poorly for Democrats. Read more about the 2010 midterm elections and what it meant for the Obama presidency.
What is the Law of the Inner Circle? What qualities would you like the people in your inner circle to have? The Law of the Inner Circle states that your success is, to a large extent, determined by the people who are closest to you. That’s why Maxwell stresses the importance of vetting the people you are going to accept into your inner circle. Keep reading to learn about the Law of the Inner Circle and how to build one.
Do you have trouble starting meditation? Have you tried reciting mindfulness mantras? Transitioning from the mind’s default state of wandering or compulsive thinking is one of the most difficult obstacles you will encounter as you begin your meditation practice. One way to ease yourself into it is to recite mindfulness mantras. Here are some mindfulness meditation mantras for you to try out.
Who is Barack Obama’s mother? What was Barack Obama’s relationship with his mother like, and how did it influence him to go into politics? Barack Obama’s mother, Ann, had a huge influence in young Barack Obama’s life. She resisted norms and encouraged him to think critically about the world around him, and to always have empathy. Read more about Barack Obama, his mother, and how she shaped his life.
What are the biggest meat industry problems? Why do these problems happen? Some of the biggest meat industry problems are with the working conditions in slaughterhouses. These workers deal with constant unsafe and unsanitary conditions. Read more about meat industry problems below.
What is the Law of Solid Ground? What do you think is the foundation of good leadership? The Law of Solid Ground is the sixth law of leadership from The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John C. Maxwell. This law states that leadership is built on a foundation of trust. If a leader doesn’t have their followers’ trust, or they’ve broken it, they can’t exert influence over those people. Keep reading to learn about the Law of Solid ground plus some real-world examples of its application.
What happened at the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner? What did it mean for tensions between Obama and Trump? At the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner, Obama had his opportunity to fire back at Trump for political digs and birtherism. Obama mocked Trump, but knew to take Trump seriously. Read more about the 2011 White House Correspondents Dinner below.
What’s the practice of fast food franchising? Why is franchising detrimental? Fast food franchising is a common practice in the fast food industry. Franchisees are responsible for their restaurants, like business owners, but have no autonomy—much like a regular employee. Plus, much of fast food franchising is subsidized by taxpayers. Read more about fast food franchising, how it works, and why it’s a bad practice.
Why are so many Americans sick and obese given their obsession with healthy eating? What is it about the American diet that’s sent the health of the population into a tailspin? Studies show that albeit the concern for healthy eating, American rates of diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, stroke, and cancer are going up. According to Michael Pollan, the author of In Defense of Food, the problem with the American diet is that it places too much focus on food’s nutritional content. Here is what’s wrong with the American diet, according to Michael Pollan.