The World's Best Book Summaries
Is game development hard to work in? What are the unique challenges of being a video game developer? Video games have evolved tremendously throughout the years, and it’s all thanks to the hard work of everyone on development teams. It’s not an easy job making video games, and Jason Schreier’s book Blood, Sweat, and Pixels explains why. Here are the complications developers often come across when working on the interactivity of games.
What’s the legacy of Alan Watts? How do people view his life and contribution? Critics, monks, and philosopher Alan Watts himself have used colorful words to describe him and his work. His books have taught many people in the West about Eastern philosophies and practices, but some contend that they lacked depth and that he didn’t always practice what he preached. Read more to learn how Alan Watts has been regarded over the last few decades.
How do habits form? What is the biological program of a habit? A habit is something you do without thinking because the behavior is programmed into your brain as an automatic response. There are several components to this biological “program”: the cue, the routine, the reward, the craving, repetition, and the belief. Keep reading to learn about the habit-creation process.
Why should you pay attention to your body language if you want to make a great first impression? Do you give closed body language cues without even knowing it? Your body language determines people’s first impressions of you. So, it’s important to understand the various body language cues and learn to leverage them if you want people to find you open and welcoming. Keep reading to learn how to exhibit approachable body language around others.
Would you like to feel more confident and skilled in social situations? What do you still have to learn about the art of conversation? Being skilled in initiating a conversation is important, but it’s also valuable to know how to keep a conversation flowing and then end it well. We’ve put together some tips from several communication experts that directly address these two skills. Keep reading to learn several techniques that will help make you an excellent conversationalist.
Do you have a bad habit you want to get rid of? How can you change your habits permanently? Different experts suggest different methods for cultivating habits and breaking bad ones. These methods can be combined for maximum effectiveness so you can erase bad habits for good. Learn how to change habits permanently with the help of experts.
Do you need to pay better attention to the people in your life? What are some practical ways to improve your relationships? The Good Life by Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz discusses tips for improving general relationships in life. They share two things you can do to improve any relationship: Pay better attention and replace bad habits. Keep reading to learn how to improve your relationships in these two ways.
Do you have to make a hard decision that you don’t want to go through with? Do you lose focus with deal with a hard situation? Ending something as big as a job or a relationship isn’t easy. There will be factors that will try to persuade you from moving on, but eventually, you’ll have to build the courage to take action. Learn how to make hard decisions that will ultimately be good for you in the long run, according to Necessary Endings by Henry Cloud.
Are the people who are abandoning religion also leaving something crucial behind? Are they throwing the baby out with the bathwater? The answer is yes, according to Waking Up: A Guide to Spirituality Without Religion by Sam Harris. He believes that spiritual experiences, particularly higher states of consciousness, are important for people who are seeking happiness and peace. Continue reading for an overview of this thought-provoking book.
What’s the role of suppliers in marketing? How much influence do suppliers have over pricing? In Competitive Strategy, Michael Porter explains that suppliers with substantial influence can dictate pricing, product quality, and availability. For example, in the diamond industry, a few large diamond mining companies exert significant influence over jewelry manufacturers and vendors by dictating prices, setting quality standards, and restricting sales. Let’s look at the number of conditions that enhance supplier influence over a market.