Shortform Books

How to Encourage Participation in a Collaborative Project

Are your employees failing to work as a team? How should you encourage participation to get the job done? While working on a team project, your first collaboration session with your team involves weighing your options and deciding upon a course of action. Leadership Is Language by L. David Marquet suggests a few ways to communicate open participation during these sessions. Discover how to encourage participation and invite honesty in the workplace.

3 Tips for Believing in Change and Improving Your Life

Do you want to become a better version of yourself? What’s the number one way to make necessary changes in life? Change is possible, but only if you believe it is. Otherwise, you’ll never grow beyond the circumstances you’re living in. Luckily, Built Through Courage by Dave Hollis has tips to help you believe in change. Continue reading for tips on changing your current circumstances.

How to Take Part in Mel Robbins’s High Five Challenge

What is Mel Robbins’s High Five Challenge? How easy it is to improve your self-esteem? When you’ve had a tough day, it’s reassuring to know that the next day you can start from scratch. By just looking in the mirror and giving yourself a high five in the morning, you can improve your day and your confidence level. Continue reading to learn how to do the High Five Challenge, according to The High 5 Habit by Mel Robbins.

Charles Darwin’s Tree of Life: Evidence of Common Ancestry

Are all species related to each other way back? Do we have a common ancestor? In On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin argues that modern species are related through shared ancestry. He provides two pieces of evidence for this theory: the similarity of traits between related organisms and the breeding characteristics of hybrids. Let’s take a look at the evidence for Charles Darwin’s “tree of life.”

The US Drug Shortage: Causes and Potential Solutions

What’s behind the shortage of hundreds of drugs in the US? What can be done to fix the problem? The US drug shortage is so severe that physicians at large cancer centers have virtually no supply of chemotherapy drugs left. Experts attribute much of the drug shortage problem to an ailing generic drug manufacturing market, which accounts for 90% of all domestic prescriptions. Below we’ll take a look at what’s causing the US drug shortage and if anything can be done to remedy it.

How to Build a Customer-Focused Company & Stand Out

How to Get Customers and Grow Your Business

Why is it important to focus on customers in business? How can you differentiate from your competitors in the market? Your customers should be the main focus of your company. They’re the people giving you profit, so you should cater to their needs. That being said, you should also find your niche that shows your customers you stand out from competitors. Here’s why you need to focus on creating a customer-focused company that values relationships with consumers.

Why Do Simple Organisms Still Exist? Charles Darwin Explains

Does natural selection have anything to do with the simplicity or complexity of an organism? Does the process of evolution ever end? Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution was controversial in its time, even among scientists. In the final edition of On the Origin of Species, released in 1872, Darwin responds to objections raised by skeptics. One of these is that simple organisms continue to exist even after some evolved into complex ones. Read more to learn Darwin’s rebuttals in defense of his theory.

Confucius Weighs in on the Importance of Hard Work in Life

Do you feel guilty when you know you could have done more? Could you be more productive if you arranged your life differently? In The Analects, Confucius teaches that good people work hard. So, if you want to be a decent person and live a meaningful life, you must put your mind to everything you do and give it your best. Continue reading to learn about the importance of hard work in life, according to Confucius.

How to Prepare for Public Speaking: 3 Steps to a Compelling Talk

When you’re preparing to give a speech, what should you do before you start to write? How can you leverage your strengths for maximum impact? Of course, preparation for public speaking entails writing your speech, but it’s more than that. In The 16 Undeniable Laws of Communication, John C. Maxwell provides tips for drafting your presentation as well as a couple of steps that he recommends you take first. Keep reading to learn how to prepare for public speaking and create a strong message that’s sure to be remembered.

Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter: Best Friends and Confidantes

Why didn’t Rosalynn Carter accept Jimmy’s first marriage proposal? How did this couple redefine the role of the First Lady? In His Very Best, biographer Jonathan Alter tells the story of Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter. He discusses their courtship and their time together while Jimmy served in the US Navy, the White House, and beyond. Read on to learn about the shared life of this historic couple.