Shortform Books

Unraveling the Iskandar Project: Jho Low’s Web of Deceit

How was Jho Low involved with the Iskandar project? Was Low successful with his scheme? In the book Billion Dollar Whale, Tom Wright and Bradley Hope chronicle the story of Jho Low, a Malaysian entrepreneur who allegedly stole billions of dollars from his government’s coffers. One of his schemes was the Iskandar Project, a plan to develop a financial center in Malaysia’s Iskandar region. Read on to learn about Low’s involvement with the Iskandar project, according to Wright and Hope.

The Importance of Supportive Relationships

Why are supportive relationships important? How can you build a strong support network you can rely on in times of need? We all need support, care, and companionship to remain mentally healthy. This need stems from our evolutionary roots: Belonging to a group was essential for survival when humans were primarily hunter-gatherers, so the desire for companionship is genetically wired into our brains. Keep reading to learn about the importance of supportive relationships and how to develop a strong support network.

How to Use Your Strengths: 4 Actions Leaders Should Take

Are you struggling as a business leader? How do you use your strengths to lead your team to victory? In The Way of the Seal, Mark Divine says that business leaders must adopt a SEAL mindset to navigate the challenges of the modern work world. He examines four actions you can take to identify and tap your inner strengths so you can operate at your highest level. Here’s how to use your strengths to become a powerful leader.

The Link Between Blood Sugar and Heart Disease

What is the link between high blood sugar and heart disease? Can frequent blood sugar spikes cause your heart to fail? High blood sugar increases your risk of developing heart disease—among other health conditions. This is because it damages blood vessels by causing cholesterol to accumulate and can also damage the nerves that control the heart and blood vessels. Keep reading to learn how elevated blood sugar can lead to heart disease.

How to Read Emotions From Body Language

What can body language tell you about a person’s emotional state? What body language cues should you pay attention to when trying to decipher someone’s feelings? Body language cues can reveal a lot about how someone is feeling. If a person is feeling relaxed, secure, and comfortable, they’ll display open and expressive body language. If, on the other hand, they’re feeling insecure or threatened, they’ll exhibit closed and comforting body language. Keep reading to learn how to read emotions from body language.

How to Develop Ideas: Turning Insights Into Innovations

Do you have a million ideas in your head that seem to go nowhere? Are you looking for fresh ideas to solve specific problems? Steven Johnson takes us on an exciting exploration of good ideas and novel innovations. For an idea to be good, he says, it must be built upon accumulated knowledge and be put forward at a time when users can conceive of how to use the idea and when the needed resources for the idea are available. Keep reading to learn how to develop ideas and, ultimately, advance knowledge and society.

How to Keep Employees Engaged: 3 Tips for Team Happiness

Which should you prioritize—employee benefits or perks? What role should internal customers play in hiring? How should you handle breakpoints as your company grows? Tony Fadell shares lessons learned when it comes to creating successful product-based businesses. He provides effective strategies for hiring the right people and keeping them engaged throughout their time with your company. Keep reading to learn how to keep employees engaged.

Making the Most of Your Time: 5 Ways to Maximize Efficiency

When should you delegate tasks? How can you streamline your decision-making process? Who should go on your “adversaries list”? To reach your full potential and accomplish extraordinary things, Matthew Dicks says you must first learn how to make the most of your time. Stop wasting time on unnecessary tasks, accomplish necessary tasks as quickly as possible, and reap the most benefits from the tasks you spend time on. Keep reading to explore Dicks’s five main principles for maximizing efficiency.

Untreated Mental Illness: A Leader’s Recipe for Disaster

How can an untreated mental illness impact a leader’s role? What effect does proper treatment have on your work? In A First-Rate Madness, Nassir Ghaemi argues that the manner in which you treat mental illness can affect leadership abilities. Proper treatment can enhance positive traits while improper treatment can impair crisis decision-making. Learn how crucial mental health treatment is for leaders in important positions.

Education Reform Ideas: Embracing the Latest Science of Learning

When students struggle, what if we took advantage of that difficulty rather than trying to “fix” it? What’s a productive alternative to marking test answers as wrong? In Limitless Mind, math educator Jo Boaler shows that the brain is capable of learning new skills and incorporating new ideas throughout our lives and that struggling to learn and making mistakes are integral parts of cognitive growth. With this in mind, she urges us to rethink education. Keep reading to learn several education reform ideas put forth in Boaler’s book.