The World's Best Book Summaries
What is good versus evil? Is morality relative or fixed? Good and evil are common topics found in religion, ethics, psychology, philosophy, and more. To many, good and evil define what is right and wrong in the world. But it can be hard to determine what exactly tips the scale of morality. We’ll explore the good versus evil debate below by examining their definitions and how someone becomes good or evil.
What’s the relationship between a flow state and brain waves? How do your brain waves change when you enter a flow state? According to Steven Kotler’s book The Rise of Superman, in a flow state, the brain waves you produce temporarily change, allowing you to perform at your best. He specifically describes five of the brain waves that are positively affected by entering a flow state. Read on to learn more about how achieving a flow state affects brain waves, according to Kotler.
Looking to learn some healthy relationship habits? How can you improve your emotional intimacy with your partner? The authors of The School of Life argue that most healthy relationship habits have a foundation in emotional intelligence, which means your ability to understand how your and others’ emotions work. In the book, they explain four habits to learn for a healthy relationship, based on this principle. Read on to discover these four habits for a healthy relationship, according to the advice in The School of Life.
Why does the criminal justice system put children in prison? Does imprisoning children violate the Eighth Amendment? The Eighth Amendment protects prisoners from excessive punishment. But Bryan Stevenson’s book Just Mercy says that this amendment is violated when children are imprisoned with life-without-parole sentences. Decide if children in prison need to be protected by the Eighth Amendment below.
What book literally changed the course of Kristi’s life? Why did she take a several-year hiatus from reading altogether? Kristi is a Shortform guide writer with truly eclectic taste. She loves magical realism and wishes she could share her love of Richard Brautigan with more people.
Are you looking for Inner Engineering quotes by Sadhguru? What are some of the most noteworthy passages worth revisiting? In his book Inner Engineering, yoga master Sadhguru explains that we create our own suffering and we’ll remain trapped in it until we learn to seek answers from the right place—inside ourselves. He says we can only transform the world by transforming ourselves from within, using yoga. Below is a selection of quotes from Sadhguru’s book Inner Engineering: A Yogi’s Guide to Joy.
What is a controlling idea? What role does it play in a story? How many should one story have? A controlling idea, Robert McKee argues, is the glue that holds a story together. In his book Story, he explains why it’s important and how it works. He also shows writers how to connect all of the scenes of a story to the controlling idea. Continue reading to learn what McKee teaches about this important aspect of a story.
What does it mean to get a “good deal” on a product? What’s the natural price of a good? When supply and demand are in equilibrium, goods will be sold for their natural price. Adam Smith explains that the natural price is the cost of bringing a good to market. He discusses this concept in his classic work The Wealth of Nations. Read more to understand natural price and the three primary costs that determine it.
What was prison like for Nelson Mandela? Why didn’t he try to escape? Nelson Mandela spent a total of 27 years in three prisons. He endured the worst 18 of those years, from 1964 to 1982, in Robben Island Prison. He writes about the experience in his autobiography, Long Walk to Freedom. Read more to learn about Robben Island, Mandela’s first prison.
Why are neurotransmitters important? How do they impact our abilities and daily lives? In The Rise of Superman, journalist Steven Kotler explains how athletes are able to perform seemingly superhuman feats—it all comes down to mastering flow, or a state of deep focus, he says. He further explains why neurotransmitters are important for achieving this state of flow and boosting performance. Read on to learn why neurotransmitters are important for brain performance, according to Kotler.