Shortform Books

Cognitive Shortcuts in Advertising: Most Common Examples

How to Build a Latticework of Mental Models

What are cognitive shortcuts in advertising? How are they used to influence consumer decision-making? According to Drew Whitman, cognitive shortcuts are an effective marketing strategy for convincing consumers to buy products spontaneously. In his book Ca$hvertising, he offers examples of common advertising techniques that rely on cognitive shortcuts. Keep reading for some examples of cognitive shortcuts in advertising, according to Whitman.

Prince Harry Family Tree: A Guide to His Relationships

Who is a part of Prince Harry’s family tree? What family members does he have the most tension with? In Spare, Prince Harry details why he and his wife, Meghan Markle, decided to leave the Royal Family and move to America. This, in part, is because of his often difficult relationships with his closest family members. Below we’ll look at the relationships that caused Harry and Meghan to leave.

Chunking Information for Students: Improve Your Memory

What does “chunking information” mean? Why is it helpful for students? Chunking means grouping together connected ideas so you can remember them better. Jade Bowler explains this concept in her book The Only Study Guide You’ll Ever Need so students can take advantage of this studying technique. Find out why chunking information for students can boost your studying practices.

What Is Abusive Behavior? How to Recognize the Signs

What is abusive behavior? How do abusers subtly manipulate and intimidate their victims? Abuse isn’t just physical—it can also be emotional and verbal abuse that many victims might not recognize at first. But Lundy Bancroft’s book Why Does He Do That? will teach you how to spot abusive behavior from a mile away. Bancroft breaks up abusive behavior into two categories, which we’ll look at below.

What Makes a Good Role Model? Luke Burgis Explains

What makes a good role model? What should a role model be able to accomplish? What characteristics should they have? Author and educator Luke Burgis wrote his first book, Wanting, to explain why we imitate others and pursue false desires in society. In the book, he explains what makes a good role model, how to identify and choose role models in your life, and how to avoid bad role models. Read on to find out what makes a good role model, according to Burgis’s advice.

Amy C. Edmondson: Psychological Safety’s Importance

What is Amy C. Edmondson’s definition of psychological safety? What are the benefits of psychological safety? According to Amy C. Edmondson, psychological safety in the workplace means workers feel encouraged to speak up and make mistakes without fear of reprisal. Her book The Fearless Organization explains how a psychologically safe work culture is superior to a fear-driven one. Let’s look at what psychological safety is at work.

What Can You Do With ChatGPT? (+What Not to Do)

What can you do with ChatGPT? What are the best ways to use it? What are ChatGPT’s limitations? ChatGPT, a new language generation tool, was an instant hit upon its release in November last year. While the bot is uncannily good at holding conversations, producing written texts, and coding, it also generates many outputs that are biased or factually incorrect. Keep reading to find out what you can do with ChatGPT, plus its limitations.

How to Organize Your Home & Free Up Mental Energy

How does your brain keep track of your stuff? How can you work with your biology to better organize your things? In his book The Organized Mind, neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin discusses how to externalize and sort information to make various mental processes easier. Similarly, he suggests that you use the power of externalization and sorting to track your stuff. Keep reading to learn how to organize your home in a way that frees up more mental energy, allowing you to focus on other tasks and make better decisions.

Ryan Holiday: The Power of a Quiet Mind

How do you still an agitated mind? What exactly is meant by quieting your mind? When your mind is quiet, you can process information faster, reason more rationally, and solve problems more effectively. In his book Stillness Is the Key, Ryan Holiday likens this state—which he calls “stillness” to the state of satori in Buddhism. Keep reading to learn about the power of a quiet mind, according to Ryan Holiday.

The Importance of Willpower: How Much Does It Really Matter?

How important is willpower? What difference does it actually make in our lives? Daniel Goleman emphasizes the importance of willpower in his book Focus. However, some disagree that it’s a major factor in our lives. Read more to learn both sides of this debate.