Shortform Books

What Is Regression Analysis in Statistics?

What is regression analysis in statistics? What can a regression test tell us about the relationship between two variables? Regression analysis is an inferential statistic that can help us infer relationships between variables that we wouldn’t otherwise be able to study. Regression analysis quantifies the direction, magnitude, and significance of an independent variable’s relationship to a dependent variable. Here’s a look at what inferential analysis does and the statistics involved.

The Challenges in Program Evaluation Research

What is program evaluation research? What types of program evaluations are there? Program evaluation refers to any situation where we’re interested in measuring the outcome of an event, which we refer to as a “treatment.” “Treatments” encompass academic interventions, social programs, political policies, fitness regimens, business tactics, clinical trials, and so on. Keep reading to learn about program evaluation research design and major challenges.

Building Self-Trust, According to Stephen Covey

Why is building self-trust important? What do experts say is the best way to build self-trust? Stephen Covey, author of The Speed of Trust, says building self-trust is the first step in gaining trust from others. If you don’t trust yourself, then you could be engaging in certain behavior Covey says you should avoid. Keep reading to learn how to build self-trust, according to Covey’s expert advice.

How to Be More Engaged in Your Goals (According to Science)

How can you be more engaged in your goals when you feel unmotivated? How does practicing full engagement help you succeed? In The Art of Impossible, peak performance expert Steven Kotler draws on extensive neurobiological research to demystify the path to breakthrough success. Kotler focuses on a scientific way to be more engaged, including how the neurochemistry of your brain affects engagement, motivation, and overall happiness. Read on to learn how to be more engaged in your goals (and feel good!), according to Kotler’s scientific approach.

Shortform Reads: The Good, the Bad, and the Obscure

What author might have discovered the “holy grail of physics”? What books are fun bedtime reading for the whole family? Timothy could tell you. Based in Idaho, he’s a book guide writer at Shortform. We interviewed him recently to learn a bit about his relationship with books, and he has some fascinating recommendations ranging from the classic to the obscure.

Why Is the Black Poverty Rate in America So High?

Why is the Black poverty rate so high in America? Why is the racial wealth gap so hard to close? For the majority of Americans, wealth is something that’s accumulated across generations through inheritance. But Black Americans have historically been left with little to no inheritance, making it much harder for them to gain success and wealth compared to white Americans. Keep reading to learn about the causes of Black poverty in America.

The Role of Insulin Resistance in Alzheimer’s Disease

How is insulin implicated in dementia? Why are diabetes patients at risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease? Insulin resistance is heavily associated with the risk for dementia. In fact, Alzheimer’s disease is sometimes referred to as Type 3 diabetes. Generally, high blood sugar—even without insulin resistance—is associated with cognitive decline. Keep reading to learn about the role of insulin resistance in Alzheimer’s disease.

Startup Assets: Your Unfair Advantage?

How much can you invest in your startup? How much of a financial leg up can you give your new business? If you have sizable assets to invest in your startup, you have a leg up over the competition. Valuable assets are one of the unfair advantages identified in the book The Unfair Advantage by entrepreneurs Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba. The authors discuss a potential drawback of assets, how to know if your assets are your unfair advantage in particular, and how to improve and make the most of your assets. Keep reading to learn about the unfair advantage

The Virtue of Wisdom: Self-Sufficient & Divine

What did Aristotle say about wisdom as a virtue? Why did he believe it was superior? In an effort to prove that wisdom is the greatest virtue of all, Aristotle explains how the virtue of wisdom is superior to moral virtues. He claims that wisdom is superior because it’s self-sufficient and divine. Let’s take a look at Aristotle’s view on the virtue of wisdom as presented in his Nicomachean Ethics.

How to Make Progress With Very Little Effort

Is hard work really the key to success? What if we instead found easier routes to progress and success and integrated them into our lives? In our professional and personal lives, we’re often taught that to achieve progress, we must work as hard as we possibly can. According to Greg McKeown, it doesn’t have to be that way. In his book Effortless, he debunks this belief and suggests several ways to make the most of your time with less effort. Here’s how to make progress effortlessly, according to Greg McKeown.