Shortform Books

Increasing Science Literacy: Advice From Carl Sagan

What if the general public were more scientifically aware? What’s the path to get there? In The Demon-Haunted World, Carl Sagan shares his concern about science illiteracy, especially in America. He believes that a general public that’s equipped with more knowledge about scientific principles and methods would be a positive force in the world. He outlines two ways to increase science literacy: improving science education (including instilling more enthusiasm for science) and increasing funding for scientific research. Let’s take a close look at this advice from Sagan.

How to Accept Yourself as You Are: 2 Ways to Find Joy

Are you constantly fighting who you are? Do you let others’ opinions get the best of you? The Almanack of Naval Ravikant offers advice on how to build happiness. Ravikant argues that self-acceptance is a must if you want to be truly happy. He explains that the keys are to accept your own mortality and stop obsessing about what others think of you. Let’s take a closer look at Ravikant’s advice on how to accept yourself as you are.

How to Make a Daily Plan & Focus on Your Gains

What’s the best time of day to make a daily plan? What are implementation intentions and linked habits? Gap-thinking and Gain-thinking are two different ways to interpret your achievements in life. Gap-thinking is measuring forward by using your ideal future self as the object of comparison. Gain-thinking is measuring backward by using your past self instead. In The Gap and the Gain, Dan Sullivan and Benjamin Hardy share practical recommendations on how to make a daily plan that helps you stay focused on Gains. Keep reading for tips on planning ahead, one day at a time.

Interstellar Space Travel—Carl Sagan’s Take

Is interstellar space travel feasible? What did the late Carl Sagan think about space travel? In his book Cosmos, the late astronomer Carl Sagan spoke about the possibility of interstellar space travel. He believed that it may be possible in the future with the use of nuclear fusion technology. He also said that we would likely need to use multigenerational spacecrafts if we wanted to make any significant progress. Here’s what Carl Sagan had to say about space travel.

Gender and Health: How Do They Affect Each Other?

Is gender important to consider when thinking about health? How does gender affect health? According to Caroline Criado Perez in Invisible Women, our male-as-default mindset results in a gender data gap that harms women’s health. She discusses how this manifests in everyday products and in our healthcare system. Read below to learn how gender and health are interconnected through car crash tests and medicine.

Does Imago Relationship Therapy Work?

What is Imago Relationship Therapy? How does it help fix relationships? In Getting the Love You Want, Harville Hendrix and Helen LaKelly Hunt talk about their Imago Relationship Therapy. They created the therapy as a response to the failure of the models of marriage counseling prevalent at the time. Below we’ll see how couples can use Imago Relationship Therapy for a lifetime.

How to Write a Good Purpose Statement: Sinek’s Steps

What are the most important characteristics of a good purpose statement? How do you write a purpose statement? Motivational speaker and author Simon Sinek believes finding your purpose helps you make more persuasive appeals to people. Your energy and commitment to your purpose are contagious, so having clarity on it helps you pitch your ideas in a way that’s more authentic and enticing to others. Read on to learn Sinek’s proven steps for writing a good purpose statement and how to start creating your own.

Ernest Shackleton’s Endurance Expedition: Background

What do you need to know before learning about the Endurance shipwreck? Was Ernest Shackleton qualified to lead an Antarctic expedition? In Endurance, Alfred Lansing recounts the unsuccessful Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. But before getting into the details of the shipwreck, he gives a brief overview of other Antarctic expeditions that inspired Shackleton to conduct his own expedition. Read below for a background of Shackleton’s Endurance expedition.

Challenge Your Beliefs: Are They Yours or Society’s?

Why is it important to challenge your beliefs? How do you know whether your beliefs and opinions about the world are true? What are the consequences of living with blind beliefs? Challenging your beliefs is an important step in self-growth. The more you question the validity of your thoughts and beliefs, the less likely you are to accept other people’s opinions as your own. The following questions will help you question your beliefs to see whether they align with who you really are.

Plato’s Symposium: Diotima’s Speech on Love

What does Diotima say about love in Plato’s Symposium? How does her concept of love relate to beauty? In Plato’s Symposium, Diotima’s speech centers on the human experience of love rather than its purpose or benefits. She concludes that the main object of love is not beauty. Rather, it’s goodness. However, she argues that beauty is integral to a good life and introduces the concept of the “ascent”—a process of learning to appreciate beauty in all its forms. In this article, we’ll explore Diotima’s views on love by explaining what humans love, why humans love, and how humans should love.