Shortform Books

How to Write Good Emails: Proven Tips for Success

Do you often write emails? What are some things you should keep in mind when writing a professional email? Writing emails is an essential skill in the modern-day professional milieu. Most people read dozens of emails a day, so it’s critical that your emails convey the message with the recipient in mind—consider your goal in writing the email and make it crystal clear to understand what you want them to do with it. Here’s how to write good emails every time.

How to Think Long-Term: 2 Novel Ways to Plan Ahead

Do you tend to live in the moment only to neglect the future? How might you make better choices today that will pay off in the future? The book The Great Mental Models Volume 3 by Rhiannon Beaubien and Rosie Leizrowice provides some fresh approaches to long-term thinking. They draw from models in economics and science to show us how we can make life investments today that will bring us rewards in the future. Continue reading for some unconventional advice on how to think long-term.

Poor Economics: Book Overview & Key Takeaways

What is Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee’s book Poor Economics about? What is the key message to take away from the book? In their book Poor Economics, MIT professors Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee analyze poverty by asking small, pointed questions about specific aspects of the lives of the poor. Their goal is to develop a detailed picture of how the poor live and how policy interventions affect their lives so that policymakers can better design interventions that help them. Below is a brief overview of Poor Economics by Esther Duflo and Abhijit Banerjee.

The Creative Process: The Power of Sharing Your Work

Why should you share your creative process? Why is it more beneficial to show the process rather than the product? In Show Your Work!, Austin Kleon argues that the best way to promote your work is by sharing every step of the creative process. There are three benefits of sharing every step to the world, which he describes in detail. Find out more about the value of sharing the creative process.

3 Easy-to-Spot Signs You Are Your Own Worst Enemy

Are you your own worst enemy? What forms does your inner nemesis take? Self-sabotaging comes in three major forms: imposter syndrome, inner wounds, and self-created stories. Todd Herman highlights these destructive patterns in his book The Alter Ego Effect. Here are the three signs that you are your own worst enemy.

Untamed Chapters: A Guided Overview (Glennon Doyle)

Are you looking for a helpful overview to Glennon Doyle’s Untamed chapters? Do you need a quick recap of the book? The Untamed chapters are similar to a blog post format: a personal narrative or reflection, a realization inspired by this reflection, and words of wisdom that you can apply to your life. Doyle’s chapters have these qualities and contain extended metaphors to explain her ideas, lessons, and themes. The extended metaphors help connect the reader to the book’s themes by providing a central image. Keep reading for a guided overview of Glennon Doyle’s Untamed chapters and to learn from

Lyndon B. Johnson’s Presidency: Crisis to Purpose

What is Lyndon B. Johnson famous for? What was the greatest accomplishment of Lyndon B. Johnson’s presidency? Lyndon B. Johnson, who was president from 1963 to 1969, inherited the country during a time of immense crisis. Despite the struggles the nation faced at the time, LBJ was able to achieve great things as a president; his most noteworthy accomplishment being the passing of the Civil Rights Law. Historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, the author of Leadership: In Turbulent Times, attributes Lyndon’s accomplishments to his clarity of purpose. Here’s how having a sense of purpose helped Lyndon unite the nation in times

Income Inequality: The 4 Potential Solutions

Can income inequality be solved? What can be done to bridge the global divide between the rich and the poor? Income inequality is a global problem—it plagues all countries to some extent. A small minority of the world’s population has amassed vast fortunes, while billions of people remain mired in extreme poverty. But hope remains. In her book Doughnut Economics, Kate Raworth proposes four income inequality solutions that can reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. Let’s take a look at Raworth’s solutions for income inequality.

How the Devil Works Against You: Napoleon Hill’s View

How does the devil operate? How does he seek to manipulate you? According to Napoleon Hill, author of Outwitting the Devil, the devil is a threat to you now, not after you die. In the book, Hill argues that you can outmaneuver the devil if you go to work against him in the right way. First, you must understand how he operates. Hill asserts that the devil seeks to rob you of success and fulfillment by manipulating your desires and fears. Continue reading to learn more about this view of how the devil works.

The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton: Book Overview

How is The Wealthy Barber different from other personal finance books? Who’s the barber, and what does he teach? The Wealthy Barber by David Chilton is a bestselling guide to becoming financially successful by following a handful of simple, easy-to-understand principles. These principles are illustrated using a fictional story about a teacher, an auto plant worker, and a small business owner who seek financial guidance from a barber who’s become wealthy by following the lessons he imparts. Here’s our overview of the book.